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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and 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.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
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 Christ, you share the Father’s light,
yourself, the Light from Light, our day;
we interrupt the night with song:
come help us, Lord, and hear our prayer.
Remove the darkness from our minds,
and hordes of demons put to flight;
drive far from us all drowsy sleep,
lest sluggish hearts be overcome.
And so, O Christ, be merciful
to us and all believing hearts,
that what we ask in psalm and hymn
may profit us, who sing your praise.
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 Psalms, 1708
or Mode IV, melody 67; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Consors paterni luminis, 6-7th c., © 2023 ICEL
During the day:
O God, most holy Trinity,
who order all that you have made,
assigning daylight hours to work,
appointing night for quiet rest,
We sing to you at dawn and dusk,
by night, by day we praise your name;
preserve us in your glory, Lord,
through ev’ry season, ev’ry hour.
Behold your servants bowing low,
who come to worship and adore;
unite our thanks and humble prayers
to hymns of praise from heaven’s choirs.
Most loving Father, hear our prayer,
and you, O Christ coequal Son,
who with the Spirit Paraclete
now reign for all eternity. Amen.
Tune: As above
Text: O sacrosancta Trinitas, 10-11th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 The Lord is just; he will defend the poor.
Psalm 10
Prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are the poor; the kingdom of heaven is theirs (Luke 6:20).
I
Lord, why do you stand afar off *
and hide yourself in times of distress?
The poor man is devoured by the pride of the wicked: *
he is caught in the schemes that others have made.
For the wicked man boasts of his heart’s desires; *
the covetous blasphemes and spurns the Lord.
In his pride the wicked says: “He will not punish, *
There is no God.” Such are his thoughts.
His path is ever untroubled; †
your judgment is far from his mind. *
His enemies he regards with contempt.
He thinks: “Never shall I falter: *
misfortune shall never be my lot.”
His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression, *
mischief and deceit under his tongue.
He lies in wait among the reeds; *
the innocent he murders in secret.
His eyes are on the watch for the helpless man. *
He lurks in hiding like a lion in his lair;
he lurks in hiding to seize the poor; *
he seizes the poor man and drags him away.
He crouches, preparing to spring, *
and the helpless fall beneath his strength.
He thinks in his heart: “God forgets, *
he hides his face, he does not see.”
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 is just; he will defend the poor.
Ant. 2 Lord, you know the burden of my sorrow.
II
Arise then, Lord, lift up your hand! *
O God, do not forget the poor!
Why should the wicked spurn the Lord *
and think in his heart: “God will not punish?”
But you have seen the trouble and sorrow, *
you note it, you take it in hand.
The helpless trusts himself to you; *
for you are the helper of the orphan.
Break the power of the wicked and the sinner! *
Punish his wickedness till nothing remains!
The Lord is king for ever and ever. *
The heathen shall perish from the land he rules.
Lord, you hear the prayer of the poor; *
you strengthen their hearts; you turn your ear
to protect the rights of the orphan and oppressed *
so that mortal man may strike terror no more.
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
Rise up, Lord, in defense of your people; do not hide your face from our troubles. Father of orphans, wealth of the poor, we rejoice in making you known; may we find comfort and security in times of pain and anxiety.
Ant. Lord, you know the burden of my sorrow.
Ant. 3 The words of the Lord are true, like silver from the furnace.
Psalm 12
A cry for God’s help against powerful opponents
The Father sent his Son into the world to defend the poor (Saint Augustine).
Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished; *
truth has gone from the sons of men.
Falsehood they speak one to another, *
with lying lips, with a false heart.
May the Lord destroy all lying lips, *
the tongue that speaks high-sounding words,
those who say: “Our tongue is our strength; *
our lips are our own, who is our master?”
“For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan †
I myself will arise,” says the Lord. *
“I will grant them the salvation for which they thirst.”
The words of the Lord are words without alloy, *
silver from the furnace, seven times refined.
It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care *
and protect us for ever from this generation.
See how the wicked prowl on every side, *
while the worthless are prized highly by the sons of men.
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
Your light is true light, Lord, and your truth shines like the day. Direct us to salvation through your life-giving words. May we be saved by always embracing your word.
Ant. The words of the Lord are true, like silver from the furnace.
The Lord teaches the humble his way.
— He guides the gentle-hearted along the right path.
READINGS
From the book of Sirach
11:12-28
Put your trust in God alone
Another goes his way a weakling and a failure,
with little strength and great misery—
Yet the eyes of the Lord look favorably upon him;
he raises him free of the vile dust,
Lifts up his head and exalts him
to the amazement of the many.
Good and evil, life and death,
poverty and riches, are from the Lord.
