Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)

April 3rd, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 467 Psalm: 1044 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 408 Psalm: 688 Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of God, who redeemed us with his blood. 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 Son of God, who redeemed us with his blood. 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 Son of God, who redeemed us with his blood. 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 Son of God, who redeemed us with his blood. 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 Son of God, who redeemed us with his blood. 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 Son of God, who redeemed us with his blood. 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 Son of God, who redeemed us with his blood.

April 3rd, 2026 – Office of Readings – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 All from Proper of Seasons: 467 Office of Readings for Good Friday 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 Earthly kings rise up, in revolt; princes conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed. Psalm 2 The Messiah, king and conqueror The rulers of the earth joined forces to overthrow Jesus, your anointed Son (Acts 4:27). Why this tumult among nations, among peoples this useless murmuring? They arise, the kings of the earth, princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed. “Come, let us break their fetters, come, let us cast off their yoke.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord is laughing them to scorn. Then he will speak in his anger, his rage will strike them with terror. “It is I who have set up my king on Zion, on my holy mountain.” I will announce the decree of the Lord: The Lord said to me: “You are my Son. It is I who have begotten you this day. Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations, put the ends of the earth in your possession. With a rod of iron you will break them, shatter them like a potter’s jar.” Now, O kings, understand, take warning, rulers of the earth; serve the Lord with awe and trembling, pay him your homage lest he be angry and you perish; for suddenly his anger will blaze. Blessed are they who put their trust in God. 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. Earthly kings rise up, in revolt; princes conspire together against the Lord and his Anointed. Ant. 2 They divided my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing. Psalm 22:2-23 God hears the suffering of his Holy One Jesus cried with a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46) My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? You are far from my plea and the cry of my distress. O my God, I call by day and you give no reply; I call by night and I find no peace. Yet you, O God, are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. In you our fathers put their trust; they trusted and you set them free. When they cried to you, they escaped. In you they trusted and never in vain. But I am a worm and no man, scorned by men, despised by the people. All who see me deride me. They curl their lips, they toss their heads. “He trusted in the Lord, let him save him; let him release him if this is his friend.” Yes, it was you who took me from the womb, entrusted me to my mother’s breast. To you I was committed from my birth, from my mother’s womb you have been my God. Do not leave me alone in my distress; Come close, there is none else to help. Many bulls have surrounded me, fierce bulls of Bashan close me in. Against me they open wide their jaws, like lions, rending and roaring. Like water I am poured out, disjointed are all my bones. My heart has become like wax, it is melted within my breast. Parched as burnt clay is my throat, my tongue cleaves to my jaws. Many dogs have surrounded me, a band of the wicked beset me. They tear holes in my hands and my feet and lay me in the dust of death. I can count every one of my bones. These people stare at me and gloat; they divide my clothing among them. They cast lots for my robe. O Lord, do not leave me alone, my strength, make haste to help me! Rescue my soul from the sword, my life from the grip of these dogs. Save my life from the jaws of these lions, my poor soul from the horns of these oxen. I will tell of your name to my brethren and praise you where they are assembled. 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. They divided my garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing. Ant. 3 They sought to take my life by violence. Psalm 38 A sinner in extreme danger prays earnestly to God All his friends were standing at a distance (Luke 23:49). O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger; do not punish me, Lord, in your rage. Your arrows have sunk deep in me; your hand has come down upon me. Through your anger all my body is sick: through my sin, there is no health in my limbs. My guilt towers higher than my head; it is a weight too heavy to bear. My wounds are foul and festering, the result of my own folly. I am bowed and brought to my knees. I go mourning all the day long. All my frame burns with fever; all my body is sick. Spent and utterly crushed, I cry aloud in anguish of heart. O Lord, you know all my longing: my groans are not hidden from you. My heart throbs, my strength is spent; the very light has gone from my eyes. My friends avoid me like a leper; those closest to me stand afar off. Those who plot against my life lay snares; those who seek my ruin speak of harm, planning treachery all the day long. But I am like the deaf who cannot hear, like the dumb unable to speak. I am like a man who hears nothing in whose mouth is no defense. I count on you, O Lord: it is you, Lord God, who will answer. I pray: “Do not let them mock me, those who triumph if my foot should slip.” For I am on the point of falling and my pain is always before me. I confess that I am guilty and my sin fills me with dismay. My wanton enemies are numberless and my lying foes are many. They repay me evil for good and attack me for seeking what is right. O Lord, do not forsake me! My God, do not stay afar off! Make haste and come to my help, O Lord, my God, my savior! 