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

Jan 29, Invitatory for Thursday of the 3rd week of Ordinary Time

Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Lord is our God. Psalm 67 O God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us. So will your ways be known upon earth and all nations learn your saving help. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Lord is our God. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Lord is our God. Let the nations be glad and exult for you rule the world with justice. With fairness you rule the peoples, you guide the nations on earth. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Lord is our God. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Lord is our God. The earth has yielded its fruit for God, our God, has blessed us. May God still give us his blessing till the ends of the earth revere him. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Lord is our 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. Come, let us worship the Lord, the Lord is our God.

Jan 29, Office of Readings for Thursday of the 3rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 651 Proper of Seasons: 127 Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1061 Office of Readings for Thursday in Ordinary Time God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud Let the Heavens rain down righteousness Let earth open up, and salvation bear fruit; Let the Heavens rain down righteousness I am the Lord your God, beside me there is no other god I call you by your name let the Heavens rain down righteousness I the Lord have created it. I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud Let the Heavens rain down righteousness Let earth open up, and salvation bear fruit; Let the Heavens rain down righteousness I am the Lord your God, beside me there is no other god I call you by your name let the Heavens rain down righteousness I the Lord have created it. 𝄞"Isaiah 45" by Kathleen Lundquist [http://www.mystagogia.net] • Available for Purchase [https://music.apple.com/gh/artist/kathleen-lundquist/99063754] • Title: Isaiah 45; Lyrics adapted from Revised Standard Version of the Bible; Composer: Kathleen Lundquist; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Used with permission. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Sing of Mary PSALMODY Ant. 1 Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised. Psalm 89:39-53 Lament for the fall of David’s dynasty He has raised up for us a mighty Savior born of the house of David his servant (Luke 1:69). IV And yet you have rejected and spurned and are angry with the one you have anointed. You have broken your covenant with your servant and dishonored his crown in the dust. You have broken down all his walls and reduced his fortresses to ruins. He is despoiled by all who pass by: he has become the taunt of his neighbors. You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. You have made his sword give way, you have not upheld him in battle. You have brought his glory to an end; you have hurled his throne to the ground. You have cut short the years of his youth; you have heaped disgrace upon him. 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. Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised. Ant. 2 I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star. V How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever? How long will your anger burn like a fire? Remember, Lord, the shortness of my life and how frail you have made the sons of men. What man can live and never see death? Who can save himself from the grasp of the grave? Where are your mercies of the past, O Lord, which you have sworn in your faithfulness to David? Remember, Lord, how your servant is taunted, how I have to bear all the insults of the peoples. Thus your enemies taunt me, O Lord, mocking your anointed at every step. Blessed be the Lord for ever. Amen, amen! 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 of mercy and fidelity, you made a new and lasting pact with men and sealed it in the blood of your Son. Forgive the folly of our disloyalty and make us keep your commandments, so that in our new covenant we may be witnesses and heralds of your faithfulness and love on earth, and sharers of your glory in heaven. Ant. I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star. Ant. 3 Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal. Psalm 90 May we live in the radiance of God There is no time with God: a thousand years, a single day: it is all one (2 Peter 3:8). O Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to the next. Before the mountains were born or the earth or the world brought forth, you are God, without beginning or end. You turn men back into dust and say: “Go back, sons of men.” To your eyes a thousand years are like yesterday, come and gone, no more than a watch in the night. You sweep men away like a dream, like grass which springs up in the morning. In the morning it springs up and flowers: by evening it withers and fades. So we are destroyed in your anger, struck with terror in your fury. Our guilt lies open before you; our secrets in the light of your face. All our days pass away in your anger. Our life is over like a sigh. Our span is seventy years or eighty for those who are strong. And most of these are emptiness and pain. They pass swiftly and we are gone. Who understands the power of your anger and fears the strength of your fury? Make us know the shortness of our life that we may gain wisdom of heart. Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? Show pity to your servants. In the morning, fill us with your love; we shall exult and rejoice all our days. Give us joy to balance our affliction for the years when we knew misfortune. Show forth your work to your servants; let your glory shine on their children. Let the favor of the Lord be upon us: give success to the work of our hands, give success to the work of our hands. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer Eternal Father, you give us life despite our guilt and even add days and years to our lives in order to bring us wisdom. Make us love and obey you, that the work of our hands may always display what your hands have done, until the day we gaze upon the beauty of your face. Ant. Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal. 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 you is the source of life. — In your light we see light itself. READINGS First reading From the book of Deuteronomy 30:1-20 The promise of forgiveness after the exile Moses spoke to the people, saying: “When all these things which I have set before you, the blessings and the curses, are fulfilled in you, and from among whatever nations the Lord, your God, may have dispersed you, you ponder them in your heart: then, provided that you and your children return to the Lord, your God, and heed his voice with all your heart and all your soul, just as I now command you, the Lord, your God, will change your lot; and taking pity on you, he will again gather you from all the nations wherein he has scattered you. Though you may have been driven to the farthest corner of the world, even from there will the Lord, your God, gather you; even from there will he bring you back. The Lord, your God, will then bring you into the land which your fathers once occupied, that you too may occupy it, and he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers. “The Lord, your God, will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, that you may love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul, and so may live. But all those curses the Lord, your God, will assign to your enemies and the foes who persecuted you. You, however, must again heed the Lord’s voice and carry out all his commandments which I now enjoin on you. Then the Lord, your God, will increase in more than goodly measure the returns from all your labors, the fruit of your womb, the offspring of your livestock, and the produce of your soil; for the Lord, your God, will again take delight in your prosperity, even as he took delight in your fathers’, if only you heed the voice of the Lord, your God, and keep his commandments and statutes that are written in this book of the law, when you return to the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul. “For this command which I enjoin on you today is not too mysterious and remote for you. It is not up in the sky, that you should say, ‘Who will go up in the sky to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ Nor is it across the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea to get it for us and tell us of it, that we may carry it out?’ No, it is something very near to you, already in your mouths and in your hearts; you have only to carry it out. “Here, then, I have today set before you life and prosperity, death and doom. If you obey the commandments of the Lord, your God, which I enjoin on you today, loving him, and walking in his ways, and keeping his commandments, statutes and decrees, you will live and grow numerous, and the Lord, your God, will bless you in the land you are entering to occupy. If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish; you will not have a long life on the land which you are crossing the Jordan to enter and occupy. “I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the Lord, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him. For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land which the Lord swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” RESPONSORY Jeremiah 29:13-14; Matthew 7:7 You will seek me, and when you seek with your whole heart, you will find me; — I will let myself be found by you, says the Lord. I will restore your fortunes. Seek, and you will find, knock on the door, and it will be opened to you. — I will let myself be found by you, says the Lord. I will restore your fortunes. Second reading From a sermon by John the Serene, bishop Love the Lord and walk in his ways The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? How great was that servant who knew how he was given light, whence it came, and what sort of man he was when he was favored by that light. The light he saw was not that which fades at dusk, but the light which no eye has seen. Souls brightened by this light do not fall into sin or stumble on vice. Our Lord said: Walk while you have the light in you. What other light did he mean but himself? For it was he who said: I have come as a light into the world, so that those who have eyes may not see and the blind may receive the light. The Lord then is our light, the sun of justice and righteousness, who has shone on his Catholic Church spread throughout the world. The prophet spoke as a figure of the Church when he cried: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The spiritual man who has been thus illumined does not limp or leave the path, but bears all things. Glimpsing our true country from afar, he puts up with adversities; he is not saddened by the things of time, but finds his strength in God. He lowers his pride and endures, possessing patience through humility. That true light which enlightens every man who comes into the world bestows itself on those who reverence it, shining where it wills, on whom it wills, and revealing itself according to the will of God the