Invitatorium: A Liturgy of the Hours Player

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Advent

Friday of the second week of Advent

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 worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

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 worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

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

O Word proceeding from on high,

light coming from the Father’s light,

by birth you came to save the world

when time’s appointed course had run.

Now come and fill our hearts with light,

consume them in your love’s bright heat,

and when the herald’s cry is heard,

may all deceit be put to flight.

So when at length you come as Judge

to probe our hearts in thought and deed,

to weigh the guilt for hidden sin

and crown the just for deeds well done.

Let not the nature of our sins

detain us in the evil throng,

but let us with the blessed share

the life of heaven evermore.

To you, O Christ, most loving King,

and to the Father, glory be,

one with the Spirit Paraclete,

from age to age for evermore. 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.

Let your compassion come upon me, Lord.

Your salvation, true to your promise.

From the book of the prophet Isaiah

On that day,

The Lord will punish with his sword

that is cruel, great, and strong,

Leviathan the fleeing serpent,

Leviathan the coiled serpent;

and he will slay the dragon that is in the sea.

On that day—

The pleasant vineyard, sing about it!

I, the Lord, am its keeper,

I water it every moment;

Lest anyone harm it,

night and day I guard it.

I am not angry, but if I were to find briers and thorns,

In battle I should march against them;

I should burn them all.

Expunging and expelling, I should strive against them,

carrying them off with my cruel wind in time of storm.

In days to come Jacob shall take root,

Israel shall sprout and blossom,

covering all the world with fruit.

Is he to be smitten as his smiter was smitten?

or slain as his slayer was slain?

Or shall he cling to me for refuge?

He must make peace with me;

peace shall he make with me!

This, then, shall be the expiation of Jacob’s guilt,

this the whole fruit of the removal of his sin:

He shall pulverize all the stones of the altars

like pieces of chalk;

no sacred poles or incense altars shall stand.

For the fortified city shall be desolate,

an abandoned pasture, a forsaken wilderness,

where calves shall browse and lie.

Its boughs shall be destroyed,

its branches shall wither and be broken off,

and women shall come to build a fire with them.

This is not an understanding people;

therefore their maker shall not spare them,

nor shall he who formed them have mercy on them.

On that day,

The Lord shall beat out the grain

between the Euphrates and the Wadi of Egypt,

and you shall be gleaned one by one, O sons of Israel.

On that day,

A great trumpet shall blow,

and the lost in the land of Assyria

and the outcasts in the land of Egypt

Shall come and worship the Lord

on the holy mountain, in Jerusalem.

See Matthew 24:31; Isaiah 27:13

The Lord will send forth his angels with a mighty trumpet blast;

they will gather his chosen ones from the four winds,

from one end of the heavens to the other.

They shall come and worship the Lord on his holy mountain in Jerusalem.

They will gather his chosen ones from the four winds,

from one end of the heavens to the other.

From a treatise Against Heresies, by Saint Irenaeus, bishop and martyr

The Lord, coming into his own creation in visible form, was sustained by his own creation which he himself sustains in being. His obedience on the tree of the cross reversed the disobedience at the tree in Eden; the good news of the truth announced by an angel to Mary, a virgin subject to a husband, undid the evil lie that seduced Eve, a virgin espoused to a husband.

As Eve was seduced by the word of an angel and so fled from God after disobeying his word, Mary in her turn was given the good news by the word of an angel, and bore God in obedience to his word. As Eve was seduced into disobedience to God, so Mary was persuaded into obedience to God; thus the Virgin Mary became the advocate of the virgin Eve.

Christ gathered all things into one, by gathering them into himself. He declared war against our enemy, crushed him who at the beginning had taken us captive in Adam, and trampled on his head, in accordance with God’s words to the serpent in Genesis:

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall lie in wait for your head, and you shall lie in wait for his heel.

The one lying in wait for the serpent’s head is the one who was born in the likeness of Adam from the woman, the Virgin. This is the seed spoken of by Paul in the letter to the Galatians:

The law of works was in force until the seed should come to whom the promise was made.

He shows this even more clearly in the same letter when he says:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman.

The enemy would not have been defeated fairly if his vanquisher had not been born of a woman, because it was through a woman that he had gained mastery over man in the beginning, and set himself up as man’s adversary.

That is why the Lord proclaims himself the Son of Man, the one who renews in himself that first man from whom the race born of woman was formed; as by a man’s defeat our race fell into the bondage of death, so by a man’s victory we were to rise again to life.

See Luke 1:26, 27, 30, 31, 32

The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary who was betrothed to Joseph.

The light filled her with fear,

but the angel said to her:

Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

Behold you shall conceive and bear a son,

and he will be called the Son of the Most High.

The Lord God will give him the throne of David, his father,

and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever.

Behold you shall conceive and bear a son,

and he will be called the Son of the Most High.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God,

may be ever watchful

for the coming of your Only Begotten Son,

that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us,

we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps,

to meet him when he comes.

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

Behold a voice resounding, clear,

rebuking hidden fears and deeds:

Let dreams be driven far away,

for Christ shines forth from heaven’s height.

Now let the weary soul arise,

infirm and wounded by her sin;

a new star now sends forth its light

to rid the world of ev’ry harm.

The Lamb is sent from realms on high

to free us from our mortal debt.

Let ev’ry voice give thankful praise

and weep for tender mercy shown,

That when he comes like lightning flash

and terror grips the world in dread,

he need not punish us for guilt

but with compassion shield us then.

Praise to the Father, God most high,

all vict’ry to his only Son,

due honor to the Spirit blest,

through endless ages evermore. 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!

