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, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Psalm 24

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world and all its peoples.

It is he who set it on the seas;

on the waters he made it firm.

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

who desires not worthless things,

who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

O gates, lift high your heads;

grow higher, ancient doors.

Let him enter, the king of glory!

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,

the Lord, the valiant in war.

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

O gates, lift high your heads;

grow higher, ancient doors.

Let him enter, the king of glory!

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Who is he, the king of glory?

He, the Lord of armies,

he is the king of glory.

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to 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.

Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 615

Proper of Seasons: 123

Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1107

Christian Prayer:

Does not contain Office of Readings.

Office of Readings for Monday 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
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 • Musical Score • 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.

To savor your words is my delight, O Lord,

— Honey itself is not sweeter.

READINGS

First reading

From the book of the prophet Isaiah

3:1-15

The prophet rebukes Jerusalem

The Lord, the Lord of hosts,

shall take away from Jerusalem and from Judah

support and prop (all supplies of bread and water):

Hero and warrior,

judge and prophet, fortune-teller and elder,

The captain of fifty and the nobleman,

counselor, skilled magician, and expert charmer.

I will make striplings their princes;

the fickle shall govern them,

And the people shall oppress one another,

yes, every man his neighbor.

The child shall be bold toward the elder,

and the base toward the honorable.

When a man seizes his brother

in his father’s house, saying,

“You have clothes! Be our ruler,

and take in hand this ruin!”–

Then shall he answer in that day:

“I will not undertake to cure this,

when in my own house there is no bread or clothing!

You shall not make me ruler of the people.”

Jerusalem is crumbling, Judah is falling;

for their speech and their deeds are before the Lord,

a provocation in the sight of his majesty.

Their very look bears witness against them;

their sin like Sodom they vaunt,

They hide it not. Woe to them!

they deal out evil to themselves.

Happy the just, for it will be well with them,

the fruit of their works they will eat.

Woe to the wicked man! All goes ill,

with the work of his hands he will be repaid.

My people–a babe in arms will be their tyrant,

and women will rule them!

O my people, your leaders mislead,

they destroy the paths you should follow.

The Lord rises to accuse,

standing to try his people.

The Lord enters into judgment

with his people’s elders and princes:

It is you who have devoured the vineyard;

the loot wrested from the poor is in your houses.

What do you mean by crushing my people,

and grinding down the poor when they look to you?

says the Lord, the God of hosts.

RESPONSORY Isaiah 3:10, 11, 13

Happy is the just man; all goes well with him,

for he shall enjoy the fruit of his works.

— Woe to the wicked man; all goes ill with him;

he shall be repaid for the evil he has done.

The Lord rises from his judgment seat

and stands to judge his people.

— Woe to the wicked man; all goes ill with him;

he shall be repaid for the evil he has done.

Second reading

From the Moral Reflections on Job by Saint Gregory the Great, pope

Struggles without, fears within

Holy men beset by tribulation must endure the assaults of those who use violence and verbal attacks. The former they resist with the shield of patience, but against the latter they launch the sharp arrows of true doctrine. In both types of fighting they win the day through the wonderful arts that virtue bestows, for with wisdom they teach the wayward while showing a courageous contempt for outward hostility; the straying sheep they set on the right path by their teaching; the attacker they suffer and overcome. For they have nothing but patient scorn for the enemy who moves against them, but they sympathize with their weaker fellows and bring them back to the safe way, opposing the former lest they lead others astray and fearing for the latter lest they completely lose sight of the truly upright life.

Let us see how a soldier in God’s camp fights against both types of enemy. Paul says: Struggles without, fears within. He lists the attacks he must endure from without: Dangers from floods, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the pagans, dangers in the city, dangers in the desert, dangers on the seas, dangers from false brothers. He also tells us what weapons he uses against his enemies in this war: Toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, frequent fasts, cold and nakedness.

When beset by so many struggles, he guards the camp, he tells us, with great watchfulness. Immediately he adds: Besides these outward difficulties there is that daily weight upon me: my anxiety for all the churches. Thus he himself fights courageously and devotes himself compassionately to protecting his neighbors. He tells us of the evils he endures but also of the blessings he brings to others.

Let us reflect, then, on how difficult it is simultaneously to endure attacks from without and to protect the weak from within. He endures the attacks without, inasmuch as he suffers flogging and chains; inwardly he experiences fear, since he is afraid that his sufferings may be a stumbling-block not to himself but to his disciples. For this reason he writes them: Let no one be shaken by these trials, for you know that they are our lot. Amid his own sufferings it was the fall of others he feared, lest the disciples, seeing him flogged for the faith, might refuse to acknowledge their own faith.

What an immensely loving heart! He thinks nothing of what he himself suffers and is concerned only that the disciples may be led astray interiorly. He scorns his own bodily wounds and brings healing to the inner wounds of others. It is characteristic of holy men that their own painful trials do not make them lose their concern for the well-being of others. They are grieved by the adversity they must endure, yet they look out for others and teach them needed lessons; they are like gifted physicians who are themselves stricken and lie ill. They suffer wounds themselves but bring others the medicine that restores health.

