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Ribbon Placement:
Christian Prayer:
Office of Readings for Thursday in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud
I am the Lord bringing light through the cloud
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised.
Psalm 89
IV
And yet you have rejected and spurned
You have broken down all his walls
You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
You have brought his glory to an end;
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised.
Ant. 2 I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star.
V
How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?
Where are your mercies of the past, O Lord,
Blessed be the Lord for ever. Amen, amen!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
Lord, God of mercy and fidelity, you made a new and lasting pact with men and sealed it in the blood of your Son. Forgive the folly of our disloyalty and make us keep your commandments, so that in your new covenant we may be witnesses and heralds of your faithfulness and love on earth, and sharers of your glory in heaven.
Ant. I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star.
Ant. 3 Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal.
Psalm 90
O Lord, you have been our refuge
You turn men back into dust
You sweep men away like a dream,
So we are destroyed in your anger,
All our days pass away in your anger.
And most of these are emptiness and pain.
Make us know the shortness of our life
In the morning, fill us with your love;
Show forth your work to your servants;
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
Eternal Father, you give us life despite our guilt and even add days and years to our lives in order to bring us wisdom. Make us love and obey you, so that the works of our hands may always display what your hands have done, until the day we gaze upon the beauty of your face.
Ant. Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
In you is the source of life.
READINGS
First reading
Judas and his brothers said, “Now that our enemies have been crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it.” So the whole army assembled, and went up to Mount Zion. They found the sanctuary desolate, the altar desecrated, the gates burnt, weeds growing in the courts as in a forest or on some mountain, and the priests’ chambers demolished. Then they tore their clothes and made great lamentation; they sprinkled their heads with ashes and fell with their faces to the ground. And when the signal was given with trumpets, they cried out to Heaven.
Judas appointed men to attack those in the citadel, while he purified the sanctuary. He chose blameless priests, devoted to the law; these purified the sanctuary and carried away the stones of the Abomination to an unclean place.
They deliberated what ought to be done with the altar of holocausts that had been desecrated. The happy thought came to them to tear it down, lest it be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it; so they tore down the altar. They stored the stones in a suitable place on the temple hill, until a prophet should come and decide what to do with them. Then they took uncut stones, according to the law, and built a new altar like the former one. They also repaired the sanctuary and the interior of the temple and purified the courts. They made new sacred vessels and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table into the temple. Then they burned incense on the altar and lighted the lamps on the lampstand, and these illuminated the temple. They also put loaves on the table and hung up curtains. Thus they finished all the work they had undertaken.
Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, that is, the month of Chislev, in the year one hundred and forty- eight, they arose and offered sacrifice according to the law on the new altar of holocausts that they had made. On the anniversary of the day on which the Gentiles had defiled it, on that very day it was reconsecrated with songs, harps, flutes, and cymbals. All the people prostrated themselves and adored and praised Heaven, who had given them success.
For eight days they celebrated the dedication of the altar and joyfully offered holocausts and sacrifices of deliverance and praise. They ornamented the facade of the temple with gold crowns and shields; they repaired the gates and the priests’ chambers and furnished them with doors. There was great joy among the people now that the disgrace of the Gentiles was removed.
Then Judas and his brothers and the entire congregation of Israel decreed that the days of the dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness on the anniversary every year for eight days, from the twenty-fifth day of the month Chislev.
RESPONSORY 1 Maccabees 4:57, 56, 58; 2 Maccabees 10:38
They decorated the facade of the temple with golden crowns;
They blessed the Lord with hymns and thanksgiving.
Second reading
In learning and professing the faith, you must accept and retain only the Church’s present tradition, confirmed as it is by the Scriptures. Although not everyone is able to read the Scriptures, some because they have never learned to read, others because their daily activities keep them from such study, still so that their souls will not be lost through ignorance, we have gathered together the whole of the faith in a few concise articles.
Now I order you to retain this creed for you nourishment through life and never to accept any alternative, not even if I myself were to change and say something contrary to what I am now teaching, not even if some angel of contradiction, changed into an angel of light, tried to lead you astray. For even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which you have now received, let him be accursed in your sight.
