Divine Office Office of Readings

April 27th, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. Psalm 24 The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples. It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm. Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place? The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things, who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor. Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him. Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob. Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. Who is the king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, the Lord, the valiant in war. Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. Who is he, the king of glory? He, the Lord of armies, he is the king of glory. Ant. The Lord is risen, alleluia. 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 risen, alleluia.

April 27th, 2026 – Office of Readings – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 760 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1511 Office of Readings for Monday in Week 4 of Easter 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. Alleluia. HYMN Most ancient of all mysteries, before your throne we lie; have mercy now, most merciful, most Holy Trinity. When heaven and earth were still unmade, when time was yet unknown, you in your radiant majesty did live and love alone. You were not born; there was no source from which your being flowed; there is no end which you can reach: for you are simply God. How wonderful creation is, the work which you did bless! what then must you be like dear God, eternal Loveliness! Most ancient of all mysteries, before your throne we lie; have mercy now and ever more, most Holy Trinity. 𝄞"Most Ancient of all Mysteries" by Rebecca Hincke • Words: Frederick William Faber, 1849; Music: St. Flavian; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 How good is the God of Israel to the pure of heart, alleluia. Psalm 73 Why is it that the good have many troubles? Blessed is the man who does not lose faith in me (Matthew 11:6). I How good God is to Israel, to those who are pure of heart. Yet my feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped for I was filled with envy of the proud when I saw how the wicked prosper. For them there are no pains; their bodies are sound and sleek. They have no share in men’s sorrows; they are not stricken like others. So they wear their pride like a necklace, they clothe themselves with violence. Their hearts overflow with malice, their minds seethe with plots. They scoff; they speak with malice; from on high they plan oppression. They have set their mouths in the heavens and their tongues dictate to the earth. So the people turn to follow them and drink in all their words. They say: “How can God know? Does the Most High take any notice?” Look at them, such are the wicked, but untroubled, they grow in wealth. 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. How good is the God of Israel to the pure of heart, alleluia. Ant. 2 Their laughter will turn to weeping, their merriment to grief, alleluia. II How useless to keep my heart pure and wash my hands in innocence, when I was stricken all day long, suffered punishment day after day. Then I said: “If I should speak like that, I should abandon the faith of your people.” I strove to fathom this problem, too hard for my mind to understand, until I pierced the mysteries of God and understood what becomes of the wicked. How slippery the paths on which you set them; you make them slide to destruction. How suddenly they come to their ruin, wiped out, destroyed by terrors. Like a dream one wakes from, O Lord, when you wake you dismiss them as phantoms. 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. Their laughter will turn to weeping, their merriment to grief, alleluia. Ant. 3 Those who depart from you will perish; my joy is to remain with you, my God, alleluia. III And so when my heart grew embittered and when I was cut to the quick, I was stupid and did not understand, no better than a beast in your sight. Yet I was always in your presence; you were holding me by my right hand. You will guide me by your counsel and so you will lead me to glory. What else have I in heaven but you? Apart from you I want nothing on earth. My body and my heart faint for joy; God is my possession for ever. All those who abandon you shall perish; you will destroy all those who are faithless. To be near God is my happiness. I have made the Lord God my refuge. I will tell of all your works at the gates of the city of Zion. 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 It is good to be with you, Father; in you is fullness of life for your faithful people; in you all hope resides. May you lead us to everlasting happiness. Ant. Those who depart from you will perish; my joy is to remain with you, my God, alleluia. 