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

April 24th, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

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

April 24th, 2026 – Office of Readings – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 733 Psalter: Friday, Week III, 1454 Office of Readings for Friday in Week 3 of Easter God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN There's a wideness in God's mercy Like the wideness of the sea; There's a kindness in His justice Which is more than liberty. There is plentiful redemption In the blood that has been shed; There is joy for all the members In the sorrows of the Head. For the love of God is broader Than the measures of our mind; And the heart of the Eternal Is most wonderfully kind. If our love were but more simple We should take him at his word, And our lives would be thanksgiving In the sweetness of our Lord. Souls of men, why will you scatter Like a crowd of frightened sheep? Foolish hearts! why will you wander From a love so true and deep? There is welcome for the sinner And more graces for the good; There is mercy with the Savior, There is healing in his blood. 𝄞"There's a Wideness in God's Mercy" by Rebecca Hincke • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/Theres-a-Wideness-in-Gods-Mercy.pdf] • Title: There's a Wideness in God's Mercy; Author: Frederick William Faber (1862); Tune: In Babilone; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Recording copyright 2025 by Surgeworks, Inc PSALMODY Ant. 1 I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God, alleluia. Psalm 69:2-22; 30-37 I am consumed with zeal for your house They offered him a mixture of wine and gall (Matthew 27:34). I Save me, O God, for the waters have risen to my neck. I have sunk into the mud of the deep and there is no foothold. I have entered the waters of the deep and the waves overwhelm me. I am wearied with all my crying, my throat is parched. My eyes are wasted away from looking for my God. More numerous than the hairs on my head are those who hate without cause. Those who attack me with lies are too much for my strength. How can I restore what I have never stolen? O God, you know my sinful folly; my sins you can see. Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord of hosts: let not those who seek you be dismayed through me, God of Israel. It is for you that I suffer taunts, that shame covers my face, that I have become a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons. I burn with zeal for your house and taunts against you fall on me. When I afflict my soul with fasting they make it a taunt against me. When I put on sackcloth and mourning then they make me a byword, the gossip of men at the gates, the subject of drunkard’s songs. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God, alleluia. Ant. 2 I needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar, alleluia. II This is my prayer to you, my prayer for your favor. In your great love, answer me, O God, with your help that never fails; rescue me from sinking in the mud, save me from my foes. Save me from the waters of the deep lest the waves overwhelm me. Do not let the deep engulf me nor death close its mouth on me. Lord, answer, for your love is kind; in your compassion, turn towards me. Do not hide your face from your servant; answer me quickly for I am in distress. Come close to my soul and redeem me; ransom me pressed by my foes. You know how they taunt and deride me; my oppressors are all before you. Taunts have broken my heart; I have reached the end of my strength. I looked in vain for compassion, for consolers; not one could I find. For food they gave me poison; in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 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 needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar, alleluia. Ant. 3 Seek the Lord and you will live, alleluia. III As for me in my poverty and pain, let your help, O God, lift me up. I will praise God’s name with a song; I will glorify him with thanksgiving. A gift pleasing God more than oxen, more than beasts prepared for sacrifice. The poor when they see it will be glad and God-seeking hearts will revive; for the Lord listens to the needy and does not spurn his servants in their chains. Let the heavens and the earth give him praise, the sea and all its living creatures. For God will bring help to Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah and men shall dwell there in possession. The sons of his servants shall inherit it; those who love his name shall dwell there. 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 our Father, to show the way of salvation, you chose that the standard of the cross should go before us, and you fulfilled the ancient prophecies in Christ’s passover from death to life. Do not let us rouse your burning indignation by sin, but rather, through the contemplation of his wounds, make us burn with zeal for the honor of your Church and with grateful love for you. Ant. Seek the Lord and you will live, alleluia. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Christ Jesus you have risen from the dead, alleluia. — Let the heavens and the earth rejoice, alleluia. READINGS First reading From the book of Revelation 10:1-11 The call of the seer is renewed I, John, saw another mighty angel come down from heaven wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow about his head; his face shone like the sun and his legs like pillars of fire. In his hand he held a little scroll which had been opened. