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

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.[1]

Psalm 67

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.

The earth has yielded its fruit

for God, our God, has blessed us.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.

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, for he is our God.

[1]Note: When we made the sung recordings (for the Invitatory and the psalmody for high rank celebrations) we used the Mundelein Psalter. The text is meant to facilitate singing so that’s the reason you may notice differences.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 651

Proper of Seasons: 369

Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1061

Office of Readings for Thursday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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

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

HYMN
I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

Let earth open up, and salvation bear fruit;

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

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

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

I the Lord have created it.

I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

Let earth open up, and salvation bear fruit;

Let the Heavens rain down righteousness

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

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

I the Lord have created it.

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

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised.

Psalm 89:39-53

Lament for the fall of David’s dynasty

He has raised up for us a mighty Savior born of the house of David his servant (Luke 1:69).

IV

And yet you have rejected and spurned

and are angry with the one you have anointed.

You have broken your covenant with your servant

and dishonored his crown in the dust.

You have broken down all his walls

and reduced his fortresses to ruins.

He is despoiled by all who pass by:

he has become the taunt of his neighbors.

You have exalted the right hand of his foes;

you have made all his enemies rejoice.

You have made his sword give way,

you have not upheld him in battle.

You have brought his glory to an end;

you have hurled his throne to the ground.

You have cut short the years of his youth;

you have heaped disgrace upon him.

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. Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised.

Ant. 2 I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star.

V

How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?

How long will your anger burn like a fire?

Remember, Lord, the shortness of my life

and how frail you have made the sons of men.

What man can live and never see death?

Who can save himself from the grasp of the grave?

Where are your mercies of the past, O Lord,

which you have sworn in your faithfulness to David?

Remember, Lord, how your servant is taunted,

how I have to bear all the insults of the peoples.

Thus your enemies taunt me, O Lord,

mocking your anointed at every step.

Blessed be the Lord for ever. Amen, amen!

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

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord, God of mercy and fidelity, you made a new and lasting pact with men and sealed it in the blood of your Son. Forgive the folly of our disloyalty and make us keep your commandments, so that in your new covenant we may be witnesses and heralds of your faithfulness and love on earth, and sharers of your glory in heaven.

Ant. I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star.

Ant. 3 Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal.

Psalm 90

May we live in the radiance of God

There is no time with God: a thousand years, a single day: it is all one (2 Peter 3:8).

O Lord, you have been our refuge

from one generation to the next.

Before the mountains were born

or the earth or the world brought forth,

you are God, without beginning or end.

You turn men back into dust

and say: “Go back, sons of men.”

To your eyes a thousand years

are like yesterday, come and gone,

no more than a watch in the night.

You sweep men away like a dream,

like grass which springs up in the morning.

In the morning it springs up and flowers:

by evening it withers and fades.

So we are destroyed in your anger,

struck with terror in your fury.

Our guilt lies open before you;

our secrets in the light of your face.

All our days pass away in your anger.

Our life is over like a sigh.

Our span is seventy years

or eighty for those who are strong.

And most of these are emptiness and pain.

They pass swiftly and we are gone.

Who understands the power of your anger

and fears the strength of your fury?

Make us know the shortness of our life

that we may gain wisdom of heart.

Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever?

Show pity to your servants.

In the morning, fill us with your love;

we shall exult and rejoice all our days.

Give us joy to balance our affliction

for the years when we knew misfortune.

Show forth your work to your servants;

let your glory shine on their children.

Let the favor of the Lord be upon us:

give success to the work of our hands,

give success to the work of our hands.

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

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

Psalm-prayer

Eternal Father, you give us life despite our guilt and even add days and years to our lives in order to bring us wisdom. Make us love and obey you, so that the works of our hands may always display what your hands have done, until the day we gaze upon the beauty of your face.

Ant. Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

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

In you is the source of life.

— In your light we see light itself.

READINGS

First reading

From the book of Judges

8:22-23, 30-32; 9:1-15, 19-20

The people of God attempt to find a king

The Israelites then said to Gideon, “Rule over us — you, your son, and your son’s son — for you rescued us from the power of Midian.” But Gideon answered them, “I will not rule over you, nor shall my son rule over you. The Lord must rule over you.”

