Divine Office Evening Prayer

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Divine Office Evening Prayer episodes

August 15 August 15th, 2026 – Office of Readings – Solemnity – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Proper of Saints: 1318
Psalter from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 1630
Office of Readings for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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
Ave Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Maria, gratia plena
Ave, ave dominus
Dominus tecum
Benedicta tu in mulieribus
Et benedictus
Et benedictus fructus ventris
Ventris tui, Jesus
Ave Maria!
Ave Maria Mater Dei
Ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Ora, ora pro nobis
Ora ora pro nobis peccatoribus
Nunc et in hora mortis
In hora mortis, nostrae
In hora mortis mortis nostrae
In hora mortis, nostrae
Ave Maria!
English Translation
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee,
blessed art thou amongst women,
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners,
now and at the hour of our death.
𝄞"Ave Maria" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss • Title: Ave Maria; Composer: Franz Schubert; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Used with permission
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Arise, O Virgin Queen, you are for ever worthy of our praise; take your place in the glorious dwelling place of the eternal king.
Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (St. 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.
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 their neighbor.
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.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.
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. Arise, O Virgin Queen, you are for ever worthy of our praise; take your place in the glorious dwelling place of the eternal king.
Ant. 2 The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning. He has taken her to live with him.
Psalm 46
God our refuge and strength
He shall be called Emmanuel, which means: God-with-us (Matthew 1:23).
God is for us a refuge and strength,
a helper close at hand, in time of distress,
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock,
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea;
even though its waters rage and foam,
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken;
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken:
he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away.
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord,
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the earth;
the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps.
He burns the shields with fire.
“Be still and know that I am God,
supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us:
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
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 has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning. He has taken her to live with him.
Ant. 3 Glorious things are said of you, O Virgin Mary.
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.
Ant. Glorious things are said of you, O Virgin Mary.
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.
Blessed are you, Mary, because you believed.
— The Lord’s words to you have been fulfilled.
READINGS
First reading
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians
1:16-2:10
In Christ Jesus God has given us a seat in the heavenly places
I have never stopped thanking God for you and recommending you in my prayers. May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, grant you a spirit of wisdom and insight to know him clearly. May he enlighten your innermost vision that you may know the great hope to which he has called you, the wealth of his glorious heritage to be distributed among the members of the church, and the immeasurable scope of his power in us who believe. It is like the strength he showed in raising Christ from the dead and seating him at his right hand in heaven, high above every principality, power, virtue, and domination, and every name that can be given in this age or in the age to come.
He has put all things under Christ’s feet and has made him, thus exalted, head of the church, which is his body: the fullness of him who fills the universe in all its parts.
You were dead because of your sins and offenses, as you gave allegiance to the present age and to the prince of the air, that spirit who is even now at work among the rebellious. All of us were once of their company; we lived at the level of the flesh, following every whim and fancy, and so by nature deserved God’s wrath like the rest.
But God is rich in mercy; because of his great love for us he brought us to life with Christ when we were dead in sin. By this favor you were saved. Both with and in Christ Jesus he raised us up and gave us a place in the heavens, that in the ages to come he might display the great wealth of his favor, manifested by his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
I repeat, it is owing to his favor that salvation is yours through faith. This is not your own doing, it is God’s gift; neither is it a reward for anything you have accomplished, so let no one pride himself on it. We are truly his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to lead the life of good deeds which God prepared for us in advance.
RESPONSORY
How lovely and beautiful are you, O Virgin Mary. You have left this world to be joined with Christ.
— Adorned with heavenly power you shine forth like the sun among the saints.
The angels rejoice, and the archangels sing your praises, O Virgin Mary.
— Adorned with heavenly power you shine forth like the sun among the saints.
Second reading
From the apostolic constitution Munificentissimus Deus by Pope Pius XII
Your body is holy and excelling in splendor
In their homilies and sermons on this feast the holy fathers and great doctors spoke of the assumption of the Mother of God as something already familiar and accepted by the faithful. They gave it greater clarity in their preaching and used more profound arguments in setting out its nature and meaning. Above all, they brought out more clearly the fact that what is commemorated in this feast is not simply the total absence of corruption from the dead body of the Blessed Virgin Mary but also her triumph over death and her glorification in heaven, after the pattern set by her only Son, Jesus Christ.
