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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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
During the night or at dawn:
Sublime Creator of all things,
our Lord and ruler, turn your gaze;
deliver us, immersed in sleep,
from harmful dreams and indolence.
O holy Christ, we beg of you:
Forgive us all our sinful deeds;
we break the silent hours of night
and rise to give you thanks and praise.
We lift our hearts and hands in prayer
and keep our vigil through the night,
as David in the Psalms prescribed
and Paul made known in word and deed.
You see the evil we have done;
we lay before you hidden faults
and pour forth prayers with sighs and tears:
Forgive us, Lord, for we have sinned.
O Christ, to you, most loving King,
and to the Father glory be,
one with the Spirit Paraclete,
from age to age for evermore. Amen.
Tune: ALFRETON, 8 8 8 8
Music: from the Supplement to the New Version of the Psalms, 1708
or Mode IV, melody 67; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Rerum creator optime, 6-7th c., © 2023 ICEL
During the day:
We offer you exultant praise,
all-wise, all-knowing Lord our God,
who see our inmost mind and heart
and by your grace sustain our life.
Good Shepherd, as you tend your flocks,
you also seek the sheep that stray;
unite us to your faithful fold
in pastures filled with richest food,
Lest terror at the judge’s ire
should join us to the wicked goats;
but by your judgment may we be
the sheep of your eternal fold.
To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
all vict’ry, honor, pow’r, and praise,
Redeemer reigning over all
from age to age for evermore. Amen.
Tune: As above
Text: Scientiarum Domino, 13-14th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I love you Lord; you are my strength.
Psalm 18:2-30
Thanksgiving for salvation and victory
At that time there was a violent earthquake (Revelation 11:15).
I
I love you, Lord, my strength, *
my rock, my fortress, my savior.
My God is the rock where I take refuge; *
my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise: *
when I call I am saved from my foes.
The waves of death rose about me; *
the torrents of destruction assailed me;
the snares of the grave entangled me; *
the traps of death confronted me.
In my anguish I called to the Lord; *
I cried to God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice; *
my cry came to his ears.
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 love you Lord; you are my strength.
Ant. 2 The Lord has saved me; he wanted me for his own.
II
Then the earth reeled and rocked; *
the mountains were shaken to their base:
they reeled at his terrible anger. *
Smoke came forth from his nostrils
and scorching fire from his mouth: *
coals were set ablaze by its heat.
He lowered the heavens and came down, *
a black cloud under his feet.
He came enthroned on the cherubim, *
he flew on the wings of the wind.
He made the darkness his covering, *
the dark waters of the clouds, his tent.
A brightness shone out before him *
with hailstones and flashes of fire.
The Lord thundered in the heavens; *
The Most High let his voice be heard.
He shot his arrows, scattered the foe, *
flashed his lightnings and put them to flight.
The bed of the ocean was revealed; *
the foundations of the world were laid bare
at the thunder of your threat, O Lord, *
at the blast of the breath of your anger.
From on high he reached down and seized me; *
he drew me forth from the mighty waters.
He snatched me from my powerful foe, *
from my enemies whose strength I could not match.
They assailed me in the day of my misfortune, *
but the Lord was my support.
He brought me forth into freedom, *
he saved me because he loved 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.
Ant. The Lord has saved me; he wanted me for his own.
Ant. 3 Lord, kindle a light for my guidance and scatter my darkness.
III
He rewarded me because I was just. *
repaid me, for my hands were clean,
for I have kept the way of the Lord *
and have not fallen away from my God.
For his judgments are all before me: *
I have never neglected his commands.
I have always been upright before him; *
I have kept myself from guilt.
He repaid me because I was just *
and my hands were clean in his eyes.
You are loving with those who love you: *
you show yourself perfect with the perfect.
With the sincere you show yourself sincere, *
but the cunning you outdo in cunning.
For you save a humble people *
but humble the eyes that are proud.
You, O Lord, are my lamp, *
my God who lightens my darkness.
With you I can break through any barrier, *
with my God I can scale any wall.
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, our strength and salvation, put in us the flame of your love and make our love for you grow to a perfect love which reaches to our neighbor.
Ant. Lord, kindle a light for my guidance and scatter my darkness.
All wondered at the words of grace.
— Which came from the mouth of the Lord.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Zechariah
10:3—11:3
Israel’s deliverance and restoration
Thus says the Lord:
My wrath is kindled against the shepherds,
and I will punish the leaders;
For the Lord of hosts will visit his flock,
the house of Judah,
and make them his stately war horse.
From him shall come leader and chief,
from him warrior’s bow and every officer.
They shall all be warriors,
trampling the mire of the streets in battle;
They shall wage war because the Lord is with them,
and shall put the horsemen to rout.
I will strengthen the house of Judah,
the house of Joseph I will save;
I will bring them back, because I have mercy on them,
they shall be as though I had never cast them off,
for I am the Lord, their God, and I will hear them.
Then Ephraim shall be valiant men,
and their hearts shall be cheered as by wine.
Their children shall see it and be glad,
their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.
I will whistle for them to come together,
and when I redeem them
they will be as numerous as before.
