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

April 2nd, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Antiphon: 1043 Psalm: 1298 Christian Prayer: Antiphon: 687 Psalm: 820 Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Psalm 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 Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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 Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. 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 Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

April 2nd, 2026 – Office of Readings – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1045 Proper of Seasons: 457 Psalter: Thursday, Week II, 1301 Office of Readings for Holy Thursday God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN You are my Lord and my God and I love you Alone and rejected, His agony begins He accepts the chalice of dying for my sins Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Will you let me stay Share a sip from your cup Watch with you and pray Betrayed and abandoned Dragged into a hall Though scourged by Roman Soldiers, Our sins hurt you most of all Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Defended by so few So much blood from your wounds How can I comfort you You are my Lord and my God And I love you The crown of the thorns is forced upon your head I turn to face the guilty I see my sins instead Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus In your suffering In your tears, in your blood You stand as Christ the King Embracing your cross You start towards Calvary Crushed by so much evil You turn to look at me Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus Did I hear you call Asking me to stay by you To help you if you fall You are my Lord and my God And I love you You are my Lord and my God And I love you Raised on the hilltop It seems though all has failed For our salvation, Jesus, For us you were nailed Oh Jesus, Oh Jesus I have come to stay As you die upon your cross Trembling you say Love (me), why don't you love (me) Please love (me) Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out Please love me Oh how I long for your love Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out these hands to you Please love me Oh how I long for your love Love me, I call out Why don't you love me I reach out these hands to you Please love me Oh how I long for your love You are my lord and my God And I love you. You are my lord and my God And I love you. 𝄞"My Lord And My God" by Anthony Carnesi • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/My-Lord-and-My-God-CARNESI-LoH-DivOfcOrg-F-orig-stacked-vvs-mel-only-1pg.pdf] • Title: My Lord and My God; Text: Anthony Carnesi (1948-2005); Music: Anthony Carnesi; Artist: Anthony Carnesi; (c) Margaret J Van Nostrand; Used with permission. PSALMODY Ant. 1 Lord, you are our savior; we will praise you for ever. Psalm 44 The misfortunes of God’s people We triumph over all these things through him who loved us (Romans 8:37). I We heard with our own ears, O God, our fathers have told us the story of the things you did in their days, you yourself, in days long ago. To plant them you uprooted the nations: to let them spread you laid peoples low. No sword of their own won the land; no arm of their own brought them victory. It was your right hand, your arm and the light of your face: for you loved them. It is you, my king, my God, who granted victories to Jacob. Through you we beat down our foes; in your name we trampled our aggressors. For it was not in my bow that I trusted nor yet was I saved by my sword: it was you who saved us from our foes, it was you who put our foes to shame. All day long our boast was in God, and we praised your name without ceasing. 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. Lord, you are our savior; we will praise you for ever. Ant. 2 Spare us, O Lord; do not bring your own people into contempt. II Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us: you no longer go forth with our armies. You make us retreat from the foe and our enemies plunder us at will. You make us like sheep for the slaughter and scatter us among the nations. You sell your own people for nothing and make no profit by the sale. You make us the taunt of our neighbors, the laughing stock of all who are near. Among the nations, you make us a byword, among the peoples a thing of derision. All day long my disgrace is before me: my face is covered with shame at the voice of the taunter, the scoffer, at the sight of the foe and avenger. 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. Spare us, O Lord; do not bring your own people into contempt. Ant. 3 Rise up, O Lord, and save us, for you are merciful. III This befell us though we had not forgotten you; though we had not been false to your covenant, though we had not withdrawn our hearts; though our feet had not strayed from your path. Yet you have crushed us in a place of sorrows and covered us with the shadow of death. Had we forgotten the name of our God or stretched our hands to another god would not God have found this out, he who knows the secrets of the heart? It is for you that we face death all day long and are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep? Arise, do not reject us for ever! Why do you hide your face from us and forget our oppression and misery? For we are brought down low to the dust; our body lies prostrate on the earth. Stand up and come to our help! Redeem us because of your love! 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, rise up and come to our aid; with your strong arm lead us to freedom, as you mightily delivered our forefathers. Since you are the king who knows the secrets of our hearts, fill them with the light of truth. Ant. Rise up, O Lord, and save us, for you are merciful. 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. When I am lifted up from the earth. — I will draw all men to myself. READINGS First reading From the letter to the Hebrews 4:14 – 5:10 Jesus Christ, the great high priest Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our profession of faith. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned. So let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and favor and to find help in time of need. Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with erring sinners, for he himself is beset by weakness and so must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. One does not take this honor on his own initiative, but only when called by God as Aaron was. Even Christ did not glorify himself with the office of high priest; he received it from the One who said to him, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you”; just as he says in another place, “You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek.” In the days when he was in the flesh, he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to God, who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered; and when perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, designated by God as high priest according to the order of Melchizedek. RESPONSORY Hebrews 5:8,9,7 Though he was the Son of God, Christ learned obedience through what he suffered; — and now, for all who obey him, he has become the source of eternal life. In the days of his earthly life he prayed, crying aloud, and he submitted so humbly that his prayer was heard. — And now, for all who obey him, he has become the source of eternal life. Second reading From an Easter homily by Saint Melito of Sardis, bishop The lamb that was slain has delivered us from death and given us life There was much proclaimed by the prophets about the mystery of the Passover: that mystery is Christ, and to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen. For the sake of suffering humanity he came down from heaven to earth, clothed himself in that humanity in the Virgin’s womb, and was born a man. Having then a body capable of suffering, he took the pain of fallen man upon himself; he triumphed over the diseases of soul and body that were its cause, and by his Spirit, which was incapable of dying, he dealt man’s destroyer, death, a fatal blow. He was led forth like a lamb; he was slaughtered like a sheep. He ransomed us from our servitude to the world, as he had ransomed Israel from the land of Egypt; he freed us from our slavery to the devil, as he had freed Israel from the hand of Pharaoh. He sealed our souls with his own Spirit, and the members of our body with his own blood. He is the One who covered death with shame and cast the devil into mourning, as Moses cast Pharaoh into mourning. He is the One who smote sin and robbed iniquity of offspring. He is the One who brought us out of slavery into freedom, out of darkness into light, out of death into life, out of tyranny into an eternal kingdom; who made us a new priesthood, a people chosen to be his own for ever. He is the Passover that is our salvation. It is he who endured every kind of suffering in all those who foreshadowed him. In Abel he was slain, in Isaac bound, in Jacob exiled, in Joseph sold, in Moses exposed to die. He was sacrificed in the Passover lamb, persecuted in David, dishonored in the prophets. It is he who was made man of the Virgin, he who was hung on the tree; it is he who was buried in the earth, raised from the dead, and taken up to the heights of heaven. He is the mute lamb, the slain lamb, the lamb born of Mary, the fair ewe. He was seized from the flock, dragged off to be slaughtered, sacrificed in the evening, and buried at night. On the tree no bone of his was broken; in the earth his body knew no decay. He is the One who rose from the dead, and who raised man from the depths of the tomb. RESPONSORY Romans 3:23-25; John 1:29 Everyone has sinned and is deprived of God’s glory. We are justified through the free gift of his grace and through the redemption of Christ Jesus. — God made Christ’s sacrificial death the means of expiating the sins of all believers. This is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. — God made Christ’s sacrificial death the means of expiating the sins of all believers. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who anointed your Only Begotten Son with the Holy Spirit and made him Christ and Lord, graciously grant that, being made sharers in his consecration, we may bear witness to your Redemption in the world. 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 2nd, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1049 Proper of Seasons: 460 Psalter: Thursday, Week II, 1305 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 Proper of Seasons: 404 Psalter: Thursday, Week II, 824 Morning Prayer for Holy Thursday 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 Brightness of the Father's glory Springing from eternal light, Source of light by light engendered. Day enlightening every day. In your ever-lasting radiance Shine upon us, Christ, true sun, Bringing life to mind and body Through the Holy Spirit's pow'r. Father of unfading glory. Rich in grace and Strong to save. Hear our prayers and come to save us, Keep us far from sinful ways. Dawn is drawing ever nearer, Dawn that brings us all we seek, Son who dwells within the Father, Father uttering one Word. Glory be to God the Father. Glory to his Only Son, Glory now and through all ages To the Spirit Advocate. 𝄞"Brightness of the Father's Glory" by Gabe Bouck, Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase [https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08NTMZS39/ref=dm_ws_tlw_trk1] • Musical Score [https://divineoffice.org/wp-content/uploads/Brightness-of-the-Fathers-glory.pdf] • Title: Brightness of the Father's Glory; Text: Mount Saint Bernard Abbey; Tune: SHARON by William Boyce, 1710-1799; Artists: Gabe Bouck and Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2016 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 4 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Look, O Lord, and see my suffering. Come quickly to my aid. Psalm 80 Lord, come, take care of 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 the 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 of 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 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. Look, O Lord, and see my suffering. Come quickly to my aid. Ant. 2 God is my savior; I trust in him and shall not fear. Canticle – Isaiah 12:1-6 Joy of God’s ransomed people If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink (John 7:37). I give you thanks, O Lord; though you have been angry with me, your anger has abated, and you have consoled me. God indeed is my savior; I am confident and unafraid. My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. With joy you will draw water at the fountain of salvation, and say on that day: Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name; among the nations make known his deeds, proclaim how exalted is his name. Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement; let this be known throughout all the earth. Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. God is my savior; I trust in him and shall not fear. Ant. 3 The Lord has fed us with the finest wheat; he has filled us with honey from the rock. Psalm 81 Solemn renewal of the Covenant See that no one among you has a faithless heart (Hebrews 3:12). Ring out your joy to God our strength, shout in triumph to the God of Jacob. Raise a song and sound the timbrel, the sweet-sounding harp and the lute; blow the trumpet at the new moon, when the moon is full, on our feast. For this is Israel’s law, a command of the God of Jacob. He imposed it as a rule on Joseph, when he went out against the land of Egypt. A voice I did not know said to me: “I freed your shoulder from the burden; your hands were freed from the load. You called in distress and I saved you. I answered, concealed in the storm cloud; at the waters of Meribah I tested you. Listen, my people, to my warning. O Israel, if only you would heed! Let there be no foreign god among you. no worship of an alien god. I am the Lord your God, who brought you from the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it. But my people did not heed my voice and Israel would not obey, so I left them in their stubbornness of heart to follow their own designs. O that my people would heed me, that Israel would walk in my ways! At once I would subdue their foes, turn my hand against their enemies. The Lord’s enemies would cringe at their feet and their subjection would last for ever. But Israel I would feed with finest wheat and fill them with honey from the rock.” 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, open our mouths to proclaim your glory. Help us to leave sin behind and to rejoice in professing your name. Ant. The Lord has fed us with the finest wheat; he has filled us with honey from the rock. READING Hebrews 2:9-10 We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that through God’s gracious will he might taste death for the sake of all men. Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many sons to glory God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make their leader in the work of salvation perfect through suffering. 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 By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God. — By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God. From every tribe, and tongue, and people and nation, — you brought us back to God. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. I have longed to eat this meal with you before I suffer. 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. I have longed to eat this meal with you before I suffer. INTERCESSIONS The Father anointed Christ with the Holy Spirit to proclaim forgiveness to those in bondage. Let us humbly call upon the eternal priest: Lord, have mercy on us. You went up to Jerusalem to suffer and so enter into your glory, — bring your Church to the Passover feast of heaven. Lord, have mercy on us. You were lifted high on the cross and pierced by the soldier’s lance, — heal our wounds. Lord, have mercy on us. You made the cross the tree of life, — give its fruit to those reborn in baptism. Lord, have mercy on us. On the cross you forgave the repentant thief, — forgive us our sins. Lord, have mercy on us. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Concluding Prayer O God, who anointed your Only Begotten Son with the Holy Spirit and made him Christ and Lord, graciously grant that, being made sharers in his consecration, we may bear witness to your Redemption in the world. 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 2nd, 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: 462 (antiphon, reading, concluding prayer) Midmorning Prayer for Holy Thursday, using the Complementary Psalmody God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. HYMN Restore, O Lord, our innocence, Protect with thy right hand The Church on earth which, through her sins, Despises thy command. Renew her by thy Sacraments And through these forty days May we, by this Lent purified, Sing always of thy praise. O God, who know our sorry state, Devoid of strength for good, Keep us from every wicked thought, Make us live as we should. By fasting teach us to abstain From vice and fault and sin, That we, denied of wordly joys, May greater pleasures win. Infuse our minds with heav'nly light, That we may see thy ways, Instruct us by thy discipline To please Thee all our days. Convert our hearts to love thy will, Our minds to know the right; May we find in this yearly fast The source of our delight. And so, O Lord, who love thy Church And seek her growth on earth, Give grace to those who through these days Desire to find new birth. Increase thy people through this Lent In number, merit, love, That we may, spurning earthly things, Seek that which lies above. 𝄞"Restore, O Lord, our Innocence" by Peter Mottola [http://declinapaulisper.blogspot.com] • Musical Score [http://traffic.libsyn.com/divineoffice/RestoreOLordOurInnocence.pdf] • Text: Rev. Peter Bishop Mottola, 2012; Music: R. Vaughn Williams, 1906; Tune: KINGSFOLD; Public Domain PSALMODY Ant. 1 Before the feast of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come; he had always loved those who were his own, and now he would show them the depth of his love. 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. Before the feast of the Passover Jesus knew that his hour had come; he had always loved those who were his own, and now he would show them the depth of his love. READING Hebrews 4:14-15 Since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our profession of faith. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet never sinned. 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. He freely gave himself in sacrifice. — He said no word in his own defense. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who anointed your Only Begotten Son with the Holy Spirit and made him Christ and Lord, graciously grant that, being made sharers in his consecration, we may bear witness to your Redemption in the world. 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 2nd, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours

Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1054 (Midday) Proper of Seasons: 462 Psalter: Thursday, Week II, 1311 Midday Prayer for Holy Thursday, 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 You shall cross the barren desert, But you shall not die of thirst, You shall wander far in safety, Though you do not know the way. You shall speak your words to foreign men, And they will understand. You shall see the face of God and live. Be not afraid, I go before you always Come follow me, and I will give you rest. If you pass through raging waters; in the sea, You shall not drown. If you walk amidst the burning flames, you shall not be harmed. If you stand before the power of hell, and death is at your side, Know that I am with you through it all. Be not afraid, I go before you always Come follow me, and I will give you rest. Blessed are the poor, for the Kingdom shall be theirs. Blest are you that weep and mourn, For one day you shall laugh. And if wicked men insult and hate you all because of Me, Blessed, blessed are you! Be not afraid, I go before you always Come follow me, and I will give you rest. 𝄞"Be Not Afraid" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss [https://divineoffice.org/melinda-kirigin-voss/] • Title: Be Not Afraid; Text: Bob Dufford; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Used with permission from Melinda Kirigin-Voss. PSALMODY Ant. I know my own sheep, and my own know me, as the Father knows me and as I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. Psalm 119:65-72 IX (Teth) Lord, you have been good to your servant according to your word. Teach me discernment and knowledge for I trust in your commands. Before I was afflicted I strayed but now I keep your word. You are good and your deeds are good; teach me your commandments. Though proud men smear me with lies yet I keep your precepts. Their minds are closed to good but your law is my delight. It was good for me to be afflicted, to learn your will. The law from your mouth means more to me than silver and gold. 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, teach us goodness, discipline and wisdom, and these gifts will keep us from becoming hardened by evil, weakened by laziness, or ignorant because of foolishness. Psalm 56:2-7b, 9-14 Trust in God’s word This psalm shows Christ in his passion (Saint Jerome). Have mercy on me, God, men crush me; they fight me all day long and oppress me. My foes crush me all day long, for many fight proudly against me. When I fear, I will trust in you, in God whose word I praise. In God I trust, I shall not fear: what can mortal man do to me? All day long they distort my words, all their thought is to harm me. They band together in ambush, track me down and seek my life. You have kept an account of my wanderings; you have kept a record of my tears; are they not written in your book? Then my foes will be put to flight on the day that I call to you. This I know, that God is on my side. In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not fear: what can mortal man do to me? I am bound by the vows I have made you. O God, I will offer you praise for you rescued my soul from death, you kept my feet from stumbling that I may walk in the presence of God and enjoy the light of the living. 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, victim for our sins, you trusted in your Father’s protection and kept silent when you were tormented. Give us that same confidence and we will gladly suffer with you and for you, offering the Father our living sacrifice of praise and walking before him in the light of the living. Psalm 57 Morning prayer in affliction This psalm tells of our Lord’s passion (Saint Augustine). Have mercy on me, God, have mercy for in you my soul has taken refuge. In the shadow of your wings I take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by. I call to God the Most High, to God who has always been my help. May he send from heaven and save me and shame those who assail me. May God send his truth and his love. My soul lies down among lions, who would devour the sons of men. Their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongue a sharpened sword. O God, arise above the heavens; may your glory shine on earth! They laid a snare for my steps, my soul was bowed down. They dug a pit in my path but fell in it themselves. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready. I will sing, I will sing your praise. Awake, my soul, awake, lyre and harp, I will awake the dawn. I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples, I will praise you among the nations, for your love reaches to the heavens and your truth to the skies. O God, arise above the heavens; may your glory shine on earth! 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 we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son. Ant. I know my own sheep, and my own know me, as the Father knows me and as I know the Father; and I lay down my life for my sheep. READING Hebrews 7:26-27 It was fitting that we should have such a high priest: holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners, higher than the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifice day after day, first for his own sins and then for those of the people; our Lord Jesus Christ did that once for all when he offered himself. 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. Ours were the sufferings he bore. — Ours the weight of guilt he endured. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who anointed your Only Begotten Son with the Holy Spirit and made him Christ and Lord, graciously grant that, being made sharers in his consecration, we may bear witness to your Redemption in the world. 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.