Thus Saint John Damascene, preeminent as the great preacher of this truth of tradition, speaks with powerful eloquence when he relates the bodily assumption of the loving Mother of God to her other gifts and privileges: “It was necessary that she who had preserved her virginity inviolate in childbirth should also have her body kept free from all corruption after death. It was necessary that she who had carried the Creator as a child on her breast should dwell in the tabernacles of God. It was necessary that the bride espoused by the Father should make her home in the bridal chambers of heaven. It was necessary that she, who had gazed on her crucified Son and been pierced in the heart by the sword of sorrow which she had escaped in giving him birth, should contemplate him seated with the Father. It was necessary that the Mother of God should share the possessions of her Son, and be venerated by every creature as the Mother and handmaid of God.”
Saint Germanus of Constantinople considered that it was in keeping not only with her divine motherhood but also with the unique sanctity of her virginal body that it was incorrupt and carried up to heaven: “In the words of Scripture, you appear in beauty. Your virginal body is entirely holy, entirely chaste, entirely the house of God, so that for this reason also it is henceforth a stranger to decay: a body changed, because a human body, to a preeminent life of incorruptibility, but still a living body, excelling in splendor, a body inviolate and sharing in the perfection of life.”
Another early author declares: “Therefore, as the most glorious Mother of Christ, our God and Savior, giver of life and immortality, she is enlivened by him to share an eternal incorruptibility of body with him who raised her from the tomb and took her up to himself in a way he alone can tell.”
All these reasonings and considerations of the holy Fathers rest on Scripture as their ultimate foundation. Scripture portrays the loving Mother of God, almost before our very eyes, as most intimately united with her divine Son and always sharing in his destiny.
Above all, it must be noted that from the second century the holy Fathers present the Virgin Mary as the new Eve, most closely associated with the new Adam, though subject to him in the struggle against the enemy from the nether world. This struggle, as the first promise of a redeemer implies, was to end in perfect victory over sin and death, always linked together in the writings of the Apostle of the Gentiles. Therefore, just as the glorious resurrection of Christ was an essential part of this victory and its final trophy, so the struggle shared by the Blessed Virgin and her Son was to end in glorification of her virginal body. As the same Apostle says: When this mortal body has clothed itself in immortality, then will be fulfilled the word of Scripture: Death is swallowed up in victory.
Hence, the august Mother of God, mysteriously united from all eternity with Jesus Christ in one and the same decree of predestination, immaculate in her conception, a virgin inviolate in her divine motherhood, the wholehearted companion of the divine Redeemer who won complete victory over sin and its consequences, gained at last the supreme crown of her privileges—to be preserved immune from the corruption of the tomb, and, like her Son, when death had been conquered, to be carried up body and soul to the exalted glory of heaven, there to sit in splendor at the right hand of her Son, the immortal King of the ages.
RESPONSORY
This is the glorious day, on which the Virgin Mother of God was taken up to heaven; let us sing these words in her praise:
— Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
Happy are you, holy Virgin Mary, and most worthy of all praise, from your womb Christ the Sun of Justice has risen.
— Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
TE DEUM
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
— Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you.
— We praise your name for ever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
— Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy,
— for we have put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope:
— And we shall never hope in vain.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God, who,
looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
raised her to this grace,
that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh
and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory,
grant through her prayers,
that, saved by the mystery of your redemption,
we may merit to be exalted by you on high.
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 (at least in the communal celebration)
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
28 min
August 15 August 15th, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Solemnity – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 618
Proper of Saints: 1323
Psalms and canticle from Sunday, Week I, 652
Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Proper of Saints: 1227
Psalms and canticle from Sunday, Week I, 707
Morning Prayer for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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
O glorious Lady, throned in rest,
Amidst the starry host above,
Who offered nurture from your breast
To God, with pure maternal love.
What we had lost through sinful Eve
The blossom sprung from you restores,
And granting bliss to souls that grieve,
Unbars the everlasting doors.
O Gate, through which hath passed the King,
O Hall, whence Light shone through the gloom;
The ransomed nations praise and sing
Life given from the Virgin womb.
All laud and honor be addressed,
O Jesus, Virgin-born, to you;
To Father and the Spirit blest
Be praised forever as is due. Amen.
𝄞"O Glorious Lady Throned in Rest" by Kathleen Lundquist, Sara Faux • Available for Purchase • Title: O Glorious Lady Throned in Rest; Text: John Mason Neale; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Accompaniment: Sara Faux; Recording copyright 2017 by Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Blessed are you, O Mary, for the world’s salvation came forth through you; now in glory, you rejoice for ever with the Lord.