I sowed them among the nations,
yet in distant lands they remember me;
they shall rear their children and return.
I will bring them back from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria.
I will bring them into Gilead and into Lebanon,
but these shall not suffice them;
I will cross over to Egypt
and smite the waves of the sea
and all the depths of the Nile shall be dried up.
The pride of Assyria shall be cast down,
and the scepter of Egypt taken away.
I will strengthen them in the Lord,
and they shall walk in his name, says the Lord.
Open your doors, O Lebanon,
that the fire may devour your cedars!
Wail, you cypress trees,
for the cedars are fallen,
the mighty have been despoiled.
Wail, you oaks of Bashan,
for the impenetrable forest is cut down!
Hark! the wailing of the shepherds,
their glory has been ruined.
Hark! the roaring of the young lions,
the jungle of the Jordan is laid waste.
RESPONSORY
Zechariah 10:6, 7; Isaiah 28:5
I shall restore them because I have compassion on them,
for I am the Lord their God.
— Their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.
On that day, the Lord of hosts shall be a crown of glory,
a brilliant diadem for the remnant of the people.
— Their hearts shall rejoice in the Lord.
SECOND READING
From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop
(Sermo 21,1-4:CCL 41, 276-278)
The heart of the just man will rejoice in the Lord
The just man will rejoice in the Lord and put his hope in him; the hearts of all good men will be filled with joy. We must surely have sung these words with our hearts as well as with our voices. Indeed, the tongue of the Christian expresses his deepest feelings when it addresses such words to God. The just man will rejoice, not in the world, but in the Lord. Light has dawned for the just, Scripture says in another place, and joy for the upright of heart. Were you wondering what reason he has for joy? Here you are told: The just man will rejoice in the Lord. Another text runs: Delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
What are we instructed to do then, and what are we enabled to do? To rejoice in the Lord. But who can rejoice in something he does not see? Am I suggesting that we see the Lord then? No, but we have been promised that we shall see him. Now, as long as we are in the body, we walk by faith, for we are absent from the Lord. We walk by faith, and not by sight. When will it be by sight? Beloved, says John, we are now the sons of God; what we shall be has not yet been revealed, but we know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. When this prophecy is fulfilled, then it will be by sight.
That will be the great joy, the supreme joy, joy in all its fullness. Then we shall no longer drink the milk of hope, but we shall feed on the reality itself. Nevertheless, even now, before that vision comes to us, or before we come to that vision, let us rejoice in the Lord; for it is no small reason for rejoicing to have a hope that will some day be fulfilled.
Therefore, since the hope we now have inspires love, the just man rejoices, Scripture says, in the Lord; but because he does not yet see, it immediately goes on to say, and hopes in him.
Yet already we have the firstfruits of the Spirit, and have we not also other reasons for rejoicing? For we are drawing near to the one we love, and not only are we drawing near—we even have some slight feeling and taste of the banquet we shall one day eagerly eat and drink.
But how can we rejoice in the Lord if he is far from us? Pray God he may not be far. If he is, that is your doing. Love, and he will draw near; love, and he will dwell within you. The Lord is at hand; have no anxiety. Are you puzzled to know how it is that he will be with you if you love? God is love.
“What do you mean by love?” you will ask me. It is that which enables us to be loving. What do we love? A good that words cannot describe, a good that is for ever giving, a good that is the Creator of all good. Delight in him from whom you have received everything that delights you. But in that I do not include sin, for sin is the one thing that you do not receive from him. With that one exception, everything you have comes from him.
RESPONSORY
The unseen God lies hidden from you;
if you wish to see God,
believe in him though you cannot see him.
— Walk on in faith
and you shall some day see his face.
If faith has not consoled you along the path of life.
you will never enjoy the blessed privilege of seeing him in his kingdom.
— Walk on in faith
and you shall some day see his face.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father of all that is good,
keep us faithful in serving you,
for to serve you is our lasting joy.
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:
Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God,
the constant gladness of being devoted to you,
for it is full and lasting happiness
to serve with constancy
the author of all that is good.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship before the Lord, our maker.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship before the Lord, our maker.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship before the Lord, our maker.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship before the Lord, our maker.
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 before the Lord, our maker.
God, whose almighty word
Chaos and darkness heard
And took their flight:
Hear us, we humbly pray,
And where the Gospel day
Sheds not its glorious ray
Let there be light!
Savior, who came to bring,
On your redeeming wing,
Healing and sight—
Health to the sick in mind,
Sight to the inly blind—
O now to all mankind
Let there be light!
Spirit of truth and love,
Life-giving, holy dove,
Speed on your flight;
Move on the waters’ face,
Bearing the lamp of grace,
And in earth’s darkest place
Let there be light!
Holy and blessed Three,
Glorious Trinity,
Wisdom, Love, Might,
Boundless as ocean-tide
Rolling in fullest pride,
Through the world, far and wide
Let there be light!
Tune: Moscow 664.6664
Music: Felice De Giardini, 1716-1796
Text: John Marriott, 1780-1825, adapted by Anthony G. Petti