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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs 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.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the 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:
This is for us that very hour
when, by the Gospel, we believe
that he who made the realm on high
as Bridegroom shall appear at last.
The holy virgins rise in haste
and run to meet him as he comes;
with lanterns trimmed and burning bright,
their hearts in gladness fill with joy.
The foolish ones are left behind
to light again their darkened lamps;
in vain they knock upon the door,
for now the palace gate is shut.
Let us with hearts like splendid lamps
now watch for him with sober mind,
that we, found worthy of the Lord,
may run to greet him when he comes.
O make us worthy, King of kings,
of glory when your Kingdom comes,
that we may merit on that day
to sing your praises evermore. Amen.
Tune: ABENDS, 8 8 8 8
Music: Herbert Stanley Oakley, 1830-1903
or Mode II, melody 43; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Ipsum nunc nobis tempus est, 5th c., © 2023 ICEL
During the day:
Christ, our salvation, way and hope unfailing,
we sing your praises, mind with voice together,
giver of virtue, source of peace eternal,
life of the blessed.
All that the faithful, by your love enkindled,
in word or action have or can accomplish,
all hope and longing that the heart discloses
show us your power.
Lord, in your mercy, grant us peaceful seasons,
faith firm and constant, pardon for our failures;
heal all our illness, give us life eternal,
blessed together.
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: from the Poitiers Antiphoner, 1746
or Mode I, melody 9; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Vita sanctorum, via, spes salusque, Walafrid Strabo, O.S.B., ca. 808-849, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 How good is the God of Israel to the pure of heart!
Psalm 73
Why is it that the good have many troubles?
Blessed is the man who does not lose faith in me (Matthew 11:6).
I
How good God is to Israel, *
to those who are pure of heart.
Yet my feet came close to stumbling, *
my steps had almost slipped
for I was filled with envy of the proud *
when I saw how the wicked prosper.
For them there are no pains; *
their bodies are sound and sleek.
They have no share in men’s sorrows; *
they are not stricken like others.
So they wear their pride like a necklace, *
they clothe themselves with violence.
Their hearts overflow with malice,
their minds seethe with plots.
They scoff; they speak with malice; *
from on high they plan oppression.
They have set their mouths in the heavens *
and their tongues dictate to the earth.
So the people turn to follow them *
and drink in all their words.
They say: “How can God know? *
Does the Most High take any notice?”
Look at them, such are the wicked, *
but untroubled, they grow in wealth.
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. How good is the God of Israel to the pure of heart!
Ant. 2 Their laughter will turn to weeping, their merriment to grief.
II
How useless to keep my heart pure *
and wash my hands in innocence,
when I was stricken all day long, *
suffered punishment day after day.
Then I said: “If I should speak like that, *
I should abandon the faith of your people.”
I strove to fathom this problem, *
too hard for my mind to understand,
until I pierced the mysteries of God *
and understood what becomes of the wicked.
How slippery the paths on which you set them; *
you make them slide to destruction.
How suddenly they come to their ruin, *
wiped out, destroyed by terrors.
Like a dream one wakes from, O Lord, *
when you wake you dismiss them as phantoms.
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. Their laughter will turn to weeping, their merriment to grief.
Ant. 3 Those who depart from you will perish; my joy is to remain with you, my God.
III
And so when my heart grew embittered *
and when I was cut to the quick,
I was stupid and did not understand, *
no better than a beast in your sight.
Yet I was always in your presence; *
you were holding me by my right hand.
You will guide me by your counsel *
and so you will lead me to glory.
What else have I in heaven but you? *
Apart from you I want nothing on earth.
My body and my heart faint for joy; *
God is my possession for ever.
All those who abandon you shall perish; *
you will destroy all those who are faithless.
To be near God is my happiness. *
I have made the Lord God my refuge.
I will tell of all your works *
at the gates of the city of Zion.
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
It is good to be with you, Father; in you is fullness of life for your faithful people; in you all hope resides. May you lead us to everlasting happiness.
Ant. Those who depart from you will perish; my joy is to remain with you, my God.
To savor your words is my delight, O Lord.
— Honey itself is not sweeter.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Isaiah
3:1-15
The prophet rebukes Jerusalem
The Lord, the Lord of hosts,
shall take away from Jerusalem and from Judah
support and prop [all supplies of bread and water]:
Hero and warrior,
judge and prophet, fortune-teller and elder,
The captain of fifty and the nobleman,
counselor, skilled magician, and expert charmer.
I will make striplings their princes;
the fickle shall govern them.
And the people shall oppress one another,
yes, every man his neighbor.
The child shall be bold toward the elder,
and the base toward the honorable.
When a man seizes his brother
in his father’s house, saying,
“You have clothes! Be our ruler,
and take in hand this ruin!”—
Then shall he answer in that day:
“I will not undertake to cure this,
when in my own house there is no bread or clothing!
You shall not make me ruler of the people.”
Jerusalem is crumbling, Judah is falling;
for their speech and their deeds are before the Lord,
a provocation in the sight of his majesty.
Their very look bears witness against them;
their sin like Sodom they vaunt,
They hide it not. Woe to them!
they deal out evil to themselves.
