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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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:
O God, most Holy Three in One,
who rule the world with might and strength,
draw near and heed our hymns of praise,
as we keep watch with psalms and prayers.
For, in the silent hours of night,
we rise from bed and leave our rest,
to beg from you with ardent prayer
your healing balm for all our wounds,
That your all-glorious pow’r on high
may purify and free our souls
from any evil done this night,
suggested by the demons’ fraud.
With trusting heart we humbly beg:
Come fill us with your holy light,
so that throughout the daily round
no careless deed shall cause our fall.
Most loving Father, hear our prayer,
and you, O Christ coequal Son,
who with the Spirit Paraclete
now reign for all eternity. Amen.
Tune: ARFRETON, 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: Tu, Trinitatis Unitas, ca. 6-7th c., © 2023 ICEL
During the day:
O Christ, exalted Love, draw near
to dwell in hearts you once redeemed;
come, fill our voices, as we pray,
with fervent tears and ardent praise.
Most loving Jesus, hear the prayers
that we in faith pour forth to you;
we beg of you, O Christ our Lord:
Forgive the evil we have done.
So by the Cross, that holy sign
made sacred through your body’s touch,
defend us as your children, Lord,
in ev’ry nation, ev’ry land.
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: As above
Text: Adesto, Christe cordibus, attributed to Saint Bede the Venerable, ca. 672-735, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God.
Psalm 69:2-22, 30-37
I am consumed with zeal for your house
They offered him a mixture of wine and gall (Matthew 27:34).
I
Save me, O God, *
for the waters have risen to my neck.
I have sunk into the mud of the deep *
and there is no foothold.
I have entered the waters of the deep *
and the waves overwhelm me.
I am wearied with all my crying, *
my throat is parched.
My eyes are wasted away *
from looking for my God.
More numerous than the hairs on my head *
are those who hate me without cause.
Those who attack me with lies *
are too much for my strength.
How can I restore *
what I have never stolen?
O God, you know my sinful folly; *
my sins you can see.
Let those who hope in you not be put to shame *
through me, Lord of hosts:
let not those who seek you be dismayed *
through me, God of Israel.
It is for you that I suffer taunts, *
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers, *
an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house *
and taunts against you fall on me.
When I afflict my soul with fasting *
they make it a taunt against me.
When I put on sackcloth in mourning *
then they make me a byword,
the gossip of men at the gates, *
the subject of drunkards’ songs.
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 am worn out with crying, with longing for my God.
Ant. 2 I needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar.
II
This is my prayer to you, *
my prayer for your favor.
In your great love, answer me, O God, *
with your help that never fails:
rescue me from sinking in the mud; *
save me from my foes.
Save me from the waters of the deep *
lest the waves overwhelm me.
Do not let the deep engulf me *
nor death close its mouth on me.
Lord, answer, for your love is kind; *
in your compassion, turn towards me.
Do not hide your face from your servant; *
answer quickly for I am in distress.
Come close to my soul and redeem me; *
ransom me pressed by my foes.
You know how they taunt and deride me; *
my oppressors are all before you.
Taunts have broken my heart; *
I have reached the end of my strength.
I looked in vain for compassion, *
for consolers; not one could I find.
For food they gave me poison; *
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
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 needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar.
Ant. 3 Seek the Lord and you will live.
III
As for me in my poverty and pain *
let your help, O God, lift me up.
I will praise God’s name with a song; *
I will glorify him with thanksgiving,
a gift pleasing God more than oxen, *
more than beasts prepared for sacrifice.
The poor when they see it will be glad *
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy *
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise, *
the sea and all its living creatures.
For God will bring help to Zion *
and rebuild the cities of Judah
and men shall dwell there in possession. †
The sons of his servants shall inherit it; *
those who love his name shall dwell there.
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 our Father, to show the way of salvation, you chose that the standard of the cross should go before us, and you fulfilled the ancient prophecies in Christ’s passover from death to life. Do not let us rouse your burning indignation by sin, but rather, through the contemplation of his wounds, make us burn with zeal for the honor of your Church and with grateful love for you.
Ant. Seek the Lord and you will live.
The Lord will teach us his ways.