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. My heart and my flesh, alleluia. — Rejoice in the living God, alleluia. READINGS First reading From the Book of Revelation 13:1-18 The two beasts I, John, saw a wild beast come out of the sea with ten horns and seven heads; on its horns were ten diadems and on its heads blasphemous names. The beast I saw was like a leopard, but it had paws like a bear and the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave it his own power and throne, together with great authority. I noticed that one of the beast’s heads seemed to have been mortally wounded, but this mortal wound was healed. In wonderment, the whole world followed after the beast. Men worshiped the dragon for giving his authority to the beast; they also worshiped the beast and said, “Who can compare with the beast, or come forward to fight against it?” The beast was given a mouth for uttering proud boasts and blasphemies, but the authority it was given was to last only forty-two months. It began to hurl blasphemies against God, reviling him and the members of his heavenly household as well. The beast was allowed to wage war against God’s people and conquer them. It was likewise granted authority over every race and people, language and nation. The beast will be worshiped by all those inhabitants of earth who did not have their names written at the world’s beginning in the book of the living, which belongs to the Lamb who was slain. Let him who has ears heed these words! If one is destined for captivity, into captivity he goes! If one is destined to be slain by the sword, by the sword he will be slain! Such is the faithful endurance that distinguishes God’s holy people. Then I saw another wild beast come up out of the earth; it had two horns like a ram and it spoke like a dragon. It used the authority of the first beast to promote its interests by making the world and all its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound had been healed. It performed great prodigies; it could even make fire come down from heaven to earth as men looked on. Because of the prodigies it was allowed to perform by authority of the first beast, it led astray the earth’s inhabitants, telling them to make an idol in honor of the beast that had been wounded by the sword and yet lived. The second wild beast was then permitted to give life to the beast’s image, so that the image had the power of speech and of putting to death anyone who refused to worship it. It forced all men, small and great, rich and poor, slave and free, to accept a stamped image on their right hand or their forehead. Moreover, it did not allow a man to buy or sell anything unless he was first marked with the name of the beast or with the number that stood for its name. A certain wisdom is needed here; with a little ingenuity anyone can calculate the number of the beast, for it is a number that stands for a certain man. The man’s number is six hundred sixty-six. RESPONSORY Revelation 3:5; Matthew 10:22 Whoever is victorious will be clothed in white robes. — I shall praise his name in the presence of my Father and the angels, alleluia. Whoever stands firm until the end will be saved. — I shall praise his name in the presence of my Father and the angels, alleluia. Second reading From the book On the Holy Spirit by Saint Basil the Great, bishop The Spirit gives life Our Lord made a covenant with us through baptism in order to give us eternal life. There is in baptism an image both of death and of life, the water being the symbol of death, the Spirit giving the pledge of life. The association of water and the Spirit is explained by the twofold purpose for which baptism was instituted, namely, to destroy the sin in us so that it could never again give birth to death, and to enable us to live by the Spirit and so win the reward of holiness. The water into which the body enters as into a tomb symbolizes death; the Spirit instills into us his life-giving power, awakening our souls from the death of sin to the life that they had in the beginning. This then is what it means to be born again of water and the Spirit: we die in the water, and we come to life again through the Spirit. To signify this death and to enlighten the baptized by transmitting to them knowledge of God, the great sacrament of baptism is administered by means of a triple immersion and the invocation of each of the three divine Persons. Whatever grace there is in the water comes not from its own nature but from the presence of the Spirit, since baptism is not a cleansing of the body, but a pledge made to God from a clear conscience. As a preparation for our life after the resurrection, our Lord tells us in the gospel how we should live here and now. He teaches us to be peaceable, long-suffering, undefiled by desire for pleasure, and detached from worldly wealth. In this way we can achieve, by our own free choice, the kind of life that will be natural in the world to come. Through the Holy Spirit we are restored to paradise, we ascend to the kingdom of heaven, and we are reinstated as adopted sons. Thanks to the Spirit we obtain the right to call God our Father, we become sharers in the grace of Christ, we are called children of light, and we share in everlasting glory. In a word, every blessing is showered upon us, both in this world and in the world to come. As we contemplate them even now, like a reflection in a mirror, it is as though we already possessed the good things our faith tells us that we shall one day enjoy. If this is the pledge, what will the perfection be? If these are the first fruits, what will the full harvest be? RESPONSORY As we rise up from the baptismal waters, our sins are washed away, — and the Holy Spirit comes down to us like a dove, bringing the peace of God from heaven, where the Church is prefigured by the ark of Noah, alleluia. The blessed waters of the sacrament of baptism free us for eternal life. — And the Holy Spirit comes down to us like a dove, bringing the peace of God from heaven, where the Church is prefigured by the ark of Noah, alleluia. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, perfect light of the blessed, by whose gift we celebrate the paschal mysteries on earth, bring us, we pray, to rejoice in the full measure of your grace for ages unending. 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.

