Divine Office Office of Readings

Feb 25, Invitatory for Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 1043 Psalm: 1126 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 687 Psalm: 728 Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Who is the king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, the Lord, the valiant in war. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Who is he, the king of glory? He, the Lord of armies, he is the king of glory. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Feb 26, Office of Readings for Thursday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 120 Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 1158 Office of Readings for Thursday of the First 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 Be thou my vision, through night and come day Light on me always, thy spirit to stay Thou, eternal father, the great and the last The wise and true sov’reign of all that shall pass. Be thou my wisdom, my staff and my stay, Shine through the darkness, give light to my way! Be thou the true source of all I enjoy So, let carnal pleasures no longer annoy. Be thou my guardian my sword in the fight Be thou my dignity thou my delight Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r Wilt thou raise me heaven ward, o pow’r of my pow’r. Riches I heed not, or man’s empty praise Thou my inheritance, now and always Thou and thou only, still first in my heart The high king of heaven my treasure thou art. High king of heaven, my victory won May I reach heaven’s joys, o bright heaven’s sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall Still be thou my vision, o ruler of all. 𝄞"Be Thou My Vision" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NQ34YZ4/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk10] • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/Be-Thou-My-Vision.pdf] • Title: Be Thou My Vision; Text: from Mark Hamilton Dewey's SSATBB arrangement; Tune: SLANE; Copyright: Public Domain; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 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 make 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 book of Exodus 12:1-20 The Passover and unleavened bread The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall stand at the head of your calendar; you shall reckon it the first month of the year. Tell the whole community of Israel: “On the tenth of this month every one of your families must procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household. If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring one and shall share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it. The lamb must be a year-old male and without blemish. You may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, and then, with the whole assembly of Israel present, it shall be slaughtered during the evening twilight. They shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb. That same night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. It shall not be eaten raw or boiled, but roasted whole, with its head and shanks and inner organs. None of it must be kept beyond the next morning; whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned up. “This is how you are to eat it: with your loins girt, sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, you shall eat like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the Lord. For on this same night I will go through Egypt, striking down every first-born of the land, both man and beast, and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt—I, the Lord! But the blood will mark the houses where you are. Seeing the blood, I will pass over you; thus, when I strike the land of Egypt, no destructive blow will come upon you. “This day shall be a memorial feast for you, which all your generations shall celebrate with pilgrimage to the Lord, as a perpetual institution. For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. From the very first day you shall have your houses clear of all leaven. Whoever eats leavened bread from the first day to the seventh shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a sacred assembly, and likewise on the seventh. On these days you shall not do any sort of work, except to prepare the food that everyone needs. “Keep, then, this custom of the unleavened bread. Since it was on this very day that I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt, you must celebrate this day throughout your generations as a perpetual institution. From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of this month you shall eat unleavened bread. For seven days no leaven may be found in your houses. Anyone, be he a resident alien or a native, who eats leavened food shall be cut off from the community of Israel. Nothing leavened may you eat; wherever you dwell you may eat only unleavened bread.” RESPONSORY Revelation 5:8, 9; see 1 Peter 1:18, 19 The elders fell prostrate before the Lamb and sang this new song: — By your blood, O Lord, you have ransomed us for God. We have been redeemed not by perishable goods like gold and silver but by the precious blood of Christ, the lamb without spot or blemish. — By your blood, O Lord, you have ransomed us for God. Second reading From a homily by Saint Asterius of Amasea, bishop Be shepherds like the Lord You were made in the image of God. If then you wish to resemble him, follow his example. Since the very name you bear as Christians is a profession of love for men, imitate the love of Christ. Reflect for a moment on the wealth of his kindness. Before he came as a man to be among men, he sent John the Baptist to preach repentance and lead men to practice it. John himself was preceded by the prophets, who were to teach the people to repent, to return to God and to amend their lives. Then Christ came himself, and with his own lips cried out: Come to me, all you who labor and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. How did he receive those who listened to his call? He readily forgave them their sins; he freed them