So for the present be content to listen to the simple words of the creed and to memorize them; at some suitable time you can find the proof of each article in the Scriptures. This summary of the faith was not composed at man’s whim; the most important sections were chosen from the whole Scripture to constitute and complete a comprehensive statement of the faith. Just as the mustard seed contains in a small grain many branches, so this brief statement of the faith keeps in its heart, as it were, all the religious truth to be found in Old and New Testament alike. That is why, my brothers, you must consider and preserve the traditions you are now receiving. Inscribe them across your heart.
Observe them scrupulously, so that no enemy may rob any of you in an idle and heedless moment; let no heretic deprive you of what has been given to you. Faith is rather like depositing in a bank the money entrusted to you, and God will surely demand an account of what you have deposited. In the words of the Apostle: I charge you before the God who gives life to all things, and before Christ who bore witness under Pontius Pilate in a splendid declaration, to keep unblemished this faith you have received, until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You have now been given life’s great treasure; when he comes, the Lord will ask for what he has entrusted to you. At the appointed time he will reveal himself, for he is the blessed and sole Ruler, King of kings, Lord of lords. He alone is immortal, dwelling in unapproachable light. No man has seen or ever can see him. To him be glory, honor and power for ever and ever. Amen.
RESPONSORY Hebreews 10:38-39; Habakkuk 2:4
The just man will live by faith;
The unbeliever has no integrity.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Almighty and merciful God,
ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)
Let us praise the Lord.
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Christian Prayer:
Morning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
Behold the golden Dawn arise;
May this new day be calmly passed,
So may the day speed on; the tongue
For God all-seeing from on high
All laud to God the Father be;
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.
Psalm 87
On the holy mountain is his city
“Babylon and Egypt I will count
It is he, the Lord Most High,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
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. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.
Ant. 2 The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.
Canticle – Isaiah 40:10-17
Here comes with power
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock;
Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea,
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord,
Behold, the nations count as a drop of the bucket,
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.
Ant. 3 Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.
Psalm 99
The Lord is king; the peoples tremble.
He is supreme over all the peoples.
You are a king who loves what is right;
Exalt the Lord our God;
Among his priests were Aaron and Moses,
To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud.
O Lord our God, you answered them.
Exalt the Lord our God;
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
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. Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.
READING 1 Peter 4:8-11a
As generous distributors of God’s manifold grace, put your gifts at the service of one another, each in the measure he has received. The one who speaks is to deliver God’s message. The one who serves is to do it with the strength provided by God. Thus, in all of you God is to be glorified through Jesus Christ.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
From the depths of my heart I cry to you; hear me, O Lord.
I will do what you desire;
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies.
Luke 1:68-79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
In the tender compassion of our God
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will save us from our enemies.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us joyfully cry out in thanks to God the Father whose love guides and nourishes his people:
Most merciful Father, we praise you for your love,
At the beginning of this day fill our hearts with zeal for serving you,
Purify our hearts of every evil desire,
Open our hearts to the needs of all men,
Our Father who art in heaven,
Concluding Prayer
All-powerful and ever-living God,
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
Ribbon Placement:
Midmorning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using Complementary Psalmody
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
New every morning is the love
New mercies, each returning day,
If on our daily course our mind
Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,
The trivial round, the common task,
Only, O Lord, in thy dear love,
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I cried out, and the Lord heard me.
Psalm 120
To the Lord in the hour of my distress
What shall he pay you in return,
Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech,
Long enough have I been dwelling
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. I cried out, and the Lord heard me.
Ant. 2 May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
May he never allow you to stumble!
The Lord is your guard and your shade;
The Lord will guard you from evil,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.
Ant. 3 I rejoiced in the good news they told me.
Psalm 122
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
Jerusalem is built as a city
For Israel’s law it is,
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
For love of my brethren and friends
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. I rejoiced in the good news they told me.
READING Wisdom 19:22
Every way, O Lord, you magnified and glorified your people;
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
O God, what marvels you have done!
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord,
ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Midday Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using the Current Psalmody
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
Christ be near at either hand,
Christ be in my heart and mind,
Christ my life and only way,
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Receive me, Lord, according to your promise, that I may live.