April 27th, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1049 Proper of Seasons: 764 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1515 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 Proper of Seasons: 503 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 937 Morning Prayer for Monday in Week 4 of Easter 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. Alleluia. HYMN Blessing and honor and glory and power, Wisdom and riches and strength evermore, Give we to God who our battle has won, Whose are the kingdom, the crown, and the throne. Hear through the heavens the sound of God's name, While rings the earth with God's glory and fame; Ocean and mountain, stream, forest, and flower Echo God's praises and tell of God's power. Ever ascending the song and the prayer; Ever descending the love that we share; Blessing and honor and glory and praise-- This is the theme of the hymns that we raise. Let us give glory and praise to the Lamb; Taking the robe and the harp and the palm; Singing the song of the Lamb that was slain, Dying in weakness but rising to reign. 𝄞"Blessing and Honor and Glory and Power" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NQ2LY98/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk13] • Musical Score [https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/divineoffice/Blessing_and_Honor_and_Glory_and_Power.pdf] • Title: Blessing and honor and glory and power; Text: Horatius Bonar (1858); Tune: O QUANTA QUALIA; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Let the splendor of the Lord our God be upon us, alleluia. Psalm 90 May we live in the radiance of God There is no time with God: a thousand years, a single day, it is all one (2 Peter 3:8). O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next. Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end. You turn men back to dust and say: “Go back, sons of men.” To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night. You sweep men away like a dream, like grass which springs up in the morning. In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades. So we are destroyed in your anger, struck with terror in your fury. Our guilt lies open before you; our secrets in the light of your face. All our days pass away in your anger. Our life is over like a sigh. Our span is seventy years, or eighty for those who are strong. And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone. Who understands the power of your anger and fears the strength of your fury? Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants. In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune. Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children. Let the favor of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands, give success to the work of our hands. 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, happy to be known as companions of your Son, we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations. Ant. Let the splendor of the Lord our God be upon us, alleluia. Ant. 2 I will turn darkness into light before them, alleluia. Canticle – Isaiah 42:10-16 God, victor and savior They were singing a new hymn before the throne of God (Revelation 14:3). Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth: Let the sea and what fills it resound, the coastlands, and those who dwell in them. Let the steppe and its cities cry out, the villages where Kedar dwells; Let the inhabitants of Sela exult, and shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and utter his praise in the coastlands. The Lord goes forth like a hero, like a warrior he stirs up his ardor; he shouts out his battle cry, against his enemies he shows his might: I have looked away, and kept silence, I have said nothing, holding myself in; but now, I cry out as a woman in labor, gasping and panting. I will lay waste mountains and hills, all their herbage I will dry up; I will turn the rivers into marshes, and the marshes I will dry up. I will lead the blind on their journey; by paths unknown I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. 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 will turn darkness into light before them, alleluia. Ant. 3 The Lord does whatever he wills, alleluia. Psalm 135:1-12 Praise for the wonderful things God does for us He has won you for himself… and you must proclaim what he has done for you: he has called you out of darkness into his own wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Praise the name of the Lord, praise him, servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good. Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself and Israel for his own possession. For I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is high above all gods. The Lord does whatever he wills, in heaven, on earth, in the seas. He summons clouds from the ends of the earth; makes lightning produce the rain; from his treasuries he sends forth the wind. The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, of man and beast alike. Signs and wonders he worked in the midst of your land, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. Nations in their greatness he struck and kings in their splendor he slew. Sihon, king of the Amorites, Og, the king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. He let Israel inherit their land; on his people their land he bestowed. 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 Where two or three gather in your name, Lord, you promised to be with them and share their fellowship. Look down upon your family gathered here in your name, and graciously pour out your blessing upon us. Ant. The Lord does whatever he wills, alleluia. READING Romans 10:8b-10 The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that is, the word of faith which we preach). For if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Faith in the heart leads to justification, confession on the lips to salvation. 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 The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia. — The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia. He hung upon the cross for us, — alleluia, alleluia. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. I am the Good Shepherd; I pasture my sheep and I lay down my life for them, alleluia. 