Invitatorium: A Liturgy of the Hours Player

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Ordinary Time

Friday of the thirty-fourth week of Ordinary Time

Friday · Weekday · Psalter Week 2

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The Hours

Invitatorium

Now

Invitatory

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Lord, open my lips.

And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us praise the Lord; in him is all our delight.

Come, let us sing to the Lord

and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.

Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving

and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,

the great king over all the gods.

He holds in his hands the depths of the earth

and the highest mountains as well.

He made the sea; it belongs to him,

the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,

bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.

For he is our God and we are his people,

the flock he shepherds.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:

Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did

in the wilderness,

when at Meriba and Massah

they challenged me and provoked me,

Although they had seen all of my works.

Forty years I endured that generation.

I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray

and they do not know my ways.”

So I swore in my anger,

“They shall not enter into my rest.”

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 praise the Lord; in him is all our delight.

Matins

Now

Office of Readings

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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

As the cock’rel with his crowing

cleaves the darkness of the night

and relieves the fearful terror

of the night’s most gloomy hour,

we invoke you, God all-loving,

as we pray with humble heart.

While the midnight silence shrouded

and encompassed ev’rything,

while, indeed, all sleeping mortals

showed a likeness to the dead,

you descended, Light and Power,

watchful guardian of our kind,

That, O Christ, you might arouse us

from the sleep of vice and sin,

and release us by your favor

from the prison of our night,

then restore us to your friendship

in your endless light of life.

Praise to you and to the Father,

honor to the Spirit blest,

to the name beyond all sweetness,

to the holy will divine,

God of peace and life and splendor,

wholly One yet perfect Three. Amen.

Psalm 38

Ant. Lord, in your anger, do not punish me.

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger;

do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.

Your arrows have sunk deep in me;

your hand has come down upon me.

Through your anger all my body is sick:

through my sin, there is no health in my limbs.

My guilt towers higher than my head;

it is a weight too heavy to bear.

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, in your anger, do not punish me.

Ant. Lord, you know all my longings.

My wounds are foul and festering,

the result of my own folly.

I am bowed and brought to my knees.

I go mourning all the day long.

All my frame burns with fever;

all my body is sick.

Spent and utterly crushed,

I cry aloud in anguish of heart.

O Lord, you know all my longing:

my groans are not hidden from you.

My heart throbs, my strength is spent;

the very light has gone from my eyes.

My friends avoid me like a leper;

those closest to me stand afar off.

Those who plot against my life lay snares;

those who seek my ruin speak of harm,

planning treachery all the day long.

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 know all my longings.

Ant. I confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not abandon me, for you are my savior.

But I am like the deaf who cannot hear,

like the dumb unable to speak.

I am like a man who hears nothing,

in whose mouth is no defense.

I count on you, O Lord:

it is you, Lord God, who will answer.

I pray: “Do not let them mock me,

those who triumph if my foot should slip.”

For I am on the point of falling

and my pain is always before me.

I confess that I am guilty

and my sin fills me with dismay.

My wanton enemies are numberless

and my lying foes are many.

They repay me evil for good

and attack me for seeking what is right.

O Lord, do not forsake me!

My God, do not stay afar off!

Make haste and come to my help,

O Lord, my God, my savior!

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 confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not abandon me, for you are my savior.

My eyes keep watch for your saving help.

Awaiting the word that will justify me.

From the second letter of the apostle Peter

I am writing you this second letter, dear friends, intending them both as reminders urging you to sincerity of outlook. Recall the teaching delivered long ago by the holy prophets, as well as the new command of the Lord and Savior preached to you by the apostles.

Note this first of all: in the last days, mocking, sneering men who are ruled by their passions will arrive on the scene. They will ask: “Where is that promised coming of his? Our forefathers have been laid to rest, but everything stays just as it was when the world was created.”

In believing this, they do not take into account that of old there were heavens and an earth drawn out of the waters and standing between the waters, all brought into being by the word of God. By water that world was then destroyed; it was overwhelmed by the deluge. The present heavens and earth are reserved by God’s word for fire; they are kept for the day of judgment, the day when godless men will be destroyed.

This point must not be overlooked, dear friends. In the Lord’s eyes, one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are as a day. The Lord does not delay in keeping his promise—though some consider it “delay.” Rather, he shows you generous patience, since he wants none to perish but all to come to repentance. The day of the Lord will come like a thief, and on that day the heavens will vanish with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and all its deeds will be made manifest.