instantly from all that troubled them. The Word made them holy; the Spirit set his seal on them. The old Adam was buried in the waters of baptism; the new man was reborn to the vigor of grace. What was the result? Those who had been God’s enemies became his friends, those estranged from him became his sons, those who did not know him came to worship and love him. Let us then be shepherds like the Lord. We must meditate on the Gospel, and as we see in this mirror the example of zeal and loving kindness, we should become thoroughly schooled in these virtues. For there, obscurely, in the form of a parable, we see a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. When one of them was separated from the flock and lost its way, that shepherd did not remain with the sheep who kept together at pasture. No, he went off to look for the stray. He crossed many valleys and thickets, he climbed great and towering mountains, he spent much time and labor in wandering through solitary places until at last he found his sheep. When he found it, he did not chastise it; he did not use rough blows to drive it back, but gently placed it on his own shoulders and carried it back to the flock. He took greater joy in this one sheep, lost and found, than in all the others. Let us look more closely at the hidden meaning of this parable. The sheep is more than a sheep, the shepherd more than a shepherd. They are examples enshrining holy truths. They teach us that we should not look on men as lost or beyond hope; we should not abandon them when they are in danger or be slow to come to their help. When they turn away from the right path and wander, we must lead them back, and rejoice at their return, welcoming them back into the company of those who lead good and holy lives. RESPONSORY Zechariah 7:9; Matthew 6:14 Judge with true judgment, — and let each one be merciful and forgiving to his brother. If you forgive the sins of others, your Father in heaven will also forgive your sins. — And let each one be merciful and forgiving to his brother. CONCLUDING PRAYER Bestow on us, we pray, O Lord, a spirit of always pondering on what is right and of hastening to carry it out, and since without you we cannot exist, may we be enabled to live according to your will. 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.

Feb 27, Invitatory for Friday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 1043 Psalm: 1126 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 687 Psalm: 728 Lord, open my lips. —And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Who is the king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, the Lord, the valiant in war. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Who is he, the king of glory? He, the Lord of armies, he is the king of glory. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Feb 27, Office of Readings for Friday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 129 Psalter: Friday, Week I, 1176 Office of Readings for Friday of the First 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 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me by the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of my Lord for ever. 𝄞"Psalm 23" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss [https://divineoffice.org/melinda-kirigin-voss/] • Available on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/nz/album/yesterday-today-and-forever/id418013978] • Text from Psalm 23 King James Version; Used wih permission • Albums that contain this Hymn: Yesterday, Today, and Forever PSALMODY Ant. 1 Rise up, Lord, and come to my aid. Psalm 35:1-2, 3c, 9-19, 22-23, 27-28 The Lord as Savior in time of persecution They came together…and laid their plans to capture Jesus by treachery and put him to death (Matthew 26:3-4). I O Lord, plead my cause against my foes; fight those who fight me. Take up your buckler and shield; arise to help me. O Lord, say to my soul: “I am your salvation.” But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord and rejoice in his salvation. My whole being will say: “Lord, who is like you who rescue the weak from the strong and the poor from the oppressor?” Lying witnesses arise and accuse me unjustly. They repay me evil for good: my soul is forlorn. 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. Rise up, Lord, and come to my aid. Ant. 2 All-powerful Lord, stand by me and defend me. II When they were sick I went into mourning, afflicted with fasting. My prayer was ever on my lips, as for a brother, a friend. I went as though mourning a mother, bowed down with grief. Now that I am in trouble they gather, they gather and mock me. They take me by surprise and strike me and tear me to pieces. They provoke me with mockery on mockery and gnash their teeth. 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. All-powerful Lord, stand by me and defend me. Ant. 3 My tongue will speak of your goodness all the day long. III O Lord, how long will you look on? Come to my rescue! Save my life from these raging beasts, my soul from these lions. I will thank you in the great assembly, amid the throng I will praise you. Do not let my lying foes rejoice over me. Do not let those who hate me unjustly wink eyes at each other. O Lord, you have seen, do not be silent, do not stand afar off! Awake, stir to my defense, to my cause, O God! Let there be joy for those who love my cause. Let them say without end: “Great is the Lord who delights in the peace of his servant.” Then my tongue shall speak of your justice, all day long of your praise. 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 rescue the poor from their oppressors, and you rose to the aid of your beloved Son against those who unjustly sought his life. Look on your Church as we journey to you, that the poor and weak may recognize the help you provide and proclaim your saving acts. Ant. My tongue will speak of your goodness all the day long. 