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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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:
Christ our Creator, who restore all ages,
Judge awe-inspiring, King of kings eternal,
hear our petitions and receive our praises
in your compassion.
Through the night watches, grant that we may please you
with prayers and anthems, Source of light eternal;
hearten and guide us, grant us true devotion
and lasting concord.
Send days of blessing, born of righteous virtue,
that all our actions may reflect your glory;
grant us your wisdom, life that knows no dying,
now and for ever.
Lovingly kindle, stir the depths within us,
make our hearts watchful, filled with fire from heaven,
that we may ever hold with hands uplifted
lamps burning brightly.
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: O sator rerum, reparatur ævi, ca. 10th c., © 2023 ICEL
During the day:
Christ, life and goodness, light of truth most holy,
joy of creation, source of boundless mercy,
who by your life-blood have redeemed and saved us
from death unending,
Lord, we implore you: Plant your love within us,
fill us with greater charity and mercy;
pour faith upon us, mind and heart infusing
with light eternal.
Guard and protect us from the wiles of Satan,
that proud deceiver shattered by your power;
send down the Spirit from your throne of mercy,
Lord, to assist us.
Glory and power to the eternal Father,
praise to you always, Son and Sole-begotten,
with whom the Spirit, in all things your equal,
reigns through the ages. Amen.
Tune: As above
Text: Christe, lux vera, bonitas et vita, ca. 10th c., © 2023 ICEL
Or:
Day of wrath, that day shall render
all the world to ash and cinder,
seen by David and the Sybil:
O what dread and fear and trembling
when the Judge shall come in glory,
scrutinizing all with rigor!
Trumpets blare with wondrous clamor
through the tombs of ev’ry region
all before the throne compelling.
Death and nature shall, confounded,
watch as ev’ry creature rises,
yielding to the Judge’s summons.
Then the book shall be brought forward
where all deeds have been recorded,
held before the world in judgment.
When the Judge is therefore seated
and all hidden things recovered,
nothing shall remain unpunished.
God of grandeur and of glory,
Trinity in loving splendor,
number us among the blessed. Amen.
Tune: DIES IRAE, 8 8 8
Music: Latin melody, 13th c.
or Mode I, melody 24; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Dies iræ, dies illa, attributed to Thomas of Celano, O.F.M., ca. 1185-1260, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies.
Psalm 39
Urgent prayer of a sick person
Creation is made subject to futility . . . by him who subjected it, but it is not without hope (Romans 8:20).
I
I said: “I will be watchful of my ways *
for fear I should sin with my tongue.
I will put a curb on my lips *
when the wicked man stands before me.”
I was dumb, silent and still. *
His prosperity stirred my grief.
My heart was burning within me. *
At the thought of it, the fire blazed up
and my tongue burst into speech: *
“O Lord, you have shown me my end,
how short is the length of my days. *
Now I know how fleeting is my life.
You have given me a short span of days; *
my life is as nothing in your sight.
A mere breath, the man who stood so firm, *
a mere shadow, the man passing by,
a mere breath the riches he hoards, *
not knowing who will have them.”
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. We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies.
Ant. 2 Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord; let me not weep in vain.
II
And now, Lord, what is there to wait for? *
In you rests all my hope.
Set me free from all my sins, *
do not make me the taunt of the fool.
I was silent, not opening my lips, *
because this was all your doing.
Take away your scourge from me. *
I am crushed by the blows of your hand.
You punish man’s sins and correct him; *
like the moth you devour all he treasures.
Mortal man is no more than a breath; *
O Lord, hear my prayer.
O Lord, turn your ear to my cry. *
Do not be deaf to my tears.
In your house I am a passing guest, *
a pilgrim, like all my fathers.
Look away that I may breathe again *
before I depart to be 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
Through your Son you taught us, Father, not to be fearful of tomorrow but to commit our lives to your care. Do not withhold your Spirit from us but help us find a life of peace after these days of trouble.
Ant. Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord; let me not weep in vain.
Ant. 3 I have put all my trust in God’s never-failing mercy.
Psalm 52
Against a calumniator
If anyone would boast, let him boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31).
Why do you boast of your wickedness, *
you champion of evil,
planning ruin all day long, †
your tongue like a sharpened razor, *
you master of deceit?
You love evil more than good; *
lies more than truth.
You love the destructive word, *
you tongue of deceit.
For this God will destroy you *
and remove you for ever.
He will snatch you from your tent and uproot you *
from the land of the living.
The just shall see and fear. *
They shall laugh and say:
“So this is the man who refused *
to take God as his stronghold,
but trusted in the greatness of his wealth *
and grew powerful by his crimes.”
But I am like a growing olive tree *
in the house of God.
I trust in the goodness of God *
for ever and ever.
