Blessing of the Christmas Tree in the Home

 

Description:

This blessing of the Christmas tree can be performed by the father of a family. This blessing can be done during Advent, or at Christmas. This was taken from the 1954 Collectio Rituum.

Prayer:

BLESSING OF A CHRISTMAS TREE FOR THE HOME

The father of the family recites the antiphon. The psalm is then recited alternately with the rest of the family.

Antiphon: Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy, for the Lord has come.

Psalm 95:

Sing to the Lord a new song; 

sing unto the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name 

Proclaim His salvation day after day.

Declare His glory among the nations, 

His wonders among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, 

to be feared above all the gods.

For all the gods of the heathen are vain idols; 

but the Lord made the heavens.

Majesty and beauty are before Him:

Power and splendor are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, 

ascribe to the Lord glory and power; 

ascribe to the Lord the glory due to His name.

Offer sacrifice, and enter His courts. 

Worship the Lord in holy attire.

Tremble before Him, all the earth. 

Proclaim among the nations "the Lord is king."

He has established the world that is not moved; 

He rules the people with equity.

Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad; 

let the sea and all that it contains resound, 

let the fields exult and all that is in them.

Then shall the trees of the forest rejoice before the Lord, 

for He comes, for He comes to rule the earth.

He will rule the world with justice,

And the peoples according to His faithfulness.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

The antiphon is repeated by all together:

Antiphon: Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy, for the Lord has come.

FIRST READING:

The mother of the family reads:

After the fall of our first parents the earth was bare and desolate; the world stood in the darkness of sin. But when the Savior was born our earth shone with a new brightness; the glory of the Almighty had renewed the world, making it more beautiful than before. This tree once stood dark and empty in a cold world. But now resplendent with lights and bright adornments in its new glory, this Christmas tree reflects the new beauty that God brought to earth when "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us." By a tree the whole world has been redeemed, and therefore, with great joy we celebrate the glory of this tree.

SECOND READING:

One of the children reads:

From the Holy Gospel according to St. Luke:

At that time it came to pass that while Mary and Joseph were at Bethlehem, the days for her to be delivered were fulfilled. And she brought forth her first-born son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were shepherds in the same district living in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them and the glory of God shone about them and they feared exceedingly. And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you news of great joy which shall be to all the people: for there has been born to you today in the town of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

All recite: Glory to God on high, * and on earth peace to men whom God has chosen. * We praise you. * We bless you. * We adore you. * We glorify you. * We worship you for your great glory. * Lord God, heavenly king, * God the Father all-powerful! * Lord Jesus Christ, only-begotten Son! * Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father! * You that take away the sins of the world, * have mercy on us. * You that take away the sins of the world, * receive our prayer. * You that sit at the right hand of the Father, * have mercy on us. * For you alone are the Holy One, * you alone are the Lord. * You alone are the Most High, O Jesus Christ, * with the Holy Spirit in the glory of God the Father. * Amen.

PRAYER

Father: Christ is the tree of life.

All: In the midst of the paradise of delights.

Father: He is the tree.

All: We are the branches.

Father: In Him was life

All: And the life was the light of men.

Father: The Lord be with you.

All: And with you also.

Father: Let us pray: Bless, we beseech Thee, O Holy God, Father Almighty, this noble tree which we have adorned in honor of the new birth of Thy only-begotten Son, and do Thou so adorn our souls with the manifold beauties of Thy graces that being internally enlightened by the splendor radiating from this tree, we like the wisemen may come to adore Him who is eternal Light and Beauty, the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.

All: Amen.

From the 1954 Collectio Rituum.