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

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

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 into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

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 into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

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 into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

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 into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 651

Proper of Seasons: 401

Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1210

Christian Prayer:

Does not contain Office of Readings

Office of Readings for Thursday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN
I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

Let earth open up, and salvation bear fruit;

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

I am the Lord your God, beside me there is no other god

I call you by your name let the Heavens rain down righteousness

I the Lord have created it.

I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

Let earth open up, and salvation bear fruit;

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

I am the Lord your God, beside me there is no other god

I call you by your name let the Heavens rain down righteousness

I the Lord have created it.

𝄞"Isaiah 45" by Kathleen Lundquist • Available for Purchase • Title: Isaiah 45; Lyrics adapted from Revised Standard Version of the Bible; Composer: Kathleen Lundquist; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Used with permission. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Sing of Mary

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.

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. Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.

Ant. 2 Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.

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. Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.

Ant. 3 Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.

IIII

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 out our hands to another god

would not God have found this out,

he who knows the secrets of the heart?

It is for you 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

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 Jesus, you foretold that we would share in the persecutions that brought you to a violent death. The Church formed at the cost of your precious blood is even now conformed to your Passion; may it be transformed, now and eternally, by the power of your resurrection.

Ant. Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.

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.

Let the light of your face shine on me, O Lord.

— Teach me your way of holiness.

READINGS

First reading

From the first book of Samuel

21:2-10; 22:1-5

The flight of David

David went to Ahimelech, the priest of Nob, who came trembling to meet him and asked, “Why are you alone? Is there no one with you?” David answered the priest: “The king gave me a commission and told me to let no one know anything about the business on which he sent me or the commission he gave me. For that reason I have arranged a meeting place with my men. Now what have you on hand? Give me five loaves, or whatever you can find.” But the priest replied to David, “I have no ordinary bread on hand, only holy bread; if the men have abstained from women, you may eat some of that.” David answered the priest: “We have indeed been segregated from women as on previous occasions. Whenever I go on a journey, all the young men are consecrated — even for a secular journey. All the more so today, when they are consecrated at arms!” So the priest gave him holy bread, for no other bread was on hand except the showbread which had been removed from the Lord’S presence and replaced by fresh bread when it was taken away. One of Saul’s servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; his name was Doeg the Edomite, and he was Saul’s chief henchman.

David then asked Ahimelech: “Do you have a spear or a sword on hand? I brought along neither my sword nor my weapons, because the king’s business was urgent.” The priest replied: “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Vale of the Terebinth, is here wrapped in a mantle behind an ephod. If you wish to take that, take it; there is no sword here except that one.” David said: “There is none to match it. Give it to me!”

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and the rest of his family heard about it, they came down to him there. He was joined by all those who were in difficulties or in debt, or who were embittered, and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

From there David went to Mizpeh of Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Let my father and mother stay with you, until I learn what God will do for me.” He left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David remained in the refuge.

But the prophet Gad said to David: “Do not remain in the refuge. Leave, and go to the land of Judah.” And so David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

RESPONSORY Romans 7:6; Mark 2:25,26

We have been set free from the law; we are dead to that which held us bound.

— Now we serve in the new way of the spirit and not under the old bondage of the written law.

Have you not read what David did when he was hungry? How he went into the house of God and ate the consecrated bread?

— Now we serve in the new way of the spirit and not under the old bondage of the written law.

Second reading

From a homily by Saint Gregory of Nyssa, bishop

God is like an inaccessible rock

Consider the feelings of a man who looks down into the depths of the sea from the top of a mountain. This is similar to my own experience when the voice of the Lord from on high, as from a mountaintop, reached the unfathomable depths of my intellect. Along the seacoast, you may often see mountains facing the sea. It is as though they had been sliced in two, with a sheer drop from top to bottom. At the top a projection forms a ledge overhanging the depths below. If a man were to look down from that ledge, he would be overcome by dizziness. In this same way my soul grows dizzy when it hears the great voice of the Lord saying: Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God.

