Divine Office Office of Readings

March 26th, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 1043 Psalm: 1298 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 687 Psalm: 820 Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts. Psalm 67 O God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us. So will your ways be known upon earth and all nations learn your saving help. Ant. Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Ant. Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts. Let the nations be glad and exult for you rule the world with justice. With fairness you rule the peoples, you guide the nations on earth. Ant. Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Ant. Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts. The earth has yielded its fruit for God, our God, has blessed us. May God still give us his blessing till the ends of the earth revere him. Ant. Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts. 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. Today if you hear the voice of the Lord, harden not your hearts.

March 26th, 2026 – Office of Readings – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 373 Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 1158 Office of Readings for Thursday of the 5th week of Lent 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. HYMN God of mercy God of grace Hear our sad, repentant songs. O restore Thy suppliant race, Thou to whom our praise belongs! Deep regret for follies past, Talents wasted, time misspent; Hearts debased by worldly cares, Thankless for the blessings lent: Foolish fears and fond desires, Vain regrets for things as vain: Lips too seldom taught to praise, Oft to murmur and complain; These, and every secret fault, Filled with grief and shame, we own. Humbled at Thy feet we lie, Seeking pardon from Thy throne. 𝄞"God of Mercy God of Grace" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NTPDCYV/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk4] • Musical Score [https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/divineoffice/God_of_Mercy_God_of_Grace.pdf] • Title: God of Mercy God of Grace; Text: John Taylor; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 4 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 for ever. 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 for ever. 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 and 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 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. May the living God, my Savior, be praised for ever. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Whoever meditates on the law of the Lord. — Will bring forth much fruit at harvest time. READINGS First reading From the letter to the Hebrews 7:1-10 Melchizedek is a type of the perfect priest Melchizedek, king of Salem and priest of the Most High God, met Abraham returning from his defeat of the kings and blessed him. And Abraham apportioned to him one tenth of all his booty. His name means “king of justice”; he was also king of Salem, that is, “king of peace.” Without father, mother or ancestry, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. See the greatness of this man to whom Abraham the patriarch gave one tenth of his booty! The law provides that the priests of the tribe of Levi should receive tithes from the people, their brother Israelites, even though all of them are descendants of Abraham; but Melchizedek, who was not of their ancestry, received tithes of Abraham and blessed him who had received God’s promises. It is indisputable that a lesser person is blessed by a greater. And whereas men subject to death receive tithes, Scripture testifies that this man lives on. Levi, who receives tithes, was, so to speak, tithed in the person of his father, for he was still in his father’s loins when Melchizedek met Abraham. RESPONSORY See Genesis 14:18; Hebrews 7:3; see Psalm 110:5; Hebrews 7:16 Melchizedek, the king of Salem, offered bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High like Christ the Son of God, — to whom the Lord has sworn the oath: You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old. He became a priest, not in virtue of a law concerning physical descent, but by the power of an indestructible life. — To whom the Lord has sworn the oath: You are a priest for ever, a priest like Melchizedek of old. Second reading From the dogmatic constitution on the Church of the Second Vatican Council The Church as sacrament of unity and salvation See, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah… I will plant my law within them and inscribe it in their hearts. I will be their God and they shall be my people… All shall know me, from the least to the greatest, says the Lord. It was Christ who established this new covenant, the new testament in his blood, calling into being, from Jews and Gentiles, a people that was to form a unity, not in human fashion but in the Spirit, as the new people of God. Those who believe in Christ, reborn not of corruptible but of incorruptible seed through the word of the living God, not from the flesh but from water and the Holy Spirit, are constituted in the fullness of time as a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people God has made his own…, once no people but now the people of God. This messianic people has Christ as its head: Christ who was given up for our sins and rose again for our justification; bearing now the name that is above every name, he reigns in glory in heaven. His people enjoy the dignity and freedom of the children of God, in whose hearts the Holy Spirit dwells as in a temple. They have as their law the new commandment of loving as Christ himself has loved us. They have as their goal the kingdom of God, begun on earth by God himself and destined to grow until it is also brought to perfection by him at the end of time, when Christ, our life, will appear, and creation itself will be freed from slavery to corruption and take on the freedom of the glory of God’s children. This messianic people, then, though it does not in fact embrace all mankind and often seems to be a tiny flock, is yet the enduring source of unity, hope and salvation for the whole human race. It is established by Christ as a communion of life, of love and of truth; it is also used by him as an instrument for the redemption of all, and is sent out into the whole world as the light of the world and the salt of the earth. The Israel of old was already called the Church of God while it was on pilgrimage through the desert. So the new Israel, as it makes its way in this present age, seeking a city that is to come, a city that will remain, is also known as the Church of Christ, for he acquired it by his own blood, filled it with his Spirit, and equipped it with appropriate means to be a visible and social unity. God has called together the assembly of those who in faith look on Jesus, the author of salvation and the principle of unity and peace, and so has established the Church to be for each and all the visible sacrament of this unity which brings with it salvation. RESPONSORY 1 Peter 2:9-10; Psalm 33:12 You are a people set apart. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God. — Once you had no experience of God’s mercy, but now it has been granted you. Happy the people whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen as his own. — Once you had no experience of God’s mercy, but now it has been granted you. CONCLUDING PRAYER Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the stain of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