Psalm 119
I have no love for half-hearted men:
Leave me, you who do evil;
Sustain me and I shall be saved
You throw away the wicked like dross:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
Help us and we shall be saved, Lord God; leave us and we are doomed. May you remain with us always so that the fullness of life may be ours.
Ant. Receive me, Lord, according to your promise, that I may live.
Ant. 2 Help us, O God our Savior, and pardon all our sins.
Psalm 79
O God, the nations have invaded our land,
They have poured out blood like water in Jerusalem;
Do not hold the guilt of our fathers against us.
O Lord our God, forgive us our sins;
But we, your people, the flock of your pasture,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of your Church, in order to strengthen our faith and to lead us to the kingdom, you renewed and far surpassed the marvels of the old law. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures.
Ant. Help us, O God our Savior, and pardon all our sins.
Ant. 3 O God of power, look down from heaven and come to tend this vine.
Psalm 80
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
God of hosts, bring us back;
Lord God of hosts, how long
God of hosts, bring us back;
You brought a vine out of Egypt;
The mountains were covered with its shadow,
Then why have you broken down its walls?
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
May your hand be on the man you have chosen,
God of hosts, bring us back;
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
Lord God, eternal Shepherd, you so tend the vineyard you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest coast. Look down on your Church and come to us. Help us to remain in your Son as branches on the vine that, planted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere.
Ant. O God of power, look down from heaven and come to tend this vine.
Reading Deuteronomy 4:7
What great nation is there that has gods so close to it as the Lord, our God, is to us whenever we call upon him?
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
The Lord is close to all who call upon him.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
All-powerful and ever-living God,
ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
Ribbon Placement:
Midafternoon Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using the Complementary Psalmody
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
O God, creation’s secret force,
Grant us, when this short life is past,
O Father, that we ask be done,
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 The Lord has done great things for us; he is the source of all our joy.
Psalm 126
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
The heathens themselves said: “What marvels
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
They go out, they go out, full of tears,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. The Lord has done great things for us; he is the source of all our joy.
Ant. 2 May the Lord build our house and watch over our city.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house,
In vain is your earlier rising,
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord,
O the happiness of the man
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. May the Lord build our house and watch over our city.
Ant. 3 Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Psalm 128
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
By the labor of your hands you shall eat.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
On Israel, peace!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
READING Esther F:6
That people is Israel, who cried to God and was saved. The Lord saved his people and delivered us from all these evils. God worked signs and great wonders, such as have not occurred among the nations.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
I shall proclaim your goodness Lord, for you have answered me.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord,
ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Christian Prayer:
Evening Prayer for Thursday in the Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
Almighty God, whose will supreme
Appointing fishes in the sea,
Grant that thy servants by the tide
Let none despair through sin’s distress,
O Father, that we ask be done,
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Let your holy people rejoice, O Lord, as they enter your dwelling place.
Psalm 132
I
O Lord, remember David
“I will not enter the house where I live
At Ephrathah we heard of the ark;
Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. Let your holy people rejoice, O Lord, as they enter your dwelling place.
Ant. 2 The Lord has chosen Zion as his sanctuary.
II
The Lord swore an oath to David;
If they keep my covenant in truth
For the Lord has chosen Zion;
I will greatly bless her produce,
There David’s stock will flower:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you chose to suffer and be overwhelmed by death in order to open the gates of death in triumph. Stay with us to help us on our pilgrimage; free us from all evil by the power of your resurrection. In the company of your saints, and constantly remembering your love for us, may we sing of your wonders in our Father’s house.
Ant. The Lord has chosen Zion as his sanctuary.
Ant. 3 The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.
Canticle – Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
The nations have raged in anger,
Now have salvation and power come,
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor and kingship; all people will obey him.
READING 1 Peter 3:8-9
All of you should be like-minded, sympathetic, loving toward one another, kindly disposed, and humble. Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult. Return a blessing instead. This you have been called to do, that you may receive a blessing as your inheritance.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
The Lord has given us food, bread of the finest wheat.