The vision of God is offered to those who have purified their hearts. Yet, no man has seen God at any time. These are the words of the great Saint John and they are confirmed by Saint Paul’s lofty thought, in the words: God is he whom no one has seen or can see. He is that smooth, steep and sheer rock, on which the mind can find no secure resting place to get a grip or lift ourselves up. In the view of Moses, he is inaccessible. In spite of every effort, our minds cannot approach him. We are cut off by the words: No man can see God and live. And yet, to see God is eternal life. But John, Paul and Moses, pillars of our faith, all testify that it is impossible to see God. Look at the dizziness that affects the soul drawn to contemplating the depths of these statements. If God is life, then he who does not see God does not see life. Yet God cannot be seen; the apostles and prophets, inspired by the Holy Spirit, have testified to this. Into what straits is man’s hope driven!

Yet God does raise and sustain our flagging hopes. He rescued Peter from drowning and made the sea into a firm surface beneath his feet. He does the same for us; the hands of the Word of God are stretched out to us when we are out of our depth, buffeted and lost in speculation. Grasped firmly in his hands, we shall be without fear: Blessed are the pure of heart, he says, for they shall see God.

RESPONSORY John 1:18; Psalm 145:3

No one has ever seen God;

— The only Son of God, nearest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.

Great is the Lord and highly to be praised;

his greatness is beyond our understanding.

— The only Son of God, nearest to the Father’s heart, has made him known.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Grant, O Lord,

that we may always revere and love your holy name,

for you never deprive of your guidance

those you set firm on the foundation of your love.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, for ever and ever.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 654

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1211

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 618

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1177

Christian Prayer (single volume)

Ordinary: 689

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 968

Morning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN
Now that the daylight fills the sky,

We lift our hearts to God on high,

That he, in all we do or say,

Would keep us free from harm today.

Would guard our hearts and tongues from strife;

From anger's din would hide our life;

From all ill sights would turn our eyes,

Would close our ears to vanities;

Would keep our inmost conscience pure;

Our souls from folly would secure;

Would bid us check the pride of sense

With due and holy abstinence.

So we, when this new day is gone,

And night in turn is drawing on,

With conscience by the world unstained

Shall praise his name for vict'ry gained.

All laud to God the Father be;

All praise, eternal Son, to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To God the holy Paraclete. Amen.

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PSALMODY

Ant. 1 At daybreak, be merciful to me, O Lord.

Psalm 143

Prayer in distress

A man is not justified by observance of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16).

Lord, listen to my prayer:

turn your ear to my appeal.

You are faithful, you are just; give answer.

Do not call your servant to judgment

for no one is just in your sight.

The enemy pursues my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

he has made me dwell in darkness

like the dead, long forgotten.

Therefore my spirit fails;

my heart is numb within me.

I remember the days that are past:

I ponder all your works.

I muse on what your hand has wrought

and to you I stretch out my hands.

Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you.

Lord, make haste and answer;

for my spirit fails within me.

Do not hide your face

lest I become like those in the grave.

In the morning let me know your love

for I put my trust in you.

Make me know the way I should walk:

to you I lift up my soul.

Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies;

I have fled to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will

for you, O Lord, are my God.

Let your good spirit guide me

in ways that are level and smooth.

For your name’s sake, Lord, save my life;

in your justice save my soul from distress.

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, early in the morning of your resurrection, you made your love known and brought the first light of dawn to those who dwell in darkness. Your death has opened a path for us. Do not enter into judgment with your servants; let your Holy Spirit guide us together into the land of justice.

Ant. At daybreak, be merciful to me, O Lord.

Ant. 2 The Lord will make a river of peace flow through Jerusalem.

Canticle – Isaiah 66:10-14a

Joys of heaven

The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman and our mother (Galatians 4:26).

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,

all you who love her;

exult, exult with her,

all you who were mourning over her!

Oh, that you may suck fully

of the milk of her comfort,

that you may nurse with delight

at her abundant breasts!

For thus says the Lord:

Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,

and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.

As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,

and fondled in her lap;

as a mother comforts her son,

so will I comfort you;

in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.

When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,

and your bodies flourish like the grass.

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 will make a river of peace flow through Jerusalem.