Psalm 63:2-9
A soul thirsting for God
Whoever has left the darkness of sin yearns for God.
O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
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. Blessed are you, O Mary, for the world’s salvation came forth through you; now in glory, you rejoice for ever with the Lord.
Ant. 2 The Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels; let all believers rejoice and bless the Lord.
Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Let all creatures praise the Lord
All you servants of the Lord, sing praise to him (Revelation 19:5).
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord,
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
You sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all for ever.
Ant. The Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels; let all believers rejoice and bless the Lord.
Ant. 3 The Lord has made you so glorious that your praise will never cease to resound among men.
Psalm 149
The joy of God’s holy people
Let the sons of the Church, the children of the new people, rejoice in Christ, their King (Hesychius).
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained;
this honor is for all his faithful.
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 has made you so glorious that your praise will never cease to resound among men.
READING See Isaiah 61:10
I rejoice heartily in the Lord,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.
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
Today the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven.
— Today the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven.
For all eternity she shares the victory of Christ.
— The Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— Today the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Ant. This daughter of Jerusalem is lovely and beautiful as she ascends to heaven like the rising sun at daybreak.
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. This daughter of Jerusalem is lovely and beautiful as she ascends to heaven like the rising sun at daybreak.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us glorify our Savior, who chose the Virgin Mary for his mother. Let us ask him:
May your mother intercede for us, Lord.
Eternal Word, you chose Mary as the uncorrupted ark of your dwelling place,
— free us from the corruption of sin.
May your mother intercede for us, Lord.
You are our redeemer, who made the immaculate Virgin Mary your purest home and the sanctuary of the Holy Spirit,
— make us temples of your Spirit for ever.
May your mother intercede for us, Lord.
King of kings, you lifted up your mother, body and soul, into heaven,
— help us to fix our thoughts on things above.
May your mother intercede for us, Lord.
Lord of heaven and earth, you crowned Mary and set her at your right hand as queen,
— make us worthy to share this glory.
May your mother intercede for us, Lord.
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
O God, who,
looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
raised her to this grace,
that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh
and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory,
grant through her prayers,
that, saved by the mystery of your redemption,
we may merit to be exalted by you on high.
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.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
17 min
August 15 August 15th, 2026 – Midmorning Prayer – Solemnity – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 623
Complementary Psalmody: 1254 (Midmorning)
Proper of Saints: 1325 (antiphon, reading)
Midmorning Prayer for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, using the Complementary Psalmody
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
Hail holy Queen mother of mercy,
our life, our sweetness, our hope
To thee do we cry, poor banished
children of Eve, to thee do we send
up our sighs, mourning and weeping
in this valley, of tears.
Turn, then, most gracious advocate,
thine eyes of mercy toward us;
and after this our exile
show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus;
O clement, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Hail holy Queen mother of mercy,
Hail holy Queen mother of mercy.
𝄞"Hail Holy Queen" by Anthony Carnesi • Title: Hail Holy Queen; Text: Anthony Carnesi (1948-2005), Inspired by the writings of Luisa Piccarreta; Music: Anthony Carnesi; Artist: Anthony Carnesi; (c) Margaret J Van Nostrand; Used with permission.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Holy Mother of God, you were raised up like a cedar of Lebanon, like a cypress on Mount Zion.
Psalm 120
Longing for peace
To the Lord in the hour of my distress
I call and he answers me.
“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips,
from the tongue of the deceitful.”
What shall he pay you in return,
O treacherous tongue?
The warrior’s arrows sharpened
and coals, red-hot, blazing.
Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech,
dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Long enough have I been dwelling
with those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak,
they are for fighting.
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 121
Guardian of his people
Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16)
I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel’s guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever.
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 129
God’s people reaffirm their trust in time of affliction
The voice of the Church lamenting its suffering is heard in this psalm (Saint Augustine).
“They have pressed me hard from my youth,”
this is Israel’s song.
“They have pressed me hard from my youth
but could never destroy me.
They ploughed my back like ploughmen,
drawing long furrows.
But the Lord, who is just, has destroyed
the yoke of the wicked.”
Let them be shamed and routed,
those who hate Zion!
Let them be like grass on the roof
that withers before it flowers.
With that no reaper fills his arms,
no binder makes his sheaves
and those passing by will not say:
“On you the Lord’s blessing!”