I will thank you for evermore; *
for this is your doing.
I will proclaim that your name is good, *
in the presence of your friends.
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
Father, you cut down the unfruitful branch for burning and prune the fertile to make it bear more fruit. Make us grow like laden olive trees in your domain, firmly rooted in the power and mercy of your Son, so that you may gather from us fruit worthy of eternal life.
Ant. I have put all my trust in God’s never-failing mercy.
I put my trust in the word of the Lord.
— All my hope is in him.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the second letter of the apostle Peter
2:1-9
False teachers
In times past there were false prophets among God’s people, and among you also there will be false teachers who will smuggle in pernicious heresies. They will go so far as to deny the Master who acquired them for his own, thereby bringing on themselves swift disaster. Their lustful ways will lure many away. Through them, the true way will be made subject to contempt.
They will deceive you with fabricated tales, in a spirit of greed. Their condemnation has not lain idle all this time, however; their destruction is not asleep. Did God spare even the angels who sinned? He did not! He held them captive in Tartarus—consigned them to pits of darkness, to be guarded until judgment. Nor did he spare the ancient world—even though he preserved Noah as a preacher of holiness, with seven others, when he brought down the flood on that godless earth. He blanketed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in ashes and condemned them to destruction, thereby showing what would happen in the future to the godless.
He did deliver Lot, however, a just man oppressed by the conduct of men unprincipled in their lusts. (Day after day that just one, good as he was, felt himself tormented by seeing and hearing about the lawless deeds of those among whom he lived.) The Lord, indeed, knows how to rescue devout men from trial, and how to continue the punishment of the wicked up to the day of judgment.
RESPONSORY
Matthew 7:15; 24:11, 24
Beware of false prophets
who come to you in sheep’s clothing
— while underneath they are ravenous wolves.
Many false prophets shall rise up;
they will work great wonders and deceive many.
— While underneath they are ravenous wolves.
SECOND READING
From a homily attributed to Saint Macarius, bishop
(Hom. 28: PG 34, 710-711)
Woe to the soul that does not have Christ dwelling in it
When God was displeased with the Jews, he delivered Jerusalem to the enemy, and they were conquered by those who hated them; there were no more sacrifices or feasts. Likewise angered at a soul who had broken his commands, God handed it over to its enemies, who corrupted and totally dishonored it. When a house has no master living in it, it becomes dark, vile and contemptible, choked with filth and disgusting refuse. So too is a soul which has lost its master, who once rejoiced there with his angels. This soul is darkened with sin, its desires are degraded, and it knows nothing but shame.
Woe to the path that is not walked on, or along which the voices of men are not heard, for then it becomes the haunt of wild animals. Woe to the soul if the Lord does not walk within it to banish with his voice the spiritual beasts of sin. Woe to the house where no master dwells, to the field where no farmer works, to the pilotless ship, storm-tossed and sinking. Woe to the soul without Christ as its true pilot; drifting in the darkness, buffeted by the waves of passion, storm-tossed at the mercy of evil spirits, its end is destruction. Woe to the soul that does not have Christ to cultivate it with care to produce the good fruit of the Holy Spirit. Left to itself, it is choked with thorns and thistles; instead of fruit it produces only what is fit for burning. Woe to the soul that does not have Christ dwelling in it; deserted and foul with the filth of the passions, it becomes a haven for all the vices.
When a farmer prepares to till the soil he must put on clothing and use tools that are suitable. So Christ, our heavenly king, came to till the soil of mankind devastated by sin. He assumed a body and, using the cross as his ploughshare, cultivated the barren soul of man. He removed the thorns and thistles which are the evil spirits and pulled up the weeds of sin. Into the fire he cast the straw of wickedness. And when he had ploughed the soul with the wood of the cross, he planted in it a most lovely garden of the Spirit, that could produce for its Lord and God the sweetest and most pleasant fruit of every kind.
RESPONSORY
John 15:1, 5, 9
I am the true vine and you are the branches.
— Whoever lives in me and I in him
brings forth much fruit.
As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.
— Whoever lives in me and I in him
brings forth much fruit.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Lord,
increase our eagerness to do your will
and help us to know the saving power of your love.
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:
Stir up the will of your faithful, we pray, O Lord,
that, striving more eagerly
to bring your divine work to fruitful completion,
they may receive in greater measure
the healing remedies your kindness bestows.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
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. Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.
All creatures of our God and King,
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam:
Refrain:
O praise him, O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou rushing winds that are so strong.
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice:
Refrain:
O praise him! O praise him!
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Tune: Vigiles et Sancti 887.88 with Refrain
Music: Kölner Gesangbuch, 1623
Text: Saint Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226
Translation: William H. Draper, 1855-1933, alt.