March 26th, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1049 Proper of Seasons: 376 Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 1161 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 Proper of Seasons: 377 Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 748 Morning Prayer for Thursday of the 5th week of Lent 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. HYMN You are my Lord and my God and I love you Alone and rejected, His agony begins He accepts the chalice of dying for my sins Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Will you let me stay Share a sip from your cup Watch with you and pray Betrayed and abandoned Dragged into a hall Though scourged by Roman Soldiers, Our sins hurt you most of all Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Defended by so few So much blood from your wounds How can I comfort you You are my Lord and my God And I love you The crown of the thorns is forced upon your head I turn to face the guilty I see my sins instead Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus In your suffering In your tears, in your blood You stand as Christ the King Embracing your cross You start towards Calvary Crushed by so much evil You turn to look at me Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Did I hear you call Asking me to stay by you To help you if you fall You are my Lord and my God And I love you You are my Lord and my God And I love you Raised on the hilltop It seems though all has failed For our salvation, Jesus, For us you were nailed Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus I have come to stay As you die upon your cross Trembling you say Love (me), why don't you love (me) Please love (me) Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out Please love me Oh how I long for your love Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out these hands to you Please love me Oh how I long for your love Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out these hands to you Please love me Oh how I long for your love You are my lord and my God And I love you. You are my lord and my God And I love you. 𝄞"My Lord And My God" by Anthony Carnesi • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/My-Lord-and-My-God-CARNESI-LoH-DivOfcOrg-F-orig-stacked-vvs-mel-only-1pg.pdf] • Title: My Lord and My God; Text: Anthony Carnesi (1948-2005); Music: Anthony Carnesi; Artist: Anthony Carnesi; (c) Margaret J Van Nostrand; Used with permission. 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 till the storms of destruction pass by. I call to you God the Most High, to you who have always been my help. May you send from heaven and save me and shame those who assail me. O God, send your truth and your 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 for ever. 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 for ever. 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 Jerusalem, 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 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 for ever. 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 Hebrews 2:9-10 We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that through God’s gracious will he might taste death for the sake of all men. Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many sons to glory God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make their leader in the work of salvation perfect through suffering. Sacred Silence(indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. RESPONSORY God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare. — God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare. From those who would trap me with lying words — and, from the hunter’s snare. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. Jesus said to the chief priests and the crowds of the Jews: Whoever comes from God hears the word of God. You will not listen because you do not come from God. Luke 1:68 – 79 The Messiah and his forerunner 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 for ever. Amen. Ant. Jesus said to the chief priests and the crowds of the Jews: Whoever comes from God hears the word of God. You will not listen because you do not come from God. INTERCESSIONS Christ our Lord came among us as the light of the world, that we might walk in his light, and not in the darkness of death. Let us praise him and cry out to him: Let your word be a lamp to guide us. God of mercy, help us today to grow in your likeness, — that we who sinned in Adam may rise again in Christ. Let your word be a lamp to guide us. Let your word be a lamp to guide us, — that we may live the truth and grow always in your love. Let your word be a lamp to guide us. Teach us to be faithful in seeking the common good for your sake, — that your light may shine on the whole human family by means of your Church. Let your word be a lamp to guide us. Touch our hearts to seek your friendship more and more, — and to make amends for our sins against your wisdom and goodness. Let your word be a lamp to guide us. 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. Concluding Prayer Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the stain of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. DISMISSAL May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. — Amen.

March 26th, 2026 – Midmorning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 Complementary Psalmody: 1651 (Midmorning) Proper of Seasons: 378 (antiphon, reading, concluding prayer) Midmorning Prayer for Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent, using the Complementary Psalmody 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. HYMN Father, Lord of earth and heaven, King to whom all gifts belong, Give your greatest Gift, your Spirit, God the holy, God the strong. Son of God, enthroned in glory, Send your promised Gift of grace, Make your Church your holy Temple, God the Spirit’s dwelling place. Spirit, come, in peace descending As at Jordan, heav’nly Dove, Seal your Church as God’s anointed, Set our hearts on fire with love. Stay among us, God the Father, Stay among us, God the Son, Stay among us, Holy Spirit: Dwell within us, make us one. 𝄞"Father Lord of Earth and Heaven" by Erika Provinzano • Title: Father Lord of Earth and Heaven; Text: James Quinn, S.J.; Music: S. P. Waddington; Artist: Erika Provinzano; Used with permission from Erika Provinzano. PSALMODY Ant. 1 The time of penance has come, the time to atone for our sins and to seek our salvation. Psalm 120 Longing for peace To the Lord in the hour of my distress I call and he answers me. “O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, from the tongue of the deceitful.” What shall he pay you in return, O treacherous tongue? The warrior’s arrows sharpened and coals, red-hot, blazing. Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, dwell among the tents of Kedar! Long enough have I been dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for fighting. 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 121 Guardian of his people Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16) I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth. May he never allow you to stumble! Let him sleep not, your guard. No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, Israel’s guard. The Lord is your guard and your shade; at your right side he stands. By day the sun shall not smite you nor the moon in the night. The Lord will guard you from evil, he will guard your soul. The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and 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 122 The holy city, Jerusalem You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22) I rejoiced when I heard them say: Let us go to God’s house. And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David. For the peace of Jerusalem pray: “Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!” For love of my brethren and friends I say: Peace upon you. For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. 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 time of penance has come, the time to atone for our sins and to seek our salvation. READING Hebrews 4:14-15 Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our profession of faith. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Create in me a clean heart, O God. — Renew in me a steadfast spirit. CONCLUDING PRAYER Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the stain of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