“We bless you in the name of 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. Holy Mother of God, you were raised up like a cedar of Lebanon, like a cypress on Mount Zion.
READING Judith 13:17b, 18a
Blessed are you, our God, who today have brought to nought the enemies of your people. Blessed are you, daughter, by the Most High God, above all the women on earth.
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.
Mary has been taken up to heaven; the angels rejoice.
— They bless the Lord and sing his praises.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God, who,
looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
raised her to this grace,
that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh
and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory,
grant through her prayers,
that, saved by the mystery of your redemption,
we may merit to be exalted by you on high.
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 (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
8 min
August 15 August 15th, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Solemnity – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 623
Proper of Saints: 1325 (Midday)
Psalter: 1257 (Complementary Psalmody, Series II, Midday)
Midday Prayer for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, using the Complementary Psalmody
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
My soul doth magnify the Lord
and my spirit rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth
all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me
and holy is his Name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him
throughout all generations.
He hath shewed strength with his arm
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat
and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things
and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath helped his servant Israel
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be,
ever shall be, ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Amen.
𝄞"Magnificat" by Kathleen Lundquist • Title: Magnificat; Text: based on Luke 1:46-55; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; visit and thank Kathleen at http://www.mystagogia.net; Divineoffice.org offers a special thank you to her for all her wonderful music we use!
PSALMODY
Ant. We acclaim you, Mary, as Queen of heaven; the Sun of Justice came forth from your bridal chamber.
Psalm 123
To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens;
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul
with the scorn of the rich,
with the proud man’s disdain.
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 124
If the Lord had not been on our side,
this is Israel’s song.
If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept
the raging waters.
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
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 125
Those who put their trust in the Lord
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken,
that stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains surround her,
so the Lord surrounds his people
both now and for ever.
For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just
should turn to evil.
Do good, Lord, to those who are good,
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil,
drive them away!
On Israel, 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. We acclaim you, Mary, as Queen of heaven; the Sun of Justice came forth from your bridal chamber.
READING Revelation 12:1
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
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 holy Mother of God is exalted in glory.
— Above the choir of angels in the kingdom of heaven.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God, who,
looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
raised her to this grace,
that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh
and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory,
grant through her prayers,
that, saved by the mystery of your redemption,
we may merit to be exalted by you on high.
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 (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
10 min
August 15 August 15th, 2026 – Midafternoon Prayer – Solemnity – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 623
Complementary Psalmody: 1259 (Midafternoon)
Proper of Saints: 1325 (antiphon, reading)
Midafternoon Prayer for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, using the Complementary Psalmody
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
Queen of heaven, blessed may thou be,
For God the Son born He was of thee,
For to make us free.
Gloria Tibi, Domine!
Jesu, God's Son, born He was
In a crib with hay, with hay and grass,
And died for us upon the Cross.
Gloria Tibi, Domine!
To our Lady make our moan,
That she may pray, may pray to her Son,
That we may to His bliss come.
Gloria Tibi, Gloria Tibi, Domine!
𝄞"To the Queen of Heaven" by Kathleen Lundquist • Title: To the Queen of Heaven; Text: Edith Rickert, Ancient English Christmas Carols: 1400-1700 (London: Chatto & Windus, 1914).
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 The holy Mother of God is exalted in glory, above the choirs of angels in the kingdom of heaven.
Psalm 126
Joyful hope in God
Companions with him in suffering, you will share his over-flowing happiness (2 Corinthians 1:7)
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter,
on our lips there were songs.
The heathens themselves said: “What marvels
the Lord worked for them!”
What marvels the Lord worked for us!
Indeed we were glad.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears
will sing when they reap.
They go out, they go out, full of tears,
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song,
carrying their sheaves
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 131
Childlike trust in God
Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).
O Lord, my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes.
I have not gone after things too great
nor marvels beyond me.
Truly I have set my soul
in silence and peace.
As a child has rest in its mother’s arms,
even so my soul.
O Israel, hope in the Lord
both now and for ever.
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 Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, you declared that whoever receives a little child in your name receives you, and you promised your kingdom to those who are like children. Never let pride reign in our hearts, but may the Father’s compassion reward and embrace all who willingly bear your gentle yoke.
