Divine Office Office of Readings

Mar 14, Invitatory for Saturday of the 3rd 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.

Mar 14, Office of Readings for Saturday of the 3rd week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 263 Psalter: Saturday, Week III, 1472 Office of Readings for Saturday of the 3rd 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 Ave Maria, gratia plena Dominus tecum Benedicta tu in mulieribus Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus Sancta Maria, Mater Dei Ora pro nobis peccatoribus Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae Amen. English Translation: Hail Mary, full of grace The Lord is with thee Blessed are thou among women Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus Holy Mary, Mother of God Pray for us sinners Now, and at the hour of our death Amen. 𝄞"Ave Maria" by Gretchen Harris [http://www.gretchen-harris.com] • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/Ave-Maria-CHANT-Mode-I-DivOfcOrg-C-orig.pdf] • Title: Ave Maria (Chant); Album: Sing of Mary; Music; Plainsong mode I; vocal: Gretchen Harris; Used with permission; Visit and thank Gretch at http://www.gretchen-harris.com; PSALMODY Ant. 1 Let us praise the Lord for his mercy and for the wonderful things he has done for men. Psalm 107 Thanksgiving for deliverance This is God’s message to the sons of Israel; the good news of peace proclaimed through Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36). I “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; for his love endures for ever.” Let them say this, the Lord’s redeemed, whom he redeemed from the hand of the foe and gathered from far-off lands, from east and west, north and south. Some wandered in the desert, in the wilderness, finding no way to a city they could dwell in. Hungry they were and thirsty; their soul was fainting within them. Then they cried to the Lord in their need and he rescued them from their distress and he led them along the right path to reach a city they could dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for his love, for the wonders he does for men. For he satisfies the thirsty soul; he fills the hungry with good things. Some lay in darkness and in gloom, prisoners in misery and chains, Having defied the words of God and spurned the counsels of the Most High. He crushed their spirit with toil; they stumbled; there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their need and he rescued them from their distress. He led them forth from darkness and gloom and broke their chains to pieces. Let them thank the Lord for his goodness, for the wonders he does for men: for he bursts the gates of bronze and shatters the iron bars. 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. Let us praise the Lord for his mercy and for the wonderful things he has done for men. Ant. 2 Men have seen the works of God, the marvels he has done. II Some were sick on account of their sins and afflicted on account of their guilt. They had a loathing for every food; they came close to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their need and he rescued them from their distress. He sent forth his word to heal them and saved their life from the grave. Let them thank the Lord for his love, for the wonders he does for men. Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving and tell of his deeds with rejoicing. Some sailed to the sea in ships to trade on the mighty waters. These men have seen the Lord’s deeds, the wonders he does in the deep. For he spoke; he summoned the gale, raising up the waves of the sea. Tossed up to heaven, then into the deep; their soul melted away in their distress. They staggered, reeled like drunken men, for all their skill was gone. Then they cried to the Lord in their need and he rescued them from their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper: all the waves of the sea were hushed. They rejoiced because of the calm and he led them to the haven they desired. Let them thank the Lord for his love, the wonders he does for men. Let them exalt him in the gathering of the people and praise him in the meeting of all the elders. 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. Men have seen the works of God, the marvels he has done. Ant. 3 Those who love the Lord will see and rejoice; they will understand his loving kindness. III He changes streams into a desert, springs of water into thirsty ground, fruitful land into a salty waste, for the wickedness of those who live there. But he changes desert into streams, thirsty ground into springs of water. There he settles the hungry and they build a city to dwell in. They sow fields and plant their vines; these yield crops for the harvest. He blesses them; they grow in numbers. He does not let their herds decrease. He pours contempt upon princes, makes them wander in trackless wastes. They diminish, are reduced to nothing by oppression, evil and sorrow. But he raises the needy from distress; makes families numerous as a flock. The upright see it and rejoice but all who do wrong are silenced. Whoever is wise, let him heed these things and consider the love of the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer You fill the hungry with good things, Lord God, and break the sinner’s chains. Hear your people who call to you in their need and lead your Church from the shadows of death. Gather us from sunrise to sunset that we may grow together in faith and love and give lasting thanks for your kindness. Ant. Those who love the Lord will see and rejoice; they will understand his loving kindness. 