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. They sought to take my life by violence. 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. They brought false evidence against me. — They were breathing out fury. READINGS First reading From the letter to the Hebrews 9:11-28 By the shedding of his own blood, Christ, the high priest, entered the sanctuary once and for all When Christ came as high priest of the good things which have come to be, he entered once for all into the sanctuary, passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation. He entered, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, and achieved eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself up unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God! This is why he is mediator of a new covenant: since his death has taken place for deliverance from transgressions committed under the first covenant, those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance. Where there is a testament, it is necessary that the death of the testator be confirmed. For a testament comes into force only in the case of death; it has no force while the testator is alive. Hence, not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. When Moses had read all the commandments of the law to the people, he took the blood of goats and calves, together with water and crimson wool and hyssop, and sprinkled the book and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has enjoined upon you.” He also sprinkled the tabernacle and all the vessels of worship with blood. According to the law almost everything is purified by blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. It was necessary that the copies of the heavenly models be purified in this way, but the heavenly realities themselves called for better sacrifices. For Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands, a mere copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself that he might appear before God now on our behalf. Not that he might offer himself there again and again, as the high priest enters year after year into the sanctuary with blood that is not his own; if that were so, he would have had to suffer death over and over from the creation of the world. But now he has appeared at the end of the ages to take away sins once for all by his sacrifice. Just as it is appointed that men die once, and after death be judged, so Christ was offered up once to take away the sins of many; he will appear a second time not to take away sin but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him. RESPONSORY See Isaiah 53:7, 12 He was led like a lamb to the slaughter; no complaint from his lips against the evil done to him. He was given up to death, — to give his people life. He surrendered himself to death and was counted among the wicked. — To give his people life. Second reading From the Catecheses by Saint John Chrysostom, bishop The power of Christ’s blood If we wish to understand the power of Christ’s blood, we should go back to the ancient account of its prefiguration in Egypt. Sacrifice a lamb without blemish, commanded Moses, and sprinkle its blood on your doors. If we were to ask him what he meant, and how the blood of an irrational beast could possibly save men endowed with reason, his answer would be that the saving power lies not in the blood itself, but in the fact that it is a sign of the Lord’s blood. In those days, when the destroying angel saw the blood on the doors he did not dare to enter, so how much less will the devil approach now when he sees, not that figurative blood on the doors, but the true blood on the lips of believers, the doors of the temple of Christ. If you desire further proof of the power of this blood, remember where it came from, how it ran down from the cross, flowing from the Master’s side. The gospel records that when Christ was dead, but still hung on the cross, a soldier came and pierced his side with a lance and immediately there poured out water and blood. Now the water was a symbol of baptism and the blood, of the holy eucharist. The soldier pierced the Lord’s side, he breached the wall of the sacred temple, and I have found the treasure and made it my own. So also with the lamb: the Jews sacrificed the victim and I have been saved by it. There flowed from his side water and blood. Beloved, do not pass over this mystery without thought; it has yet another hidden meaning, which I will explain to you. I said that water and blood symbolized baptism and the holy eucharist. From these two sacraments the Church is born: from baptism, the cleansing water that gives rebirth and renewal through the Holy Spirit, and from the holy eucharist. Since the symbols of baptism and the eucharist flowed from his side, it was from his side that Christ fashioned the Church, as he had fashioned Eve from the side of Adam. Moses gives a hint of this when he tells the story of the first man and makes him exclaim: Bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh! As God then took a rib from Adam’s side to fashion a woman, so Christ has given us blood and water from his side to fashion the Church. God took the rib when Adam was in a deep sleep, and in the same way Christ gave us the blood and