Ant. 3 Let us joyfully praise the Lord our God.

Psalm 147

The loving kindness of God who can do all he wills

You are God: we praise you; you are the Lord: we acclaim you.

Praise the Lord for he is good;

sing to our God for he is loving:

to him our praise is due.

The Lord builds up Jerusalem

and brings back Israel’s exiles,

he heals the broken-hearted,

he binds up all their wounds.

He fixes the number of the stars;

he calls each one by its name.

Our Lord is great and almighty;

his wisdom can never be measured.

The Lord raises the lowly;

he humbles the wicked to the dust.

O sing to the Lord, giving thanks;

sing psalms to our God with the harp.

He covers the heavens with clouds;

he prepares the rain for the earth,

making mountains sprout with grass

and with plants to serve man’s needs.

He provides the beasts with their food

and young ravens that call upon him.

His delight is not in horses

nor his pleasure in warriors’ strength.

The Lord delights in those who revere him,

in those who wait for his 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

God our Father, great builder of the heavenly Jerusalem, you know the number of the stars and call each of them by name. Heal hearts that are broken, gather together those who have been scattered, and enrich us all from the plenitude of your eternal wisdom.

Ant. Let us joyfully praise the Lord our God.

READING Romans 8:18-21

The sufferings of the present are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us. Indeed, the whole created world eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. Creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but by him who once subjected it; yet not without hope, because the world itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of 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.

RESPONSORY

In the early hours of the morning, I think of you, O Lord.

— In the early hours of the morning, I think of you, O Lord.

Always you are there to help me,

— I think of you, O Lord.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

— In the early hours of the morning, I think of you, O Lord.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Give your people knowledge of salvation, Lord, and forgive us our sins.

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. Give your people knowledge of salvation, Lord, and forgive us our sins.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us pray to God, who gives salvation to his people:

You are our life, O Lord.

Blessed are you, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for by your mercy we have been reborn to a living hope,

— through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

You are our life, O Lord.

You made man in your image and renewed him in Christ,

— mold us into the likeness of your Son.

You are our life, O Lord.

Pour out your love through the Holy Spirit,

— heal our hearts, wounded by hatred and jealousy.

You are our life, O Lord.

Today grant work to laborers, bread to the hungry, joy to the sorrowful,

— grace and redemption to all men.

You are our life, O Lord.

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

Lord,

let the knowledge of salvation

enlighten our hearts,

so that, freed from fear and from the power of our enemies,

we may serve you faithfully all the days of our life.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

— Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.

— Amen.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 659

Complementary Psalmody: 1291 (Midmorning)

Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1222 (Midmorning)

Midmorning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time 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
New every morning is the love

our wakening and uprising prove;

through sleep and darkness safely brought,

restored to life and power and thought.

New mercies, each returning day,

hover around us while we pray;

new perils past, new sins forgiven,

new thoughts of God, new hopes above.

If on our daily course our mind

be set to hallow all we find,

new treasures still, of countless price,

God will provide for sacrifice.

Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,

as more of heaven in each we see;

some softening gleam of love and prayer

shall dawn on every cross and care.

The trivial round, the common task,

will furnish all we ought to ask:

room to deny ourselves; a road

to bring us daily nearer God.

Only, O Lord, in thy dear love,

fit us for perfect rest above;

and help us, this and every day,

to live more nearly as we pray.

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PSALMODY

Ant. 1 I cried out, and the Lord heard me.

Psalm 120

Longing for peace

To the Lord in the hour of my distress

I call and he answers me.

“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips,

from the tongue of the deceitful.”

What shall he pay you in return,

O treacherous tongue?

The warrior’s arrows sharpened

and coals, red-hot, blazing.

Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech,

dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Long enough have I been dwelling

with those who hate peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak,

they are for fighting.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I cried out, and the Lord heard me.

Ant. 2 May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.

Psalm 121

Guardian of his people

Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

from where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the Lord

who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!

Let him sleep not, your guard.

No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,

Israel’s guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;

at your right side he stands.

By day the sun shall not smite you

nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,

he will guard your soul.

The Lord will guard your going and coming

both now and for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.