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 man of God welcomes the light. — So that all may see that his deeds are true. READINGS First reading From the book of Exodus 40:16-38 The tabernacle is erected. The cloud of the Lord. Moses did exactly as the Lord had commanded him. On the first day of the first month of the second year the Dwelling was erected. It was Moses who erected the Dwelling. He placed the pedestals, set up its boards, put in its bars, and set up its columns. He spread the tent over the Dwelling and put the covering on top of the tent, as the Lord had commanded him. He took the commandments and put them in the ark; he placed poles alongside the ark and set the propitiatory upon it. He brought the ark into the Dwelling and hung the curtain veil, thus screening off the ark of the commandments, as the Lord had commanded him. He put the table in the meeting tent, on the north side of the Dwelling, outside the veil, and arranged the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him. He placed the lampstand in the meeting tent, opposite the table, on the south side of the Dwelling, and he set up lamps before the Lord, as the Lord had commanded him. He placed the golden altar in the meeting tent, in front of the veil, and on it he burned fragrant incense, as the Lord had commanded him. He hung the curtain at the entrance of the Dwelling. He put the altar of holocausts in front of the entrance of the Dwelling of the meeting tent, and offered holocausts and cereal offerings on it, as the Lord had commanded him. He placed the laver between the meeting tent and the altar, and put water in it for washing. Moses and Aaron and his sons used to wash their hands and feet there, for they washed themselves whenever they went into the meeting tent or approached the altar, as the Lord had commanded Moses. Finally, he set up the court around the Dwelling and the altar and hung the curtain at the entrance of the court. Thus Moses finished all the work. Then the cloud covered the meeting tent, and the glory of the Lord filled the Dwelling. Moses could not enter the meeting tent, because the cloud settled down upon it and the glory of the Lord filled the Dwelling. Whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the Israelites would set out on their journey. But if the cloud did not lift, they would not go forward; only when it lifted did they go forward. In the daytime the cloud of the Lord was seen over the Dwelling; whereas at night, fire was seen in the cloud by the whole house of Israel in all the stages of their journey. RESPONSORY 1 Cor. 10:1, 2; Ex. 40:32, 33, 34 Our fathers were all under the cloud and all of them passed through the Red Sea. — All were baptized into Moses in the cloud. The cloud covered the meeting tent, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. — All were baptized into Moses in the cloud. Second reading From a sermon by Saint Gregory of Nazianzen, bishop Serve Christ in the poor Blessed are the merciful, because they shall obtain mercy, says the Scripture. Mercy is not the least of the beatitudes. Again: Blessed is he who is considerate to the needy and the poor. Once more: Generous is the man who is merciful and lends. In another place: All day the just man is merciful and lends. Let us lay hold of this blessing, let us earn the name of being considerate, let us be generous. Not even night should interrupt you in your duty of mercy. Do not say: Come back and I will give you something tomorrow. There should be no delay between your intention and your good deed. Generosity is the one thing that cannot admit of delay. Share your bread with the hungry, and bring the needy and the homeless into your house, with a joyful and eager heart. He who does acts of mercy should do so with cheerfulness. The grace of a good deed is doubled when it is done with promptness and speed. What is given with a bad grace or against one’s will is distasteful and far from praiseworthy. When we perform an act of kindness we should rejoice and not be sad about it. If you undo the shackles and the thongs, says Isaiah, that is, if you do away with miserliness and counting the cost, with hesitation and grumbling, what will be the result? Something great and wonderful! What a marvellous reward there will be: Your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will rise up quickly. Who would not aspire to light and healing. If you think that I have something to say, servants of Christ, his brethren and co-heirs, let us visit Christ whenever we may; let us care for him, feed him, clothe him, welcome him, honor him, not only at a meal, as some have done, or by anointing him, as Mary did, or only by lending him a tomb, like Joseph of Arimathaea, or by arranging for his burial, like Nicodemus, who loved Christ half-heartedly, or by giving him gold, frankincense and myrrh, like