Since everything is to be destroyed in this way, what sort of men must you not be! How holy in your conduct and devotion, looking for the coming of the day of God and trying to hasten it! Because of it, the heavens will be destroyed in flames and the elements will melt away in a blaze. What we await are new heavens and a new earth where, according to his promise, the justice of God will reside.

So, beloved, while waiting for this, make every effort to be found without stain or defilement, and at peace in his sight. Consider that our Lord’s patience is directed toward salvation. Paul, our beloved brother, wrote you this in the spirit of wisdom that is his, dealing with these matters as he does in all his letters. There are certain passages in them hard to understand. The ignorant and the unstable distort them (just as they do the rest of Scripture) to their own ruin.

You are forewarned, beloved brothers. Be on your guard lest you be led astray by the error of the wicked, and forfeit the security you enjoy. Grow rather in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Glory be to him now and to the day of eternity! Amen.

Isaiah 65:17, 18; Revelation 21:5

I will create new heavens and a new earth,

and you will rejoice for ever in my creation.

See, I will make all things new.

I will create Jerusalem to be a joy

and her people a delight.

See, I will make all things new.

From a sermon on man’s mortality by Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr

Our obligation is to do God’s will, and not our own. We must remember this if the prayer that our Lord commanded us to say daily is to have any meaning on our lips. How unreasonable it is to pray that God’s will be done, and then not promptly obey it when he calls us from this world! Instead we struggle and resist like self-willed slaves and are brought into the Lord’s presence with sorrow and lamentation, not freely consenting to our departure, but constrained by necessity. And yet we expect to be rewarded with heavenly honors by him to whom we come against our will! Why then do we pray for the kingdom of heaven to come if this earthly bondage pleases us? What is the point of praying so often for its early arrival if we would rather serve the devil here than reign with Christ.

The world hates Christians, so why give your love to it instead of following Christ, who loves you and has redeemed you? John is most urgent in his epistle when he tells us not to love the world by yielding to sensual desires.

Never give your love to the world,

he warns, or to anything in it. A man cannot love the Father and love the world at the same time. All that the world offers is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and earthly ambition. The world and its allurements will pass away, but the man who has done the will of God shall live for ever

. Our part, my dear brothers, is to be single-minded, firm in faith, and steadfast in courage, ready for God’s will, whatever it may be. Banish the fear of death and think of the eternal life that follows it. That will show people that we really live our faith.

We ought never to forget, beloved, that we have renounced the world. We are living here now as aliens and only for a time. When the day of our homecoming puts an end to our exile, frees us from the bonds of the world, and restores us to paradise and to a kingdom, we should welcome it. What man, stationed in a foreign land, would not want to return to his own country as soon as possible? Well, we look upon paradise as our country, and a great crowd of our loved ones awaits us there, a countless throng of parents, brothers and children longs for us to join them. Assured though they are of their own salvation, they are still concerned about ours. What joy both for them and for us to see one another and embrace! O the delight of that heavenly kingdom where there is no fear of death! O the supreme and endless bliss of everlasting life!

There, is the glorious band of apostles, there the exultant assembly of prophets, there the innumerable host of martyrs, crowned for their glorious victory in combat and in death. There in triumph are the virgins who subdued their passions by the strength of continence. There the merciful are rewarded, those who fulfilled the demands of justice by providing for the poor. In obedience to the Lord’s command, they turned their earthly patrimony into heavenly treasure.

My dear brothers, let all our longing be to join them as soon as we may. May God see our desire, may Christ see this resolve that springs from faith, for he will give the rewards of his love more abundantly to those who have longed for him more fervently.

Philippians 3:21-21; Colossians 3:4

We are citizens of heaven.

From there we eagerly await the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;

he will renew our lowly bodies

and make them like his glorified body.

When Christ, your life, appears,

then you will also appear with him in glory.

He will renew our lowly bodies

and make them like his glorified body.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Stir up the will of your faithful, we pray, O Lord,

that, striving more eagerly

to bring your divine work to fruitful completion,

they may receive in greater measure

the healing remedies your kindness bestows.

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

Let us praise the Lord.

And give him thanks.

Lauds

Now

Morning Prayer

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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 God, the light of heav’n above,

you open wide your great right hand,

to strew with light the firmament,

upheld by your paternal arm.

Already dawn has veiled the stars:

she lifts her streams of reddish gold

and with a moist and gentle breeze

baptizes earth with sparkling dew.

Now as the shades of night withdraw

and darkness fleeing, quits the sky,

the daystar, figure of the Christ,

bestirs and wakes the sleeping day.

O God, you are the Day of days,

and you alone the Light of light,

one God of pow’r throughout all things,

almighty Godhead, Three in One.