Psalm 128
Happiness of family life rooted in God
“May the Lord bless you from Zion,” that is, from the Church (Arnobius)
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labor of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper;
your wife like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
Your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
May you see your children’s children
in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, 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 holy Mother of God is exalted in glory, above the choirs of angels in the kingdom of heaven.
READING 2 Corinthians 5:1
We know that when the earthly tent in which we dwell is destroyed we have a dwelling provided for us by God, a dwelling in the heavens, not made by hands but to last forever.
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 Virgin Mary was taken up to the heavenly bridal chamber.
— Where the King of kings is seated on a starry throne.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God, who,
looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
raised her to this grace,
that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh
and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory,
grant through her prayers,
that, saved by the mystery of your redemption,
we may merit to be exalted by you on high.
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 (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
9 min
August 15 August 15th, 2026 – Evening Prayer II – Solemnity – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 618
Proper of the Season:1326
Psalter from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 1649
Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Proper of Saints: 1229
Psalter from the Common of the Blessed Virgin Mary: 1378
Evening Prayer II for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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
Hail, O Star of ocean,
God's own Mother bearest,
Ever sinless Virgin,
Heaven's portal fairest.
Taking that sweet Ave
Which by Gabriel spoken,
Eva's own name reversing,
Be of peace the token.
Break the sinner's fetters,
Light to blind restoring,
All our ills dispelling,
Every grace imploring.
Show thyself a mother
In thy supplication,
He will hear who chose thee
At His Incarnation.
Virgin all excelling,
Passing meek and lowly,
Win for sinners pardon,
Make us chaste and holy.
As we journey onward
Aid our weak endeavor,
Till we gaze on Jesus
And rejoice forever.
Father, Son, and Spirit,
Three in One confessing,
Give we equal glory
Equal praise and blessing.
Amen.
𝄞"Hail, O Star of Ocean" by Kathleen Lundquist • Title: Hail, O Star of Ocean; Text: Ave maris stella, 8th c.; Origin: unknown; Translation: Athelstan Riley, alt.; Tune: Chant, Mode I; Lumen Christi Hymnal; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Mary has been taken up to heaven; the angels rejoice. They bless the Lord and sing his praises.
Psalm 122
Holy city Jerusalem
You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22).
I rejoiced when I heard them say:
“Let us go to God’s house.”
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is,
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgment
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray:
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends
I say: “Peace upon you.”
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.
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. Mary has been taken up to heaven; the angels rejoice. They bless the Lord and sing his praises.
Ant. 2 The Virgin Mary was taken up to the heavenly bridal chamber where the King of kings is seated on a starry throne.
Psalm 127
Apart from God our labors are worthless
You are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9).
If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city,
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising,
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat,
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord,
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
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 Virgin Mary was taken up to the heavenly bridal chamber where the King of kings is seated on a starry throne.
Ant. 3 We share the fruit of life through you, O daughter blessed by the Lord.
Canticle – Ephesians 1:3-10
God our Savior
Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in his sight.
He predestined us
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood,
we have been redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased
to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out
in Christ, in the fullness of time,
to bring all things into one in him,
in the heavens and on earth.
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 share the fruit of life through you, O daughter blessed by the Lord.
READING 1 Corinthians 15:22-23
Just as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will come to life again, but each one in proper order: Christ the first fruits and then, at his coming, all those who belong to 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.
RESPONSORY
The Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels.
— The Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels.
Blessed is the Lord who has raised her up.
— Above the choirs of angels.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— The Virgin Mary is exalted above the choirs of angels.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. Today the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven; rejoice, for she reigns with Christ for ever.
Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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. Today the Virgin Mary was taken up to heaven; rejoice, for she reigns with Christ for ever.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us praise God our almighty Father, who wished that Mary, his Son’s mother, be celebrated by each generation.
Now in need we ask:
Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.
O God, worker of miracles, you made the immaculate Virgin Mary share, body and soul, in your Son’s glory in heaven,
— direct the hearts of your children to that same glory.
Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.
You made Mary our mother. Through her intercession grant strength to the weak, comfort to the sorrowing, pardon to sinners,
— salvation and peace to all.
Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.
You made Mary full of grace,
— grant all men the joyful abundance of your grace.
Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.
Make your Church of one mind and one heart in love,
— and help all those who believe to be one in prayer with Mary, the mother of Jesus.
Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.
You crowned Mary queen of heaven,
— may all the dead rejoice in your kingdom with the saints for ever.
Mary, full of grace, intercede for us.
