OFFICE OF READINGS

WEEK I
FIRST THURSDAY OF ADVENT

The Sign of the Cross on the lips is made as we say:

†Lord, open my lips
—and my mouth will proclaim  your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

Invitatory

(For psalm 95 on may substitute psalm 100 or 67 or 24 (If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory psalm)

Psalm 95

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13)
Come, let us sing to the Lord
And shout with joy to the Rock  who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving
And sing joyful songs to the Lord

The Lord is God, the mighty God,
The great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth
And the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him,
The dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,
Bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people,
The flock he shepherds.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
In the wilderness,
When at Meriba and Massah
They challenged me and provoked me,
Although they had seen all of my works.

Forty year I endured that generation.
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
And they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger,
“They shall not enter into my rest”

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

 

Office of Readings

 (This verse and response are omitted when the hour begins with the invitatory.)

†God, come to my assistance,
—Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.  Alleluia [Alleluia is omitted in Lent.]

HYMN

Eternal Father, through your Word
You gave new life to Adam's race,
Transformed them into sons of light,
New creatures by your saving grace.

To you who stooped to sinful man
We render homage and all praise:
To Father, Son and Spirit blest
Whose gift to man is endless days.

Melody: Erhalt'uns, Herr L.M. Music: Geistliehe Lieder, Wittenberg, 1543 Text: Stanbrook Abbey

PSALMODY

Ant. 1  The word of the Lord is a strong shield for all who put their trust in him.

Psalm 18:31-51

Hymn of thanksgiving

If God is on our side who can be against us? (Romans 8: 31).

IV

As for God, his ways are perfect;
the word of the Lord,
purest gold. He indeed is the shield
of all who make him their refuge.

For who is God but the Lord?
Who is a rock but our God?
The God who girds me with strength
and makes the path safe before me.

My feet you made swift as the deer's;
you have made me stand firm on the heights.
You have trained my hands for battle
and my arms to bend the heavy bow.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. The word of the Lord is a strong shield for all who put their trust in him.

Ant. 2 Your strong right hand has upheld me, Lord.

V

You gave me your saving shield;
you upheld me, trained me with care.
You gave me freedom for my steps;
my feet have never slipped.

I pursued and overtook my foes,
never turning back till they were slain.
I smote them so they could not rise;
they fell beneath my feet.

You girded me with strength for battle;
you made my enemies fall beneath me,
you made my foes take flight;
those who hated me I destroyed.

They cried, but there was no one to save them;
they cried to the Lord, but in vain.
I crushed them fine as dust before the wind;
trod them down like dirt in the streets.

You saved me from the feuds of the people
and put me at the head of the nations.
People unknown to me served me:
when they heard of me they obeyed me.

Foreign nations came to me cringing:
foreign nations faded away.
They came trembling out of their strongholds.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. Your strong right hand has upheld me, Lord.

Ant. 3 May the living God, my Savior, be praised for ever.

VI

  Long life to the Lord, my rock!
Praised be the God who saves me,
the God who gives me redress
and subdues people under me.

You saved me from my furious foes.
You set me above my assailants.
You saved me from violent men,
so I will praise you, Lord, among the nations:
I will sing a psalm to your name.

He has given great victories to his king a
nd shown his love for his anointed,
for David and his sons for ever.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, our strength and salvation, put in us the flame of your love and make our love for you grow to a perfect love which reaches to our neighbor.

Ant. May the living God, my Savior, be praised for ever.

Hear the word of the Lord, all you nations.
―Proclaim it to the ends of the earth.

FIRST READING

From the book of the prophet Isaiah                      16: 1- 5; 17: 4-8

Zion, refuge of the Moabites. The conversion of Ephraim

Send them forth, hugging the earth like reptiles,
from Sela across the desert,
to the mount of daughter Zion.
Like flushed birds,
like startled nestlings,
Are the daughters of Moab
at the fords of the Arnon.

Offer counsel, take their part;
at high noon let your shadow be like the night,
To hide the outcasts,
to conceal the fugitives.
Let the outcasts of Moab live with you,
be their shelter from the destroyer.

When the struggle is ended, the ruin complete,
and they have done with trampling the land,
A throne shall be set up in mercy,
and on it shall sit in fidelity
[in David's tent]
A judge upholding right
and prompt to do justice.
On that day
The glory of Jacob shall fade,
and his full body grow thin,

Like the reaper's mere armful of stalks
when he gathers the standing grain;
Or as when one gleans the ears
in the Valley of Rephaim.
Only a scattering of grapes shall be left!
As when an olive tree has been beaten,
Two or three olives remain at the very top,
four or five on its fruitful branches,
says the Lord, the God of Israel.

