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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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
Redeemer of the nations, come;
reveal yourself by virgin birth.
Let ev’ry age with wonder know
that such a birth befits our God.
Conceived not from the seed of man
but by the Spirit’s wondrous breath,
the Word of God is now made flesh,
as Mary’s womb brings forth its fruit.
The Virgin’s womb grows great with child,
this cloister is for ever pure;
the banners of her virtues gleam,
for in this temple God resides.
From bridal chamber let him come,
from royal Virgin, palace chaste,
with two-fold nature God and man,
a champion swift to run his course.
The eternal Father’s Equal, come,
bind on the trophy of our flesh,
and strengthen with your lasting pow’r
the weakness of our mortal frame.
Your manger now with splendor shines
and night breathes forth new radiant light,
which no night may corrupt or dim:
so let it shine through constant faith.
To you, O Christ, most loving King,
and to the Father, glory be,
one with the Spirit Paraclete,
from age to age for evermore. Amen.
Tune: BRESLAU, 8 8 8 8
Music: first appeared in As Hymnodus Sacer, Leipzig, 1625, adapted by Felix Mendehssohn Bartholdy, 1809-1847
or Mode II, melody 46; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Veni, redemptor gentium, Saint Ambrose, 340-397, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.
Psalm 103
Praise for God’s tender compassion
In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us (see Luke 1:78).
I
My soul, give thanks to the Lord, *
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord *
and never forget all his blessings.
It is he who forgives all your guilt, *
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave, *
who crowns you with love and compassion,
who fills your life with good things, *
renewing your youth like an eagle’s.
The Lord does deeds of justice, *
gives judgment for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses *
and his deeds to Israel’s sons.
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. Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.
Ant. 2 As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.
II
The Lord is compassion and love, *
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
His wrath will come to an end; *
he will not be angry for ever.
He does not treat us according to our sins *
nor repay us according to our faults.
For as the heavens are high above the earth *
so strong is his love for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west *
so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons, *
the Lord has pity on those who fear him;
for he knows of what we are made, *
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; *
he flowers like the flower of the field;
the wind blows and he is gone *
and his place never sees him again.
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. As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.
Ant. 3 Bless the Lord, all you his works!
III
But the love of the Lord is everlasting *
upon those who hold him in fear;
his justice reaches out to children’s children †
when they keep his covenant in truth, *
when they keep his will in their mind.
The Lord has set his sway in heaven *
and his kingdom is ruling over all.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels, †
mighty in power, fulfilling his word, *
who heed the voice of his word.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts, *
his servants who do his will.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his works, †
in every place where he rules. *
My soul, give thanks to the Lord!
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
You have compassion for the sinner, Lord, as a father has compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from lasting death, that we may praise and glorify you for ever.
Ant. Bless the Lord, all you his works!
The Lord proclaims his word to Jacob.
— His law and decrees to Israel.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Isaiah
51:17 — 52:2, 7-10
The good news is brought to Jerusalem
Awake, awake!
Arise, O Jerusalem,
You who drank at the Lord’s hand
the cup of his wrath;
Who drained to the dregs
the bowl of staggering!
She has no one to guide her
of all the sons she bore;
She has no one to grasp her by the hand,
of all the sons she reared!—
Your misfortunes are double;
who is there to condole with you?
Desolation and destruction, famine and sword!
Who is there to comfort you?
Your sons lie helpless
at every street corner
like antelopes in a net.
They are filled with the wrath of the Lord,
the rebuke of your God.
But now, hear this, O afflicted one,
drunk, but not with wine,
Thus says the Lord, your Master,
your God, who defends his people:
See, I am taking from your hand
the cup of staggering;
The bowl of my wrath
you shall no longer drink.
I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,
those who ordered you
to bow down, that they might walk over you,
While you offered your back like the ground,
like the street for them to walk on.
Awake, awake!
Put on your strength, O Zion;
Put on your glorious garments,
O Jerusalem, holy city.
No longer shall the uncircumcised
or the unclean enter you.
Shake off the dust,
ascend to the throne, Jerusalem;
Loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings glad tidings,
Announcing peace, bearing good news,
announcing salvation, and saying to Zion,
“Your God is King!”
Hark! Your watchmen raise a cry,
together they shout for joy,
For they see directly,
before their eyes,
the Lord restoring Zion.
Break out together in song,
O ruins of Jerusalem!
For the Lord comforts his people,
he redeems Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
in the sight of all the nations;
All the ends of the earth will behold
the salvation of our God.
RESPONSORY
See Exodus 19:10, 11; Deuteronomy 7:15; see Daniel 9:24
Cleanse yourselves, sons of Israel, says the Lord;
for tomorrow your Lord will come down,
— and he will take away from you all weaknesses.
Tomorrow the wickedness of the earth will be destroyed,
and the Savior of the world will rule over us.
— And he will take away from you all weaknesses.