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 back to the Lord your God. — He is kind and merciful. READINGS First reading From the book of Exodus 12:21-36 The plague inflicted on the firstborn Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and procure lambs for your families, and slaughter them as Passover victims. Then take a bunch of hyssop, and dipping it in the blood that is in the basin, sprinkle the lintel and the two doorposts with this blood. But none of you shall go outdoors until morning. For the Lord will go by, striking down the Egyptians. Seeing the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over that door and not let the destroyer come into your houses to strike you down. “You shall observe this as a perpetual ordinance for yourselves and your descendants. Thus, you must also observe this rite when you have entered the land which the Lord will give you as he promised. When your children ask you, ‘What does this rite of yours mean?’ you shall reply, ‘This is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt; when he struck down the Egyptians, he spared our houses.’” Then the people bowed down in worship, and the Israelites went and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. At midnight the Lord slew every first-born in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh on the throne to the first-born of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the first-born of the animals. Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was loud wailing throughout Egypt, for there was not a house without its dead. During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Leave my people at once, you and the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you said. Take your flocks, too, and your herds, as you demanded, and be gone; and you will be doing me a favor.” The Egyptians likewise urged the people on, to hasten their departure from the land; they thought that otherwise they would all die. The people, therefore, took their dough before it was leavened, in their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks on their shoulders. The Israelites did as Moses had commanded: they asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord indeed had made the Egyptians so well-disposed toward the people that they let them have whatever they asked for. Thus did they despoil the Egyptians. RESPONSORY Exodus 12:7, 13; 1 Peter 1:18, 19 The children of Israel shall put the blood of the lamb on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. — This blood will be a sign to you. You have been redeemed by the precious blood of Christ, the lamb without blemish. — This blood will be a sign to you. Second reading From the Mirror of Love by Saint Aelred, abbot Christ, the model of brotherly love The perfection of brotherly love lies in the love of one’s enemies. We can find no greater inspiration for this than grateful remembrance of the wonderful patience of Christ. He who is more fair than all the sons of men offered his fair face to be spat upon by sinful men; he allowed those eyes that rule the universe to be blindfolded by wicked men; he bared his back to the scourges; he submitted that head which strikes terror in principalities and powers to the sharpness of the thorns; he gave himself up to be mocked and reviled, and at the end endured the cross, the nails, the lance, the gall, the vinegar, remaining always gentle, meek and full of peace. In short, he was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before the shearers he kept silent, and did not open his mouth. Who could listen to that wonderful prayer, so full of warmth, of love, of unshakeable serenity—Father, forgive them—and hesitate to embrace his enemies with overflowing love? Father, he says, forgive them. Is any gentleness, any love, lacking in this prayer? Yet he put into it something more. It was not enough to pray for them: he wanted also to make excuses for them. Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. They are great sinners, yes, but they have little judgment; therefore, Father, forgive them. They are nailing me to the cross, but they do not know who it is that they are nailing to the cross: if they had known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory; therefore, Father, forgive them. They think it is a lawbreaker, an impostor claiming to be God, a seducer of the people. I have hidden my face from them, and they do not recognize my glory; therefore, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. If someone wishes to love himself he must not allow himself to be corrupted by indulging his sinful nature. If he wishes to resist the promptings of his sinful nature he must enlarge the whole horizon of his love to contemplate the loving gentleness of the humanity of the Lord. Further, if he wishes to savor the joy of brotherly love with greater perfection and delight, he must extend even to his enemies the embrace of true love. But if he wishes to prevent this fire of divine love from growing cold because of injuries received, let him keep the eyes of his soul always fixed on the serene patience of his beloved Lord and Savior. RESPONSORY Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34 He surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked. — He bore the crimes of many and prayed all the while for sinners. Jesus prayed: Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing. — He bore the crimes of many and prayed all the while for sinners. Concluding Prayer Grant that your faithful, O Lord, we pray, may be so conformed to the paschal observances, that the bodily discipline now solemnly begun may bear fruit in the souls of all. 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.

Feb 28, Invitatory for Saturday of the 1st week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 1043 Psalm: 1044 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 687 Psalm: 688 Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Psalm 95 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. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Forty years 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.” Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.