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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
The antiphon is repeated.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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
O Jesus, wondrous King and Lord,
triumphant, noble conqueror,
O sweetness far surpassing words,
delight beyond the heart’s desire,
O King of glory, King of pow’r,
and noble King of victory,
O Jesus, who bestow all grace,
O Honor of the heav’nly court:
The choirs of heav’n acclaim your name,
repeat and multiply your praise.
Christ Jesus makes the world rejoice,
restoring us to peace with God.
Now Jesus reigns in perfect peace,
surpassing all the mind can know:
this peace the heart for ever seeks
and runs with longing to enjoy.
So let us follow Jesus now
with hymns of praise and humble prayer,
that he may grant us to rejoice,
enthroned with him in heaven’s courts.
O Flow’r of Virgin Mother pure,
O Love that brings us sweetest joy,
O Jesus, endless praise to you,
O Kingdom of all blessedness. Amen.
Tune: GALILEE, 8 8 8 8
Music: Philip Armes, 1836-1908
or Mode D, melody 125; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Iesu, rex admirabilis, 12 -13th c., attributed to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist., 1090-1153, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I have been made king upon Zion, his holy mountain, to proclaim his teaching.
Psalm 2
The Messiah, king and conqueror
The rulers of the earth joined forces to overthrow Jesus, your anointed Son (Acts 4:27).
Why this tumult among nations, *
among peoples this useless murmuring?
They arise, the kings of the earth, *
princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.
“Come let us break their fetters, *
come, let us cast off their yoke.”
He who sits in the heavens laughs; *
the Lord is laughing them to scorn.
Then he will speak in his anger, *
his rage will strike them with terror.
“It is I who have set up my king *
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will announce the decree of the Lord: *
The Lord said to me: “You are my Son. *
It is I who have begotten you this day.
Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations, *
put the ends of the earth in your possession.
With a rod of iron you will break them, *
shatter them like a potter’s jar.”
Now, O kings, understand, *
take warning, rulers of the earth;
serve the Lord with awe *
and trembling, pay him your homage
lest he be angry and you perish; *
for suddenly his anger will blaze.
Blessed are they who put their trust in 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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord God, you gave the peoples of the world to be the inheritance of your only Son; you crowned him as King of Zion, your holy city, and gave him your Church to be his Bride. As he proclaims the law of your eternal kingdom, may we serve him faithfully, and so share his royal power forever.
Ant. I have been made king upon Zion, his holy mountain, to proclaim his teaching.
Ant. 2 All the kings of the earth will worship him; all nations will serve him.
Psalm 72
The Messiah’s royal power
Opening their treasures, they offered him gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).
I
O God, give your judgment to the king, *
to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice *
and your poor in right judgment.
May the mountains bring forth peace for the people *
and the hills, justice.
May he defend the poor of the people †
and save the children of the needy *
and crush the oppressor.
He shall endure like the sun and the moon *
from age to age.
He shall descend like rain on the meadow, *
like raindrops on the earth.
In his days justice shall flourish *
and peace till the moon fails.
He shall rule from sea to sea, *
from the Great River to earth’s bounds.
Before him his enemies shall fall, *
his foes lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and the sea coasts *
shall pay him tribute.
The kings of Sheba and Seba *
shall bring him gifts.
Before him all kings shall fall prostrate, *
all nations shall serve 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. All the kings of the earth will worship him; all nations will serve him.
Ant. 3 All the tribes of the earth will be blessed in him; all nations will glorify him.
II
For he shall save the poor when they cry *
and the needy who are helpless.
He will have pity on the weak *
and save the lives of the poor.
From oppression he will rescue their lives, *
to him their blood is dear.
Long may he live, *
may the gold of Sheba be given him.
They shall pray for him without ceasing *
and bless him all the day.
May corn be abundant in the land *
to the peaks of the mountains.
May its fruit rustle like Lebanon; †
may men flourish in the cities *
like grass on the earth.
May his name be blessed for ever *
and endure like the sun.
Every tribe shall be blessed in him, *
all nations bless his name.
Blessed be the Lord, God of Israel, *
who alone works wonders,
ever blessed his glorious name. *
Let his glory fill the earth.
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
We call upon your name, Father, and pronounce it blessed above the earth. Give your people the fullness of peace and justice in your kingdom.
Ant. All the tribes of the earth will be blessed in him; all nations will glorify him.
See I have made you a light to all the nations.
