INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Lord, + open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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.”
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
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
This woman, who deserves our praise,
is honored for her worthy deeds;
renowned and strong in holiness,
she triumphs with angelic choirs.
With great devotion from the heart
and holding fast with constant faith,
she kept the fasts and watched in prayer,
beseeching God with fervent tears.
She spurned the glory of this world
and kept her mind untouched by sin;
attaining to all righteousness,
she passed beyond the starry heights.
So she who blest her home on earth,
adorning it with holy deeds,
now finds reward and lasting joy
in heaven’s home for evermore.
Praise to the Lord, the Three in One,
and as this woman prays for us,
may God unite us at our death
to heaven’s saints for evermore. Amen.
Tune: HEREFORD, 8 8 8 8
Music: Samuel Sebastian Wesley, 1810-1876
or Mode II, melody 48; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Hæc femina laudabilis, ca. 15th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Show me your mercy, Lord, and keep me safe.
Psalm 6
A suffering man cries to God for mercy
I am filled with dismay . . . Father, save me from this hour (John 12:27).
Lord, do not reprove me in your anger: *
punish me not in your rage.
Have mercy on me, Lord, I have no strength; †
Lord, heal me, my body is racked; *
my soul is racked with pain.
But you, O Lord . . . how long? *
Return, Lord, rescue my soul.
Save me in your merciful love; †
for in death no one remembers you; *
from the grave, who can give you praise?
I am exhausted with my groaning; *
every night I drench my pillow with tears;
I bedew my bed with weeping. †
My eye wastes away with grief; *
I have grown old surrounded by my foes.
Leave me, all you who do evil; *
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my plea; *
the Lord will accept my prayer.
All my foes will retire in confusion, *
foiled and suddenly confounded.
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, you love mercy and tenderness; you give life and overcome death. Look upon the many wounds of your Church; restore it to health by your risen Son, so that it may sing a new song in your praise.
Ant. Show me your mercy, Lord, and keep me safe.
Ant. 2 The poor are not alone in their distress; God is here to help them.
Psalm 9A
Thanksgiving for victory
You will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I
I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; *
I will recount all your wonders.
I will rejoice in you and be glad, *
and sing psalms to your name, O Most High.
See how my enemies turn back, *
how they stumble and perish before you.
You upheld the justice of my cause; *
you sat enthroned, judging with justice.
You have checked the nations, destroyed the wicked; *
you have wiped out their name for ever and ever.
The foe is destroyed, eternally ruined. *
You uprooted their cities; their memory has perished.
But the Lord sits enthroned for ever. *
He has set up his throne for judgment;
he will judge the world with justice, *
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
For the oppressed let the Lord be a stronghold, *
a stronghold in times of distress.
Those who know your name will trust you; *
you will never forsake those who seek you.
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 poor are not alone in their distress. God is here to help them.
Ant. 3 I will be the herald of your praises, Lord, where the people of Zion gather.
II
Sing psalms to the Lord who dwells in Zion. *
Proclaim his mighty works among the peoples,
for the Avenger of blood has remembered them, *
has not forgotten the cry of the poor.
Have pity on me, Lord, see my sufferings, *
you who save me from the gates of death;
that I may recount all your praise †
at the gates of the city of Zion *
and rejoice in your saving help.
The nations have fallen in the pit which they made, *
their feet caught in the snare they laid.
The Lord has revealed himself, and given judgment. *
The wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
Let the wicked go down among the dead, *
all the nations forgetful of God.
For the needy shall not always be forgotten *
nor the hopes of the poor be in vain.
Arise, Lord, let men not prevail! *
Let the nations be judged before you.
Lord, strike them with terror, *
let the nations know they are but men.
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, when you judge, do not be deaf to the shouts of the poor, bring havoc to the madness of oppressors. Look at our wounds and save us from the gates of death, so that we may always rejoice in your help and speak your praise in the gates of Zion.
Ant. I will be the herald of your praises, Lord, where the people of Zion gather.
Give me insight, Lord, to know your will.
— Then I will cherish it with all my heart.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Joel
4:1-3, 9-21
The last judgment; thereafter eternal happiness
Thus says the Lord:
Yes, in those days, and at that time,
when I would restore the fortunes of Judah and Jerusalem,
I will assemble all the nations
and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat,
And I will enter into judgment with them there
on behalf of my people and my inheritance, Israel;
Because they have scattered them among the nations,
and divided my land.
Over my people they have cast lots;
they gave a boy for a harlot,
and sold a girl for the wine they drank.
Declare this among the nations:
proclaim a war,
rouse the warriors to arms!
Let all the soldiers
report and march!
Beat your plowshares into swords,
and your pruning hooks into spears;
let the weak man say, “I am a warrior!”