Honey from the rock to our heart’s content,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. God has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
He has mercy on those who fear him
He has shown the strength of his arm,
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
He has filled the hungry with good things,
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
Ant. God has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us call upon Christ, the Good Shepherd who comes to the aid of his people:
Blessed are you, Lord, for you graciously called us into your holy Church,
You have given the care of all the churches to our Pope,
Grant the grace of conversion to all sinners,
You were willing to live as a stranger in our world,
To all the departed who have hoped in you,
Our Father who art in heaven,
Concluding Prayer
Lord,
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
Ribbon Placement:
Christian Prayer:
General instruction:
Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer.
Night Prayer for Thursday
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Examination of conscience:
We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.
I confess to almighty God,
HYMN
Light serene of holy glory
Now we see the sun descending,
Worthy of unending praises,
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 In you, my God, my body will rest in hope.
Psalm 16
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
He has put into my heart a marvelous love
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
You will show me the path of life,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. In you, my God, my body will rest in hope.
READING 1 Thessalonians 5:23
May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May he preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
RESPONSORY
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
Gospel Canticle
Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
my own eyes have seen the salvation
a light to reveal you to the nations
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.
Concluding Prayer
Lord God,
Blessing
May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ave Maria, gratia plena
Ave Maria Mater Dei
English Translation
Hail Mary, full of grace,
Lord, open my lips.
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing to the Lord
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.
The Lord is God, the mighty God,
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship,
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.
Forty years I endured that generation.
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. Come, let us give thanks to the Lord for his great love is without end.
Ribbon Placement:
Christian Prayer:
Office of Readings for Friday in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me by the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of my Lord for ever.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God.
Psalm 69:2-22; 30-37
I
Save me, O God,
I have sunk into the mud of the deep
I am wearied with all my crying,
More numerous than the hairs on my head
How can I restore
Let those who hope in you not be put to shame
It is for you that I suffer taunts,
When I afflict my soul with fasting
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God.
Ant. 2 I needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar.
II
This is my prayer to you,
Save me from the waters of the deep
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
You know how they taunt and deride me;
For food they gave me poison;
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. I needed food and they gave me gall; I was parched with thirst and they gave me vinegar.
Ant. 3 Seek the Lord and you will live.
III
As for me in my poverty and pain
I will praise God’s name with a song;
The poor when they see it will be glad
For God will bring help to Zion
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
God our Father, to show the way of salvation, you chose that the standard of the cross should go before us, and you fulfilled the ancient prophecies in Christ’s Passover from death to life. Do not let us rouse your burning indignation by sin, but rather, through the contemplation of his wounds, make us burn with zeal for the honor of your Church and with grateful love for you.
Ant. Seek the Lord and you will live.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
The Lord will teach us his ways.
READINGS
First reading
After the feast called Pentecost, Judas and his followers lost no time in marching against Gorgias, governor of Idumea, who opposed them with three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred horsemen. In the ensuing battle, a few of the Jews were slain.
A man called Dositheus, a powerful horseman and one of Bacenor’s men, caught hold of Gorgias, grasped his military cloak and dragged him along by main strength, intending to capture the vile wretch alive, when a Thracian horseman attacked Dositheus and cut off his arm at the shoulder. Then Gorgias fled to Marisa. After Esdris and his men had been fighting for a long time and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to show himself their ally and leader in the battle. Then, raising a battle cry in his ancestral language, and with songs, he charged Gorgias’ men when they were not expecting it and put them to flight.
Judas rallied his army and went to the city of Adullam. As the week was ending, they purified themselves according to custom and kept the sabbath there. On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs. But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbids the Jews to wear. So it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain.
They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden. Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out. The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen. He then took up a collection among all his soldiers, amounting to two thousand silver drachmas, which he sent to Jerusalem to provide for an expiatory sacrifice. In doing this he acted in a very excellent and noble way, inasmuch as he had the resurrection of the dead in view; for if he were not expecting the fallen to rise again, it would have been useless and foolish to pray for them in death. But if he did this with a view to the splendid reward that awaits those who had gone to rest in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Thus he made atonement for the dead that they might be freed from this sin.