Son. When this light begins to shine upon the man who sat in darkness and the shadow of death, in the darkness of evil and the shadow of sin, he is shocked, he calls himself to account, repents of his misdeeds in shame, and says: The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Great is this salvation, my brethren, which fears neither sickness nor lethargy and disregards pain. We should then in the fullest sense not only with our voice but with our very soul cry out, The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? If he enlightens and saves me, whom shall I fear? Even though the dark shadows of evil suggestions crowd about, the Lord is my light. They can approach, but cannot prevail; they can lay siege to our heart, but cannot conquer it. Though the blindness of concupiscence assails us, again we say: The Lord is my light. For he is our strength; he gives himself to us and we give ourselves to him. Hasten to this physician while you can, or you may not be able to find him when you want him. RESPONSORY Wisdom 9:10, 4 Send forth wisdom, O Lord, from your throne of glory to be with me in my daily toil, — that I may know what is pleasing to you. Lord, give me the wisdom that sits beside your throne. — That I may know what is pleasing to you. CONCLUDING PRAYER Almighty ever-living God, direct our actions according to your good pleasure, that in the name of your beloved Son we may abound in good works. 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.

Jan 29, Morning Prayer for Thursday of the 3rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 654 All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1065 Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 618 All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1029 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 896 Morning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN Behold the golden Dawn arise; The paling night forsakes the skies: Those shades that hid the world from view, And us to dang'rous error drew. May this new day be calmly passed, May we keep pure while it shall last: Nor let our lips from truth depart, Nor dark designs engage the heart. So may the day speed on; the tongue No falsehood know, the hands no wrong: Our eyes from wanton gaze refrain, No guilt our guarded bodies stain. For God all-seeing from on high Surveys us with a watchful eye: Each day our every act he knows From early dawn to evening’s close. All laud to God the Father be; All praise, eternal Son, to thee; All glory, as is ever meet, To God the Holy Paraclete. Amen. 𝄞"Behold the Golden Dawn Arise" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NQ5M16F/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk11] • Musical Score [http://traffic.libsyn.com/divineoffice/Behold_the_Golden_Dawn_Arise.pdf] • Title: Behold the Golden Dawn Arise; Text: Sol ecce surgit igneus, Prudentius; Tr. John M. Neale; Tune: Chant, Mode I; Lumen Christi Hymnal; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. Psalm 87 Jerusalem is mother of us all The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman; she is our mother (Galatians 4:26). On the holy mountain is his city cherished by the Lord. The Lord prefers the gates of Zion to all Jacob’s dwellings. Of you are told glorious things, O city of God! “Babylon and Egypt I will count among those who know me; Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, these will be her children and Zion shall be called ‘Mother’ for all shall be her children.” It is he, the Lord Most High, who gives each his place. In his register of peoples he writes: “These are her children,” and while they dance they will sing: “In you all find their home.” 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, your only son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit. Ant. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God. Ant. 2 The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory. Canticle – Isaiah 40:10-17 The Good Shepherd: God most high and most wise See, I come quickly; I have my reward in hand (Revelation 22:12). Here comes with power the Lord God, who rules by his strong arm; here is his reward with him, his recompense before him. Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; in his arms he gathers the lambs, Carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care. Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea, and marked off the heavens with a span? Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance? Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, or has instructed him as his counselor? Whom did he consult to gain knowledge? Who taught him the path of judgment, or showed him the way of understanding? Behold, the nations count as a drop of the bucket, as dust on the scales; the coastlands weigh no more than powder. Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, nor its animals be enough for holocausts. Before him all the nations are as nought, as nothing and void he accounts them. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory. Ant. 3 Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain. Psalm 99 Holy is the Lord our God Christ, higher than the Cherubim, when you took our lowly nature you transformed our sinful world (Saint Athanasius). The Lord is king; the peoples tremble. He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes. The Lord is great in Zion. He is supreme over all the peoples. Let them praise his name, so terrible and great. He is holy, full of power. You are a king who loves what is right; you have established equity, justice and right; you have established them in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before Zion, his footstool. He the Lord is holy. Among his priests were Aaron and Moses, among those who invoked his name was Samuel. They invoked the Lord and he answered. To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud. They did his will; they kept the law, which he, the Lord, had given. O Lord our God, you answered them. For them you were a God who forgives; yet you punished all their offenses. Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before his holy mountain for the Lord our God is holy. 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 God, you are the source of all holiness. Though no one can see you and live, you give life most generously and in an even greater way restore it. Sanctify your priests through your life-giving Word and consecrate your people in his blood until our eyes see your face. Ant. Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain. READING 1 Peter 4:8-11a As generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God’s message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. RESPONSORY From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord. — From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord. I will do what you desire; — hear me, O Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies. 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. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies. INTERCESSIONS Let us joyfully cry out in thanks to God the Father whose love guides and nourishes his people: May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages. Most merciful Father, we praise you for your love, — for you wondrously created us and even more wondrously restored us to grace. May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages. At the beginning of this day fill our hearts with zeal for serving you, — so that our thoughts and actions may redound to your glory. May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages. Purify our hearts of every evil desire, — make us intent on doing your will. May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages. Open our hearts to the needs of all men, — fill us with brotherly love. May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages. 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 All-powerful and ever-living God, shine with the light of your radiance on a people who live in the shadow of death. Let the dawn from on high break upon us: your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who 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.

Jan 29, Midmorning Prayer for Thursday of the 3rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 Complementary Psalmody: 1291 (Midmorning) Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1075 (Midmorning) Midmorning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using Complementary Psalmody God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN New every morning is the love our wakening and uprising prove; through sleep and darkness safely brought, restored to life and power and thought. New mercies, each returning day, hover around us while we pray; new perils past, new sins forgiven, new thoughts of God, new hopes above. If on our daily course our mind be set to hallow all we find, new treasures still, of countless price, God will provide for sacrifice. Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be, as more of heaven in each we see; some softening gleam of love and prayer shall dawn on every cross and care. The trivial round, the common task, will furnish all we ought to ask: room to deny ourselves; a road to bring us daily nearer God. Only, O Lord, in thy dear love, fit us for perfect rest above; and help us, this and every day, to live more nearly as we pray. 𝄞"New Every Morning Is The Love" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score [https://www.ccel.org/cceh/0005/000590a.pdf] • Title: New every morning is the love; Words: John Keble, 1822; Music: Melcombe, Kedron; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 I cried out, and the Lord heard me. 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. Ant. I cried out, and the Lord heard me. Ant. 2 May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go. 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. Ant. May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go. Ant. 3 I rejoiced in the good news they told me. 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. I rejoiced in the good news they told me. READING Wisdom 19:22 Every way, O Lord, you magnified and glorified your people; unfailing, you stood by them in every time and circumstance. 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. O God, what marvels you have done! — You have shown your power to all the nations. CONCLUDING PRAYER Lord, in midmorning you gave your Holy Spirit to the apostles gathered in prayer. Give us a share in the life and love that your Spirit brings. Grant this through Christ our Lord. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Jan 29, Midday Prayer for Thursday of the 3rd week of Ordinary Time