the Magi before all these others. The Lord of all asks for mercy, not sacrifice, and mercy is greater than myriads of fattened lambs. Let us then show him mercy in the persons of the poor and those who today are lying on the ground, so that when we come to leave this world they may receive us into everlasting dwelling places, in Christ our Lord himself, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. RESPONSORY Matthew 25:35, 40; John 15:12 I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was homeless and you took me in. — Now I tell you this: When you did these things for the most neglected of my brothers, you did them for me. This is what I command you: love one another as I have loved you. — Now I tell you this: When you did these things for the most neglected of my brothers, you did them for me. CONCLUDING PRAYER Rejoicing in this annual celebration of our Lenten observance, we pray, O Lord, that, with our hearts set on the paschal mysteries, we may be gladdened by their full effects. 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.

Mar 15, Invitatory for Sunday of the 4th 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.

Mar 15, Office of Readings for Sunday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 273 Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 1490 Office of Readings for the Fourth Sunday 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 On this day, the first of days, God the Father's name we praise; Who, creation's Lord and spring, Did the world from darkness bring. On this day the eternal Son Over death his triumph won; On this day the Spirit came With his gifts of living flame. Father, who didst fashion man Godlike in thy loving plan, Fill us with that love divine, And conform our wills to thine. Word made flesh, all hail to thee! Thou from sin has set us free, And with thee we die and rise Unto God in sacrifice. Holy Spirit, you impart Gifts of love to every heart; Give us light and grace, we pray, Fill our hearts this holy day. God, the blessed Three in One, May thy holy will be done; In thy word our souls are free. And we rest this day with thee. 𝄞"On this day, the first of days" by Gabe Bouck, Rebecca Hincke • Title: On this day, the first of days; Words: From the Breviary of the Diocese of LeMans, 1748; translated by Henry W. Baker in 1861.; Music by Johann A. Freylinghausen (1704); Artists: Gabe Bouck and Rebecca Hincke; Recording (c) 2016 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place? Psalm 24 The Lord’s entry into his temple Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (St. Irenaeus). 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. 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. 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. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is the king of glory? The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, the Lord, the valiant in war. O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! Who is he, the king of glory? He, the Lord of armies, he is the king of glory. 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 When your Son was unjustly condemned, Lord God, and surrounded by the impious, he cried to you, and you set him free. Watch over your people as the treasure of your heart and guide their steps along safe paths that they may see your face. Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place? Ant. 2 Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life. Psalm 66 Eucharistic Hymn The Lord is risen and all people have been brought by him to the Father (Hesychius). I Cry out with joy to God, all the earth, O sing to the glory of his name. O render him glorious praise. Say to God: “How tremendous your deeds! Because of the greatness of your strength your enemies cringe before you. Before you all the earth shall bow; shall sing to you, sing to your name!” Come and see the works of God, tremendous his deeds among men. He turned the sea into dry land, they passed through the river dry-shod. Let our joy then be in him; he rules for ever by his might. His eyes keep watch over the nations; let rebels not rise against him. O peoples, bless our God, let the voice of his praise resound, of the God who gave life to our souls and kept our feet from stumbling. For you, O God, have tested us, you have tried us as silver is tried: you led us, God, into the snare; you laid a heavy burden on our backs. You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water but then you brought us relief. 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. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life. Ant. 3 Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me. II Burnt offering I bring to your house; to you I will pay my vows, the vows which my lips have uttered, which my mouth spoke in my distress. I will offer burnt offerings of fatlings with the smoke of burning rams. I will offer bullocks and goats. Come and hear, all who fear God. I will tell what he did for my soul: to him I cried aloud, with high praise ready on my tongue. If there had been evil in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has heeded the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer nor withhold his love from 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. Psalm-prayer Almighty Father, in the death and resurrection of your own Son you brought us through the waters of baptism to the shores of new life. By those waters and the fire of the Holy Spirit you have given each of us consolation. Accept our sacrifice of praise; may our lives be a total offering to you, and may we deserve to enter your house and there with Christ praise your unfailing power. Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me. 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. Lord, your words are spirit and life. — You have the words of eternal life. READINGS First reading From the book of Leviticus 8:1-17; 9:22-24 The ordination of the priests The Lord said to Moses, “Take Aaron and his sons, together with the vestments, the anointing oil, the bullock for a sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened food. Then assemble the whole community at the entrance of the meeting tent.” And Moses did as the Lord had commanded. When the community had assembled at the entrance of the meeting tent, Moses told them what the Lord had ordered to be done. Bringing forward Aaron and his sons, he first washed them with water. Then he put the tunic on Aaron, girded him with the sash, clothed him with the robe, placed the ephod on him, and girded him with the embroidered belt of the ephod, fastening it around him. He then set the breastpiece on him, with the Urim and Thummim in it, and put the miter on his head, attaching the gold plate, the sacred diadem, over the front of the miter, at his forehead, as the Lord had commanded him to do. Taking the anointing oil, Moses anointed and consecrated the Dwelling, with all that was in it. Then he sprinkled some of this oil seven times on the altar, and anointed the altar, with all its appurtenances, and the laver, with its base, thus consecrating them. He also poured some of the anointing oil on Aaron’s head, thus consecrating him. Moses likewise brought forward Aaron’s sons, clothed them with tunics, girded them with sashes, and put turbans on them, as the Lord had commanded him to do. When he had brought forward the bullock for a sin offering, Aaron and his sons laid their hands on its head. Then Moses slaughtered it, and taking some of its blood, with his finger he put it on the horns around the altar, thus purifying the altar. He also made atonement for the altar by pouring out the blood at its base when he consecrated it. Taking all the fat that was over the inner organs, as well as the lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with their fat, Moses burned them on the altar. The bullock, however, with its hide and flesh and offal he burned in the fire outside the camp, as the Lord had commanded him to do. Aaron then raised his hands over the people and blessed them. When he came down from offering the sin offering and holocaust and peace offering, Moses and Aaron went into the meeting tent. On coming out they again blessed the people. Then the glory of the Lord was revealed to all the people. Fire came forth from the Lord’s presence and consumed the holocaust and the remnants of the fat on the altar. Seeing this, all the people cried out and fell prostrate. RESPONSORY Hebrews 7:23, 24; Sirach 45:7, 8 Under the old covenant, there were many priests, because death prevented them from continuing in office. — But Christ has an eternal priesthood because he remains for ever. The Lord raised up Aaron, conferred on him the priesthood of the people, and blessed him with great honor. — But Christ has an eternal priesthood because he remains for ever. Second reading From a treatise on John by Saint Augustine, bishop Christ is the way to the light, the truth, and the life The Lord tells us: I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. In these few words he gives a command and makes a promise. Let us do what he commands so that we may not blush to covet what he promises and to hear him say on the day of judgment: “I laid down certain conditions for obtaining my promises. Have you fulfilled them?” If you say: “What did you command, Lord our God?” he will tell you: “I commanded you to follow me. You asked for advice on how to enter into life. What life, if not the life about which it is written: With you is the fountain of life?” Let us do now what he commands. Let us follow in the footsteps of the Lord. Let us throw off the chains that prevent us from following him. Who can throw off these shackles without the aid of the one addressed in these words: You have broken my chains? Another psalm says of him: The Lord frees those in chains, the Lord raises up the downcast. Those who have been freed and raised up follow the light. The light they follow speaks to them: I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness. The Lord gives light to the blind. Brethren, that light shines on us now, for we have had our eyes anointed with the eye-salve of faith. His saliva was mixed with earth to anoint the man born blind. We are of Adam’s stock, blind from our birth; we need him to give us light. He mixed saliva with earth, and so it was prophesied: Truth has sprung up from the earth. He himself has