In those places where this Memorial is observed as a Solemnity or Feast, please use the texts found in the Common of Pastors: For a Priest with the proper texts below.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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
Christ, Prince of Pastors, Head and sov’reign ruler
your joyful people long with all devotion
to laud this Pastor, off’ring him due praises
with hymns and anthems.
Chosen to serve you, sharing in your priesthood,
you gave this Pastor to your holy people,
that he might guide them as a faithful leader
and a good father.
Shepherd and pattern for the flock he tended,
light bringing comfort to the blind and wretched,
provident father, in all things becoming
all things to others.
Christ, Lord in heaven, crowning saints for merit,
grant us to follow in this Pastor’s footsteps
with lives of goodness and attain hereafter
like crowns of glory.
Let equal praises honor God the Father
and you our Savior, loving King eternal;
through all creation, let the Spirit’s glory
echo for ever. Amen.
Tune: ISTE CONFESSOR (ROUEN/POITIERS) 11 11 11 5
Music: Poitiers Antiphoner, 1746
or Mode III, melody 58; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Christe, pastorum caput atque princeps, ca. 12th c. © 2023 ICEL.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 None but the Lord has done such marvels; his love endures for ever.
Psalm 136
Paschal Hymn
We praise God by recalling his marvelous deeds (Cassiodorus).
I
O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, *
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods *
for his love endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, *
for his love endures for ever;
who alone has wrought marvelous works, *
for his love endures for ever;
whose wisdom it was made the skies, *
for his love endures for ever;
who fixed the earth firmly on the seas, *
for his love endures for ever.
It was he who made the great lights, *
for his love endures for ever,
the sun to rule in the day, *
for his love endures for ever,
the moon and the stars in the night, *
for his love endures 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. None but the Lord has done such marvels; his love endures for ever.
Ant. 2 He brought Israel out of Egypt with powerful hand and arm outstretched.
II
The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, *
for his love endures for ever.
He brought Israel out from their midst, *
for his love endures for ever;
arm outstretched, with power in his hand, *
for his love endures for ever.
He divided the Red Sea in two, *
for his love endures for ever;
he made Israel pass through the midst, *
for his love endures for ever;
he flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea, *
for his love endures 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. He brought Israel out of Egypt with powerful hand and arm outstretched.
Ant. 3 Give praise to the God of heaven; he has ransomed us from our enemies.
III
Through the desert his people he led, *
for his love endures for ever.
Nations in their greatness he struck, *
for his love endures for ever.
Kings in their splendor he slew, *
for his love endures for ever.
Sihon, king of the Amorites, *
for his love endures for ever,
and Og, the king of Bashan, *
for his love endures for ever.
He let Israel inherit their land, *
for his love endures for ever.
On his servant their land he bestowed, *
for his love endures for ever.
He remembered us in our distress, *
for his love endures for ever.
And he snatched us away from our foes, *
for his love endures for ever.
He gives food to all living things, *
for his love endures for ever.
To the God of heaven give thanks, *
for his love endures 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.
Psalm Prayer
Almighty God, remember our lowliness and have mercy. Once you gave our fathers a foreign land to inherit. Free us today from sin and give us a share in your inheritance.
Ant. Give praise to the God of heaven; he has ransomed us from our enemies.
Lord, show me your ways.
— Teach me to walk in your footsteps.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Hosea
6:1—7:2
The emptiness of an insincere conversion
Thus says the Lord:
In their affliction, they shall look for me:
“Come, let us return to the Lord,
For it is he who has rent, but he will heal us;
he has struck us, but he will bind our wounds.
He will revive us after two days;
on the third day he will raise us up,
to live in his presence.
Let us know, let us strive to know the Lord;
as certain as the dawn is his coming,
and his judgment shines forth like the light of day!
He will come to us like the rain,
like spring rain that waters the earth.”
What can I do with you, Ephraim?
What can I do with you, Judah?
Your piety is like a morning cloud,
like the dew that early passes away.
For this reason I smote them through the prophets,
I slew them by the words of my mouth;
For it is love that I desire, not sacrifice,
and knowledge of God rather than holocausts.