Now Gideon had seventy sons, his direct descendants, for he had many wives. His concubine who lived in Shechem also bore him a son, whom he named Abimelech. At a good old age Gideon, son of Joash, died and was buried in the tomb of his father Joash in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Abimelech, son of Jerubbaal, went to his mother’s kinsmen in Shechem, and said to them and to the whole clan to which his mother’s family belonged, “Put this question to all the citizens of Shechem: ‘Which is better for you: that seventy men, or all Jerubbaal’s sons, rule over you, or that one man rule over you?’ You must remember that I am your own flesh and bone.” When his mother’s kin repeated these words to them on his behalf, all the citizens of Shechem sympathized with Abimelech, thinking, “He is our kinsman.” They also gave him seventy silver shekels from the temple of Baal of Berith, with which Abimelech hired shiftless men and ruffians as his followers.

He then went to his ancestral house in Ophrah, and slew his brothers, the seventy sons of Jerubbaal, on one stone. Only the youngest son of Jerubbaal, Jotham, escaped, for he was hidden. Then all the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together and proceeded to make Abimelech king by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem.

When this was reported to him, Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim, and standing there, cried out to them in a loud voice: “Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you! Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves. So they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ But the olive tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my rich oil, whereby men and gods are honored, and go to wave over the trees?’ “Then the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ But the fig tree answered them, ‘Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to wave over the trees?’

“Then the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ But the vine answered them, ‘Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men, and go to wave over the trees?’

“Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, ‘Come; you reign over us!’ But the buckthorn replied to the trees, ‘If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith, come and take refuge in my shadow. Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

“If, then, you have acted in good faith and with honor toward Jerubbaal and his family this day, rejoice in Abimelech and may he in turn rejoice in you. But if not, let fire come forth from Abimelech to devour the citizens of Shechem and Beth-millo, and let fire come forth from the citizens and from Beth-millo to devour Abimelech.”

RESPONSORY Judges 8:23; Revelation 5:13

I will not rule over you, nor shall my son.

— The Lord will rule over you.

Praise and honor, glory and power to him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever.

— The Lord will rule over you.

Second reading

From a treatise on the Lord’s Prayer by Saint Cyprian, bishop and martyr

After the gift of bread we ask pardon for our sins

As the Lord’s Prayer continues, we ask: Give us this day our daily bread. We can understand this petition in a spiritual and in a literal sense. For in the divine plan both senses may help toward our salvation. For Christ is the bread of life; this bread does not belong to everyone, but is ours alone. When we say, our Father, we understand that he is the father of those who know him and believe in him. In the same way we speak of our daily bread, because Christ is the bread of those who touch his body.

Now, we who live in Christ and receive his eucharist, the food of salvation, ask for this bread to be given us every day. Otherwise we may be forced to abstain from this communion because of some serious sin. In this way we shall be separated from the body of Christ, as he taught us in the words: I am the bread of life which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats my bread will live for ever and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world. Christ is saying, then, that anyone who eats his bread will live for ever. Clearly they possess life who approach his body and share in the Eucharistic communion. For this reason we should be apprehensive and pray that no one has to abstain from this communion, lest he be separated from the body of Christ and be far from salvation. Christ has warned of this: If you do not eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you will have no life in you. We pray for our daily bread, Christ, to be given to us. With his help, we who live and abide in him will never be separated from his body and his grace.

After this we ask pardon for our sins, in the words: and forgive us our trespasses. The gift of bread is followed by a prayer for forgiveness. To be reminded that we are sinners and forced to ask forgiveness for our faults is prudent and sound. Even while we are asking God’s forgiveness, our hearts are aware of our state! This command to pray daily for our sins reminds us that we commit sin every day. No one should complacently think himself innocent, lest his pride lead to further sin. Such is the warning that John gives us in his letter: If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, the Lord is faithful and just, and will forgive our sins. His letter includes both points, that we should beg for forgiveness for our sins, and that we receive pardon when we do. He calls the Lord faithful, because he remains loyal to his promise, by forgiving us our sins. He both taught us to pray for our sins and our faults, and also promised to show us a father’s mercy and forgiveness.