said: I am the way, the truth, and the life. We shall be in possession of the truth when we see face to face. This is his promise to us. Who would dare to hope for something that God in his goodness did not choose to promise or bestow? We shall see face to face. The Apostle says: Now I know in part, now obscurely through a mirror, but then face to face. John the apostle says in one of his letters: Dearly beloved, we are now children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. We know that when he is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. This is a great promise. If you love me, follow me. “I do love you,” you protest, “but how do I follow you?” If the Lord your God said to you: “I am the truth and the life,” in your desire for truth, in your love for life, you would certainly ask him to show you the way to reach them. You would say to yourself: “Truth is a great reality, life is a great reality; if only it were possible for my soul to find them!” RESPONSORY Psalm 119:104-105; John 6:69 I hate the ways of falsehood. — Your word is a lantern which guides my steps, a light for the pathway before me. Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. — Your word is a lantern which guides my steps, a light for the pathway before me. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who through your Word reconcile the human race to yourself in a wonderful way, grant, we pray, that with prompt devotion and eager faith the Christian people may hasten toward the solemn celebrations to come. 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.

Mar 16, Office of Readings for Monday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 273 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1511 Office of Readings for Monday of the 4th 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 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! 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! Ant. 2 Their laughter will turn to weeping, their merriment to grief. 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. Ant. 3 Those who depart from you will perish; my joy is to remain with you, my God. 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. 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 away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. — The kingdom of God is at hand. READINGS First reading From the book of Leviticus 16:2-28 The day of atonement The Lord said to Moses, “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he pleases into the sanctuary, inside the veil, in front of the propitiatory on the ark; otherwise, when I reveal myself in a cloud above the propitiatory, he will die. Only in this way may Aaron enter the sanctuary. “He shall bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a holocaust. He shall wear the sacred linen tunic, with the linen drawers next to his flesh, gird himself with the linen sash and put on the linen miter. But since these vestments are sacred, he shall not put them on until he has first bathed his body in water. From the Israelite community he shall receive two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a holocaust. “Aaron shall bring in the bullock, his sin offering to atone for himself and for his household. Taking the two male goats and setting them before the Lord at the entrance of the meeting tent, he shall cast lots to determine which one is for the Lord and which for Azazel. The goat that is determined by lot for the Lord, Aaron shall bring in and offer up as a sin offering. But the goat determined by lot for Azazel he shall set alive before the Lord, so that with it he may make atonement by sending it off to Azazel in the desert. “Thus shall Aaron offer up the bullock, his sin offering, to atone for himself and for his family. When he has slaughtered it, he shall take a censer full of glowing embers from the altar before the Lord, as well as a double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bringing them inside the veil, there before the Lord he shall put incense on the fire, so that a cloud of incense may cover the propitiatory over the commandments; else he will die. Taking some of the bullock’s blood, he shall sprinkle it with his finger on the fore part of the propitiatory and likewise sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the propitiatory. “Then he shall slaughter the people’s sin-offering goat, and bringing its blood inside the veil, he shall do with it as he did with the bullock’s blood, sprinkling it on the propitiatory and before it. “Thus he shall make atonement for the sanctuary because of all the sinful defilements and faults of the Israelites. He shall do the same for the meeting tent, which is set up among them in the midst of their uncleanness. No one else may be in the meeting tent from the time he enters the sanctuary to make atonement until he departs. When he has made atonement for himself and his household, as well as for the whole Israelite community, he shall come out to the altar before the Lord and make atonement for it also. Taking some of the bullock’s and the goat’s blood, he shall put it on the horns around the altar, and with his finger sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times. Thus