— And we will follow in his footsteps.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of Deuteronomy
31:1-15, 23
The last words of Moses
When Moses had finished speaking these words to all Israel, he said to them:
“I am now one hundred and twenty years old and am no longer able to move about freely; besides, the Lord has told me that I shall not cross this Jordan. It is the Lord, your God, who will cross before you; he will destroy these nations before you, that you may supplant them. [It is Joshua who will cross before you, as the Lord promised.] The Lord will deal with them just as he dealt with Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites whom he destroyed, and with their country. When, therefore, the Lord delivers them up to you, you must deal with them exactly as I have ordered you. Be brave and steadfast; have no fear or dread of them, for it is the Lord, your God, who marches with you; he will never fail you or forsake you.”
Then Moses summoned Joshua and in the presence of all Israel said to him, “Be brave and steadfast, for you must bring this people into the land which the Lord swore to their fathers he would give them; you must put them in possession of their heritage. It is the Lord who marches before you; he will be with you and will never fail you or forsake you. So do not fear or be dismayed.”
When Moses had written down this law, he entrusted it to the levitical priests who carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel, giving them this order: “On the feast of Booths, at the prescribed time in the year of relaxation which comes at the end of every seven-year period, when all Israel goes to appear before the Lord, your God, in the place which he chooses, you shall read this law aloud in the presence of all Israel. Assemble the people—men, women and children, as well as the aliens who live in your communities—that they may hear it and learn it, and so fear the Lord, your God, and carefully observe all the words of this law. Their children also, who do not know it yet, must hear it and learn it, that they too may fear the Lord, your God, as long as you live on the land which you will cross the Jordan to occupy.”
Then the Lord commissioned Joshua, son of Nun, and said to him, “Be brave and steadfast, for it is you who must bring the Israelites into the land which I promised them on oath. I myself will be with you.”
RESPONSORY
Deuteronomy 31:23, 6; Proverbs 3:26
Be strong and steadfast,
for the Lord your God is going with you.
— He goes before you;
there is nothing you need fear.
The Lord will be at your side to keep your foot from stumbling.
— He goes before you;
there is nothing you need fear.
SECOND READING
From a commentary on the psalms by Saint John Fisher, bishop and martyr
(Ps. 101: Opera omnia, ed. 1597, pp. 1588-1589)
The wonderful works of God
First God freed Israel from the bondage of Egypt by performing many signs and wonders. He permitted them to cross the Red Sea dry-shod. He fed them in the desert with food from heaven in the form of manna and quail. When they were suffering from thirst he produced an everflowing spring of water from the hardest rock. He gave them victory over all the enemies who made war against them. He forced the river to flow backward for a time. He divided the promised land and distributed it among them according to the number of their tribes and families.
Yet even though he treated them so lovingly and generously, the Israelites were ungrateful and seemed forgetful to all of this. They abandoned the worship of God and more than once they were guilty of the abominable sin of idolatry.
Then he also took pity on us, when we were pagans who went off to mute idols wherever we were led. He severed us from the wild olive tree of paganism and, breaking our natural branches, he grafted us onto the true olive tree of Judaism and made us share in the root of his grace and its richness. Finally, he did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, an offering and a sacrifice to God in a fragrant odor, that he might redeem us from all our iniquity and cleanse for himself an acceptable people.
Now all these things are not merely certain arguments but also clear proof of his deep love and kindness for us. And yet we are the most ungrateful of men. Indeed, we have gone beyond the bounds of ingratitude: we give no thought to his love, nor do we recognize the extent of his kindnesses to us. Rather we reject the one who lavishes so many favors and even appear to despise him; and the remarkable mercy that he has continually shown to sinners does not move us to form our lives and conduct according to his most holy command.
Clearly these things are worthy to be written down in the second generation so as to preserve their memory for ever. Thus all who are still to be counted among Christians will know the great kindness of God toward us and never cease singing his divine praises.
RESPONSORY
Psalm 68:26; 96:1
In your assemblies bless God;
— praise the Lord, all you sons of Israel.
Sing to the Lord a new song;
let all the earth sing to the Lord.
— Praise the Lord, all you sons of Israel.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
All-powerful and ever-living God,
direct your love that is within us,
that our efforts in the name of your Son
may bring mankind to unity and peace.
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,
direct our actions according to your good pleasure,
that in the name of your beloved Son
we may abound in good works.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
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 give thanks to the Lord, for his great love is without end.
In ancient times God spoke to man
Through prophets, and in varied ways,
But now he speaks through Christ his Son,
His radiance through eternal days.
To God the Father of the world,
His Son through whom he made all things,
And Holy Spirit, bond of love,
All glad creation glory sings.
Tune: Herr Jesu Christ mein Lebens Licht L.M.
Music: As Hymnodus Sacer, Leipzig 1625
Text: © Stanbrook Abbey, used with permission