To you, O Savior, now we raise

our humble prayer on bended knee,

as with full voice we sing and praise

the Father and the Spirit blest. Amen.

Psalm 51

Ant. A humble, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offense.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them;

my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in your sight I have done.

That you may be justified when you give sentence

and be without reproach when you judge.

O see, in guilt I was born,

a sinner was I conceived.

Indeed you love truth in the heart;

then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.

O purify me, then I shall be clean;

O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,

that the bones you have crushed may revive.

From my sins turn away your face

and blot out all my guilt.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;

with a spirit of fervor sustain me,

that I may teach transgressors your ways

and sinners may return to you.

O rescue me, God, my helper,

and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.

O Lord, open my lips

and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,

burnt offering from me you would refuse,

my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

In your goodness, show favor to Zion:

rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,

Holocausts offered on your altar.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. A humble, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.

Habakkuk 3:2-4

Ant. Even in your anger, Lord, you will remember compassion.

O Lord, I have heard your renown,

and feared, O Lord, your work.

In the course of the years revive it,

in the course of the years make it known;

in your wrath remember compassion!

God comes from Teman,

the Holy One from Mount Paran.

Covered are the heavens with his glory,

and with his praise the earth is filled.

His splendor spreads like the light;

rays shine forth from beside him,

where his power is concealed.

You come forth to save your people,

to save your anointed one.

You tread the sea with your steeds

amid the churning of the deep waters.

I hear, and my body trembles;

at the sound, my lips quiver.

Decay invades my bones,

my legs tremble beneath me.

I await the day of distress

that will come upon the people who attack us.

For though the fig tree blossom not

nor fruit be on the vines,

though the yield of the olive fail

and the terraces produce no nourishment,

though the flocks disappear from the fold

and there be no herd in the stalls,

yet will I rejoice in the Lord

and exult in my saving God.

God, my Lord, is my strength;

he makes my feet swift as those of hinds

and enables me to go upon the heights.

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. Even in your anger, Lord, you will remember compassion.

Psalm 147:12-20

Ant. O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

Zion, praise your God!

He has strengthened the bars of your gates,

he has blessed the children within you.

He established peace on your borders,

he feeds you with finest wheat.

He sends out his word to the earth

and swiftly runs his command.

He showers down snow white as wool,

he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.

He hurls down hailstones like crumbs.

The waters are frozen at his touch;

he sends forth his word and it melts them:

at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.

He makes his word known to Jacob,

to Israel his laws and decrees.

He has not dealt thus with other nations;

he has not taught them his decrees.

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. O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

Ephesians 2:13-16

Now in Christ Jesus, you who once were far off have been brought near through the blood of Christ. It is he who is our peace, and who made the two of us one by breaking down the barrier of hostility that kept us apart. In his own flesh, he abolished the law with its commands and precepts to create in himself one new man from us who had been two and to make peace, reconciling both of us to God in one body through his cross, which put that enmity to death.

RESPONSORY

The Lord, the Most High, has done good things for me.

In need I shall cry out to him.

The Lord, the Most High, has done good things for me.

In need I shall cry out to him.

May he send his strength to rescue me.

In need I shall cry out to him.

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

The Lord, the Most High, has done good things for me.

In need I shall cry out to him.

Canticle of Zechariah

Ant. Through the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us.

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. Through the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us adore Christ who offered himself to the Father through the Holy Spirit to cleanse us from the works of death. Let us adore him and call upon him with sincere hearts:

In your will is our peace, Lord.

From your generosity we have received the beginning of this day,

grant us also the beginning of new life.

In your will is our peace, Lord.

You created all things, and now you provide for their growth,

may we always perceive your handiwork in creation.

In your will is our peace, Lord.

With your own blood, you ratified the new and eternal covenant.

may we remain faithful to that covenant by following your precepts.

In your will is our peace, Lord.

On the cross, blood and water flowed from your side,

may this saving stream wash away our sins and gladden the City of God.

In your will is our peace, Lord.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Remember us, Lord, when you come to your kingdom and teach us how to pray:

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

All-powerful Father,

as now we bring you our songs of praise,

so may we sing your goodness

in the company of your saints for ever.

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.

Terce

Now

Midmorning Prayer · 9 AM

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INTRODUCTION

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, Holy Spirit, come, descend,

one with the Father and the Son;

come swiftly in and fill our hearts

with your full flood of holiness.

In mind and mouth, with heart and tongue,

with strength and sense, may praise resound,

May charity with ardor blaze

and kindle others with its flame.