RESPONSORY Psalm 31:1, 4; Psalm 25:18

In you, Lord, is my hope;

and I shall never hope in vain,

for you are my rock and my fortress.

— For your name’s sake, lead and guide me.

Look at my misery and suffering,

and forgive all my sins.

— For your name’s sake, lead and guide me.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

O God,

strength of those who hope in you,

graciously hear our pleas, and,

since without you mortal frailty can do nothing,

grant us always the help of your grace,

that in following your commands we may please you

by our resolve and our deeds.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

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

God, for ever and ever.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 654

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1065

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 618

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1029

Christian Prayer:

Ordinary: 689

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 896

Morning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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

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

HYMN
Behold the golden Dawn arise;

The paling night forsakes the skies:

Those shades that hid the world from view,

And us to dang'rous error drew.

May this new day be calmly passed,

May we keep pure while it shall last:

Nor let our lips from truth depart,

Nor dark designs engage the heart.

So may the day speed on; the tongue

No falsehood know, the hands no wrong:

Our eyes from wanton gaze refrain,

No guilt our guarded bodies stain.

For God all-seeing from on high

Surveys us with a watchful eye:

Each day our every act he knows

From early dawn to evening’s close.

All laud to God the Father be;

All praise, eternal Son, to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To God the Holy Paraclete. Amen.

𝄞"Behold the Golden Dawn Arise" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Musical Score • Title: Behold the Golden Dawn Arise; Text: Sol ecce surgit igneus, Prudentius; Tr. John M. Neale; Tune: Chant, Mode I; Lumen Christi Hymnal; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.

Psalm 87

Jerusalem is mother of us all

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

On the holy mountain is his city

cherished by the Lord.

The Lord prefers the gates of Zion

to all Jacob’s dwellings.

Of you are told glorious things,

O city of God!

“Babylon and Egypt I will count

among those who know me;

Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia,

these will be her children

and Zion shall be called ‘Mother’

for all shall be her children.”

It is he, the Lord Most High,

who gives each his place.

In his register of peoples he writes:

“These are her children,”

and while they dance they will sing:

“In you all find their home.”

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

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, your only son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit.

Ant. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.

Ant. 2 The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.

Canticle – Isaiah 40:10-17

The Good Shepherd: God most high and most wise

See, I come quickly; I have my reward in hand (Revelation 22:12).

Here comes with power

the Lord God,

who rules by his strong arm;

here is his reward with him,

his recompense before him.

Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;

in his arms he gathers the lambs,

Carrying them in his bosom,

and leading the ewes with care.

Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea,

and marked off the heavens with a span?

Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth,

weighed the mountains in scales

and the hills in a balance?

Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,

or has instructed him as his counselor?

Whom did he consult to gain knowledge?

Who taught him the path of judgment,

or showed him the way of understanding?

Behold, the nations count as a drop of the bucket,

as dust on the scales;

the coastlands weigh no more than powder.

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,

nor its animals be enough for holocausts.

Before him all the nations are as nought,

as nothing and void he accounts them.

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

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

Ant. The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.

Ant. 3 Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.

Psalm 99

Holy is the Lord our God

Christ, higher than the Cherubim, when you took our lowly nature you transformed our sinful world (Saint Athanasius).

The Lord is king; the peoples tremble.

He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes.

The Lord is great in Zion.

He is supreme over all the peoples.

Let them praise his name, so terrible and great.

He is holy, full of power.

You are a king who loves what is right;

you have established equity, justice and right;

you have established them in Jacob.

Exalt the Lord our God;

bow down before Zion, his footstool.

He the Lord is holy.

Among his priests were Aaron and Moses,

among those who invoked his name was Samuel.

They invoked the Lord and he answered.

To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud.

They did his will; they kept the law,

which he, the Lord, had given.

O Lord our God, you answered them.

For them you were a God who forgives;

yet you punished all their offenses.