he shall render it clean and holy, purged of the defilements of the Israelites. “When he has completed the atonement rite for the sanctuary, the meeting tent and the altar, Aaron shall bring forward the live goat. Laying both hands on its head, he shall confess over it all the sinful faults and transgressions of the Israelites, and so put them on the goat’s head. He shall then have it led into the desert by an attendant. Since the goat is to carry off their iniquities to an isolated region, it must be sent away into the desert. “After Aaron has again gone into the meeting tent, he shall strip off and leave in the sanctuary the linen vestments he had put on when he entered there. After bathing his body with water in a sacred place, he shall put on his vestments, and then come out and offer his own and the people’s holocaust, in atonement for himself and for the people, and also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. “The man who has led away the goat for Azazel shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp. The sin-offering bullock and goat whose blood was brought into the sanctuary to make atonement, shall be taken outside the camp, where their hides and flesh and offal shall be burned up in the fire. The one who burns them shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp. RESPONSORY Hebrews 9:11, 12, 24 Christ came as the high priest of the good things which are to be. Not with the blood of goats or calves, but with his own blood — he entered the holy place once for all, and won our eternal salvation. He did not enter a holy place fashioned by man, he entered heaven itself. — He entered the holy place once for all, and won our eternal salvation. Second reading From a homily on Leviticus by Origen, priest Christ the high priest makes atonement for our sins Once a year the high priest, leaving the people outside, entered that place where no one except the high priest might enter. In it was the mercy-seat, and above the mercy-seat the cherubim, as well as the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense. Let me turn to my true high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. In our human nature he spent the whole year in the company of the people, the year that he spoke of when he said: He sent me to bring good news to the poor, to announce the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of forgiveness. Notice how once in that year, on the day of atonement, he enters into the holy of holies. Having fulfilled God’s plan, he passes through the heavens and enters into the presence of the Father to make him turn in mercy to the human race and to pray for all who believe in him. John the apostle, knowing of the atonement that Christ makes to the Father for all men, says this: Little children, I say these things so that you may not sin. But if we have sinned we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just one. He is the atonement for our sins. In the same way Paul refers to this atonement when he says of Christ: God appointed him to be the atonement for our sins in his blood, through faith. We have then a day of atonement that remains until the world comes to an end. God’s word tells us: The high priest shall put incense on the fire in the sight of the Lord. The smoke of the incense shall cover the mercy-seat above the tokens of the covenant, so that he may not die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull-calf and sprinkle it with his finger over the mercy-seat toward the east. God taught the people of the old covenant how to celebrate the ritual offered to him in atonement for the sins of men. But you have come to Christ, the true high priest. Through his blood he has made God turn to you in mercy and has reconciled you with the Father. You must not think simply of ordinary blood but you must learn to recognize instead the blood of the Word. Listen to him as he tells you: This is my blood, which will be shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. There is a deeper meaning in the fact that the high priest sprinkles the blood toward the east. Atonement comes to you from the east. From the east comes the one whose name is Dayspring, he who is mediator between God and men. You are invited then to look always to the east: it is there that the sun of righteousness rises for you, it is there that the light is always being born for you. You are never to walk in darkness; the great and final day is not to enfold you in darkness. Do not let the night and mist of ignorance steal upon you. So that you may always enjoy the light of knowledge, keep always in the daylight of faith, hold fast always to the light of love and peace. RESPONSORY Hebrews 6:20; 7:2, 3 For our sake, Jesus went before us into heaven, — and he has become like Melchizedek, a high priest for ever. He is the king of justice; his life has no end. — And he has become like Melchizedek, a high priest for ever. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who renew the world through mysteries beyond all telling, grant, we pray, that your Church may be guided by your eternal design and not be deprived of your help in this present age. 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.