On that day man shall look to his maker,
his eyes turned toward the Holy One of Israel.
He shall not look to the altars, his handiwork,
nor shall he regard what his fingers have made:
the sacred poles or the incense stands.

 

 RESPONSORY                                 Jeremiah 33:15, 16; Isaiah 16:5

I shall raise up an heir for David,
one who is just;             .
he will make fair judgment prevail on earth,
―and this is the name they will give him: the Lord is our righteousness.

A throne of mercy will be set up;
there a true judge will sit,                                 .
one who seeks justice and is swift to do it right.
―and this is the name they will give him: the Lord is our righteousness.

SECOND READING

 From a commentary on the Diatessaron by Saint Ephrem, deacon
(Cap. 18, 15-17: SC 121, 325-328)                  .

Keep watch; he is to come again

To prevent his disciples from asking the time of his coming, Christ said About that hour no one knows, neither  the angels nor the Son. It is not for you to know times or moments. He has kept those things hidden so that we may keep watch, each of us thinking that he will come in our own day. If he had revealed the time of his coming, his coming would have lost its savor: it would no longer be an object of yearning for the nations and the age in which it will be revealed. He promised that he would come but did not say when he would come, and so all generations and ages await him eagerly.

Though the Lord has established the signs of his coming, the time of their fulfillment has not been plainly revealed. These signs have come and gone with a multiplicity of change; more than that, they are still present. His final coming is like his first. As holy men and prophets waited for him, thinking that he would reveal himself in their own day, so today each of the faithful longs to welcome him in his own day, because Christ has not made plain the day of his coming.

He has not made it plain for this reason especially, that no one may think that he whose power and dominion rule all numbers and times is ruled by fate and time. He described the signs of his coming; how could what he has himself decided be hidden from him? Therefore, he used these words to increase respect for the signs of his coming, so that from that day forward all generations and ages might think that he would come again in their own day.

Keep watch; when the body is asleep nature takes control of us, and what is done is not done by our will but by force, by the impulse of nature. When deep listlessness takes possession of the soul, for example, faintheartedness or melancholy, the enemy overpowers it and makes it do what it does not will. The force of nature, the enemy of the soul, is in control.

When the Lord commanded us to be vigilant, he meant vigilance in both parts of man: in the body, against the tendency to sleep; in the soul against lethargy and timidity. As scripture says: Wake up, you just, and I have risen and I am still with you; and again, Do not lose heart. Therefore ,having this ministry, we do not lose heart.

 

RESPONSORY                               Isaiah 55:3-4; Acts 28:28

I shall make with you an everlasting covenant,
I shall send the promise given in mercy to David.
― I have set him as a witness to the peoples,
as leader and teacher of all nations.

This saving act of God is for all nations,
and they will heed it.
― I have set him as a witness to the peoples,
as leader and teacher of all nations.

Prayer
Father,
we need your help.
Free us from sin and bring us to life. Support us by your power.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

 

MORNING PRAYER

WEEK I
FIRST THURSDAY OF ADVENT

 

(The Sign of the Cross is made as we say)
†God, come to my assistance,
—Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
—As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen

(This verse and response are omitted when the hour begins with the invitatory).

HYMN

When morning fills the sky,
Our hearts awaking cry:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
In all our works and prayer
His Sacrifice we share:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
The night becomes as day,
When from our hearts we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
The powers of darkness fear
When this glad song they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised.

In heav'n our joy will be
To sing eternally:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Let earth and sea and sky
From depth to height reply:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Let all the earth now sing
To our eternal King:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
By this eternal song,
Through ages all along:
May Jesus Christ be praised.

Melody: 0 Seigneur 667.667.D Music: Louis Bourgeois, 1500—1561 Text: E. Caswall, 1814—1878,

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

Psalm 57
Morning prayer in affliction

This psalm tells of our Lord's passion (Saint Augustine) .

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy
for in you my soul has taken refuge.
In the shadow of your wings I take refuge t
till the storms of destruction pass by.

I call to God the Most High,
to God who has always been my help.
May he send from heaven and save me
and shame those who assail me.

May God send his truth and his love.

My soul lies down among lions,
who would devour the sons of men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongue a sharpened sword.