Wisdom and understanding and knowledge of affairs,
love and virtuous paths are from the Lord.
Error and darkness were formed with sinners from their birth,
and evil grows old with evildoers.
The Lord’s gift remains with the just;
his favor brings continued success.
A man may become rich through a miser’s life,
and this is his allotted reward:
When he says: “I have found rest,
now I will feast on my possessions,”
He does not know how long it will be
till he dies and leaves them to others.
My son, hold fast to your duty, busy yourself with it,
grow old while doing your task.
Admire not how sinners live,
but trust in the Lord and wait for his light;
For it is easy with the Lord
suddenly, in an instant, to make a poor man rich.
God’s blessing is the lot of the just man,
and in due time his hopes bear fruit.
Say not: “"What do I need?
What further pleasure can be mine?”
Say not: “I am independent.
What harm can come to me now?”
The day of prosperity makes one forget adversity;
the day of adversity makes one forget prosperity.
For it is easy with the Lord on the day of death
to repay man according to his deeds.
A moment’s affliction brings forgetfulness of past delights;
when a man dies, his life is revealed.
Call no man happy before his death,
for by how he ends, a man is known.
RESPONSORY
Sirach 11:19, 20; Luke 12:17, 18
When the wealthy man says:
Now I can rest and enjoy my goods.
— he does not know how long this will last
before he must die and leave his wealth to others.
The rich man says in his heart:
I will pull down my barns and build them even greater,
and there I will store all my possessions.
— He does not know how long this will last
before he must die and leave his wealth to others.
SECOND READING
From the Detailed Rules for Monks by Saint Basil the Great, bishop
(Resp. 2, 1: PG 31, 908-910)
The ability to love is within each of us
Love of God is not something that we can be taught. We did not learn from someone else how to rejoice in light or want to live, or to love our parents or guardians. It is the same, perhaps even more so, with our love for God: it does not come by another’s teaching. As soon as the living creature (that is, man) comes to be, a power of reason is implanted in us like a seed, containing within it the ability and the need to love. When the school of God’s law admits this power of reason, it cultivates it diligently, skillfully nurtures it, and with God’s help brings it to perfection.
For this reason, as by God’s gift, I find you with the zeal necessary to attain this end, and you on your part help me with your prayers. I will try to fan into flame the spark of divine love that is hidden within you, as far as I am able through the power of the Holy Spirit.
First, let me say that we have already received from God the ability to fulfill all his commands. We have then no reason to resent them, as if something beyond our capacity were being asked of us. We have no reason either to be angry, as if we had to pay back more than we had received. When we use this ability in a right and fitting way, we lead a life of virtue and holiness. But if we misuse it, we fall into sin.
This is the definition of sin: the misuse of powers given us by God for doing good, a use contrary to God’s commandments. On the other hand, the virtue that God asks of us is the use of the same powers based on a good conscience in accordance with God’s command.
Since this is so, we can say the same about love. Since we received a command to love God, we possess from the first moment of our existence an innate power and ability to love. The proof of this is not to be sought outside ourselves, but each one can learn this from himself and in himself. It is natural for us to want things that are good and pleasing to the eye, even though at first different things seem beautiful and good to different people. In the same way, we love what is related to us or near to us, though we have not been taught to do so, and we spontaneously feel well disposed to our benefactors.
What, I ask, is more wonderful than the beauty of God? What thought is more pleasing and satisfying than God’s majesty? What desire is as urgent and overpowering as the desire implanted by God in a soul that is completely purified of sin and cries out in its love: I am wounded by love? The radiance of the divine beauty is altogether beyond the power of words to describe.
RESPONSORY
Psalm 18:2-3
I love you, Lord, my strength;
— O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my savior.
God is my rock; I take refuge in him.
— O Lord, my rock, my fortress, my savior.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father of love,
hear our prayers.
Help us to know your will
and to do it with courage and faith.
Grant 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:
Attend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care,
O Lord, we pray,
that they may see what must be done
and gain strength to do what they have seen.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and 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.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and 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.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
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 our mighty King and Lord.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and 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.
Ant. Come, let us worship our mighty King and Lord.
Lord, your word abiding
And our footsteps guiding,
Gives us joy for ever,
Shall desert us never.
Who can tell the pleasure,
Who recount the treasure,
By your word imparted
To the simplehearted?
Word of mercy giving
Succor to the living;
Word of Life supplying
Comfort to the dying.
O that we, discerning
Its most holy learning,
Lord may love and fear you,
Evermore be near you.
Tune: Ravenshaw 66.66
Music: Ave Hierarchia, M. Weisse, 1480-1534, adapted by W. H. Monk, 1823-1889
Text: Henry Williams Baker, 1821-1877, adapted by Anthony G. Petti