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, and then gave a loud cry like the roar of a lion. When he cried out, the seven thunders raised their voices too. I was about to start writing when the seven thunders spoke, but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have spoken and do not write it down!” Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and took an oath by the One who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and earth and sea along with everything in them: “There shall be no more delay. When the time comes for the seventh angel to blow his trumpet, the mysterious plan of God, which he announced to his servants the prophets, shall be accomplished in full.” Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the open scroll from the hand of the angel standing on the sea and on the land.” I went up to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little scroll.” He said to me, “Here, take it and eat it! It will be sour in your stomach, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.” I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. In my mouth it tasted as sweet as honey, but when I swallowed it my stomach turned sour. Then someone said to me, “You must prophesy again for many peoples and nations, languages and kings.” RESPONSORY Revelation 10:7; Matthew 24:30 When the trumpet sounds, God will have accomplished the mysterious plan, — which he announced to his servants the prophets, alleluia. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and majesty. — Which he announced to his servants the prophets, alleluia. Second Reading From a sermon by Saint Ephrem, deacon The cross of Christ gives life to the human race Death trampled our Lord underfoot, but he in his turn treated death as a highroad for his own feet. He submitted to it, enduring it willingly, because by this means he would be able to destroy death in spite of itself. Death had its own way when our Lord went out from Jerusalem carrying his cross; but when by a loud cry from that cross he summoned the dead from the underworld, death was powerless to prevent it. Death slew him by means of the body which he had assumed, but that same body proved to be the weapon with which he conquered death. Concealed beneath the cloak of his manhood, his godhead engaged death in combat; but in slaying our Lord, death itself was slain. It was able to kill natural human life, but was itself killed by the life that is above the nature of man. Death could not devour our Lord unless he possessed a body, neither could hell swallow him up unless he bore our flesh; and so he came in search of a chariot in which to ride to the underworld. This chariot was the body which he received from the Virgin; in it he invaded death’s fortress, broke open its strongroom and scattered all its treasure. At length he came upon Eve, the mother of all the living. She was that vineyard whose enclosure her own hands had enabled death to violate, so that she could taste its fruit; thus the mother of all the living became the source of death for every living creature. But in her stead Mary grew up, a new vine in place of the old. Christ, the new life, dwelt within her. When death, with its customary impudence, came foraging for her mortal fruit, it encountered its own destruction in the hidden life that fruit contained. All unsuspecting, it swallowed him up, and in so doing released life itself and set free a multitude of men. He who was also the carpenter’s glorious son set up his cross above death’s all-consuming jaws, and led the human race into the dwelling place of life. Since a tree had brought about the downfall of mankind, it was upon a tree that mankind crossed over to the realm of life. Bitter was the branch that had once been grafted upon that ancient tree, but sweet the young shoot that has now been grafted in, the shoot in which we are meant to recognize the Lord whom no creature can resist. We give glory to you, Lord, who raised up your cross to span the jaws of death like a bridge by which souls might pass from the region of the dead to the land of the living. We give glory to you who put on the body of a single mortal man and made it the source of life for every other mortal man. You are incontestably alive. Your murderers sowed your living body in the earth as farmers sow grain, but it sprang up and yielded an abundant harvest of men raised from the dead. Come then, my brothers and sisters, let us offer our Lord the great and all-embracing sacrifice of our love, pouring out our treasury of hymns and prayers before him who offered his cross in sacrifice to God for the enrichment of us all. RESPONSORY 1 Corinthians 15:55-56, 57; 2 Corinthians 4:13, 14 Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting? It is sin that gives death its sting. — But thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, alleluia. We have the spirit of faith by which we believe that he who raised Jesus to life will also raise us up with Jesus. — But thanks be to God, who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, alleluia. CONCLUDING PRAYER Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who have come to know the grace of the Lord’s Resurrection, may through the love of the Spirit, ourselves rise to newness of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