Happy the just, for it will be well with them,
the fruit of their works they will eat.
Woe to the wicked man! All goes ill,
with the work of his hands he will be repaid.
My people—a babe in arms will be their tyrant,
and women will rule them!
O my people, your leaders mislead,
they destroy the paths you should follow.
The Lord rises to accuse,
standing to try his people.
The Lord enters into judgment
with his people’s elders and princes:
It is you who have devoured the vineyard;
the loot wrested from the poor is in your houses.
What do you mean by crushing my people,
and grinding down the poor when they look to you?
says the Lord, the God of hosts.
RESPONSORY
Isaiah 3:10, 11, 13
Happy is the just man; all goes well with him,
for he shall enjoy the fruit of his works.
— Woe to the wicked man; all goes ill with him;
he shall be repaid for the evil he has done.
The Lord rises from the judgment seat
and stands to judge his people.
— Woe to the wicked man; all goes ill with him;
he shall be repaid for the evil he has done.
SECOND READING
From the Moral Reflections on Job by Saint Gregory the Great, pope
(Lib. 3, 39-40: PL 75, 619-620)
Struggles without, fears within
Holy men beset by tribulation must endure the assaults of those who use violence and verbal attacks. The former they resist with the shield of patience, but against the latter they launch the sharp arrows of true doctrine. In both types of fighting they win the day through the wonderful arts that virtue bestows, for within wisdom they teach the wayward while showing a courageous contempt for outward hostility; the straying sheep they set on the right path by their teaching; the attacker they suffer and overcome. For they have nothing but patient scorn for the enemy who moves against them, but they sympathize with their weaker fellows and bring them back to the safe way, opposing the former lest they lead others astray and fearing for the latter lest they completely lose sight of the truly upright life.
Let us see how a soldier in God’s camp fights against both types of enemy. Paul says: Struggles without, fears within. He lists the attacks he must endure from without: Dangers from floods, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the pagans, dangers in the city, dangers in the desert, dangers on the seas, dangers from false brothers. He also tells us what weapons he uses against his enemies in this war: Toil and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, frequent fasts, cold and nakedness.
When beset by so many struggles, he guards the camp, he tells us, with great watchfulness. Immediately he adds: Besides these outward difficulties there is that daily weight upon me: my anxiety for all the churches. Thus he himself fights courageously and devotes himself compassionately to protecting his neighbors. He tells us of the evils he endures but also of the blessings he brings to others.
Let us reflect, then, on how difficult it is simultaneously to endure attacks from without and to protect the weak from within. He endures the attacks without, inasmuch as he suffers flogging and chains; inwardly he experiences fear, since he is afraid that his sufferings may be a stumbling-block not to himself but to his disciples. For this reason he writes to them: Let no one be shaken by these trials, for you know that they are our lot. Amid his own sufferings it was the fall of others he feared, lest the disciples, seeing him flogged for the faith, might refuse to acknowledge their own faith.
What an immensely loving heart! He thinks nothing of what he himself suffers and is concerned only that the disciples may be led astray interiorly. He scorns his own bodily wounds and brings healing to the inner wounds of others. It is characteristic of holy men that their own painful trials do not make them lose their concern for the well-being of others. They are grieved by the adversity they must endure, yet they look out for others and teach them needed lessons; they are like gifted physicians who are themselves stricken and lie ill. They suffer wounds themselves but bring others the medicine that restores health.
RESPONSORY
See Job 13:20-21; Jeremiah 10:24
O Lord, do not hide your face from me;
lift away from me the weight of your hand,
— and let not my fear of you terrify me.
O God, rebuke me with gentleness and not in anger,
for your anger will reduce me to nothing.
— And let not my fear of you terrify me.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
God our Father,
may we love you in all things
and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
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:
O God, who have prepared for those who love you
good things which no eye can see,
fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love,
so that, loving you in all things and above all things,
we may attain your promises,
which surpass every human desire.
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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the Lord.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs 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.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs 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.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the 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 sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs 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.
Ant. Come, let us sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Sing praise to God who reigns above,
The God of all creation,
The God of power, the God of love,
The God of our salvation;
With healing balm my soul he fills,
And every faithless murmur stills:
To God all praise and glory.
What God’s almighty power hath made,
His gracious mercy keepeth;
By morning glow or evening shade
His watchful eye never sleepeth;
Within the kingdom of his might,
Lo! all is just and all is right:
To God all praise and glory.
Then all my gladsome way along,
I sing aloud thy praises,
That men may hear the grateful song
My voice unwearied raises;
Be joyful in the Lord, my heart,
Both soul and body, bear your part;
To God all praise and glory.
O ye who name Christ’s holy name,
Give God all praise and glory;
All ye who own his power, proclaim
Aloud the wondrous story!
Cast each false idol from his throne.
The Lord is God, and he alone:
To God all praise and glory.
Tune: Mit Freuden Zart 87.87.887
Music: Bohemian Brethren’s Hymnbook, 1566
Text: Johann J. Schutz, 1640-1690
Translation: Frances E. Cox, 1812-1897