Jeremiah 30:21, 22

Thus says the Lord:

His leader shall be from Jacob,

and his ruler shall come from his kin.

When I summon him,

he shall approach me.

You shall be my people,

and I will be your God.

RESPONSORY

Your light will come, Jerusalem;

the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

Your light will come, Jerusalem;

the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

You will see his glory within you;

the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

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

Your light will come, Jerusalem;

the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

Canticle of Zechariah

Ant. Say to the fainthearted: Take courage! The Lord our God is coming to save 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. Say to the fainthearted: Take courage! The Lord our God is coming to save us.

INTERCESSIONS

To Christ our Redeemer, who comes to save us from our sins, let us cry out with joy:

Come, Lord Jesus!

The prophets of old foretold your birth among us,

now make virtue come to life in us.

Come, Lord Jesus!

We proclaim your saving work,

now grant us your salvation.

Come, Lord Jesus!

You came to heal the contrite,

heal the weaknesses of your people.

Come, Lord Jesus!

You came and saw fit to reconcile the world,

when you come again in judgment, free us from the torments of punishment.

Come, Lord Jesus!

THE LORD’S PRAYER

With longing for the coming of God’s kingdom, let us offer our prayer to the Father:

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

Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God,

may be ever watchful

for the coming of your Only Begotten Son,

that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us,

we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps,

to meet him when he comes.

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

God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

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. This is the good news the prophets foretold: The Savior will be born of the Virgin Mary.

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.

Psalm 59:2-5

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.

Psalm 60

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. This is the good news the prophets foretold: The Savior will be born of the Virgin Mary.

Jeremiah 29:11, 13

I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare, not for woe! Plans to give you a future full of hope. When you look for me, you will find me: when you seek me with all your heart.

The nations will revere your name, O Lord.

And the great ones of the earth will acknowledge your glory.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God,

may be ever watchful

for the coming of your Only Begotten Son,

that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us,

we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps,

to meet him when he comes.

Who lives and reigns 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. The angel Gabriel said to Mary in greeting: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.

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.

Psalm 59:2-5

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.

Psalm 60

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. The angel Gabriel said to Mary in greeting: Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women.

Jeremiah 30:18

Thus says the Lord:

See! I will restore the tents of Jacob,

his dwellings I will pity.

Remember us, Lord, because of the love you have for your people.

Come and bring us your salvation.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God,

may be ever watchful

for the coming of your Only Begotten Son,

that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us,

we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps,

to meet him when he comes.

Who lives and reigns 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. Mary said: My soul is deeply troubled; what can this greeting mean? Am I to give birth to my King and yet remain a virgin for ever?

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.

Psalm 59:2-5

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.

Psalm 60

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. Mary said: My soul is deeply troubled; what can this greeting mean? Am I to give birth to my King and yet remain a virgin for ever?

Baruch 3:5-6a

Remember at this time not the misdeeds of our fathers, but your own hand and name: for you are the Lord our God.

Come, Lord, do not delay.

Free your people from their sinfulness.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God,

may be ever watchful

for the coming of your Only Begotten Son,

that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us,

we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps,

to meet him when he comes.

Who lives and reigns 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

O loving Maker of the stars,

believers’ everlasting light,

O Christ, Redeemer of us all,

with kindness hear our humble prayer.

With pity, you beheld the fate

that death imposed on ages past;

you gave the guilty healing grace

and saved a weak and fallen world.

When evening fell upon the earth,

as bridegroom from the bridal room,

from honored cloister forth you came,

born from the Virgin Mother pure.

Before your strong and steadfast might,

on earth and in the heav’ns above

all knees bend low, all hearts confess

submission to your sov’reign will.

With faith we beg you, Holy Lord,

the Judge of ages still to come,

that in our time you keep us safe

from snares of our deceitful foe.

To you, O Christ, 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.

2 Peter 3:8-10

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.

RESPONSORY

Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.

Let your face shine upon us and we shall be saved,

Lord God of power and might.

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

Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.

Canticle of Simeon

Ant. Rejoicing you shall draw water from the wellsprings of the Savior.

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. Rejoicing you shall draw water from the wellsprings of the Savior.

INTERCESSIONS

To our Redeemer who came to bring good news to the poor, let us earnestly pray:

Let all people see your glory!

Show yourself to those who have never known you;

let them see your saving work.

Let all people see your glory!

Let your name be preached to the ends of the earth,

that all may find the way to you.

Let all people see your glory!

You came first to save the world;

now come again and save those who believe in you.

Let all people see your glory!

You brought freedom to us by saving us;

continue to save us and make us free.

Let all people see your glory!

You came once as a man; you will return in judgment;

bring eternal reward to those who have died.

Let all people see your glory!

THE LORD’S PRAYER

With longing for the coming of God’s kingdom, let us offer our prayer to the Father:

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

Grant that your people, we pray, almighty God,

may be ever watchful

for the coming of your Only Begotten Son,

that, as the author of our salvation himself has taught us,

we may hasten, alert and with lighted lamps,

to meet him when he comes.

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

God, for ever and ever.

Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

Compline

Now

Night Prayer

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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

Loving mother of the Redeemer,

gate of heaven, star of the sea,

assist your people who have fallen yet strive to rise again.

To the wonderment of nature you bore your Creator,

yet remained a virgin after as before.

You who received Gabriel’s joyful greeting,

have pity on us poor sinners.

A lma Redemptóris Mater, quæ pérvia cæli

porta manes, et stella maris, succúrre cadénti,

súrgere qui curat, pópulo; tu, quæ genuísti,

natúra miránte, tuum sanctum Genitórem,

Virgo prius ac postérius, Gabriélis ab ore

sumens illud Ave, peccatórum miserére.

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