Exalt the Lord our God;

bow down before his holy mountain

for the Lord our God is holy.

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

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

Psalm-prayer

God, you are the source of all holiness. Though no one can see you and live, you give life most generously and in an even greater way restore it. Sanctify your priests through your life-giving Word and consecrate your people in his blood until our eyes see your face.

Ant. Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.

READING 1 Peter 4:8-11a

As generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God’s message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ.

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

RESPONSORY

From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord.

— From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord.

I will do what you desire;

— hear me, O Lord.

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

— From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies.

Luke 1:68-79

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us joyfully cry out in thanks to God the Father whose love guides and nourishes his people:

May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.

Most merciful Father, we praise you for your love,

— for you wondrously created us and even more wondrously restored us to grace.

May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.

At the beginning of this day fill our hearts with zeal for serving you,

— so that our thoughts and actions may redound to your glory.

May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.

Purify our hearts of every evil desire,

— make us intent on doing your will.

May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.

Open our hearts to the needs of all men,

— fill us with brotherly love.

May you be glorified, Lord, for all ages.

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 and ever-living God,

shine with the light of your radiance

on a people who live in the shadow of death.

Let the dawn from on high break upon us:

your Son 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.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 659

Complementary Psalmody: 1291 (Midmorning)

Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1075 (Midmorning)

Midmorning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using Complementary Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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

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

HYMN
New every morning is the love

our wakening and uprising prove;

through sleep and darkness safely brought,

restored to life and power and thought.

New mercies, each returning day,

hover around us while we pray;

new perils past, new sins forgiven,

new thoughts of God, new hopes above.

If on our daily course our mind

be set to hallow all we find,

new treasures still, of countless price,

God will provide for sacrifice.

Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,

as more of heaven in each we see;

some softening gleam of love and prayer

shall dawn on every cross and care.

The trivial round, the common task,

will furnish all we ought to ask:

room to deny ourselves; a road

to bring us daily nearer God.

Only, O Lord, in thy dear love,

fit us for perfect rest above;

and help us, this and every day,

to live more nearly as we pray.

𝄞"New Every Morning Is The Love" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score • Title: New every morning is the love; Words: John Keble, 1822; Music: Melcombe, Kedron; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office

PSALMODY

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

Psalm 120

Longing for peace

To the Lord in the hour of my distress

I call and he answers me.

“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips,

from the tongue of the deceitful.”

What shall he pay you in return,

O treacherous tongue?

The warrior’s arrows sharpened

and coals, red-hot, blazing.

Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech,

dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Long enough have I been dwelling

with those who hate peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak,

they are for fighting.

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

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

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

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

Psalm 121

Guardian of his people

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

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

from where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the Lord

who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!

Let him sleep not, your guard.

No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,

Israel’s guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;

at your right side he stands.

By day the sun shall not smite you

nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,

he will guard your soul.

The Lord will guard your going and coming

both now and for ever.

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

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

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

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

Psalm 122

The holy city, Jerusalem

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

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

Let us go to God’s house.

And now our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel’s law it is,

there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgment

of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“Peace be to your homes!

May peace reign in your walls,

in your palaces, peace!”

For love of my brethren and friends

I say: Peace upon you.

For love of the house of the Lord

I will ask for your good.

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

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

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

READING Wisdom 19:22

Every way, O Lord, you magnified and glorified your people;

unfailing, you stood by them in every time and circumstance.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

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

O God, what marvels you have done!

— You have shown your power to all the nations.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Lord,

in midmorning you gave your Holy Spirit

to the apostles gathered in prayer.

Give us a share in the life and love

that your Spirit brings.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 659

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1071 (Midday)

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 623

All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week III, 1035 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using the Current Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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

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

HYMN
Christ be near at either hand,

Christ behind, before me stand,

Christ with me where e’er I go,

Christ around, above, below.

Christ be in my heart and mind,

Christ within my soul enshrined,

Christ control my wayward heart;

Christ abide and ne’er depart.

Christ my life and only way,

Christ my lantern night and day,

Christ be my unchanging friend,

Guide and shepherd to the end.