O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

They laid a snare for my steps,
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path
but fell in it themselves.
My heart is ready, O God,
my heart is ready.
I will sing, I will sing your praise.
Awake, my soul,
awake, lyre and harp,
I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nations I will praise you
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.

O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of ~the devil, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, hap­py to be known as companions of your Son.

Ant. Awake, lyre and harp, with praise let us awake the dawn.

Ant. 2  My people, says the Lord, will be filled with my blessings.

Canticle                                                            Jeremiah 31: 10-14

The happiness of a people who have been redeemed

Jesus was to die ... to gather God's scattered children into one fold (John 11: 51, 52).

Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:
He who scattered Israel, now gathers them together,
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.

The Lord shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from the hand of his conqueror.
Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the Lord's blessings:
the grain, the wine, and the oil,
the sheep and the oxen;
they themselves shall be like watered gardens,
never again shall they languish.

Then the virgins shall make merry and dance,
and young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will console and gladden them after their sorrows.
I will lavish choice portions upon the priests,
and my people shall be filled with my blessings,
says the Lord.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. My people, says the Lord, will be filled with my blessings.

Ant. 3 The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God.

Psalm 48

Thanksgiving for the people's deliverance

He took me up a high mountain and showed me 1eru­salem, God's holy city (Revelation 21: 10)

The Lord is great and worthy to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain rises in beauty,
the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion, true pole of the earth,
the Great King's city!
God, in the midst of its citadels,
has shown himself its stronghold.

For the kings assembled together,
together they advanced.
They saw; at once they were astounded;
dismayed, they fled in fear.

A trembling seized them there,
like the pangs of birth.
By the east wind you have destroyed
the ships of Tarshish.

As we have heard, so we have seen
in the city of our God,
in the city of the Lord of hosts
which God upholds for ever.

O God, we ponder your love
within your temple.
Your praise, O God, like your name
reaches to the ends of the earth.

With justice your right hand is filled.
Mount Zion rejoices;
the people of Judah rejoice
at the sight of your judgments.

Walk through Zion, walk all round it;
count the number of its towers.
Review all its ramparts,
examine its castles,

that you may tell the next generation
that such is our God,
our God for ever and always.
It is he who leads us

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Father, the body of your risen Son is the temple not made by human hands and the defending wall of the New Jerusalem. May this holy city, built of living stones, shine with spiritual radiance and witness to your great­ness in the sight of all nations

Ant. The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God.

READING                                                                                Isaiah 45:8

Let justice descend, a heavens, like dew from above, like gentle rain let the skies drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let justice also spring up!

RESPONSORY

Your light will come, Jerusalem;
the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
―Your light will come, Jerusalem;
the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

You will see his glory within you;
―the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

Thursday, Morning Prayer
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
―Your light will come, Jerusalem;
the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. I shall wait for my Lord and Savior and point him out when he is near, alleluia.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abra­ham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. I shall wait for my Lord and Savior and point him out when he is near, alleluia.

INTERCESSIONS

Christ is the wisdom and power of God, and his delight is
to be with the children of men. With confidence let us pray:
Draw near to us, Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, you have called us to your glorious kingdom,
―make us walk worthily, pleasing God in all we do.
You who stand unknown among us,
―reveal yourself to men and women.
You are nearer to us than we to ourselves,
― strengthen our faith and our hope of salvation.
You are the source of holiness
― keep us holy and without sin now and until the day of your coming.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Prayer

Father, we need your help. Free us from sin and bring us to life. Support us by your power.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, +++one God, for ever and ever.

 

EVENING PRAYER II

WEEK I
FIRST THURSDAY OF ADVENT

 

†God, come to my assistance,
—Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.  Alleluia [omitted in Lent.]

HYMN

For the fruits of his creation,
Thanks be to God;
For the gifts to every nation,
Thanks be to God;
For the ploughing, sowing, reaping,
Silent growth while men are sleeping,
Future needs in earth's safe keeping,
Thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labor,
God's will is done;
In the help we give our neighbor,
God's will is done;
In our world-wide task of caring
For the hungry and despairing,
In the harvests men are sharing,
God's will is done.
For the harvests of his spirit,
Thanks be to God;
For the good all men inherit,
Thanks be to God;
For the wonders that astound us,
For the truths that still confound us,
Most of all, that love has found us
Thanks be to God.

Melody: East Acklam 84.84.88.84
Music: Francis Jackson Text: F. Pratt Green

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 I cried to you, Lord, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.