But they, in their land,
violated the covenant; there they were untrue to me.
Gilead is a city of evildoers,
tracked with blood.
As brigands ambush a man,
a band of priests slay on the way to Shechem,
committing monstrous crime.
In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing:
there harlotry is found in Ephraim,
Israel is defiled.
For you also, O Judah,
a harvest has been appointed.
When I would bring about the restoration of my people,
when I would heal Israel,
The guilt of Ephraim stands out,
the wickedness of Samaria;
They practice falsehood,
thieves break in, bandits plunder abroad.
Yet they do not remind themselves
that I remember all their wickedness.
Even now their crimes surround them,
present to my sight.
RESPONSORY
Matthew 9:13; Hosea 6:6, 4
Go and learn the meaning of these words:
— I want a loving heart more than sacrifice,
knowledge of my ways more than holocausts.
Your love is like the morning cloud,
the dew that swiftly fades away.
— I want a loving heart more than sacrifice,
knowledge of my ways more than holocausts.
SECOND READING
From various writings on the history of the Order of Preachers
(Libellus de principiis O.P: Acta canonizationis sancti Dominici: Monumenta O.P. Mist. 16, Romae 1935, pp. 30 ss, 146-147)
He spoke with God or about God
Dominic possessed such great integrity and was so strongly motivated by divine love, that without a doubt he proved to be a bearer of honor and grace. He was a man of great equanimity, except when moved to compassion and mercy. And since a joyful heart animates the face, he displayed the peaceful composure of a spiritual man in the kindness he manifested outwardly and by the cheerfulness of his countenance.
Wherever he went he showed himself in word and deed to be a man of the Gospel. During the day no one was more community-minded or pleasant toward his brothers and associates. During the night hours no one was more persistent in every kind of vigil and supplication. He seldom spoke unless it was with God, that is, in prayer, or about God, and in this matter he instructed his brothers.
Frequently he made a special personal petition that God would deign to grant him a genuine charity, effective in caring for and obtaining the salvation of men. For he believed that only then would he be truly a member of Christ, when he had given himself totally for the salvation of men, just as the Lord Jesus, the Savior of all, had offered himself completely for our salvation. So, for this work, after a lengthy period of careful and provident planning, he founded the Order of Friars Preachers.
In his conversations and letters he often urged the brothers of the Order to study constantly the Old and New Testaments. He always carried with him the gospel according to Matthew and the epistles of Paul, and so well did he study them that he almost knew them from memory.
Two or three times he was chosen bishop, but he always refused, preferring to live with his brothers in poverty. Throughout his life, he preserved the honor of his virginity. He desired to be scourged and cut to pieces, and so die for the faith of Christ. Of him Pope Gregory IX declared: “I knew him as a steadfast follower of the apostolic way of life. There is no doubt that he is in heaven, sharing in the glory of the apostles themselves.”
RESPONSORY
See Sirach 48:1; Malachi 2:6
This preacher of the new salvation leaped up like a flame.
— His words burned like a torch.
True teaching was in his mouth;
no evil was ever found on his lips.
— His words burned like a torch.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Lord,
let the holiness and teaching of Saint Dominic
come to the aid of your Church.
May he help us now with his prayers
as he once inspired people by his preaching.
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:
May Saint Dominic come to the help of your Church
by his merits and teaching, O Lord,
and may he, who was an outstanding preacher of your truth
be a devoted intercessor on our behalf.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
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 Christ, chief shepherd of the flock.
Or: Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Dominic.
Loving shepherd of thy sheep,
Keep thy lamb, in safety keep;
Nothing can thy power withstand,
None can pluck me from thy hand.
I would bless thee every day,
Gladly all thy will obey,
Like the blessed ones above,
Happy in thy precious love.
Loving Shepherd, ever near,
Teach thy lamb thy voice to hear;
Suffer not my steps to stray
From the straight and narrow way.
Where thou leadest I would go,
Walking in thy steps below.
Till before my Father’s throne
I shall know as I am known.
Tune: Buckland 77.77
Music: Leighton Hayne, 1836-1883
Text: Jane E. Leeson, 1807-1882