March 26th, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 Proper of Seasons: 378 (Midday) Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 1167 Midday Prayer for Thursday of the 5th Week of Lent, using the Current Psalmody 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. HYMN Restore, O Lord, our innocence, Protect with thy right hand The Church on earth which, through her sins, Despises thy command. Renew her by thy Sacraments And through these forty days May we, by this Lent purified, Sing always of thy praise. O God, who know our sorry state, Devoid of strength for good, Keep us from every wicked thought, Make us live as we should. By fasting teach us to abstain From vice and fault and sin, That we, denied of wordly joys, May greater pleasures win. Infuse our minds with heav'nly light, That we may see thy ways, Instruct us by thy discipline To please Thee all our days. Convert our hearts to love thy will, Our minds to know the right; May we find in this yearly fast The source of our delight. And so, O Lord, who love thy Church And seek her growth on earth, Give grace to those who through these days Desire to find new birth. Increase thy people through this Lent In number, merit, love, That we may, spurning earthly things, Seek that which lies above. 𝄞"Restore, O Lord, our Innocence" by Peter Mottola [http://declinapaulisper.blogspot.com] • Musical Score [http://traffic.libsyn.com/divineoffice/RestoreOLordOurInnocence.pdf] • Text: Rev. Peter Bishop Mottola, 2012; Music: R. Vaughn Williams, 1906; Tune: KINGSFOLD; Public Domain PSALMODY Ant. As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to me and live. Psalm 119: 17-24 III (Ghimel) Bless your servant and I shall live and obey your word. Open my eyes that I may see the wonders of your law. I am a pilgrim on the earth; show me your commands. My soul is ever consumed as I long for your decrees. You threaten the proud, the accursed, who turn from your commands. Relieve me from scorn and contempt for I do your will. Though princes sit plotting against me I ponder on your rulings. Your will is my delight; your statutes are my counsellors. 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, giver of all good gifts, do not let us go astray from your commands but help us to seek you with all our hearts. Psalm 25 Prayer for God’s favor and protection Our hope will never be disappointed (Romans 5:5). I To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. I trust in you, let me not be disappointed; do not let my enemies triumph. Those who hope in you shall not be disappointed, but only those who wantonly break faith. Lord, make me know your ways. Lord, teach me your paths. Make me walk in your truth, and teach me: for you are God my savior. In you I hope all day long because of your goodness, O Lord. Remember your mercy, Lord, and the love you have shown from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth. In your love remember me. The Lord is good and upright. He shows the path to those who stray, he guides the humble in the right path; he teaches his way to the poor. His ways are faithfulness and love for those who keep his covenant and law. Lord, for the sake of your name forgive my guilt; for it is great. 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 To you, Lord, we lift up our souls; rescue us, do not let us be put to shame for calling out to you. Do not remember the sins of our youth and stupidity, but remember us with your love. II If anyone fears the Lord he will show him the path he should choose. His soul shall live in happiness and his children shall possess the land. The Lord’s friendship is for those who revere him; to them he reveals his covenant. My eyes are always on the Lord; for he rescues my feet from the snare. Turn to me and have mercy for I am lonely and poor. Relieve the anguish of my heart and set me free from my distress. See my affliction and my toil and take all my sins away. See how many are my foes; how violent their hatred for me. Preserve my life and rescue me. Do not disappoint me, you are my refuge. May innocence and uprightness protect me: for my hope is in you, O Lord. Redeem Israel, O God, from all its distress. 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 Through your Son, Lord, you spared sinners to show us your mercy and love. Do not remember our sins, but show us your ways; relieve our distress, and satisfy the longing of your people, so that all our hopes for eternal peace may reach fulfillment. Ant. As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to me and live. READING Hebrews 7:26-27 It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; our Lord Jesus Christ did that once for all when he offered himself. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Turn your face away from my sins. — Blot out all my guilt. CONCLUDING PRAYER Be near, O Lord, to those who plead before you, and look kindly on those who place their hope in your mercy, that, cleansed from the stain of their sins, they may persevere in holy living and be made full heirs of your promise. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.