April 24th, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1049 Proper of Seasons: 737 Psalter: Friday, Week III, 1458 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 Proper of Seasons: 491 Psalter: Friday, Week III, 906 Morning Prayer for Friday in Week 3 of Easter God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN Let all mortal flesh keep silence, and with fear and trembling stand; ponder nothing earthly minded, for with blessing in his hand Christ our God to earth descendeth, our full homage to demand. King of kings, yet born of Mary, as of old on earth he stood, Lord of lords in human vesture, in the Body and the Blood he will give to all the faithful his own self for heavenly food. Rank on rank the host of heaven spreads its vanguard on the way, as the Light of Light descendeth from the realms of endless day, that the powers of hell may vanish as the darkness clears away. At his feet the six-winged seraph; cherubim with sleepless eye, veil their faces to the Presence, as with ceaseless voice they cry, "Alleluia, alleluia! Alleluia, Lord Most High!" 𝄞"Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NTN74T6/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk14] • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/Let-All-Mortal-Flesh-Keep-Silence.pdf] • Title: Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silence; Text: Liturgy of Saint James (fifth century); Tr. Gerald Moultrie (1864); Music: Picardy (French carol as in The English Hymnal, 1906); Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2016 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 4 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Lord, wash away my guilt, alleluia. 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. Psalm-prayer Father, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship. Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations. Ant. Lord, wash away my guilt, alleluia. Ant. 2 Christ bore our sins in his own body as he hung upon the cross, alleluia. Canticle – Jeremiah 14:17-21 The lament of the people in the war and famine The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the Good News (Mark 1:15). Let my eyes stream with tears day and night, without rest, over the great destruction which overwhelms the virgin daughter of my people, over her incurable wound. If I walk out into the field, look! those slain by the sword; If I enter the city, look! those consumed by hunger. Even the prophet and the priest forage in a land they know not. Have you cast Judah off completely? Is Zion loathsome to you? Why have you struck us a blow that cannot be healed? We wait for peace, to no avail; for a time of healing, but terror comes instead. We recognize, O Lord, our wickedness, the guilt of our fathers; that we have sinned against you. For your name’s sake spurn us not, disgrace not the throne of your glory; remember your covenant with us, and break it not. 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. Christ bore our sins in his own body as he hung upon the cross, alleluia. Ant. 3 Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy, alleluia. Psalm 100 The joyful song of those entering God’s temple The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius). Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing for joy. Know that he, the Lord, is God. He made us, we belong to him, we are his people, the sheep of his flock. Go within his gates, giving thanks. Enter his courts with songs of praise. Give thanks to him and bless his name. Indeed, how good is the Lord, eternal his merciful love. He is faithful 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 God, devoted to us as a Father, you created us as a sign of your power, and elected us your people to show your goodness. Accept the thanks your children offer, that all men may enter your courts praising you in song. Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy, alleluia. READING Acts 5:30-32 The God of our fathers has raised up Jesus whom you put to death, hanging him on a tree. He whom God has exalted at his right hand as ruler and savior is to bring repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. We testify to this. So too does the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey 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. RESPONSORY The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia. — The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia. He hung upon the cross for us, — alleluia, alleluia. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live in me and I in him, alleluia. Luke 1:68 – 79 The Messiah and his forerunner Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood shall live in me and I in him, alleluia. INTERCESSIONS Let us pray to God the Father, who gave us new life through the risen Christ: Give us the glory of your Son. Lord our God, your mighty works have revealed your eternal plan: you created the earth, and you are faithful in every generation, — hear us, Father of mercy. Give us the glory of your Son. Purify our hearts with your truth, and guide them in the way of holiness, — so that we may do what is pleasing in your sight. Give us the glory of your Son. Let your face shine upon us, — that we may be freed from sin and filled with your plenty. Give us the glory of your Son. You gave the apostles the peace of Christ, — grant peace to your people, and to the whole world. Give us the glory of your Son. 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 Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who have come to know the grace of the Lord’s Resurrection, may through the love of the Spirit, ourselves rise to newness of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. DISMISSAL May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. — Amen.