RESPONSORY See Job 13:20-21; Jeremiah 10:24

O Lord, do not hide your face from me;

lift away from me the weight of your hand,

— and let not my fear of you terrify me.

O God, rebuke me with gentleness and not in anger,

for your anger will reduce me to nothing.

— And let not my fear of you terrify me.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

O God,

who have prepared for those who love you

good things which no eye can see,

fill our hearts, we pray,

with the warmth of your love, so that,

loving you in all things and above all things,

we may attain your promises,

which surpass every human desire.

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.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 689

All from the Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1147

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 618

All from the Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1111

Christian Prayer (single volume)

Ordinary: 689

All from the Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 937

Morning Prayer for Monday 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
O Lavish Giver of the Light

That bathes the world in dawning glow;

The daylight cheers our hearts again

When somber hours of night have past.

You are the world's true Morning Star,

Compared with whom the eager gleam

That heralds in the dawning light

Is but a timid, narrow ray.

True Light itself, Eternal Day

You are far brighter than the sun,

Illuminating with your grace,

The deep recesses of each heart.

And may our purity of mind.

Suppress what lower nature claims,

So that our bodies too may be

The Holy Spirit's spotless shrine.

Jesus, to you beneath whose sway,

All earth shall bow, all praise we pray;

With Father and with Spirit be

All glory yours eternally. Amen.

𝄞"O Lavish Giver of the Light" by Kathleen Lundquist • Title: O Lavish Giver of the Light; Text: Lucis largitor splendide, Ante 6th c. ; Translation: St. Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode VIII; Lumen Christi Hymnal; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc.

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 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

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 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 Judith 8:25-27

We should be grateful to the Lord our God, for putting us to the test, as he did our forefathers. Recall how he dealt with Abraham, and how he tried Isaac, and all that happened to Jacob in Syrian Mesopotamia while he was tending the flocks of Laban, his mother’s brother. Not for vengeance did the Lord put them in the crucible to try their hearts, nor has he done so with us. It is by way of admonition that he chastises those who are close to him.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

Sing for joy, God’s chosen ones, give him the praise that is due.

— Sing for joy, God’s chosen ones, give him the praise that is due.

Sing a new song to the Lord,

— give him the praise that is due.

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

— Sing for joy, God’s chosen ones, give him the praise that is due.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Blessed be the Lord, for he has come to his people and set them free.

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. Blessed be the Lord, for he has come to his people and set them free.

INTERCESSIONS

Because Christ hears and saves those who hope in him, let us pray:

We praise you, Lord, we hope in you.

We thank you because you are rich in mercy,

— and for the abundant love with which you have loved us.

We praise you, Lord, we hope in you.

With the Father you are always at work in the world,

— make all things new through the power of your Holy Spirit.

We praise you, Lord, we hope in you.

Open our eyes and the eyes of our brothers,

— to see your wonders this day.

We praise you, Lord, we hope in you.

You call us today to your service,

— make us stewards of your many gifts.

We praise you, Lord, we hope in you.

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

God our creator,

you gave us the earth to cultivate

and the sun to serve our needs.

Help us to spend this day

for your glory and our neighbor’s good.

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: Monday, Week IV, 1157 (Midmorning)

Midmorning Prayer for Monday 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
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 • Musical Score • 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 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 Leviticus 20:26

To me you shall be sacred; for I, the Lord, am sacred, I, who have set you apart from the other nations to be my 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.

How happy are we who have the Lord for our God.

— We are the people he chose as his inheritance.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God our Father,

work is your gift to us,

a call to reach new heights

by using our talents for the good of all.

Guide us as we work and teach us to live

in the spirit that has made us your sons and daughters,

in the love that has made us brothers and sisters.

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: Monday, Week IV, 1154 (Midday)

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 623

All from the Psalter: Monday, Week IV, 1118 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Monday 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
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 • 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. 1 Lord, guide my steps according to your promise.

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.

Ant. Lord, guide my steps according to your promise.

Ant. 2 There is but one lawgiver and judge; who are you to judge your neighbor?

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.

Ant. There is but one lawgiver and judge; who are you to judge your neighbor?

Ant. 3 I cried out to the Lord, and he heard me.

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. I cried out to the Lord, and he heard me.

READING Wisdom 15:1, 3

You, our God, are good and true,

slow to anger, and governing all with mercy.

To know you well is complete justice,

and to know your might is the root of immortality.

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 our God, you are tender and compassionate.

— You are patient, most merciful, and true to your word.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Father,

yours is the harvest

and yours is the vineyard:

you assign the task

and pay a wage that is just.

Help us to meet this day’s responsibilities,

and let nothing separate us from your love.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.