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

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

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 273 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1511 Office of Readings for Monday of the 4th Week of Lent God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN Most ancient of all mysteries, before your throne we lie; have mercy now, most merciful, most Holy Trinity. When heaven and earth were still unmade, when time was yet unknown, you in your radiant majesty did live and love alone. You were not born; there was no source from which your being flowed; there is no end which you can reach: for you are simply God. How wonderful creation is, the work which you did bless! what then must you be like dear God, eternal Loveliness! Most ancient of all mysteries, before your throne we lie; have mercy now and ever more, most Holy Trinity. 𝄞"Most Ancient of all Mysteries" by Rebecca Hincke • Words: Frederick William Faber, 1849; Music: St. Flavian; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 How good is the God of Israel to the pure of heart! Psalm 73 Why is it that the good have many troubles? Blessed is the man who does not lose faith in me (Matthew 11:6). I How good God is to Israel, to those who are pure of heart. Yet my feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped for I was filled with envy of the proud when I saw how the wicked prosper. For them there are no pains; their bodies are sound and sleek. They have no share in men’s sorrows; they are not stricken like others. So they wear their pride like a necklace, they clothe themselves with violence. Their hearts overflow with malice, their minds seethe with plots. They scoff; they speak with malice; from on high they plan oppression. They have set their mouths in the heavens and their tongues dictate to the earth. So the people turn to follow them and drink in all their words. They say: “How can God know? Does the Most High take any notice?” Look at them, such are the wicked, but untroubled, they grow in wealth. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. How good is the God of Israel to the pure of heart! Ant. 2 Their laughter will turn to weeping, their merriment to grief. II How useless to keep my heart pure and wash my hands in innocence, when I was stricken all day long, suffered punishment day after day. Then I said: “If I should speak like that, I should abandon the faith of your people.” I strove to fathom this problem, too hard for my mind to understand, until I pierced the mysteries of God and understood what becomes of the wicked. How slippery the paths on which you set them; you make them slide to destruction. How suddenly they come to their ruin, wiped out, destroyed by terrors. Like a dream one wakes from, O Lord, when you wake you dismiss them as phantoms. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Their laughter will turn to weeping, their merriment to grief. Ant. 3 Those who depart from you will perish; my joy is to remain with you, my God. III And so when my heart grew embittered and when I was cut to the quick, I was stupid and did not understand, no better than a beast in your sight. Yet I was always in your presence; you were holding me by my right hand. You will guide me by your counsel and so you will lead me to glory. What else have I in heaven but you? Apart from you I want nothing on earth. My body and my heart faint for joy; God is my possession for ever. All those who abandon you shall perish; you will destroy all those who are faithless. To be near God is my happiness. I have made the Lord God my refuge. I will tell of all your works at the gates of the city of Zion. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer It is good to be with you, Father; in you is fullness of life for your faithful people; in you all hope resides. May you lead us to everlasting happiness. Ant. Those who depart from you will perish; my joy is to remain with you, my God. Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel. — The kingdom of God is at hand. READINGS First reading From the book of Leviticus 16:2-28 The day of atonement The Lord said to Moses, “Tell your brother Aaron that he is not to come whenever he pleases into the sanctuary, inside the veil, in front of the propitiatory on the ark; otherwise, when I reveal myself in a cloud above the propitiatory, he will die. Only in this way may Aaron enter the sanctuary. “He shall bring a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a holocaust. He shall wear the sacred linen tunic, with the linen drawers next to his flesh, gird himself with the linen sash and put on the linen miter. But since these vestments are sacred, he shall not put them on until he has first bathed his body in water. From the Israelite community he shall receive two male goats for a sin offering and one ram for a holocaust. “Aaron shall bring in the bullock, his sin offering to atone for himself and for his household. Taking the two male goats and setting them before the Lord at the entrance of the meeting tent, he shall cast lots to determine which one is for the Lord and which for Azazel. The goat that is determined by lot for the Lord, Aaron shall bring in and offer up as a sin offering. But the goat determined by lot for Azazel he shall set alive before the Lord, so that with it he may make atonement by sending it off to Azazel in the desert. “Thus shall Aaron offer up the bullock, his sin offering, to atone for himself and for his family. When he has slaughtered it, he shall take a censer full of glowing embers from the altar before the Lord, as well as a double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bringing