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1071 (Midday) Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 623 All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1035 (Midday) Midday Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using the Current Psalmody God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN Christ be near at either hand, Christ behind, before me stand, Christ with me where e’er I go, Christ around, above, below. Christ be in my heart and mind, Christ within my soul enshrined, Christ control my wayward heart; Christ abide and ne’er depart. Christ my life and only way, Christ my lantern night and day, Christ be my unchanging friend, Guide and shepherd to the end. 𝄞"Christ Be Near At Either Hand" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NTSS434/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk1] • Musical Score [https://media.musicasacra.com/books/hymns/christBeNearHymn-1.pdf] • Title: Christ Be Near At Either Hand; Text: Traditional Irish text (the Lorica of St. Patrick); Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 3 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Receive me, Lord, according to your promise, that I may live. Psalm 119 XV (Samech) I have no love for half-hearted men: my love is for your law. You are my shelter, my shield; I hope in your word. Leave me, you who do evil; I will keep God’s command. If you uphold me by your promise I shall live; let my hopes not be in vain. Sustain me and I shall be saved and ever observe your commands. You spurn all who swerve from your statutes; their cunning is in vain. You throw away the wicked like dross: so I love your will. I tremble before you in terror; I fear your 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. Psalm-prayer Help us and we shall be saved, Lord God; leave us and we are doomed. May you remain with us always so that the fullness of life may be ours. Ant. Receive me, Lord, according to your promise, that I may live. Ant. 2 Help us, O God our Savior, and pardon all our sins. Psalm 79 Lament for Jerusalem If only you had known what would bring you peace (Luke 19:42). O God, the nations have invaded our land, they have profaned your holy temple. They have made Jerusalem a heap of ruins. They have handed over the bodies of your servants as food to feed the birds of heaven and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth. They have poured out blood like water in Jerusalem; no one is left to bury the dead. We have become the taunt of our neighbors, the mockery and scorn of those who surround us. How long, O Lord? Will you be angry for ever, how long will your anger burn like fire? Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us. Let your compassion hasten to meet us; we are left in the depths of distress. O God our savior, come to our help, come for the sake of the glory of your name. O Lord our God, forgive us our sins; rescue us for the sake of your name. Why should the nations say: “Where is their God?” Let us see the nations around us repaid with vengeance for the blood of your servants that was shed! Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; let your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die. But we, your people, the flock of your pasture, will give you thanks for ever and ever. We will tell your praise from age to age. 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 Jesus Christ, shepherd of your Church, in order to strengthen our faith and to lead us to the kingdom, you renewed and far surpassed the marvels of the old law. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures. Ant. Help us, O God our Savior, and pardon all our sins. Ant. 3 O God of power, look down from heaven and come to tend this vine. Psalm 80 Lord, come to tend your vineyard Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20). O shepherd of Israel, hear us, you who lead Joseph’s flock, shine forth from your cherubim throne upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh. O Lord, rouse up your might, O Lord, come to our help. God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. Lord God of hosts, how long will you frown on your people’s plea? You have fed them with tears for their bread, an abundance of tears for their drink. You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, our enemies laugh us to scorn. God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. You brought a vine out of Egypt; to plant it you drove out the nations. Before it you cleared the ground; it took root and spread through the land. The mountains were covered with its shadow, the cedars of God with its boughs. It stretched out its branches to the sea, to the Great River it stretched out its shoots. Then why have you broken down its walls? It is plucked by all who pass by. It is ravaged by the boar of the forest, devoured by the beasts of the field. God of hosts, turn again, we implore, look down from heaven and see. Visit this vine and protect it, the vine your right hand has planted. Men have burnt it with fire and destroyed it. May they perish at the frown on your face. May your hand be on the man you have chosen, the man you have given your strength. And we shall never forsake you again: give us life that we may call upon your name. God of hosts, bring us back; let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. 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, eternal Shepherd, you so tend the vineyard you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest coast. Look down on your Church and come to us. Help us to remain in your Son as branches on the vine that, planted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere. Ant. O God of power, look down from heaven and come to tend this vine. Reading Deuteronomy 4:7 What great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him? Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. The Lord is close to all who call upon him. — He will answer their prayers. CONCLUDING PRAYER All-powerful and ever-living God, with you there is no darkness, from you nothing is hidden. Fill us with the radiance of your light: may we understand the law you have given us and live it with generosity and faith. Grant this through Christ our Lord. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.