RESPONSORY See 2 Maccabees 12:45, 46
There are some who have died a godly death;
It is a holy and pious thought to make atonement for the dead,
Second reading
What is man, that you are mindful of him? What is this new mystery surrounding me? I am both small and great, both lowly and exalted, mortal and immortal, earthly and heavenly. I am to be buried with Christ and to rise again with him, to become a co-heir with him, a son of God, and indeed God himself.
This is what the great mystery means for us; this is why God became man and became poor for our sake: it was to raise up our flesh, to recover the divine image, to re-create mankind, so that all of us might become one in Christ who perfectly became in us everything that he is himself. So we are no longer to be male and female, barbarian and Scythian, slave and free–distinctions deriving from the flesh–but are to bear within ourselves only the seal of God, by whom and for whom we were created. We are to be so formed and molded by him that we are recognized as belonging to his one family.
If only we could be what we hope to be, by the great kindness of our generous God! He asks so little and gives so much, in this life and in the next, to those who love him sincerely. In a spirit of hope and out of love for him, let us then bear and endure all things and give thanks for everything that befalls us, since even reason can often recognize these things as weapons to win salvation. And meanwhile let us commend to God our own souls and the souls of those who, being more ready for it, have reached the place of rest before us although they walked the same road as we do.
Lord and Creator of all, and especially of your creature man, you are the God and Father and ruler of your children; you are the Lord of life and death, you are the guardian and benefactor of our souls. You fashion and transform all things in their due season through your creative Word, as you know to be best in your deep wisdom and providence. Receive now those who have gone ahead of us in our journey from this life.
And receive us too at the proper time, when you have guided us in our bodily life as long as may be for our profit. Receive us prepared indeed by fear of you, but not troubled, not shrinking back on that day of death or uprooted by force like those who are lovers of the world and the flesh. Instead, may we set out eagerly for that everlasting and blessed life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
RESPONSORY
We ask you, O Lord our God,
O merciful, kind and compassionate Lord.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Almighty and merciful God,
ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)
Let us praise the Lord.
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Christian Prayer:
Morning Prayer for Friday in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
HYMN
Eternal Glory of the sky,
Uplift us with Thine arm of might,
The day-star’s rays are glittering clear,
Within our senses ever dwell,
The faith that first must be possessed,
All laud to God the Father be,
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 You alone, I have grieved by my sin; have pity on me, O Lord.
Psalm 51
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
My offenses truly I know them;
That you may be justified when you give sentence
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
A pure heart create for me, O God,
Give me again the joy of your help;
O rescue me, God, my helper,
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
In your goodness, show favor to Zion:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
Father, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship. Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations.
Ant. You alone, I have grieved by my sin; have pity on me, O Lord.
Ant. 2 Truly we know our offenses, Lord, for we have sinned against you.
Canticle – Jeremiah 14:17-21
Let my eyes stream with tears
If I walk out into the field,
Have you cast Judah off completely?
We wait for peace, to no avail;
For your name’s sake spurn us not,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. Truly we know our offenses, Lord, for we have sinned against you.
Ant. 3 The Lord is God; we are his people, the flock he shepherds.
Psalm 100
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Know that he, the Lord, is God.
Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Indeed, how good is the Lord,
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm-prayer
God, devoted to us as a Father, you created us as a sign of your power and elected us your people to show your goodness, accept the thanks your children offer that all men may enter your courts praising you in song.
Ant. The Lord is God; we are his people, the flock he shepherds.
READING 2 Corinthians 12:9b-10
I willingly boast of my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I am content with weakness, with mistreatment, with distress, with persecutions and difficulties for the sake of Christ; for when I am powerless, it is then that I am strong.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
At daybreak, be merciful to me.
Make known to me the path that I must walk.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Ant. The Lord has come to his people and set them free.
Luke 1:68 – 79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
In the tender compassion of our God
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
Ant. The Lord has come to his people and set them free.
INTERCESSIONS
Raising our eyes to Christ, who was born and died and rose again for his people, let us cry out:
Blessed are you, Jesus, redeemer of mankind; you did not hesitate to undergo your passion and death,
You promised that you would provide living water, the fountain of eternal life,
You send disciples to preach the Gospel to all nations,
You have given the sick and the suffering a share in your cross,
Our Father who art in heaven,
Concluding Prayer
Father all-powerful,
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
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