— You will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of Revelation
1:4b-6, 10, 12-18; 2:26, 28; 3:5, 12, 20-21
A vision of the Son of Man in his majesty
Grace and peace—from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead and ruler of the kings of earth. To him who loves us and freed us from our sins by his own blood, who has made us a royal nation of priests in the service of his God and Father—to him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
On the Lord’s day I was caught up in ecstasy, and I heard behind me a piercing voice like the sound of a trumpet, which said, “Write on a scroll what you now see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.” I turned around to see whose voice it was that spoke to me. When I did so I saw seven lampstands of gold, and among the lampstands One like a Son of Man wearing an ankle-length robe, with a sash of gold about his breast. The hair of his head was as white as snow-white wool and his eyes blazed like fire. His feet gleamed like polished brass refined in a furnace, and his voice sounded like the roar of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars. A sharp, two-edged sword came out of his mouth, and his face shone like the sun at its brightest.
When I caught sight of him I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said: “There is nothing to fear. I am the First and the Last and the One who lives. Once I was dead but now I live—forever and ever. I hold the keys of death and the nether world.
“To the one who wins the victory, who keeps to my ways till the end, I will give authority over the nations—the same authority I received from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. I will never erase his name from the book of the living, but will acknowledge him in the presence of my Father and his angels.
“I will make the victor a pillar in the temple of my God and he shall never leave it. I will inscribe on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem which he will send down from heaven, and my own name which is new.
“Here I stand, knocking at the door. If anyone hears me calling and opens the door, I will enter his house and have supper with him, and he with me. I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself won the victory and took my seat beside my Father on his throne.”
RESPONSORY
Mark 13:26-27; Psalm 98:9
They will see the Son of Man
coming in the clouds of heaven
with great power and majesty;
then he will send out the angels,
— and he will gather his chosen from the four winds,
from the ends of the earth to the farthest bounds of heaven.
He will judge the world with justice and the peoples with truth.
— And he will gather his chosen from the four winds,
from the ends of the earth to the farthest bounds of heaven.
SECOND READING
From a notebook On Prayer by Origen, priest
(Cap. 25: PG 11, 495-499)
Your kingdom come
The kingdom of God, in the words of our Lord and Savior, does not come for all to see; nor shall they say: Behold, here it is, or behold, there it is; but the kingdom of God is within us, for the word of God is very near, in our mouth and in our heart. Thus it is clear that he who prays for the coming of God’s kingdom prays rightly to have it within himself, that there it might grow and bear fruit and become perfect. For God reigns in each of his holy ones. Anyone who is holy obeys the spiritual laws of God, who dwells in him as in a well-ordered city. The Father is present in the perfect soul, and with him Christ reigns, according to the words: We shall come to him and make our home with him.
Thus the kingdom of God within us, as we continue to make progress, will reach its highest point when the Apostle’s words are fulfilled, and Christ, having subjected all his enemies to himself, will hand over his kingdom to God the Father, that God may be all in all. Therefore, let us pray unceasingly with that disposition of soul which the Word may make divine, saying to our Father who is in heaven: Hallowed be your name; your kingdom come.
Note this too about the kingdom of God. It is not a sharing of justice with iniquity, nor a society of light with darkness, nor a meeting of Christ with Belial. The kingdom of God cannot exist alongside the reign of sin.
Therefore, if we wish God to reign in us, in no way should sin reign in our mortal body; rather we should mortify our members which are upon the earth and bear fruit in the Spirit. There should be in us a kind of spiritual paradise where God may walk and be our sole ruler with his Christ. In us the Lord will sit at the right hand of that spiritual power which we wish to receive. And he will sit there until all his enemies who are within us become his footstool, and every principality, power and virtue in us is cast out.
All this can happen in each one of us, and the last enemy, death, can be destroyed; then Christ will say in us: O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory? And so what is corruptible in us must be clothed with holiness and incorruptibility; and what is mortal must be clothed, now that death has been conquered, in the Father’s immortality. Then God will reign in us, and we shall enjoy even now the blessings of rebirth and resurrection.
RESPONSORY
Revelation 11:15; Psalm 22:28-29
The kingdom of this world belongs to our Lord and his Christ,
— and he shall reign for ever and ever.
All the families of nations shall bow down before him,
for the Lord is our king.
— And he shall reign for ever and ever.
Those who wish to extend the celebration of the vigil of Sunday, according to tradition, first celebrate the Office of Readings. After both readings and before the Te Deum, they may add canticles and a gospel reading. Afterward the Te Deum is sung, the prayer is said, and the hour is concluded as in the Ordinary.
TE DEUM
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
℣. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
℟. Govern and uphold them now and always.
℣. Day by day we bless you.
℟. We praise your name for ever.
℣. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
℟. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
℣. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
℟. for we put our trust in you.
℣. In you, Lord, is our hope:
℟. and we shall never hope in vain.
The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Almighty and merciful God,
you break the power of evil
and make all things new in your Son Jesus Christ, the King of the universe.
May all in heaven and earth proclaim your glory
and never cease to praise you.
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:
Almighty ever-living God,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of the universe,
grant, we pray,
that the whole creation, set free from slavery,
may render your majesty service
and ceaselessly proclaim your praise.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come let us worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come let us worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come let us worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come let us worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come let us worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come let us worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come let us worship Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
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 Jesus Christ, the King of kings.