the water after his own death. Do you understand, then, how Christ has united his bride to himself and what food he gives us all to eat? By one and the same food we are both brought into being and nourished. As a woman nourishes her child with her own blood and milk, so does Christ unceasingly nourish with his own blood those to whom he himself has given life. RESPONSORY 1 Peter 1:18-19; Ephesians 2:18; 1 John 1:7 The price of your redemption was not something of fleeting value like gold or silver, but the costly shedding of the blood of Christ, the lamb without blemish. — Through him, in the one Spirit, we can approach the Father. The blood of Jesus Christ washes away all our sins. — Through him, in the one Spirit, we can approach the Father. CONCLUDING PRAYER Father, look with love upon your people, the love which our Lord Jesus Christ showed us when he delivered himself to evil men and suffered the agony of the cross, for he lives and reigns with you and 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 3rd, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1049 All from Proper of Seasons: 476 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 All from Proper of Seasons: 408 Morning Prayer for Good Friday God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN You are my Lord and my God and I love you Alone and rejected, His agony begins He accepts the chalice of dying for my sins Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Will you let me stay Share a sip from your cup Watch with you and pray Betrayed and abandoned Dragged into a hall Though scourged by Roman Soldiers, Our sins hurt you most of all Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Defended by so few So much blood from your wounds How can I comfort you You are my Lord and my God And I love you The crown of the thorns is forced upon your head I turn to face the guilty I see my sins instead Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus In your suffering In your tears, in your blood You stand as Christ the King Embracing your cross You start towards Calvary Crushed by so much evil You turn to look at me Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Did I hear you call Asking me to stay by you To help you if you fall You are my Lord and my God And I love you You are my Lord and my God And I love you Raised on the hilltop It seems though all has failed For our salvation, Jesus, For us you were nailed Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus I have come to stay As you die upon your cross Trembling you say Love (me), why don't you love (me) Please love (me) Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out Please love me Oh how I long for your love Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out these hands to you Please love me Oh how I long for your love Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out these hands to you Please love me Oh how I long for your love You are my lord and my God And I love you. You are my lord and my God And I love you. 𝄞"My Lord And My God" by Anthony Carnesi • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/My-Lord-and-My-God-CARNESI-LoH-DivOfcOrg-F-orig-stacked-vvs-mel-only-1pg.pdf] • Title: My Lord and My God; Text: Anthony Carnesi (1948-2005); Music: Anthony Carnesi; Artist: Anthony Carnesi; (c) Margaret J Van Nostrand; Used with permission. PSALMODY Ant. 1 God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to suffer for our sake. Psalm 51 O God, have mercy on me Your inmost being must be renewed, and you must put on the new man (Ephesians 4:23-24). Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. My offenses truly I know them; my sin is always before me Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done. That you may be justified when you give sentence and be without reproach when you judge, O see, in guilt I was born, a sinner was I conceived. Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may revive. From my sins turn away your face and blot out all my guilt. A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit. Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervor sustain me, that I may teach transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you. O rescue me, God, my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise. For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit, a humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn. In your goodness, show favor to Zion: rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, holocausts offered on your altar. 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. God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up to suffer for our sake. Ant. 2 Jesus Christ loved us, and poured out his own blood for us to wash away our sins. Canticle – Habakkuk 3:2-4, 13a, 15-19 God comes to judge Lift up your heads for your redemption is at hand (Luke 21:28). O Lord, I have heard your renown, and feared, O Lord, your work. In the course of the years revive it, in the course of the years make it known; in your wrath remember compassion! God comes from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Covered are the heavens with his glory, and with his praise the earth is filled. His splendor spreads like the light; rays shine forth from beside him, where his power is concealed. You come forth to save your people, to save your anointed one. You tread the sea with your steeds amid the churning of the deep waters. I hear, and my body trembles; at the sound, my lips quiver. Decay invades my bones, my legs tremble beneath me. I await the day of distress that will come upon the people who attack us. For though the fig tree blossom not nor fruit be on the vines, though the yield of the olive fail and the terraces produce no nourishment, though the flocks disappear from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet will I rejoice in the Lord and exult in my saving God. God, my Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet swift as those of hinds and enables me to go upon the heights. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Jesus Christ loved us, and poured out his own blood for us to wash away our sins. Ant. 3 We worship your cross, O Lord, and we praise and glorify your holy resurrection, for the wood of the cross has brought joy to the world. Psalm 147:12-20 The restoration of Jerusalem Come, I will show you the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9). O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates, he has blessed the children within you. He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat. He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. He showers down snow white as wool, he scatters hoar-frost like ashes. He hurls down hailstones like crumbs. The waters are frozen at his touch; he sends forth his word and it melts them: at the breath of his mouth the waters flow. He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees. 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. We worship your cross, O Lord, and we praise and glorify your holy resurrection, for the wood of the cross has brought joy to the world. READING Isaiah 52:13-15 See, my servant shall prosper, he shall be raised high and greatly exalted. Even as many were amazed at him — so marred was his look beyond that of man, and his appearance beyond that of mortals — So shall he startle many nations, because of him kings shall stand speechless; For those who have not been told shall see, those who have not heard shall ponder it. 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. In place of the Responsory, the following is said: For our sake Christ was obedient, accepting even death, death on a cross. — For our sake Christ was obedient, accepting even death, death on a cross. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. Over his head they hung their accusation: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. 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. Over his head they hung their accusation: Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. INTERCESSIONS For our sake our Redeemer suffered death and was buried, and rose again. With heartfelt love let us adore him, and pray: Lord, have mercy on us. Christ our teacher, for our sake you were obedient even to accepting death, — teach us to obey the Father’s will in all things. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ our life, by your death on the cross you destroyed the power of evil and death, — may we die with you, to rise with you in glory. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ our King, you became an outcast among us, a worm and no man, — teach us the humility by which you saved the world. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ our salvation, you gave yourself up to death out of love for us, — help us to show your love to one another. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ our Savior, on the cross you embraced all time with your outstretched arms, unite God’s scattered children in your kingdom of salvation. Lord, have mercy on us. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Concluding Prayer Father, look with love upon your people, the love which our Lord Jesus Christ showed us when he delivered himself to evil men and suffered the agony of the cross, for he lives and reigns with you and 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 3rd, 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: 485 (antiphon, reading, concluding prayer) Midmorning Prayer for Good Friday, using the Complementary Psalmody God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN Restore, O Lord, our innocence, Protect with thy right hand The Church on earth which, through her sins, Despises thy command. Renew her by thy Sacraments And through these forty days May we, by this Lent purified, Sing always of thy praise. O God, who know our sorry state, Devoid of strength for good, Keep us from every wicked thought, Make us live as we should. By fasting teach us to abstain From vice and fault and sin, That we, denied of wordly joys, May greater pleasures win. Infuse our minds with heav'nly light, That we may see thy ways, Instruct us by thy discipline To please Thee all our days. Convert our hearts to love thy will, Our minds to know the right; May we find in this yearly fast The source of our delight. And so, O Lord, who love thy Church And seek her growth on earth, Give grace to those who through these days Desire to find new birth. Increase thy people through this Lent In number, merit, love, That we may, spurning earthly things, Seek that which lies above. 𝄞"Restore, O Lord, our Innocence" by Peter Mottola [http://declinapaulisper.blogspot.com] • Musical Score [http://traffic.libsyn.com/divineoffice/RestoreOLordOurInnocence.pdf] • Text: Rev. Peter Bishop Mottola, 2012; Music: R. Vaughn Williams, 1906; Tune: KINGSFOLD; Public Domain PSALMODY Ant. 1 It was about nine in the morning when they nailed Jesus to the cross. 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. It was about nine in the morning when they nailed Jesus to the cross. READING Isaiah 53:2-3 He grew up like a sapling before him, like a shoot from the parched earth; There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, One of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem. 