Now through your presence may we know

and love the Father and the Son,

and you, the Spirit of them both,

may we profess throughout all time. Amen.

Psalm 119:73-80

Ant. Let your loving kindness console me as you promised.

It was your hands that made me and shaped me:

help me to learn your commands.

Your faithful will see me and rejoice

for I trust in your word.

Lord, I know that your decrees are right,

that you afflicted me justly.

Let your love be ready to console me

by your promise to your servant.

Let your love come and I shall live

for your law is my delight.

Shame the proud who harm me with lies

while I ponder your precepts.

Let your faithful turn to me,

those who know your will.

Let my heart be blameless in obeying you

lest I be ashamed.

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. Let your loving kindness console me as you promised.

Psalm 59:2-5

Ant. Protect me, my God, from those who rise up against me.

Rescue me, God, from my foes;

protect me from those who attack me.

O rescue me from those who do evil

and save me from blood-thirsty men.

See, they lie in wait for my life;

powerful men band together against me.

For no offense, no sin of mine, Lord,

for no guilt of mine they rush to take their stand.

Awake, come to my aid and see!

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

the God who shows me love.

O God, come to my aid

and let me look in triumph on my foes.

As for me, I will sing of your strength

and each morning acclaim your love

for you have been my stronghold,

a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

the God who shows me 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.

Ant. Protect me, my God, from those who rise up against me.

Psalm 60

Ant. We are happy to be chastened by God, who heals us as he wounds.

O God, you have rejected us and broken us.

You have been angry; come back to us.

You have made the earth quake, torn it open.

Repair what is shattered for it sways.

You have inflicted hardships on your people

and made us drink a wine that dazed us.

You have given those who fear you a signal

to flee from the enemy’s bow.

O come, and deliver your friends,

help with your right hand and reply.

From his holy place God has made this promise:

“I will triumph and divide the land of Shechem,

I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine and Manasseh,

Ephraim I take for my helmet,

Judah for my commander’s staff.

Moab I will use for my washbowl;

on Edom I will plant my shoe.

Over the Philistines I will shout in triumph.”

But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?

Who will bring me face to face with Edom?

Will you utterly reject us, O God,

and no longer march with our armies?

Give us help against the foe:

for the help of man is vain.

With God we shall do bravely

and he will trample down our foes.

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. We are happy to be chastened by God, who heals us as he wounds.

Deuteronomy 1:31b

The Lord, your God, carried you, as a man carries his child, all along your journey.

Support me, Lord, according to your promise, and I shall live.

Let my hope in you not be in vain.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ,

at this hour you were led out

to die on the cross

for the salvation of the world.

We ask your forgiveness for the sins of our past

and your protection from all future evil.

Bring us to the peace and joy of that kingdom

where you live and reign for ever and ever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Let us praise the Lord.

And give him thanks.

Sext

Now

Midday Prayer · 12 PM

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INTRODUCTION

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 mighty Ruler, God of truth,

for days and seasons setting bounds,

you clothe with splendor morning light

and midday skies with brilliant heat.

Extinguish flames of bitter strife,

all harmful passion take away,

grant health unto our mortal frame,

and on our hearts bestow true peace.

Most loving Father, hear our prayer,

and you, O Christ coequal Son,

who with the Spirit Paraclete

now reign for all eternity. Amen.

Psalm 119:73-80

Ant. Let your loving kindness console me as you promised.

It was your hands that made me and shaped me:

help me to learn your commands.

Your faithful will see me and rejoice

for I trust in your word.

Lord, I know that your decrees are right,

that you afflicted me justly.

Let your love be ready to console me

by your promise to your servant.

Let your love come and I shall live

for your law is my delight.

Shame the proud who harm me with lies

while I ponder your precepts.

Let your faithful turn to me,

those who know your will.

Let my heart be blameless in obeying you

lest I be ashamed.

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. Let your loving kindness console me as you promised.

Psalm 59:2-5

Ant. Protect me, my God, from those who rise up against me.

Rescue me, God, from my foes;

protect me from those who attack me.

O rescue me from those who do evil

and save me from blood-thirsty men.

See, they lie in wait for my life;

powerful men band together against me.

For no offense, no sin of mine, Lord,

for no guilt of mine they rush to take their stand.

Awake, come to my aid and see!

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

the God who shows me love.

O God, come to my aid

and let me look in triumph on my foes.

As for me, I will sing of your strength

and each morning acclaim your love

for you have been my stronghold,

a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

the God who shows me 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.

Ant. Protect me, my God, from those who rise up against me.