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. I am the Good Shepherd; I pasture my sheep and I lay down my life for them, alleluia. INTERCESSIONS God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with confidence, saying: Lord, enlighten our minds. Father of lights, you bathed the world in splendor when Christ rose again in glory, — fill our minds with the light of faith. Lord, enlighten our minds. Through the resurrection of your Son you opened for us the way to eternal life, — as we work today sustain us with the hope of glory. Lord, enlighten our minds. Through your risen Son you sent the Holy Spirit into the world, — set our hearts on fire with spiritual love. Lord, enlighten our minds. May Jesus Christ, who was crucified to set us free, — be today our salvation and redemption. Lord, enlighten our minds. 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 O God, perfect light of the blessed, by whose gift we celebrate the paschal mysteries on earth, bring us, we pray, to rejoice in the full measure of your grace for ages unending. 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

April 27th, 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: 765 (antiphon, reading, concluding prayer) Midmorning Prayer for Monday in Week 4 of Easter, 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. Alleluia. HYMN According to Thy gracious word, In meek humility, This will I do, my dying Lord, I will remember Thee. Thy body, broken for my sake, My bread from heaven shall be; Thy testamental cup I take, And thus remember Thee. 𝄞"According to Thy Gracious Word" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NR5TD21/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk1] • Title: According to Thy Gracious Word; Text: James Montgomery; Tune: TALLIS' ORDINAL by Thomas Tallis, ca. 1567; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. 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. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. READING Revelation 1:17c-18 I beheld the Son of Man, who said to me: I am the First and the Last the One who lives. Once I was dead but now I live–forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the nether world. 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. The Lord is risen, alleluia. — He has appeared to Simon, alleluia. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, perfect light of the blessed, by whose gift we celebrate the paschal mysteries on earth, bring us, we pray, to rejoice in the full measure of your grace for ages unending. 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.

April 27th, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 Proper of Seasons: 766 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1522 Midday Prayer for Monday in Week 4 of Easter, 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. Alleluia. HYMN Almighty Ruler, God of Truth, Who guide and master all, The rays with which you gild the dawn With noonday heat now fall. O quench the fires of hatred, Lord, Of anger and of strife, Bring health to every mind and heart That peace may enter life. Most holy Father, grant our prayer Through Christ your only Son That in your Spirit we may live And praise you ever one. 𝄞"Almighty Ruler, God of Truth" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NR95M83/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk5] • Ralph Wright, 1808; Melody: St. Anne; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 PSALMODY Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Psalm 119:129-136 XVII (Pe) A meditation on God’s law The whole law is summed up in love (Romans 13:10). Your will is wonderful indeed; therefore I obey it. The unfolding of your word gives light and teaches the simple. I open my mouth and I sigh as I yearn for your commands. Turn and show me your mercy; show justice to your friends. Let my steps be guided by your promise; let no evil rule me. Redeem me from man’s oppression and I will keep your precepts. Let your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees. Tears stream from my eyes because your law is disobeyed. 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 are just, Lord God, and righteous are your judgments. Deliver those who cry to you in their affliction; give them peace and calm to reflect on your commands. Psalm 82 Denunciation of evil judges Do not attempt to judge another now; the Lord’s coming will reveal all (1 Corinthians 4:5). God stands in the divine assembly. In the midst of the gods he gives judgment. “How long will you judge unjustly and favor the cause of the wicked? Do justice for the weak and the orphan, defend the afflicted and the needy. Rescue the weak and the poor; set them free from the hand of the wicked. Unperceiving, they grope in the darkness and the order of the world is shaken. I have said to you: ‘You are gods, and all of you, sons of the Most High.’ And yet, you shall die like men, you shall fall like any of the princes.” Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you rule all the nations. 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 are always true to your word, Father. Look down from heaven and put an end to our foolishness. Save us from groundless fears and help us to please you with undivided heart. Psalm 120 Longing for peace Be patient in suffering; persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12). 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-prayer You declared peacemakers happy, Lord Jesus, since they will be called sons of God. Give us that peace which the world cannot give so that your Church may be freed from the schemes of arrogant men, and, devoted to works of peace, go forward joyfully to meet you, the King of Peace. Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. READING Colossians 2:9, 12 In Christ the fullness of deity resides in bodily form. Yours is a share of this fullness. In baptism you were not only buried with him but also raised to life with him because you believed in the power of God who raised him from the dead. 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. The disciples rejoiced, alleluia. — When they saw the risen Lord, alleluia. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, perfect light of the blessed, by whose gift we celebrate the paschal mysteries on earth, bring us, we pray, to rejoice in the full measure of your grace for ages unending. 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.