𝄞"Christ Be Near At Either Hand" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Musical Score • Title: Christ Be Near At Either Hand; Text: Traditional Irish text (the Lorica of St. Patrick); Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 3

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Receive me, Lord, according to your promise, that I may live.

Psalm 119

XV (Samech)

I have no love for half-hearted men:

my love is for your law.

You are my shelter, my shield;

I hope in your word.

Leave me, you who do evil;

I will keep God’s command.

If you uphold me by your promise I shall live;

let my hopes not be in vain.

Sustain me and I shall be saved

and ever observe your commands.

You spurn all who swerve from your statutes;

their cunning is in vain.

You throw away the wicked like dross:

so I love your will.

I tremble before you in terror;

I fear your 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.

Psalm-prayer

Help us and we shall be saved, Lord God; leave us and we are doomed. May you remain with us always so that the fullness of life may be ours.

Ant. Receive me, Lord, according to your promise, that I may live.

Ant. 2 Help us, O God our Savior, and pardon all our sins.

Psalm 79

Lament for Jerusalem

If only you had known what would bring you peace (Luke 19:42).

O God, the nations have invaded our land,

they have profaned your holy temple.

They have made Jerusalem a heap of ruins.

They have handed over the bodies of your servants

as food to feed the birds of heaven

and the flesh of your faithful to the beasts of the earth.

They have poured out blood like water in Jerusalem;

no one is left to bury the dead.

We have become the taunt of our neighbors,

the mockery and scorn of those who surround us.

How long, O Lord? Will you be angry for ever,

how long will your anger burn like fire?

Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.

Let your compassion hasten to meet us;

we are left in the depths of distress.

O God our savior, come to our help,

come for the sake of the glory of your name.

O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;

rescue us for the sake of your name.

Why should the nations say:

“Where is their God?”

Let us see the nations around us repaid

with vengeance for the blood of your servants that was shed!

Let the groans of the prisoners come before you;

let your strong arm reprieve those condemned to die.

But we, your people, the flock of your pasture,

will give you thanks for ever and ever.

We will tell your praise from age to age.

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

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of your Church, in order to strengthen our faith and to lead us to the kingdom, you renewed and far surpassed the marvels of the old law. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures.

Ant. Help us, O God our Savior, and pardon all our sins.

Ant. 3 O God of power, look down from heaven and come to tend this vine.

Psalm 80

Lord, come to tend your vineyard

Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).

O shepherd of Israel, hear us,

you who lead Joseph’s flock,

shine forth from your cherubim throne

upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.

O Lord, rouse up your might,

O Lord, come to our help.

God of hosts, bring us back;

let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Lord God of hosts, how long

will you frown on your people’s plea?

You have fed them with tears for their bread,

an abundance of tears for their drink.

You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,

our enemies laugh us to scorn.

God of hosts, bring us back;

let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;

to plant it you drove out the nations.

Before it you cleared the ground;

it took root and spread through the land.

The mountains were covered with its shadow,

the cedars of God with its boughs.

It stretched out its branches to the sea,

to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.

Then why have you broken down its walls?

It is plucked by all who pass by.

It is ravaged by the boar of the forest,

devoured by the beasts of the field.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,

look down from heaven and see.

Visit this vine and protect it,

the vine your right hand has planted.

Men have burnt it with fire and destroyed it.

May they perish at the frown on your face.

May your hand be on the man you have chosen,

the man you have given your strength.

And we shall never forsake you again:

give us life that we may call upon your name.

God of hosts, bring us back;

let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

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

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, eternal Shepherd, you so tend the vineyard you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest coast. Look down on your Church and come to us. Help us to remain in your Son as branches on the vine that, planted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere.

Ant. O God of power, look down from heaven and come to tend this vine.

Reading Deuteronomy 4:7

What great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?

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

The Lord is close to all who call upon him.

— He will answer their prayers.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

All-powerful and ever-living God,

with you there is no darkness,

from you nothing is hidden.

Fill us with the radiance of your light:

may we understand the law you have given us

and live it with generosity and faith.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.