Psalm 60

Ant. We are happy to be chastened by God, who heals us as he wounds.

O God, you have rejected us and broken us.

You have been angry; come back to us.

You have made the earth quake, torn it open.

Repair what is shattered for it sways.

You have inflicted hardships on your people

and made us drink a wine that dazed us.

You have given those who fear you a signal

to flee from the enemy’s bow.

O come, and deliver your friends,

help with your right hand and reply.

From his holy place God has made this promise:

“I will triumph and divide the land of Shechem,

I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine and Manasseh,

Ephraim I take for my helmet,

Judah for my commander’s staff.

Moab I will use for my washbowl;

on Edom I will plant my shoe.

Over the Philistines I will shout in triumph.”

But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?

Who will bring me face to face with Edom?

Will you utterly reject us, O God,

and no longer march with our armies?

Give us help against the foe:

for the help of man is vain.

With God we shall do bravely

and he will trample down our foes.

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. We are happy to be chastened by God, who heals us as he wounds.

Baruch 4:28-29

As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God,

turn now ten times the more to seek him;

For he who has brought disaster upon you

will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.

With the Lord there is mercy.

And the fullness of redemption.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ,

at noon, when darkness covered all the earth,

you mounted the wood of the cross

as the innocent victim for our redemption.

May your light be always with us

to guide us to eternal life in that kingdom

where you live and reign for ever and ever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Let us praise the Lord.

And give him thanks.

None

Now

Midafternoon Prayer · 3 PM

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INTRODUCTION

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 God, our firm and steadfast strength,

remaining in yourself unmoved,

you rule the span of daily light

and guide the course of all the hours.

Bestow at eventide a light

by which our life may never fail;

may endless glory be the crown

that follows on a holy death.

Most loving Father, hear our prayer,

and you, O Christ, coequal Son,

who with the Spirit Paraclete

now reign for all eternity. Amen.

Psalm 119:73-80

Ant. Let your loving kindness console me as you promised.

It was your hands that made me and shaped me:

help me to learn your commands.

Your faithful will see me and rejoice

for I trust in your word.

Lord, I know that your decrees are right,

that you afflicted me justly.

Let your love be ready to console me

by your promise to your servant.

Let your love come and I shall live

for your law is my delight.

Shame the proud who harm me with lies

while I ponder your precepts.

Let your faithful turn to me,

those who know your will.

Let my heart be blameless in obeying you

lest I be ashamed.

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. Let your loving kindness console me as you promised.

Psalm 59:2-5

Ant. Protect me, my God, from those who rise up against me.

Rescue me, God, from my foes;

protect me from those who attack me.

O rescue me from those who do evil

and save me from blood-thirsty men.

See, they lie in wait for my life;

powerful men band together against me.

For no offense, no sin of mine, Lord,

for no guilt of mine they rush to take their stand.

Awake, come to my aid and see!

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

the God who shows me love.

O God, come to my aid

and let me look in triumph on my foes.

As for me, I will sing of your strength

and each morning acclaim your love

for you have been my stronghold,

a refuge in the day of my distress.

O my Strength, it is you to whom I turn,

for you, O God, are my stronghold,

the God who shows me 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.

Ant. Protect me, my God, from those who rise up against me.

Psalm 60

Ant. We are happy to be chastened by God, who heals us as he wounds.

O God, you have rejected us and broken us.

You have been angry; come back to us.

You have made the earth quake, torn it open.

Repair what is shattered for it sways.

You have inflicted hardships on your people

and made us drink a wine that dazed us.

You have given those who fear you a signal

to flee from the enemy’s bow.

O come, and deliver your friends,

help with your right hand and reply.

From his holy place God has made this promise:

“I will triumph and divide the land of Shechem,

I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine and Manasseh,

Ephraim I take for my helmet,

Judah for my commander’s staff.

Moab I will use for my washbowl;

on Edom I will plant my shoe.

Over the Philistines I will shout in triumph.”

But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?

Who will bring me face to face with Edom?

Will you utterly reject us, O God,

and no longer march with our armies?

Give us help against the foe:

for the help of man is vain.

With God we shall do bravely

and he will trample down our foes.

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. We are happy to be chastened by God, who heals us as he wounds.

Wisdom 1:13-15

God did not make death,

nor does he rejoice in the destruction of the living.

For he fashioned all things that they might have being;

and the creatures of the world are wholesome,

And there is not a destructive drug among them

nor any domain of the nether world on earth,

For justice is undying.

God has snatched me from the bonds of death.

I shall walk among the living in his presence.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ,

you brought the repentant thief

from the suffering of the cross

to the joy of your kingdom.

