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 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; come and rescue me, for you are my refuge and my strength.
Psalm 87
Jerusalem is mother of us all
The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman; she is our mother (Galatians 4:26).
On the holy mountain is his city *
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion *
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things, *
O city of God!
“Babylon and Egypt I will count *
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, *
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called ‘Mother’ *
for all shall be her children.”
It is he, the Lord Most High, *
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes: *
“These are her children,”
and while they dance they will sing: *
“In you all find their home.”
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 God, your only Son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit.
Ant. To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul; come and rescue me, for you are my refuge and my strength.
Ant. 2 Bless those, O Lord, who have waited for your coming; let your prophets prove to be true.
Canticle: Isaiah 40:10-17
The Good Shepherd: God most high and most wise
See, I come quickly; I have my reward in hand (Revelation 22:12).
Here comes with power †
the Lord God, *
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him, *
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; *
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom, *
and leading the ewes with care.
Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea, *
and marked off the heavens with a span?
Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, †
weighed the mountains in scales *
and the hills in a balance?
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, *
or has instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did he consult to gain knowledge? †
Who taught him the path of judgment, *
or showed him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations count as a drop of the bucket, †
as rust on the scales; *
the coastlands weigh no more than powder.
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, *
nor its animals be enough for holocausts.
Before him all the nations are as nought, *
as nothing and void he accounts 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. Bless those, O Lord, who have waited for your coming; let your prophets prove to be true.
Ant. 3 Turn to us, O Lord, make haste to help your people.
Psalm 99
Holy is the Lord our God
Christ, higher than the Cherubim, when you took our lowly nature you transformed our sinful world (Saint Athanasius).
The Lord is king; the peoples tremble. †
He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes. *
The Lord is great in Zion.
He is supreme over all the peoples. †
Let them praise his name, so terrible and great. *
He is holy, full of power.
You are a king who loves what is right; †
you have established equity, justice and right; *
you have established them in Jacob.
Exalt the Lord our God; †
bow down before Zion, his footstool. *
He the Lord is holy.
Among his priests were Aaron and Moses, †
among those who invoked his name was Samuel. *
They invoked the Lord and he answered.
To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud. †
They did his will; they kept the law, *
which he, the Lord, had given.
O Lord our God, you answered them. †
For them you were a God who forgives; *
yet you punished all their offenses.
Exalt the Lord our God; †
bow down before his holy mountain *
for the Lord our God is holy.
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
God, you are the source of all holiness. Though no one can see you and live, you give life most generously, and in an even greater way restore it. Sanctify your priests through your life-giving Word, and consecrate your people in his blood until our eyes see your face.
Ant. Turn to us, O Lord, make haste to help your people.
READING
Romans 13:11-12
It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer now than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent, the day draws near. Let us cast off the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
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. Let everything within you watch and wait for the Lord our God draws near.
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. Let everything within you watch and wait for the Lord our God draws near.
INTERCESSIONS
To the Lord Jesus Christ, judge of the living and the dead, let us pray:
Come, Lord Jesus!
Lord Jesus, you came to save sinners,
— protect us in times of temptation.
Come, Lord Jesus!
You will come in glory to be our judge,
— show in us your power to save.
Come, Lord Jesus!
Help us to keep the precepts of your law with the strength of the Spirit,
— and to look forward in love to your coming.
Come, Lord Jesus!
You are praised throughout the ages; in your mercy help us to love devoutly and temperately in this life,
— as we wait in joyful hope for the revelation of your glory.
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
All-powerful God,
renew us by the coming feast of your Son
and free us from our slavery to sin.
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:
Grant, we pray, almighty God,
that we, who are weighed down from of old
by slavery beneath the yoke of sin,
may be set free by the newness
of the long-awaited Nativity
of your Only Begotten Son.
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