Psalm 30
Thanksgiving for deliverance from death

Christ, risen in glory, gives continual thanks to his Father (Cassian) .

I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me
and have not let my enemies rejoice over me.

O Lord, I cried to you for help
and you, my God, have healed me.
O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead,
restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him,
give thanks to his holy name.
His anger lasts a moment; his favor through life.
At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn.

I said to myself in my good fortune:
"Nothing will ever disturb me."
Your favor had set me on a mountain fastness,
then you hid your face and I was put to confusion.

To you, Lord, I cried,
to my God I made appeal:
"What profit would my death be, my going to the grave?
Can dust give you praise or proclaim your truth?"

The Lord listened and had pity.
The Lord came to my help.
For me you have changed my mourning into dancing,
you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.
So my soul sings psalms to you unceasingly.
O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
—As it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever.  Amen

Psalm-prayer

God our Father, glorious in giving life, and even more glorious in restoring it, when his last night on earth came, your Son shed tears of blood, but dawn brought incomparable gladness. Do not turn away from us, or we shall fall back into dust, but rather turn our mourning into joy by raising us up with Christ.

Ant. I cried to you, Lord, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.

Ant. 2  The one who is sinless in the eyes of God is blessed indeed.

 

Psalm 32

They are happy whose sins are forgiven

David speaks of the happiness of the man who is holy in God's eyes not because of his own worth, but because God has justified him (Romans 4: 6) .

Happy the man whose offense is forgiven,
whose sin is remitted.
O happy the man to whom the Lord
imputes no guilt,
in whose spirit is no guile.

I kept it secret and my frame was wasted.
I groaned all the day long
for night and day your hand
was heavy upon me.
Indeed, my strength was dried up
as by the summer's heat.

But now I have acknowledged my sins;
my guilt I did not hide.
I said: "I will confess
my offense to the Lord."
And you, Lord, have forgiven
the guilt of my sin.

So let every good man pray to you
in the time of need.
The floods of water may reach high
but him they shall not reach.
You are my hiding place, O Lord;
you save me from distress.
You surround me with cries of deliverance.

I will instruct you and teach you
the way you should go;
I will give you counsel
with my eye upon you.
Be not like horse and mule, unintelligent,
needing bridle and bit,
else they will not approach you.
Many sorrows has the wicked
but he who trusts in the Lord,
loving mercy surrounds him.

Rejoice, rejoice in the Lord,
exult, you just!
O come, ring out your joy,
all you upright of heart.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
—As it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever.  Amen

Psalm-prayer

You desired, Lord, to keep from us your indignation and so did not spare Jesus Christ, who was wounded for our sins. We are your prodigal children, but confessing our sins we come back to you. Embrace us that we may rejoice in your mercy together with Christ your beloved Son.

Ant. The one who is sinless in the eyes of God is blessed indeed.

Ant. 3  The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.

Canticle                           Revelation 11: 17—18; 12: 10b—12a

The judgment of God

We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.

The nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
the time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.

Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our God and the authority
of his Anointed One.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.

They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
—As it was in the beginning, is now and will be for ever.  Amen

 

Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.

READING                                                        James 5:7-8, 9b

Be patient, my brothers, until the coming of the Lord.
See how the farmer awaits the precious yield of the soil. He looks forward to it patiently while the soil receives the winter and the spring rains. You, too, must be patient. Steady your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. See! The judge stands at the gate.

RESPONSORY

Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.
―Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.
Let your face shine upon us and we shall be saved,
―Lord God of power and might.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
―Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

CANTICLE OF MARY
( antiphon as in the Proper of Seasons.)

 † My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, (Sign of Cross as the Canticle begins)
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the  Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
—as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Ant. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

INTERCESSIONS

To Christ, the great light promised by the prophets to those who live in the shadow of death, let us raise our voices in prayer:
Come, Lord Jesus.                                                    .
Word of God, in the beginning you created all thins and
in the fullness of time assumed our nature,
—come and deliver us from death.
True light, shining on mankind,
—―come and dispel our darkness.
Only-begotten Son, dwelling in the Father's heart,
—come and tell us of God's loving kindness.
Christ Jesus, you come among us as the Son of Man,
—transform those who know you into the sons of God.
You welcome all who call upon you in need,
—bring into your wedding feast those who beg at the
door.

Our Father, Who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come. Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

Prayer

Father,
we need your help.
Free us from sin and bring us to life.
Support us by your power.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever;