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OFFICE OF READINGS

WEEK I
FIRST WEDNESDAY 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

God, whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard
And took their flight:
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And where the Gospel day
Sheds not its glorious ray
Let there be light.

Savior, who came to bring
On your redeeming wing
Healing and sight — Health to the sick in mind,
Sight to the inly blind—
O now to all mankind
Let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,
Life-giving holy dove,
Speed on your flight;
Move on the waters' face,
Bearing the lamp of grace,

And in earth's darkest place
Let there be light.

Holy and blessed Three,
Glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might,
Boundless as ocean—tide
Rolling in fullest pride,
Through the world, far and wide Let there be light.

Melody: Moscow 664.6664 Music: Felice de Giardini, 1716—1796 Text: John Marriott, 1780—1825, adapted by Anthony G. Petti

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 I love you, Lord; you are my strength.

Psalm 18:2—30

Thanksgiving for salvation and victory

At that time there was a violent earthquake (Revelation 11: 15).

I

I love you, Lord, my strength,
my rock, my fortress, my savior.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.

The Lord is worthy of all praise:
when I call I am saved from my foes.

The waves of death rose about me;
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the snares of the grave entangled me;
the traps of death confronted me.

In my anguish I called to the Lord;
I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;
my cry came to his ears.

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. I love you, Lord; you are my strength.

Ant. 2 The Lord has saved me; he wanted me for his own.

II

Then the earth reeled and rocked;
the mountains were shaken to their base:
they reeled at his terrible anger.
Smoke came forth from his nostrils
and scorching fire from his mouth:
coals were set ablaze by its heat.

He lowered the heavens and came down,
a black cloud under his feet.
He came enthroned on the cherubim,
he flew on the wings of the wind.

He made the darkness his covering,
the dark waters of the clouds, his tent.
A brightness shone out before him
with hailstones and flashes of fire.

The Lord thundered in the heavens;
the Most High let his voice be heard.
He shot his arrows, scattered the foe,
flashed his lightnings, and put them to flight.

The bed of the ocean was revealed;
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the thunder of your threat, O Lord,
at the blast of the breath of your anger.

From on high he reached down and seized me;
he drew me forth from the mighty waters.
He snatched me from my powerful foe,
from my enemies whose strength I could not match.

They assailed me in the day of my misfortune,
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me forth into freedom,
he saved me because he loved 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

Ant. The Lord has saved me; he wanted me for his own.

Ant. 3 Lord, kindle a light for my guidance and scatter my darkness.

III

He rewarded me because I was just,
repaid me, for my hands were clean,
for I have kept the way of the Lord
and have not fallen away from my God.

For his judgments are all before me:
I have never neglected his commands.
I have always been upright before him;
I have kept myself from guilt.

He repaid me because I was just
and my hands were clean in his eyes.
You are loving with those who love you:
you show yourself perfect with the perfect.

With the sincere you show yourself sincere,
but the cunning you outdo in cunning.
For you save a humble people
but humble the eyes that are proud.

You, O Lord, are my lamp,
my God who lightens my darkness.
With you I can break through any barrier,
with my God I can scale any wall.

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

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. Lord, kindle a light for my guidance and scatter my darkness.

Turn back to us, O Lord, our God.
―Show us your face and we shall be saved.

FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Isaiah 5: 1-7

Against the vineyard of the Lord

Let me now sing of my friend,
my friend's song concerning his vineyard.

My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
He spaded it, cleared it of stones
And planted the choicest vines;
Within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.

Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
Judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do to my vineyard:
Take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.

The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah are his cherished plant;
He looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!

RESPONSORY (Psalm 80: 14, 15, 3, 16, 15)

A boar from the forest has torn down the vine you planted;
the beasts of the field have devoured it.

See, Lord, and arise in your mighty power;
―let not the work of your hands be destroyed.
Lord God of power and might, look down from heaven,
see this vine and come to protect it.
―Let not the work of your hands be destroyed.

SECOND READING

From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot
(Sermo 5, In Adventu Domini, 1-3: Opera omnia, Edit. cisterc. 4 [1966],188-190)

God's Word will come to us

We know that there are three comings of the Lord.
The third lies between the other two. It is invisible, while the other two are visible. In the first coming he was seen on earth, dwelling among men; he himself testifies that they saw him and hated him. In the final coming all flesh will see the salvation of our God, and they will look on him whom they pierced. The intermediate coming is a hidden one; in it only the elect see the Lord within their own selves, and they are saved. In his first coming our Lord came in our flesh and in our weakness; in this middle coming he comes in spirit and in power; in the final coming he will be seen in glory and majesty.

Because this coming lies between the other two, it is like a road on which we travel from the first coming to the last. In the first, Christ was our redemption; in the last, he will appear as our life; in this middle coming, he is our rest and consolation.

In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. There is another passage of Scripture which reads:
He who fears God will do good, but something further has been said about the one who loves, that is, that he will keep God's word. Where is God's word to be kept? Obviously in the heart, as the prophet says: I have hidden your words in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.

Keep God's word in this way. Let it enter into your very being, let it take possession of your desires and your whole way of life. Feed on goodness, and your soul will delight in its richness. Remember to eat your bread, or your heart will wither away. Fill your soul with richness and strength.

If you keep the word of God in this way, it will also keep you. The Son with the Father will come to you. The great Prophet who will build the new Jerusalem will come, the one who makes all things new. This coming will fulfill what is written: As we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, we shall also bear the likeness of the heavenly man. Just as Adam's sin spread through all mankind and took hold of all, so Christ, who created and redeemed all, will glorify all, once he takes possession of all.

RESPONSORY See Psalm 29:11; Isaiah 40:10

The Lord will come down to us,
radiant in his splendor, awesome in his power.
―He will bring his people peace and give them everlasting life.
Our God will come, awesome in his power.
―He will bring his people peace and give them everlasting life.

Prayer

Lord our God,
grant that we may be ready
to receive Christ when he comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever

MORNING PRAYER

WEEK I
FIRST WEDNESDAY 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

Morning has broken
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
Fresh from the Word!

Sweet the rains new fall
Sunlit from heaven,
Like the first dew fall
On the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
Of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness
Where his feet pass.

Mine is the sunlight!
Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light
Eden saw play!
Praise with elation,
Praise every morning,
God's re-creation
Of the new day!

Melody: Bunessan 55.54.0                 Music: Old Gaelic Melody
Text: Eleanor Farjeon, 1881—1965

PSALMODY

Ant. 1         O Lord, in your light we see light itself.

Psalm 36

The malice of sinners and God's goodness

No follower of mine wanders in the dark; he shall have the light of life (John 8: 12).

Sin speaks to the sinner
in the depths of his heart
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.

He so flatters himself in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth are mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone.

He plots the defeat of goodness
as he lies on his bed.
He has set his foot on evil ways,
he clings to what is evil.

Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven;
your truth to the skies.
Your justice is like God's mountain, y
our judgments like the deep.

To both man and beast you give protection.
O Lord, how precious is your love.
My God, the sons of men
find refuge in the shelter of your wings.

They feast on the riches of your house;
they drink from the stream of your delight.
In you is the source of life
and in your light we see light.
Keep on loving those who know you,
doing justice for upright hearts.
Let the foot of the proud not crush me
nor the hand of the wicked cast me out.

See how the evil-doers fall!
Flung down, they shall never arise.

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

Lord, you are the source of unfailing light. Give us true knowledge of your mercy so that we may renounce our pride and be filled with the riches of your house.

Ant. O Lord, in your light we see light itself.

Ant. 2 O God, you are great and glorious; we marvel at your power.

Canticle - Judith 16: 2-3a, 13-15

God who created the world takes care of his people

They were singing a new song (Revelation 5: 9) .

Strike up the instruments,
a song to my God with timbrels,
chant to the Lord with cymbals.
Sing to him a new song,
exalt and acclaim his name.

A new hymn I will sing to my God.
O Lord, great are you and glorious,
wonderful in power and unsurpassable.

Let your every creature serve you;
for you spoke, and they were made,
you sent forth your spirit, and they were created;
no one can resist your word.

The mountains to their bases, and the seas, are shaken;
the rocks, like wax, melt before your glance.
But to those who fear you,
you are very merciful.

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. O God, you are great and glorious; we marvel at your power.

Ant. 3 Exult in God's presence with hymns of praise.

Psalm 47

The Lord Jesus is King of all

He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and his kingdom will have no end.

All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High,
we must fear, great king over all the earth.

He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.

God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.

God is king of all the earth.
Sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.

The princes of the peoples are assembled
with the people of Abraham's God.
The rulers of the earth belong to God,
to God who reigns over all.

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, King of all peoples and all ages, it is your victory we celebrate as we sing with all the skill at our command. Help us always to overcome evil by good, that we may rejoice in your triumph for ever.

Ant. Exult in God's presence with hymns of praise.

READING                                                          Isaiah 7:14b-15

The virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall be living on curds and honey by the time he learns to reject the bad and choose the good.

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.
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. The One who is coming after me is greater than I; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.

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. The One who is coming after me is greater than I; I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals.

INTERCESSIONS

The Word of God humbled himself to dwell with us so that we might see his glory. Rejoicing in hope, let us call upon him:
Emmanuel, be with us.
Ruler, just and righteous,
―bring justice to the poor and the oppressed.
King of peace, you beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks,
―turn hatred into love and our grievances into forgiveness.
You do not judge by appearances,
―recognize those who are your own.
When you come with power and might upon the clouds,
―grant that we may come before you without shame.

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

Lord our God,
grant that we may be ready
to receive Christ when he comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

EVENING PRAYER II

WEEK I
FIRST WEDNESDAY 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

O Father, whose creating hand
Brings harvest from the fruitful land,
Your providence we gladly own,
And bring our hymns before your throne
To praise you for the living bread
On which our lives are daily fed.

O Lord, who in the desert fed
The hungry thousands in their need,
Where want and famine still abound
Let your relieving love be found,
And in your name may we supply
Your hungry children when they cry.

O Spirit, your revealing light
Has led our questing souls aright;
Source of our science, you have taught
The marvels human minds have wrought,
So that the barren deserts yield
The bounty by your love revealed.

Melody: Wych Cross Music: (Wych Cross) Erik Routley, 1917— , or Melita 88.88.88 or (Melita) John B. Dykes, 1823—1876 Text: Donald Hughes, 1911—1967

Ant. 1 The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear?

Psalm 27

God stands by us in dangers

God now truly dwells with me (Revelation 21 : 3 ) .

I

The Lord is my light and my help;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
before whom shall I shrink?

When evil-doers draw near
to devour my flesh,
it is they, my enemies and foes,
who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me
my heart would not fear.
Though war break out against me
even then would I trust.

There is one thing I ask of the Lord,
for this I long,
to live in the house of the Lord,
all the days of my life,
to savor the sweetness of the Lord,
to behold his temple.

For there he keeps me safe in his tent
in the day of evil.
He hides me in the shelter of his tent,
on a rock he sets me safe.

And now my head shall be raised
above my foes who surround me
and I shall offer within his tent
a sacrifice of joy.
I will sing and make music for 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 for ever. Amen

Ant. The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear?

Ant. 2 I long to look on you, O Lord; do not turn your face from me.

II

Some rose to present lies and false evidence against 'Jesus (Mark 14: 57).

O Lord, hear my voice when I call;
have mercy and answer.
Of you my heart has spoken:
"Seek his face."

It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
hide not your face.
Dismiss not your servant in anger;
you have been my help.

Do not abandon or forsake me,
O God my help!
Though father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.

Instruct me, Lord, in your way;
on an even path lead me.
When they lie in ambush protect me
from my enemy's greed.
False witnesses rise against me,
breathing out fury.

I am sure I shall see the Lord's goodness
in the land of the living.
Hope in him, hold firm and take heart.
Hope in 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 for ever. Amen

Psalm-prayer

Father, you protect and strengthen those who hope in you; you heard the cry of your Son and kept him safe in your tent in the day of evil. Grant that your servants who seek your face in times of trouble may see your goodness in the land of the living.

Ant. I long to look on you, 0 Lord; do not turn your face from me.

Ant. 3 He is the first—born of all creation; in every way the primacy is his.

Canticle                               Colossians 1: 12-20

Christ the first-born of all creation and the first-born from the dead

Let us give thanks to the Father
for having made you worthy
to share the lot of the saints in light.

He rescued us
from the power of darkness
and brought us
into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption,
the forgiveness of our sins.

He is the image of the invisible God,
the first-born of all creatures.
In him everything in heaven and on earth was created,
things visible and invisible.

All were created through him;
all were created for him.
He is before all else that is.
In him everything continues in being.

It is he who is head of the body, the church!
he who is the beginning,
the first-born of the dead,
so that primacy may be his in everything.

It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person, both on earth and in the heavens, making peace through the blood of his cross.

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. He is the first-born of all creation; in every way the primacy is his.

READING                                                      1 Corinthians 4:5

Stop passing judgment before the time of the Lord's return. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and manifest the intentions of hearts. At that time, everyone will receive his praise from God.

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. The law will go forth from Zion; the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

† 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. The law will go forth from Zion; the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us pray to God the Father, who sent his Son to bring us endless peace:
Lord, your kingdom come.

Father most holy, look kindly on your Church,
―come and visit this vine which your own right hand has planted.
Be mindful, Lord, of all the sons of Abraham,
―fulfill the promises you made to their fathers.
Merciful God, look kindly upon men and women of every race,
―may they honor you for your goodness.
Eternal Shepherd, visit the sheep of your flock,
― and gather them together into one fold.
Remember those who have gone forth from this world m your peace,
―lead them into glory with your Son.

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

Lord our God,
grant that we may be ready
to receive Christ when he comes in glory and to share in the banquet of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.