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
O God, who,
looking on the lowliness of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
raised her to this grace,
that your Only Begotten Son was born of her according to the flesh
and that she was crowned this day with surpassing glory,
grant through her prayers,
that, saved by the mystery of your redemption,
we may merit to be exalted by you on high.
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.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
15 min
August 15 August 15th, 2026 – Night Prayer II – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, 1172
Vol II, 1628
Vol III, 1272
Vol IV, 1236
Christian Prayer:
1037
Night Prayer after Evening Prayer II on Solemnities
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.
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.
Kýrie, eléison
— Kýrie, eléison
Christé, eléison
— Christé, eléison
Kýrie, eléison
— Kýrie, eléison
HYMN
Come, come to me all you whose hearts are weary.
Come, come to me and I will give you rest.
Come learn from me for I am gentle and lowly.
Take my yoke upon you and your soul will be at rest.
Come, come to me all you whose hearts are weary.
Come, come to me and I will give you rest.
Come learn from me for I am gentle and lowly.
Take my yoke upon you and your soul will be at rest.
Come, come to me all you whose hearts are weary.
Come, come to me and I will give you rest.
Come learn from me for I am gentle and lowly.
Take my yoke upon you and your soul will be at rest.
Take my yoke upon you and your soul will be at rest.
𝄞"Come to Me" by Briege O'Hare And Marie Cox • Available on iTunes • Available for Purchase • ;Composed and arranged by: Briege O'Hare, OSC; Sung by: Marie Cox,RSM; (c) 1966 Briege O'Hare; Used by permission • Albums that contain this Hymn: Lord, Teach Us To Pray
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Night holds no terrors for me sleeping under God’s wings.
Psalm 91
Safe in God’s sheltering care
I have given you the power to tread upon serpents and scorpions (Luke 10:19).
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
and abides in the shade of the Almighty
says to the Lord: “My refuge,
my stronghold, my God in whom I trust!”
It is he who will free you from the snare
of the fowler who seeks to destroy you;
he will conceal you with his pinions
and under his wings you will find refuge.
You will not fear the terror of the night
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the plague that prowls in the darkness
nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.
A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand fall at your right,
you, it will never approach;
his faithfulness is buckler and shield.
Your eyes have only to look
to see how the wicked are repaid,
you who have said: “Lord, my refuge!”
and have made the Most High your dwelling.
Upon you no evil shall fall,
no plague approach where you dwell.
For you has he commanded his angels,
to keep you in all your ways.
They shall bear you upon their hands
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
On the lion and the viper you will tread
and trample the young lion and the dragon.
Since he clings to me in love, I will free him;
protect him for he knows my name.
When he calls I shall answer: “I am with you,”
I will save him in distress and give him glory.
With length of life I will content him;
I shall let him see my saving power.
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. Night holds no terrors for me sleeping under God’s wings.
READING Revelation 22:4-5
They shall see the Lord face to face and bear his name on their foreheads. The night shall be no more. They will need no light from lamps or the sun, for the Lord God shall give them light, and they shall reign forever.
RESPONSORY
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
— Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
— I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— Into your hands, Lord, I commend my 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
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
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. 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,
we beg you to visit this house
and banish from it
all the deadly power of the enemy
May your holy angels dwell here
to keep us in peace,
and may your blessing be upon us always.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
— Amen.
Blessing
May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
— Amen.
Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
14 min
August 14 August 14th, 2026 – About Today – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
August 14
Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and Martyr
Memorial
Today the Church honors St. Maximilian Kolbe; a Polish Franciscan priest, international publisher of Marian devotion and 20th century martyr. At age 13, he entered a Franciscan minor seminary, becoming ordained at age 24. He held doctorates in theology and philosophy. In 1917, he led a small group of Franciscans to Rome to stand against anti-Catholic demonstrations and formed an association called the Militia Immaculata (M.I.). When he returned to Poland, the M.I. started producing faith periodicals; eventually growing into a publishing house of 650 friars – the largest religious house in the world. With Marian devotion as a focus to Christ, the M.I. began a daily newspaper, a monthly magazine, a radio station, and planned a movie studio. His circulation reached over a million readers and a second location was established in Nagasaki, Japan. In 1941, St. Maximilian was arrested and placed in a Nazi death camp. Shortly after, he died at Auschwitz, from a lethal injection, when he bartered his own life for a man’s who had a family. St. Maximilian is the patron saint of journalists, families, and the chemically addicted. [1][2]
Written by Sarah Ciotti
[1] News Agency, Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, martyr of Auschwitz, to be celebrated August 14, 2010.