Ant. 3 I rejoiced in the good news they told me.

Psalm 122

The holy city, Jerusalem

You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22)

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

Let us go to God’s house.

And now our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel’s law it is,

there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgment

of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“Peace be to your homes!

May peace reign in your walls,

in your palaces, peace!”

For love of my brethren and friends

I say: Peace upon you.

For love of the house of the Lord

I will ask for your good.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I rejoiced in the good news they told me.

READING 1 John 3:23-24

God’s commandment is this:

we are to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and are to love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him,

and he in them,

and this is how we know that he remains in us

from the Spirit that he gave us.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Lord, you guide the upright man,

— you know him through and through.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Lord,

in midmorning you gave your Holy Spirit

to the apostles gathered in prayer.

Give us a share in the life and love

that your Spirit brings.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 659

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1219 (Midday)

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 623

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1183 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using the Current Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN
Jesus, only begotten Son and Lamb of God the Father

Thou didst give Thy body and blood to buy me from the grave

Chorus:

My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler,

Each day and night, each dark and light.

My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler,

Each day and night, my Christ.

Jesus, Son of Mary, be near me and uphold me

in my standing, in my lying and in my sleeping.

Chorus:

My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler,

Each day and night, each dark and light.

My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler,

Each day and night, my Christ.

My helper, my encircler,

My strength everlasting.

My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler,

Each day and night, my Christ.

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PSALMODY

Ant. 1 If you love me, says the Lord, keep my commandments.

Psalm 119

XX (Resh)

See my affliction and save me

for I remember your law.

Uphold my cause and defend me;

by your promise give me life.

Salvation is far from the wicked

who are heedless of your commands.

Numberless, Lord, are your mercies;

with your decrees give me life.

Though my foes and oppressors are countless

I have not swerved from your will.

I look at the faithless with disgust;

they ignore your promise.

See how I love your precepts;

in your mercy give me life.

Your word is founded on truth:

your decrees are eternal.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Help us always to rejoice in your promise, Father, and to praise the glory of your deeds. Keep us united in the love of your peace; then we shall have little to fear from the threats of the mighty.

Ant. If you love me, says the Lord, keep my commandments.

Ant. 2 May the Lord bless you, and peace will be yours all the days of your life.

Psalm 128

Happiness of family life rooted in God

“May the Lord bless you from Zion” refers to 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.

Psalm-prayer

Give lasting happiness, Lord, to those who reverence your name, so that our life and work may be such as to deserve your commendation, and bring us, laden with good fruit, to our everlasting home.

Ant. May the Lord bless you, and peace will be yours all the days of your life.

Ant. 3 God will gain the victory for you over all your enemies.

Psalm 129

God’s people reaffirm their trust in time of affliction

The voice of the Church lamenting its suffering is heard in this psalm (Saint Augustine).

“They have pressed me hard from my youth,”

this is Israel’s song.

“They have pressed me hard from my youth

but could never destroy me.

They ploughed my back like ploughmen,

drawing long furrows.

But the Lord, who is just, has destroyed

the yoke of the wicked.”

Let them be shamed and routed,

those who hate Zion!

Let them be like grass on the roof

that withers before it flowers.

With that no reaper fills his arms,

no binder makes his sheaves

and those passing by will not say:

“On you the Lord’s blessing!”

“We bless you in the name of the Lord.”

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, living in glory as the Son of Man, remember that when our sins had ploughed long furrows on your back, your death broke the bonds of sin and Satan for ever. Bless your Church, wounded in its members, and strengthen it by your invincible power and grace.

Ant. God will gain the victory for you over all your enemies.

READING Wisdom 1:1-2

Love justice, you who judge the earth;

think of the Lord in goodness,

and seek him in integrity of heart;

Because he is found by those who test him not,

and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve 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.

Trust firmly in the Lord and do his will.

— And you will dwell secure in the land of promise.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

All-powerful and ever-living God,

with you there is no darkness,

from you nothing is hidden.

Fill us with the radiance of your light:

may we understand the law you have given us

and live it with generosity and faith.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.