them inside the veil, there before the Lord he shall put incense on the fire, so that a cloud of incense may cover the propitiatory over the commandments; else he will die. Taking some of the bullock’s blood, he shall sprinkle it with his finger on the fore part of the propitiatory and likewise sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times in front of the propitiatory. “Then he shall slaughter the people’s sin-offering goat, and bringing its blood inside the veil, he shall do with it as he did with the bullock’s blood, sprinkling it on the propitiatory and before it. “Thus he shall make atonement for the sanctuary because of all the sinful defilements and faults of the Israelites. He shall do the same for the meeting tent, which is set up among them in the midst of their uncleanness. No one else may be in the meeting tent from the time he enters the sanctuary to make atonement until he departs. When he has made atonement for himself and his household, as well as for the whole Israelite community, he shall come out to the altar before the Lord and make atonement for it also. Taking some of the bullock’s and the goat’s blood, he shall put it on the horns around the altar, and with his finger sprinkle some of the blood on it seven times. Thus he shall render it clean and holy, purged of the defilements of the Israelites. “When he has completed the atonement rite for the sanctuary, the meeting tent and the altar, Aaron shall bring forward the live goat. Laying both hands on its head, he shall confess over it all the sinful faults and transgressions of the Israelites, and so put them on the goat’s head. He shall then have it led into the desert by an attendant. Since the goat is to carry off their iniquities to an isolated region, it must be sent away into the desert. “After Aaron has again gone into the meeting tent, he shall strip off and leave in the sanctuary the linen vestments he had put on when he entered there. After bathing his body with water in a sacred place, he shall put on his vestments, and then come out and offer his own and the people’s holocaust, in atonement for himself and for the people, and also burn the fat of the sin offering on the altar. “The man who has led away the goat for Azazel shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp. The sin-offering bullock and goat whose blood was brought into the sanctuary to make atonement, shall be taken outside the camp, where their hides and flesh and offal shall be burned up in the fire. The one who burns them shall wash his garments and bathe his body in water; only then may he enter the camp. RESPONSORY Hebrews 9:11, 12, 24 Christ came as the high priest of the good things which are to be. Not with the blood of goats or calves, but with his own blood — he entered the holy place once for all, and won our eternal salvation. He did not enter a holy place fashioned by man, he entered heaven itself. — He entered the holy place once for all, and won our eternal salvation. Second reading From a homily on Leviticus by Origen, priest Christ the high priest makes atonement for our sins Once a year the high priest, leaving the people outside, entered that place where no one except the high priest might enter. In it was the mercy-seat, and above the mercy-seat the cherubim, as well as the ark of the covenant and the altar of incense. Let me turn to my true high priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. In our human nature he spent the whole year in the company of the people, the year that he spoke of when he said: He sent me to bring good news to the poor, to announce the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of forgiveness. Notice how once in that year, on the day of atonement, he enters into the holy of holies. Having fulfilled God’s plan, he passes through the heavens and enters into the presence of the Father to make him turn in mercy to the human race and to pray for all who believe in him. John the apostle, knowing of the atonement that Christ makes to the Father for all men, says this: Little children, I say these things so that you may not sin. But if we have sinned we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the just one. He is the atonement for our sins. In the same way Paul refers to this atonement when he says of Christ: God appointed him to be the atonement for our sins in his blood, through faith. We have then a day of atonement that remains until the world comes to an end. God’s word tells us: The high priest shall put incense on the fire in the sight of the Lord. The smoke of the incense shall cover the mercy-seat above the tokens of the covenant, so that he may not die. He shall take some of the blood of the bull-calf and sprinkle it with his finger over the mercy-seat toward the east. God taught the people of the old covenant how to celebrate the ritual offered to him in atonement for the sins of men. But you have come to Christ, the true high priest. Through his blood he has made God turn to you in mercy and has reconciled you with the Father. You must not think simply of ordinary blood but you must learn to recognize instead the blood of the Word. Listen to him as he tells you: This is my blood, which will be shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. There is a deeper meaning in the fact that the high priest sprinkles the blood toward the east. Atonement comes to you from the east. From the east comes the one whose name is Dayspring, he who is mediator between God and men. You are invited then to look always to the east: it is there that the sun of righteousness rises for you, it is there that the light is always being born for you. You are never to walk in darkness; the great and final day is not to enfold you in darkness. Do not let the night and mist of ignorance steal upon you. So that you may always enjoy the light of knowledge, keep always in the daylight of faith, hold fast always to the light of love and peace. RESPONSORY Hebrews 6:20; 7:2, 3 For our sake, Jesus went before us into heaven, — and he has become like Melchizedek, a high priest for ever. He is the king of justice; his life has no end. — And he has become like Melchizedek, a high priest for ever. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who renew the world through mysteries beyond all telling, grant, we pray, that your Church may be guided by your eternal design and not be deprived of your help in this present age. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Mar 16, Morning Prayer for Monday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1049 Proper of Seasons: 288 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1515 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 Proper of Seasons: 344 Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 937 Morning Prayer for Monday of the 4th Week of Lent God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord, Who abide in His shadow for life, Say to the Lord, "My Refuge, My Rock in Whom I trust." And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand. The snare of the fowler will never capture you, And famine will bring you no fear; Under His Wings your refuge, His faithfulness your shield. And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand. For to His angels He's given a command, To guard you in all of your ways, Upon their hands they will bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. And He will raise you up on eagle's wings, Bear you on the breath of dawn, Make you to shine like the sun, And hold you in the palm of His Hand. And hold you in the palm of His Hand. 𝄞"On Eagle’s Wings" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss [https://divineoffice.org/melinda-kirigin-voss/] • Title: On Eagle’s Wings; Text: based on Psalm 91 and Isaiah 40:31; Composer: Michael Joncas; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Used with permission from Melinda Kirigin-Voss. PSALMODY Ant. 1 Each morning, Lord, you fill us with your kindness. 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 to 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 the 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 Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and, happy to be known as companions of your Son, we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations. Ant. Each morning, Lord, you fill us with your kindness. Ant. 2 From the farthest bounds of earth, may God be praised! Canticle – Isaiah 42:10-16 God, victor and savior They were singing a new hymn before the throne of God (Revelation 14:3). Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth: Let the sea and what fills it resound, the coastlands, and those who dwell in them. Let the steppe and its cities cry out, the villages where Kedar dwells; Let the inhabitants of Sela exult, and shout from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory to the Lord, and utter his praise in the coastlands. The Lord goes forth like a hero, like a warrior he stirs up his ardor; he shouts out his battle cry, against his enemies he shows his might: I have looked away, and kept silence, I have said nothing, holding myself in; but now, I cry out as a woman in labor, gasping and panting. I will lay waste mountains and hills, all their herbage I will dry up; I will turn the rivers into marshes, and the marshes I will dry up. I will lead the blind on their journey; by paths unknown I will guide them. I will turn darkness into light before them, and make crooked ways straight. 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 the farthest bounds of earth, may God be praised! Ant. 3 You who stand in his sanctuary, praise the name of the Lord. Psalm 135:1-12 Praise for the wonderful things God does for us He has won you for himself… and you must proclaim what he has done for you: he has called you out of darkness into his own wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9). Praise the name of the Lord, praise him, servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord for the Lord is good. Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself and Israel for his own possession. For I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is high above all gods. The Lord does whatever he wills, in heaven, on earth, in the seas. He summons clouds from the ends of the earth; makes lightning produce the rain; from his treasuries he sends forth the wind. The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, of man and beast alike. Signs and wonders he worked in the midst of your land, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants. Nations in their greatness he struck and kings in their splendor he slew. Sihon, king of the Amorites, Og, the king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan. He let Israel inherit their land; on his people their land he bestowed. 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 Where two or three gather in your name, Lord, you promised to be with them and share their fellowship. Look down upon your family gathered here in your name, and graciously pour out your blessing upon us. Ant. You who stand in his sanctuary, praise the name of the Lord. READING Exodus 19:4-6a You have seen for yourselves how I bore you up on eagle wings and brought you here to myself. Therefore, if you hearken to my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my special possession, dearer to me than all other people, though all the earth is mine. You shall be to me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation. 