April 24th, 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: 738 (antiphon, reading, concluding prayer) Midmorning Prayer for Friday in Week 3 of Easter, using the Complementary Psalmody God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN O Gentle Christ I thank you forever That you have freely raised me from the black; And from the darkness of last night; To the kindly light, The light of this new day. Praise unto Thee, O God of creation, According to each life Thou hast poured unto me; In my desire, my thoughts and my word; Praise unto Thee, O Light of this new day. 𝄞"Praise unto Thee, O Light of this New Day" by Briege O'Hare And Marie Cox • Available on iTunes [https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/peace-god-songs-from-celtic/id445853947] • Available for Purchase [https://www.poorclaresireland.org/Hermitage_Arts.html] • Title: The New Day; Text: Briege O'Hare, OSC, inspired by The Carmina Gadelica; Album: The Peace of God. Songs from a Celtic Monastery; Composed and arranged by: Briege O'Hare, OSC; Sung by: Marie Cox,RSM; (c) 2006 Hermitage Production; Used by permission • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Peace of God PSALMODY Ant. 1 Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Psalm 120 Longing for peace To the Lord in the hour of my distress I call and he answers me. “O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, from the tongue of the deceitful.” What shall he pay you in return, O treacherous tongue? The warrior’s arrows sharpened and coals, red-hot, blazing. Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, dwell among the tents of Kedar! Long enough have I been dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for fighting. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm 121 Guardian of his people Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16) I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth. May he never allow you to stumble! Let him sleep not, your guard. No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, Israel’s guard. The Lord is your guard and your shade; at your right side he stands. By day the sun shall not smite you nor the moon in the night. The Lord will guard you from evil, he will guard your soul. The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and for ever. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm 122 The holy city, Jerusalem You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22) I rejoiced when I heard them say: Let us go to God’s house. And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David. For the peace of Jerusalem pray: “Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!” For love of my brethren and friends I say: Peace upon you. For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. READING Acts 2:32, 36 God has raised up Jesus, and we are his witnesses. Therefore let the whole house of Israel know beyond any doubt that God has made both Lord and Messiah this Jesus whom you crucified. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. The Lord is risen, alleluia. — He has appeared to Simon, alleluia. CONCLUDING PRAYER Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who have come to know the grace of the Lord’s Resurrection, may through the love of the Spirit, ourselves rise to newness of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

April 24th, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 Proper of Seasons: 738 Psalter: Friday, Week III, 1463 Midday Prayer for Friday in Week 3 of Easter, using the Current Psalmody God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN God of mercy God of grace Hear our sad, repentant songs. O restore Thy suppliant race, Thou to whom our praise belongs! Deep regret for follies past, Talents wasted, time misspent; Hearts debased by worldly cares, Thankless for the blessings lent: Foolish fears and fond desires, Vain regrets for things as vain: Lips too seldom taught to praise, Oft to murmur and complain; These, and every secret fault, Filled with grief and shame, we own. Humbled at Thy feet we lie, Seeking pardon from Thy throne. 𝄞"God of Mercy God of Grace" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NTPDCYV/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk4] • Musical Score [https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/divineoffice/God_of_Mercy_God_of_Grace.pdf] • Title: God of Mercy God of Grace; Text: John Taylor; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 4 PSALMODY Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Psalm 22 God hears the suffering cry of his Holy One Jesus cried with a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46). I 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. 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. II 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. III “You who fear the Lord, give him praise; all sons of Jacob, give him glory. Revere him, Israel’s sons. For he has never despised nor scorned the poverty of the poor. From him he has not hidden his face, but he heard the poor man when he cried.” You are my praise in the great assembly. My vows I will pay before those who fear him. The poor shall eat and shall have their fill. They shall praise the Lord, those who seek him. May their hearts live for ever and ever! All the earth shall remember and return to the Lord, all families of the nations worship before him for the kingdom is the Lord’s; he is the ruler of the nations. They shall worship him, all the mighty of the earth; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust. And my soul shall live for him, my children serve him. They shall tell of the Lord to the generations yet to come, declare his faithfulness to peoples yet unborn: “These things the Lord has done.” 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 Father, when your Son was handed over to torture and seemed abandoned by you, he cried out to you from the cross and death was destroyed, life was restored. By his death and resurrection, may we see the day when the poor man is saved, the downtrodden is lifted up and the chains that bind people are broken. United to the thanks that Christ gives you, your Church will sing your praises. Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. READING Galatians 3:27-28 All of you who have been baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with him. There does not exist among you Jew or Greek, slave or freeman, male or female. All are one in Christ Jesus. Sacred Silence(indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. The disciples rejoiced, alleluia. — When they saw the risen Lord, alleluia. CONCLUDING PRAYER Grant, we pray, almighty God, that we, who have come to know the grace of the Lord’s Resurrection, may through the love of the Spirit, ourselves rise to newness of life. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.