Lord, when we die,

may we who confess our sins

be brought to you through the gates of heaven

that we may have eternal joy in that kingdom

where you live and reign for ever and ever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

Let us praise the Lord.

And give him thanks.

Vespers

Now

Evening Prayer

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INTRODUCTION

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

Eleven hours have come and gone

and day has sped to eventide;

let us with eager mind and heart

fulfill our debt of song and praise.

O Christ, our daily task is done,

the work we do in your employ;

now grant to all who tend your vines

the gift of glory you have pledged.

Bestow your help on all our work

and give us rest when work is done;

by wages that you grant us now,

endow us for our future gain.

O Christ, to you, most loving King,

and to the Father glory be,

one with the Spirit Paraclete,

from age to age for evermore. Amen.

Psalm 116:1-9

Ant. Lord, keep my soul from death, never let me stumble.

I love the Lord for he has heard

the cry of my appeal;

for he turned his ear to me

in the day when I called him.

They surrounded me, the snares of death,

with the anguish of the tomb;

they caught me, sorrow and distress.

I called on the Lord’s name.

O Lord, my God, deliver me!

How gracious is the Lord, and just;

our God has compassion.

The Lord protects the simple hearts;

I was helpless so he saved me.

Turn back, my soul, to your rest

for the Lord has been good;

he has kept my soul from death,

my eyes from tears

and my feet from stumbling.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord

in the land 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.

Ant. Lord, keep my soul from death, never let me stumble.

Psalm 121

Ant. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

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. My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

Revelation 15:3-4

Ant. King of all the ages, your ways are perfect and true.

Mighty and wonderful are your works,

Lord God Almighty!

Righteous and true are your ways,

O King of the nations!

Who would dare refuse you honor,

or the glory due your name, O Lord?

Since you alone are holy,

all nations shall come

and worship in your presence.

Your mighty deeds are clearly seen.

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. King of all the ages, your ways are perfect and true.

1 Corinthians 2:7-10a

What we utter is God’s wisdom: a mysterious, a hidden wisdom. God planned it before all ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age knew the mystery; if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory. Of this wisdom it is written:

“Eye has not seen, ear has not heard

nor has it so much as dawned on man

what God has prepared for those who love him.”

Yet God has revealed this wisdom to us through the Spirit.

RESPONSORY

Christ died for our sins to make of us an offering to God.

He died to this world of sin, and rose in the power of the Spirit.

To make of us an offering to God.

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

Christ died for our sins to make of us an offering to God.

Canticle of Mary

Ant. Remember your mercy, Lord, the promise of mercy you made to our fathers.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me,

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children 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. Remember your mercy, Lord, the promise of mercy you made to our fathers.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us bless Christ, the compassionate and merciful Lord, who wipes away the tears of those who weep. Let us cry out to him in love and ask:

Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Lord Jesus, you console the humble,

be attentive to the tears of the poor.

Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Merciful God, hear the cries of the dying,

comfort them with your presence.

Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Make exiles aware of your providential care,

may they return to their home on earth and finally enter their home in heaven.

Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Be merciful to sinners who have fallen away from your love,

reconcile them to yourself and to your Church.

Have mercy on your people, Lord.

Save our brothers who have died,

let them share in the fullness of redemption.

Have mercy on your people, Lord.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

Gathering our prayer and praises into one, let us offer the prayer Christ himself taught 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

God our Father, the contradiction of the cross

proclaims your infinite wisdom.

Help us to see that the glory of your Son

is revealed in the suffering he freely accepted.

Give us faith to claim as our only glory

the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,

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.

Compline

Now

Night Prayer

The audio for this hour isn’t ready. The prayers are here to read: tap Read above.

Examination of conscience

An examination of conscience is a traditional, optional part of Night Prayer, commended in the General Instruction of the Liturgy of the Hours (86), and the Church leaves its form free: a quiet review of the day, a familiar prayer of sorrow, or something longer. If you would like to be led, here are two to listen to and pray along with. Afterwards, return to Night Prayer.

Coptic act of contrition

11th Hour

If the righteous one is hardly saved, where shall I, a sinner, appear?! The burden and the heat of the day I could not bear because of the weakness of my human nature. But, O merciful God, count me among the laborers of the eleventh hour. For behold, I was brought forth in iniquities, and in sin my mother conceived me. Therefore, I dare not lift my eyes unto heaven. But rather I rely on the abundance of Your mercy and love-of-mankind, crying to You and saying, “Lord, forgive me, a sinner, and have mercy on me.”