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. We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you. — Because by your cross you have redeemed the world. CONCLUDING PRAYER Father, look with love upon your people, the love which our Lord Jesus Christ showed us when he delivered himself to evil men and suffered the agony of the cross, for he lives and reigns with you and 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 3rd, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 All from Proper of Seasons: 481 Midday Prayer for Good Friday, using the Current Psalmody God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN Per crucem et passionem tuam Libera nos domine, domine (repeated 4X) English translation Through Thy Cross and Passion, Good Lord, deliver us 𝄞"Per Crucem" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss [https://divineoffice.org/melinda-kirigin-voss/] • Title: Per Crucem (By Your Cross); Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Used with permission from Melinda Kirigin-Voss • Albums that contain this Hymn: Yesterday, Today, and Forever PSALMODY Ant. From noon until three o’clock there was darkness over the whole world. Psalm 40:2-14, 17-18 Thanksgiving and plea for help It was not sacrifice and oblation you wanted, but you have prepared a body for me (Hebrews 10:5). I waited, I waited for the Lord and he stooped down to me; he heard my cry. He drew me from the deadly pit, from the miry clay. He set my feet upon a rock and made my footsteps firm. He put a new song into my mouth, praise of our God. Many shall see and fear and shall trust in the Lord. Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord and has not gone over to the rebels who follow false gods. How many, O Lord my God, are the wonders and designs that you have worked for us; you have no equal. Should I proclaim and speak of them, they are more than I can tell! You do not ask for sacrifices and offerings, but an open ear. You do not ask for holocaust and victim. Instead, here am I. In the scroll of the book it stands written that I should do your will. My God, I delight in your law in the depth of my heart. Your justice I have proclaimed in the great assembly. My lips I have not sealed; you know it, O Lord. I have not hidden your justice in my heart but declared your faithful help. I have not hidden your love and your truth from the great assembly. O Lord, you will not withhold your compassion from me. Your merciful love and your truth will always guard me. For I am beset with evils too many to be counted. My sins have fallen upon me and my sight fails me. They are more than the hairs on my head and my heart sinks. O Lord, come to my rescue, Lord, come to my aid. O let there be rejoicing and gladness for all who seek you. Let them ever say: “The Lord is great,” who love your saving help. As for me, wretched and poor, the Lord thinks of me. You are my rescuer, my help, O God, do not delay. 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 54:1-6, 8-9 Plea for help The prophet prays that God will deliver him from the malice of his enemies (Cassian). O God, save me by your name; by your power, uphold my cause. O God, hear my prayer; listen to the words of my mouth. For proud men have risen against me, ruthless men seek my life. They have no regard for God. But I have God for my help. The Lord upholds my life. I will sacrifice to you with willing heart and praise your name for it is good: for you have rescued me from all my distress and my eyes have seen the downfall of my foes. 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 88 Prayer of a person who is gravely ill This is your moment—when darkness reigns (Luke 22:53). Lord my God, I call for help by day; I cry at night before you. Let my prayer come into your presence. O turn your ear to my cry. For my soul is filled with evils; my life is on the brink of the grave. I am reckoned as one in the tomb: I have reached the end of my strength, like one alone among the dead; like the slain lying in their graves; like those you remember no more, cut off, as they are, from your hand. You have laid me in the depths of the tomb, in places that are dark, in the depths. Your anger weighs down upon me: I am drowned beneath your waves. You have taken away my friends and made me hateful in their sight. Imprisoned, I cannot escape; my eyes are sunken with grief. I call to you, Lord, all the day long; to you I stretch out my hands. Will you work your wonders for the dead? Will the shades stand and praise you? Will your love be told in the grave or your faithfulness among the dead? Will your wonders be known in the dark or your justice in the land of oblivion? As for me, Lord, I call to you for help: in the morning my prayer comes before you. Lord, why do you reject me? Why do you hide your face? Wretched, close to death from my youth, I have borne your trials; I am numb. Your fury has swept down upon me; your terrors have utterly destroyed me. They surround me all the day like a flood, they assail me all together. Friend and neighbor you have taken away: my one companion is darkness. 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. From noon until three o’clock there was darkness over the whole world. READING Isaiah 53:4-5 Yet it was our infirmities that he bore, our sufferings that he endured, While we thought of him as stricken, as one smitten by God and afflicted. But he was pierced for our offenses, crushed for our sins. Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole, by his stripes we were healed. 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, remember me. — When you come into your kingdom. CONCLUDING PRAYER Father, look with love upon your people, the love which our Lord Jesus Christ showed us when he delivered himself to evil men and suffered the agony of the cross, for he lives and reigns with you and 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.