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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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 close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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
With mighty voice the prophets cry
that Christ the Lord is drawing near;
rejoicing, they foresee the grace
by which he saves us and redeems.
And so our morning sun shines forth,
our hearts ablaze with radiant joy;
we hear the faithful voice resound,
precursor of God’s glorious gift.
At that first Advent Christ our God
came forth not to condemn the world,
but came to cleanse our gaping wound,
to seek and save what had been lost.
Christ’s Second Coming warns us all
that he is standing at the gates
to give to saints their glorious crowns
and open wide the heav’nly realm.
Eternal light is now foretold,
the saving star is shining forth,
its radiant splendor summons us
and calls us to the heav’nly court.
Christ Jesus, you alone we seek
to see you face to face as God;
may this unending vision be
an everlasting hymn of praise. Amen.
Tune: WINCHESTER NEW, 8 8 8 8
Music: adapted from a chorale in Musicalisches Hand-Buch, Hamburg, 1690
or Mode D, melody 127; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Magnis prophetæ vocibus, unknown author, © 2023 ICEL.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 The Lord, the ruler over the kings of the earth, will come; blessed are they who are ready to go and welcome him.
Psalm 90
May we live in the radiance of God
There is no time with God: a thousand years, a single day, it is all one (2 Peter 3:8).
O Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to the next.
Before the mountains were born †
or the earth or the world brought forth, *
you are God, without beginning or end.
You turn men back to dust *
and say: “Go back, sons of men.”
To your eyes a thousand years †
are like yesterday, come and gone, *
no more than a watch in the night.
You sweep men away like a dream, *
like the grass which springs up in the morning.
In the morning it springs up and flowers: *
by evening it withers and fades.
So we are destroyed in your anger, *
struck with terror in your fury.
Our guilt lies open before you; *
our secrets in the light of your face.
All our days pass away in your anger. *
Our life is over like a sigh.
Our span is seventy years *
or eighty for those who are strong.
And most of these are emptiness and pain. *
They pass swiftly and we are gone.
Who understands the power of your anger *
and fears the strength of your fury?
Make us know the shortness of our life *
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Lord, relent! Is your anger for ever? *
Show pity to your servants.
In the morning, fill us with your love; *
we shall exult and rejoice all our days.
Give us joy to balance our affliction *
for the years when we knew misfortune.
Show forth your work to your servants; *
let your glory shine on their children.
Let the favor of the Lord be upon us: †
give success to the work of our hands, *
give success to the work of our hands.
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
Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and, happy to be known as companions of your Son, we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations.
Ant. The Lord, the ruler over the kings of the earth, will come; blessed are they who are ready to go and welcome him.
Ant. 2 Sing a new song to the Lord, proclaim his praises to the ends of the earth.
Canticle: Isaiah 42:10-16
God, victor and savior
They were singing a new hymn before the throne of God (Revelation 14:3).
Sing to the Lord a new song, *
his praise from the end of the earth:
Let the sea and what fills it resound, *
the coastlands, and those who dwell in them.
Let the steppe and its cities cry out, *
the villages where Kedar dwells;
let the inhabitants of Sela exult, *
and shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the Lord, *
and utter his praise in the coastlands.
The Lord goes forth like a hero, *
like a warrior he stirs up his ardor;
he shouts out his battle cry, *
against his enemies he shows his might:
I have looked away, and kept silence, *
I have said nothing, holding myself in;
but now, I cry out as a woman in labor, *
gasping and panting.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, *
all their herbage I will dry up;
I will turn the rivers into marshes, *
and the marshes I will dry up.
I will lead the blind on their journey; *
by paths unknown I will guide them.
I will turn darkness into light before them, *
and make crooked ways straight.
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. Sing a new song to the Lord, proclaim his praises to the ends of the earth
Ant. 3 When the Son of Man comes to earth, do you think he will find faith in men’s hearts?
Psalm 135:1-12
Praise for the wonderful things God does for us
He has won you for himself . . .and you must proclaim what he has done for you: he has called you out of darkness into his own wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).
Praise the name of the Lord, *
praise him, servants of the Lord,
who stand in the house of the Lord, *
in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the Lord for the Lord is good. *
Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself *
and Israel for his own possession.
For I know the Lord is great, *
that our Lord is high above all gods.
The Lord does whatever he wills, *
in heaven, on earth, in the seas.
He summons clouds from the ends of the earth; †
makes lightning produce the rain; *
from his treasuries he sends forth the wind.
The first-born of the Egyptians he smote, *
of man and beast alike.
Signs and wonders he worked †
in the midst of your land, O Egypt, *
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
Nations in their greatness he struck †
and kings in their splendor he slew. *
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, the king of Bashan, *
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
He let Israel inherit their land; *
on his people their land he bestowed.
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
Where two or three gather in your name, Lord, you promised to be with them and share their fellowship. Look down upon your family gathered here in your name, and graciously pour out your blessing upon us.
Ant. When the Son of Man comes to earth, do you think he will find faith in men’s hearts?
READING
Isaiah 45:8
Let justice descend, O heavens, like dew from above,
like gentle rain let the skies drop it down.
Let the earth open and salvation bud forth;
let justice also spring up!
RESPONSORY
Your light will come, Jerusalem;
the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
— Your light will come, Jerusalem;
the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
You will see his glory within you;
— the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
— Your light will come, Jerusalem;
the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Ant. The moment that your greeting reached my ears, the child within my womb leapt for joy.
Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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 moment that your greeting reached my ears, the child within my womb leapt for joy.
INTERCESSIONS
To Christ our Redeemer, who comes to save us from our sins, let us cry out with joy:
Come, Lord Jesus!
The prophets of old foretold your birth among us,
— now make virtue come to life in us.
Come, Lord Jesus!
We proclaim your saving work,
— now grant us your salvation.
Come, Lord Jesus!
You came to heal the contrite,
— heal the weaknesses of your people.
Come, Lord Jesus!
You came and saw fit to reconcile the world,
— when you come again in judgment, free us from the torments of punishment.
Come, Lord Jesus!
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(With longing for the coming of God’s kingdom, let us offer our prayer to the Father:)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
God our Father,
you sent your Son
to free us from the power of death.
May we who celebrate the coming of Christ in the flesh
share more fully in his divine life,
for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
O God, who seeing the human race fallen into death,
willed to redeem it by the coming of your Only Begotten Son,
grant, we pray,
that those who confess his Incarnation with humble fervor
may merit his company as their Redeemer.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
DISMISSAL
If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:
The Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
— Amen.
Another form of the blessing may be used, as at Mass.
Then he adds:
Go in peace.
— Thanks be to God.
In the absence of a priest or deacon and in individual recitation, Morning Prayer concludes:
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
******
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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 close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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 close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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 close at hand; come, let us worship him.
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
Or:
Hark, the glad sound! The Savior comes,
The Savior promised long!
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne,
And ev’ry voice a song.
He comes the pris’ners to release,
In Satan’s bondage held;
The gates of brass before Him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with the treasures of His grace
Enrich the humbled poor.
Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
And heav’n’s eternal arches ring
With Thy beloved Name.
Tune: Chesterfield, CM
Music: Thomas Haweis, 1734-1820
Text: Philip Doddridge, 1705-1751 in Hymns, 1755, alt