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

O my Savior, hasten to open Your fatherly bosom to me. For I have wasted my life in worldly desires and pleasures, whereas the day has been consumed and far spent. Therefore, now I rely on the abundance of Your infinite compassion. So, then, do not disregard my revering heart which is exceedingly in need of Your mercy. For I cry out to You, O Lord, with reverence, saying, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in Your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called Your son, make me like one of Your hired servants.”

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

With full awareness and enthusiasm did I pursue every transgression, with all eagerness and diligence did I commit every sin, and of all judgment and torment I deserve. Hence, I beseech you, our Lady the Virgin, to lead me to repentance. For to you I plead and through you I seek intercession, and upon you I call to help me that I should not be put to shame. And when my soul departs from my body, please be present and attend to me, and defeat the conspiracies of the enemies, and shut the gates of Hades, lest they might swallow my soul. O you bride without blemish of the true Bridegroom.

12th Hour

Behold, I am about to stand before the just and righteous Judge, terrified and trembling because of my numerous sins. For a life wasted in worldly pleasures deserves condemnation. So repent therefore, O my soul, as long as you dwell on this earth. For the dust in the grave cannot offer any praise, and among the dead no one can remember, nor can anyone in Hades give thanks. Therefore, arise O my soul from the slumber of your laziness, and implore the Savior in repentance saying, “O God have mercy on me and save me.”

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

Were this life on earth everlasting, and this world ever-existing, you would have had an excuse, O my soul. But now, if your wicked deeds and repulsive evils were to be exposed before the righteous Judge, what answer would you be giving while you are lying on the bed of sins and negligent in disciplining your body?! O Christ our God, before Your awesome seat of judgment I am terrified, and before Your counsel of judgment I am dreadful, and from the radiant light of Your divinity I tremble. For I am a wretched and defiled person who lies in bed, careless of the ways of my life. Yet, I take example of the tax collector’s penance, beating my chest and saying, “O God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O pure Virgin, overshadow your servant speedily with your help, keep the waves of evil thoughts away from me, and raise my ailing soul to pray and watch, for it has gone into deep slumber. For you are a capable and compassionate helper, the Mother of the Fountain of life, my King and my God, Jesus Christ my hope.

The Prayer of the Veil

O Lord, You know the alertness of my enemies, and You understand the weakness of my nature, O my Creator. For behold, into Your hands I place my spirit that You may shield me under the wings of Your goodness, lest I sleep unto death. Enlighten my eyes with the greatness of Your sayings, and raise me up to glorify You at all times, for You alone are the Good One and Lover of Mankind.

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

O Lord, Your judgment is fearful, when people shall be gathered, the angels standing, the books opened, the deeds revealed, and thoughts examined. What will be my judgment, I who am entangled by sin?! Who will quench the flames of fire around me?! Who will enlighten my darkness except You, O Lord?! Have mercy on me, for You are kind towards mankind.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Theotokos, because we have put our trust in you, we shall not be put to shame; And because we have attained your help and intercessions, O holy and perfect one, we shall not fear, but shall drive out our enemies and disperse them. And, in everything, we take your great help to protect us as if with a shield. We ask and entreat you, proclaiming “O Theotokos” to save us by your intercessions, and raise us up from the darkness of sleep, in order to glorify through the power of God who was incarnate from you.

The Absolution

O Lord, all our sins we have committed against You in this day, whether in deed or in words or in thoughts or through any of our senses, please do forgive and pardon us, for the sake of Your holy name, O good Lord, Lover of Mankind.

Grant us a peaceful night and a sleep free of all worry and anxiety. Send us the guardian angel to protect us from all evil and every affliction and temptation of the enemy.

Through the grace, compassion and love-of-mankind, of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto You, O Father, with Him, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, who is of one essence with You, now and at all times, and unto the age of all ages. Amen.

The Thanksgiving Prayer

Let us give thanks to the beneficent and merciful God, the Father of our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ, for He has covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us to Him, had compassion on us, supported us, and has brought us to this hour. Let us also ask Him, the Lord our God, the Pantocrator, to guard us in all peace this holy day and all the days of our life.

O Master, Lord, God the Pantocrator, the Father of our Lord, God, and Savior, Jesus Christ, we thank You for every condition, concerning every condition, and in every condition. For You have covered us, helped us, guarded us, accepted us to You, had compassion on us, supported us, and brought us to this hour.