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 God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare. — God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare. From those who would trap me with lying words — and from the hunter’s snare. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. A royal official, hearing that Jesus had come to Galilee, begged him to heal his son who lay ill in Capernaum. 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. A royal official, hearing that Jesus had come to Galilee, begged him to heal his son who lay ill in Capernaum. INTERCESSIONS Blessed be God the Father for his gift of this sacrifice of praise. In the spirit of this Lenten season, let us pray: Instruct us, Lord, in the ways of your kingdom. God of power and mercy, give us the spirit of prayer and repentance, — with burning love for you and for all mankind. Instruct us, Lord, in the ways of your kingdom. Help us to work with you in making all things new in Christ, — and in spreading justice and peace throughout the world. Instruct us, Lord, in the ways of your kingdom. Teach us the meaning and value of creation, — so that we may join its voice to ours as we sing your praise. Instruct us, Lord, in the ways of your kingdom. Forgive us for failing to see Christ in the poor, the distressed and the troublesome, — and for our failure to reverence your Son in their persons. Instruct us, Lord, in the ways of your kingdom. 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 O God, who renew the world through mysteries beyond all telling, grant, we pray, that your Church may be guided by your eternal design and not be deprived of your help in this present age. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. DISMISSAL May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. — Amen.

Mar 16, Midmorning Prayer for Monday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 Complementary Psalmody: 1651 (Midmorning) Proper of Seasons: 290 (antiphon, reading, concluding prayer) Midmorning Prayer for Monday of the 4th Week of Lent, 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 1. Holy God, we praise Thy Name; Lord of all, we bow before Thee! All on earth Thy scepter claim, All in Heaven above adore Thee; Infinite Thy vast domain, Everlasting is Thy reign. 2. Hark! the loud celestial hymn Angel choirs above are raising, Cherubim and seraphim, In unceasing chorus praising; Fill the heavens with sweet accord: Holy, holy, holy, Lord. [3. Lo! the apostolic train Join the sacred Name to hallow; Prophets swell the loud refrain, And the white robed martyrs follow; And from morn to set of sun, Through the Church the song goes on.] 4. Holy Father, Holy Son, Holy Spirit, Three we name Thee; While in essence only One, Undivided God we claim Thee; And adoring bend the knee, While we own the mystery. [5. Thou art King of glory, Christ: Son of God, yet born of Mary; For us sinners sacrificed, And to death a tributary: First to break the bars of death, Thou hast opened Heaven to faith.] [6. From Thy high celestial home, Judge of all, again returning, We believe that Thou shalt come In the dreaded doomsday morning; When Thy voice shall shake the earth, And the startled dead come forth.] 𝄞"Holy God, We Praise Thy Name" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NTS2S3W/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk7] • Musical Score [https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/divineoffice/Holy_God_We_Praise_Thy_Name.pdf] • Title: Holy God, We Praise Thy Name; Text: Ignaz Franz, 1774; Translator: Clarence Augustus Walworth, 1858; Tune: GROSSER GOTT; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 4 PSALMODY Ant. 1 The time of penance has come, the time to atone for our sins and to seek our salvation. 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. The time of penance has come, the time to atone for our sins and to seek our salvation. READING Wisdom 11:23-24a You have mercy on all, O Lord, because you can do all things; and you overlook the sins of men that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made. 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. Create in me a clean heart, O God. — Renew in me a steadfast spirit. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who renew the world through mysteries beyond all telling, grant, we pray, that your Church may be guided by your eternal design and not be deprived of your help in this present age. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Mar 16, Midday Prayer for Monday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 Proper of Seasons: 290 (Midday) Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1522 Midday Prayer for Monday of the 4th Week of Lent, 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. As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to me and live. Psalm 119:129-136 XVII (Pe) A meditation on God’s law The whole law is summed up in love (Romans 13:10). Your will is wonderful indeed; therefore I obey it. The unfolding of your word gives light and teaches the simple. I open my mouth and I sigh as I yearn for your commands. Turn and show me your mercy; show justice to your friends. Let my steps be guided by your promise; let no evil rule me. Redeem me from man’s oppression and I will keep your precepts. Let your face shine on your servant and teach me your decrees. Tears stream from my eyes because your law is disobeyed. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer You are just, Lord God, and righteous are your judgments. Deliver those who cry to you in their affliction; give them peace and calm to reflect on your commands. Psalm 82 Denunciation of evil judges Do not attempt to judge another now; the Lord’s coming will reveal all (1 Corinthians 4:5). God stands in the divine assembly. In the midst of the gods he gives judgment. “How long will you judge unjustly and favor the cause of the wicked? Do justice for the weak and the orphan, defend the afflicted and the needy. Rescue the weak and the poor; set them free from the hand of the wicked. Unperceiving, they grope in the darkness and the order of the world is shaken. I have said to you: ‘You are gods, and all of you, sons of the Most High.’ And yet, you shall die like men, you shall fall like any of the princes.” Arise, O God, judge the earth, for you rule all the nations. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm-prayer You are always true to your word, Father. Look down from heaven and put an end to our foolishness. Save us from groundless fears and help us to please you with undivided heart. Psalm 120 Longing for peace Be patient in suffering; persevere in prayer (Romans 12:12). 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-prayer You declared peacemakers happy, Lord Jesus, since they will be called sons of God. Give us that peace which the world cannot give so that your Church may be freed from the schemes of arrogant men, and, devoted to works of peace, go forward joyfully to meet you, the King of Peace. Ant. As I live, says the Lord, I do not wish the sinner to die but to turn back to me and live. READING Ezekiel 18:23 Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church. Turn your face away from my sins. — Blot out all my guilt. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who renew the world through mysteries beyond all telling, grant, we pray, that your Church may be guided by your eternal design and not be deprived of your help in this present age. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.

Mar 16, Midafternoon Prayer for Monday of the 4th week of Lent

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 Complementary Psalmody: 1655 (Midafternoon) Proper of Seasons: 290 (antiphon, reading, concluding prayer) Midafternoon Prayer for Monday of the 4th Week of Lent, 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. HYMN Christ, in whose passion once was sown All virtue of all saints to be, From the white field of these thy own We praise the seed and sower, thee. Thine was the first and holiest grain To die and quicken and increase; And then came these, and died again, That spring and harvest should not cease. From thee the martyrs, we from those, Each in thy grace's measure, spring; Their strength upon our weakness flows And guides us to the goal we sing. These were thy great ones: we, thy least, One in desire and faith with them, Called by the Lord to keep one feast, Journey to one Jerusalem. Journey to one Jerusalem. 𝄞"Christ In Whose Passion Once Was Sown" by Victor Emmanuel I Clement • Title: Christ In Whose Passion Once Was Sown; Text: Walter H. Shewring; Artist: Victor Emmanuel I Clement; Used with permission from Victor Emmanuel I Clement. PSALMODY Ant. 1 Armed with God’s justice and power, let us prove ourselves through patient endurance. Psalm 126 Joyful hope in God Companions with him in suffering, you will share his over-flowing happiness (2 Corinthians 1:7) When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. The heathens themselves said: “What marvels the Lord worked for them!” What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad. Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage as streams in dry land. Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap. They go out, they go out, full of tears, carrying seed for the sowing: they come back, they come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves 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 127 Apart from God our labors are worthless You are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9) If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat, when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber. Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, a blessing, the fruit of the womb. Indeed the sons of youth are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. O the happiness of the man who has filled his quiver with these arrows! He will have no cause for shame when he disputes with his foes in the gateways. 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 128 Happiness of family life rooted in God “May the Lord bless you from Zion,” that is, from the Church (Arnobius) O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labor of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper; your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; Your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children in a happy Jerusalem! On Israel, 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. Armed with God’s justice and power, let us prove ourselves through patient endurance. READING Isaiah 58:7 Share your bread with the hungry, shelter the oppressed and the homeless; Cloth the naked when you see them, and do not turn your back on your own. 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. My sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit. — A humble, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who renew the world through mysteries beyond all telling, grant, we pray, that your Church may be guided by your eternal design and not be deprived of your help in this present age. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.