Hasten and come, all you neighboring peoples,
assemble there!
[Bring down, O Lord, your warriors!]
Let the nations bestir themselves and come up
to the Valley of Jehoshaphat;
For there I will sit in judgment
upon all the neighboring nations.
Apply the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe;
Come and tread,
for the wine press is full;
The vats overflow,
for great is their malice.
Crowd upon crowd
in the valley of decision;
For near is the day of the Lord
in the valley of decision.
Sun and moon are darkened,
and the stars withhold their brightness.
The Lord roars from Zion,
and from Jerusalem raises his voice;
The heavens and the earth quake,
but the Lord is a refuge to his people,
a stronghold to the men of Israel.
Then shall you know that I, the Lord, am your God,
dwelling on Zion, my holy mountain;
Jerusalem shall be holy,
and strangers shall pass through her no more.
And then, on that day,
the mountains shall drip new wine,
and the hills shall flow with milk;
And the channels of Judah
shall flow with water:
A fountain shall issue from the house of the Lord,
to water the Valley of Shittim.
Egypt shall be a waste,
and Edom a desert waste,
Because of violence done to the people of Judah,
because they shed innocent blood in their land.
But Judah shall abide forever,
and Jerusalem for all generations.
I will avenge their blood,
and not leave it unpunished.
The Lord dwells in Zion.
RESPONSORY
Joel 4:18; Revelation 22:17, 1
The mountains shall run with sweet wine,
and all the riverbeds of Judah shall flow with water.
A fountain shall spring from the house of the Lord.
— If anyone is thirsty, come forward
and receive the water of life,
freely given to all who desire it.
The angel showed me the river and water of life,
bright as crystal,
which flowed from the throne of God and of the Lamb.
— If anyone is thirsty, come forward
and receive the water of life,
freely given to all who desire it.
SECOND READING
From a letter of Conrad of Marburg, spiritual director of Saint Elizabeth
(Ad pontificem anno 1232: A. Wyss, Hessisches Urkundenbuch I, Leipzig 1879, 31-35)
Elizabeth recognized and loved Christ in the poor
From this time onward Elizabeth’s goodness greatly increased. She was a lifelong friend of the poor and gave herself entirely to relieving the hungry. She ordered that one of her castles should be converted into a hospital in which she gathered many of the weak and feeble. She generously gave alms to all who were in need, not only in that place but in all the territories of her husband’s empire. She spent all her own revenue from her husband’s four principalities, and finally she sold her luxurious possessions and rich clothes for the sake of the poor.
Twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, Elizabeth went to visit the sick. She personally cared for those who were particularly repulsive; to some she gave food, to others clothing; some she carried on her own shoulders, and performed many other kindly services. Her husband, of happy memory, gladly approved of these charitable works. Finally, when her husband died, she sought the highest perfection; filled with tears, she implored me to let her beg for alms from door to door.
On Good Friday of that year, when the altars had been stripped, she laid her hands on the altar in a chapel in her own town, where she had established the Friars Minor, and before witnesses she voluntarily renounced all worldly display and everything that our Savior in the gospel advises us to abandon. Even then she saw that she could still be distracted by the cares and worldly glory which had surrounded her while her husband was alive. Against my will she followed me to Marburg. Here in the town she built a hospice where she gathered together the weak and the feeble. There she attended the most wretched and contemptible at her own table.
Apart from those active good works, I declare before God that I have seldom seen a more contemplative woman. When she was coming from private prayer, some religious men and women often saw her face shining marvelously and light coming from her eyes like the rays of the sun.
Before her death I heard her confession. When I asked what should be done about her goods and possessions, she replied that anything which seemed to be hers belonged to the poor. She asked me to distribute everything except one worn out dress in which she wished to be buried. When all this had been decided, she received the body of our Lord. Afterward, until vespers, she spoke often of the holiest things she had heard in sermons. Then, she devoutly commended to God all who were sitting near her, and as if falling into a gentle sleep, she died.
RESPONSORY
Judith 15:11; Acts 10:4
You acted bravely, and your heart has been strengthened because you loved chastity.
— Your name will be praised for ever.
Your prayers and generosity have been accepted in God’s sight,
and because of them he has remembered you.
— Your name will be praised for ever.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father,
you helped Elizabeth of Hungary
to recognize and honor Christ
in the poor of this world.
Let her prayers help us to serve our brothers and sisters
in time of trouble and need.
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.
Or:
O God, by whose gift Saint Elizabeth of Hungary
recognized and revered Christ in the poor,
grant, through her intercession,
that we may serve with unfailing charity
the needy and those afflicted.
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.
******
Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering God’s temple
The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. †
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Elizabeth.