Hail, Redeemer, King divine!
Priest and Lamb, the throne is thine;
King whose reign shall never cease,
Prince of everlasting peace
Refrain Angels, saints, and nations sing:
“Praise be Jesus Christ, our King;
Lord of earth and sky and sea,
King of love on Calvary.”
Christ, thou King of truth and might,
Be to us eternal light,
Till in peace each nation rings
With thy praises, King of kings.
Refrain Angels, saints, and nations sing:
“Praise be Jesus Christ, our King;
Lord of earth and sky and sea,
King of love on Calvary.”
Tune: Hail Redeemer 77.77 with Refrain
Music: Charles Rigby, 1902-1962
Text: P. Brennan, C.SS.R., alt.
CANTICLES
Ant. Yours is the power and the kingdom, O Lord, you rule over all nations; grant us peace in our days.
Canticle I: 1 Chronicles 29:10-13
Blessed are you, O Lord
Soon you will see the Son of Main seated at the right hand of the Power of God (Matthew 26:64).
Blessed may you be, O Lord, †
God of Israel our father, *
from eternity to eternity.
Yours, O Lord, are grandeur and power, *
majesty, splendor, and glory.
For all in heaven and on earth is yours; †
yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty; *
you are exalted as head over all.
Riches and honor are from you, *
and you have dominion over all.
In your hand are power and might; *
it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.
Therefore, our God, we give you thanks *
and we praise the majesty of your name.
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.
Canticle II: Isaiah 12:1-6
I will sing your praises, O Lord
He showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Revelation 22:1).
I give you thanks, O Lord; †
though you have been angry with me, *
your anger has abated, and you have consoled me.
God indeed is my savior; *
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the Lord, *
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water *
at the fountain of salvation, and say on that day:
Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name; †
among the nations make known his deeds, *
proclaim how exalted is his name.
Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement; *
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, †
for great in your midst *
is the Holy One of 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.
Canticle III: Isaiah 61:10-62:5
With joy I will rejoice
His clothes became as white as snow . . . suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them (Matthew 17:2, 5).
I rejoice heartily in the Lord, *
in my God is the joy of my soul;
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, *
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem, *
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
As the earth brings forth its plants, *
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
So will the Lord God make justice and praise *
spring up before all the nations.
For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, *
for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,
Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn *
and her victory like a burning torch.
Nations shall behold your vindication, *
and all kings your glory;
You shall be called by a new name *
pronounced by the mouth of the Lord
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord, *
a royal diadem held by your God.
No more shall men call you “Forsaken,” *
or your land “Desolate,”
But you shall be called “My Delight,” *
and your land “Espoused.”
For the Lord delights in you, *
and makes your land his spouse.
As a young man marries a virgin, *
your Builder shall marry you;
And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride *
so shall your God rejoice in 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. Yours is the power and the kingdom, O Lord, you rule over all nations; grant us peace in our days.
THE HOLY GOSPEL
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
25:31-46
The Son of Man will sit upon his glorious throne and he will separate them one from another
Jesus said to his disciples:
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him,
he will sit upon his glorious throne,
and all the nations will be assembled before him.
And he will separate them one from another,
as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
Then the king will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father.
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
For I was hungry and you gave me food,
I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
a stranger and you welcomed me,
naked and you clothed me,
ill and you cared for me,
in prison and you visited me.’
Then the righteous will answer him and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,
or thirsty and give you drink?
When did we see you a stranger and welcome you,
or naked and clothe you?
When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’
And the king will say to them in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did
for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’
Then he will say to those on his left,
‘Depart from me, you accursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was hungry and you gave me no food,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
a stranger and you gave me no welcome,
naked and you gave me no clothing,
ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
Then they will answer and say,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty
or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison,
and not minister to your needs?’
He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you,
what you did not do for one of these least ones,
you did not do for me.’
And these will go off to eternal punishment,
but the righteous to eternal life.”
Or:
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
23:35-43
Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom
The rulers sneered at Jesus and said,
“He saved others, let him save himself
if he is the chosen one, the Messiah of God.”
Even the soldiers jeered at him.
As they approached to offer him wine they called out,
“If you are King of the Jews, save yourself.”
Above him there was an inscription that read,
“This is the King of the Jews.”
Now one of the criminals hanging there reviled Jesus, saying,
“Are you not the Christ?
Save yourself and us.”
He other, however, rebuking him, said in reply,
“Have you no fear of God,
for you are subject to the same condemnation?
And indeed, we have been condemned justly,
for the sentence we received corresponds to our crimes,
but this man has done nothing criminal.”
Then he said,
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
He replied to him,
“Amen, I say to you,
today you will be with me in Paradise.”
A homily on the Gospel may be given
Te Deum