Therefore, we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of Mankind. Grant us to complete this holy day, and all the days of our life, in all peace in Your fear. All envy, all temptation, all the work of Satan, the counsel of wicked men and the rising up of enemies, hidden and manifest, take them away from us and from all Your people and from this holy place that is Yours. But those things which are good and profitable do provide for us. For it is You who have given us the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one, by the grace, compassion and love-of-mankind, of Your only-begotten Son, our Lord, God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through whom the glory, the honor, the dominion, and the adoration are due unto You, with Him, and the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giver, who is of one essence with You, now and at all times, and unto the age of all ages. Amen.

From the Agpeya, the Coptic Orthodox Book of Hours (St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church, Jersey City; text as published on copticchurch.net).

INTRODUCTION

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.

Examination of Conscience

A brief moment of silent reflection is made to examine one’s conscience and recall God’s mercy throughout the day.

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

HYMN

To you before the close of light,

Creator of all things, we pray:

Be our protector, keep us safe

in your unfailing clemency.

Incline our hearts to dream of you,

to sense your presence as we sleep;

as light returns, so let us sing

your praise and glory evermore.

Grant us the grace of health and strength,

renew our warmth and joy of life;

and let your radiant light dispel

the dreaded darkness of the night.

Almighty Father, grant our prayer

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who reigns with you from age to age,

one with the Spirit, ever blest. Amen.

Psalm 88

Ant. Day and night I cry to you, my God.

Lord my God, I call for help by day;

I cry at night before you.

Let my prayer come into your presence.

O turn your ear to my cry.

For my soul is filled with evils;

my life is on the brink of the grave.

I am reckoned as one in the tomb:

I have reached the end of my strength,

like one alone among the dead;

like the slain lying in their graves;

like those you remember no more,

cut off, as they are, from your hand.

You have laid me in the depths of the tomb,

in places that are dark, in the depths.

Your anger weighs down upon me:

I am drowned beneath your waves.

You have taken away my friends

and made me hateful in their sight.

Imprisoned, I cannot escape;

my eyes are sunken with grief.

I call to you, Lord, all the day long;

to you I stretch out my hands.

Will you work your wonders for the dead?

Will the shades stand and praise you?

Will your love be told in the grave

or your faithfulness among the dead?

Will your wonders be known in the dark

or your justice in the land of oblivion?

As for me, Lord, I call to you for help:

in the morning my prayer comes before you.

Lord, why do you reject me?

Why do you hide your face?

Wretched, close to death from my youth,

I have borne your trials; I am numb.

Your fury has swept down upon me;

your terrors have utterly destroyed me.

They surround me all the day like a flood,

they assail me all together.

Friend and neighbor you have taken away:

my one companion is darkness.

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. Day and night I cry to you, my God.

Jeremiah 14:9a

You are in our midst, O Lord,

your name we bear:

do not forsake us, O Lord, our God!

RESPONSORY

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.

I commend my spirit.

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

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

Canticle of Simeon

Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;

your word has been fulfilled:

my own eyes have seen the salvation

which you have prepared in the sight of every people:

a light to reveal you to the nations

and the glory of your people 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. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

All-powerful God

keep us united with your Son

in his death and burial

so that we may rise to new life with him,

who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs

mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.

Turn then, most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this exile

show us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving,

O sweet Virgin Mary.

Devotional Prayers

The words of the prayers

Prayer Before the Office

Lord, open my lips, to praise Your Holy Name. Cleanse my heart of any worthless, evil, or distracting thoughts. Give me the wisdom and love necessary to pray this Office with attention, reverence, and devotion. Father, let this prayer be heard in Your Presence, for it is offered through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lord, in union with that intention with which you offered praises to God when on earth, I offer this Hour to You.

I offer this Hour in union with all of the Masses being said throughout the world, and I offer it for the following intention: ____.

Prayer After the Office

Blessed be forever the most loving Hearts and the sweet Names of our Lord Jesus Christ and of the most glorious Virgin Mary, His Mother.

O most merciful Jesus, I thank you with all my heart. Be merciful to me, a miserable sinner. I offer this action to your Divine Heart to be amended and perfected, to the praise and glory of your most holy Name and of your most blessed Mother, and for the salvation of my soul and of your whole Church. Amen.

To the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity, to the Manhood of Our Lord Jesus Christ Crucified, to the Fruitful Virginity of the Most Blessed and Most Glorious Mary, Ever Virgin, and to the Congregation of all the Saints be ascribed everlasting praise, honor, power and glory by every creature, and to us be granted the forgiveness of all our sins, world without end. Amen.

Blessed be the Womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the Eternal Father.

And blessed be the Breasts which gave suck to Christ our Lord.

Our Father

Hail Mary