December 17, 2004, Tuesday of the third week of Advent.

A reading from the book of Genesis.

Jacob called his sons and said to them,

Assemble and listen sons of Jacob, listen to Israel, your father.

You, Judah, shall your brother's praise, your hand on the neck of your enemies.

The sons of your father shall bow down to you.

Judah, like a lion's whelp, you have grown up on prey, my son.

He crouches like a lion recumbent, the king of beasts, who would dare rouse him.

The scepter shall never depart from Judah or the mace from between his legs,

while tribute is brought to him, and he receives the people's homage.

The Word of the Lord.

The Responsorial Psalm.

The response is,

Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace forever.

O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice the king's son.

He shall govern your people with justice, and your afflicted ones with judgment.

Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace forever.

The mountains shall yield peace for the people and the hills justice.

He shall defend the afflicted among the people, save the children of the poor.

Justice shall flourish in his time and fullness of peace forever.

Justice shall flower in his days and profound peace till the moon be no more.

May he rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth.

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