SECOND READING
From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop
(Sermo 185: PL 38, 997-999)
Truth has arisen from the earth, and justice looked down from heaven
Awake, mankind! For your sake God has become man. Awake, you who sleep, rise up from the dead, and Christ will enlighten you. I tell you again: for your sake, God became man.
You would have suffered eternal death, had he not been born in time. Never would you have been freed from sinful flesh, had he not taken on himself the likeness of sinful flesh. You would have suffered everlasting unhappiness, had it not been for this mercy. You would never have returned to life, had he not shared your death. You would have been lost if he had not hastened to your aid. You would have perished, had he not come.
Let us then joyfully celebrate the coming of our salvation and redemption. Let us celebrate the festive day on which he who is the great and eternal day came from the great and endless day of eternity into our own short day of time.
He has become our justice, our sanctification, our redemption, so that, as it is written: Let him who glories glory in the Lord.
Truth, then, has arisen from the earth: Christ who said, I am the Truth, was born of a virgin. And justice looked down from heaven: because believing in this new-born child, man is justified not by himself but by God.
Truth has arisen from the earth: because the Word was made flesh. And justice looked down from heaven: because every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.
Truth has arisen from the earth: flesh from Mary. And justice looked down from heaven: for man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
Justified by faith, let us be at peace with God: for justice and peace have embraced one another. Through our Lord Jesus Christ: for Truth has arisen from the earth. Through whom we have access to that grace in which we stand, and our boast is in our hope of God’s glory. He does not say: “of our glory,” but of God’s glory: for justice has not proceeded from us but has looked down from heaven. Therefore he who glories, let him glory, not in himself, but in the Lord.
For this reason, when our Lord was born of the Virgin, the message of the angelic voices was: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth.
For how could there be peace on earth unless Truth has arisen from the earth, that is, unless Christ, were born of our flesh? And he is our peace who made the two into one: that we might be men of good will, sweetly linked by the bond of unity.
Let us then rejoice in this grace, so that our glorying may bear witness to our good conscience by which we glory, not in ourselves, but in the Lord. That is why Scripture says: He is my glory, the one who lifts up my head. For what greater grace could God have made to dawn on us than to make his only Son become the son of man, so that a son of man might in his turn become the son of God?
Ask if this were merited; ask for its reason, for its justification, and see whether you will find any other answer but sheer grace.
RESPONSORY
Isaiah 11:1, 5, 2
A shoot shall grow from the root of Jesse,
and there a flower shall blossom.
— Justice will be the girdle around his loins,
and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and fortitude.
— Justice will be the girdle around his loins,
and faithfulness the belt around his waist.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Come, Lord Jesus,
do not delay;
give new courage to your people who trust in your love.
By your coming, raise us to the joy of your kingdom,
where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
Come quickly, we pray, Lord Jesus,
and do not delay,
that those who trust in your compassion
may find solace and relief in your coming.
Who live and reign with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
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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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
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. Today you will know the Lord is coming, and in the morning you will see his glory.
The advent of our King
Our prayers must now employ,
And we must hymns of welcome sing
In strains of holy joy.
The everlasting Son
Incarnate deigns to be;
Himself a servant’s form puts on,
To set his servants free.
Daughter of Sion, rise
To meet thy lowly King;
Nor let thy faithless heart despise
The peace he comes to bring.
As judge, on clouds of light,
He soon will come again,
And his true members all unite
With him in heaven to reign.
All glory to the Son
Who comes to set us free,
With Father, Spirit, ever One,
Through all eternity.
Tune: Optatus Votis Omnium SM
Music: Anonymous, Songs of Sion, 1910
Text: Charles Coffin, 1676-1749
Translation: John Chandler, 1806-1876, alt.
Or:
The people that in darkness walked
Have seen a glorious light;
The light has shone on them who dwelt
In death’s surrounding night.
To hail you, Son of righteousness,
The gathering nations come;
Rejoicing as when reapers bear
Their harvest treasures home.
To us a child of hope is born,
To us a son is given;
And on his shoulder ever rests
All power in earth and heaven.
His name shall be the Prince of peace,
For evermore adored;
The Wonderful, the Counselor,
The great and mighty Lord.
His peace and righteous government
Shall over all extend;
On judgement and on justice based,
His reign shall never end.
Tune: Credition, CM
Music: Thomas Clark, 175-1859, A Second Set of Psalm Tunes (for) Country Choirs, c. 1807
Text: Paraphrase of Isaiah 9:2-8, John Morison, 1750-1798, Scottish Translations Paraphrases, 1781, alt.
Or:
Throughout a world in shadow,
John’s urgent voice we hear;
Prepare for Christ your Savior!
The Son of God is near.
He gives a new beginning
To those who turn from sin,
Who answer love with loving
By turning back to him.
His veiled but certain splendor
Begins to shine from far;
He comes, his saints around him:
The bright and morning star.
With all who wait in longing,
Give thanks that never cease,
For him whom God is sending
To visit us in peace.
Tune: De Ersten zum Laatsten, 76. 76
Music: Frits Mehrtens, 1922-1975
Text: © Stanbrook Abbey, used with permission