[2] “Who is St. Maximillan Kolbe?,” Militia of the Immaculata, www.consecration.com
2 min
August 14 August 14th, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Lord, open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Psalm 95
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 worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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 worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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 worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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 worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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 worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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 worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
4 min
August 14 August 14th, 2026 – Office of Readings – Memorial – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Psalter: Friday, Week III, 1046
Common of One Martyr: 1707 (verse)
Proper of Seasons: 108 (first reading)
LOTH Supplement: 11 (second reading, responsory, concluding prayer)
Office of Readings for Friday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Maximilian Mary Kolbe, Priest and Martyr
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
Lo! round the throne, a glorious band,
The saints in countless myriads stand;
Of every tongue redeemed to God,
Arrayed in garments washed in blood,
Alleluia.
Through tribulation great they came;
They bore the cross, despised the shame;
From all their labors now they rest,
In God’s eternal glory blest,
Alleluia.
They see their Savior face to face;
And sing the triumphs of His grace;
Him day and night, they ceaseless praise,
To Him their loud thanksgiving raise,
Alleluia.
“Worthy the Lamb, for sinners slain,
Through endless years to live and reign;
Thou hast redeemed us by Thy blood,
And made us kings and priests to God.”
Alleluia.
O may we tread the sacred road
That saints and holy martyrs trod;
Wage to the end the glorious strife,
And win, like them, a crown of life,
Alleluia.
𝄞"Lo! Round The Throne, A Glorious Band" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Musical Score • Title: Lo! Round The Throne, A Glorious Band; Text: Rowland Hill, 1783; Music: • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 I am worn out with crying, with longing for my God.
Psalm 69
I am consumed with zeal for your house
They offered him a mixture of wine and gall (Matthew 27:34).
I
Save me, O God,
for the waters have risen to my neck.
I have sunk into the mud of the deep
and there is no foothold.
I have entered the waters of the deep
and the waves overwhelm me.
I am wearied with all my crying,
my throat is parched.
My eyes are wasted away
from looking for my God.
More numerous than the hairs on my head
are those who hate me without cause.
Those who attack me with lies
are too much for my strength.
How can I restore
what I have never stolen?
O God, you know my sinful folly;
my sins you can see.
Let those who hope in you not be put to shame
through me, Lord of hosts:
let not those who seek you be dismayed
through me, God of Israel.
It is for you that I suffer taunts,
that shame covers my face,
that I have become a stranger to my brothers,
an alien to my own mother’s sons.
I burn with zeal for your house
and taunts against you fall on me.
When I afflict my soul with fasting
they make it a taunt against me.
When I put on sackcloth in mourning
then they make me a byword,
the gossip of men at the gates,
the subject of drunkards’ songs.
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. 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,
my prayer for your favor.
In your great love, answer me, O God,
with your help that never fails:
rescue me from sinking in the mud;
save me from my foes.
Save me from the waters of the deep
lest the waves overwhelm me.
Do not let the deep engulf me
nor death close its mouth on me.
Lord, answer, for your love is kind;
in your compassion, turn towards me.
Do not hide your face from your servant;
answer quickly for I am in distress.
Come close to my soul and redeem me;
ransom me pressed by my foes.
You know how they taunt and deride me;
my oppressors are all before you.
Taunts have broken my heart;
I have reached the end of my strength.
I looked in vain for compassion,
for consolers; not one could I find.
For food they gave me poison;
in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
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. 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
let your help, O God, lift me up.
I will praise God’s name with a song;
I will glorify him with thanksgiving,
a gift pleasing God more than oxen,
more than beasts prepared for sacrifice.
The poor when they see it will be glad
and God-seeking hearts will revive;
for the Lord listens to the needy
and does not spurn his servants in their chains.
Let the heavens and the earth give him praise,
the sea and all its living creatures.
For God will bring help to Zion
and rebuild the cities of Judah
and men shall dwell there in possession.
The sons of his servants shall inherit it;
those who love his name shall dwell there.
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 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.
I have known tribulations and distress.
— But in your commands I have found consolation.
READINGS
First reading
From the book of the prophet Micah
6:1-15
The Lord accuses his people
Hear, then, what the Lord says:
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the Lord,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the Lord has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
And I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
My people, remember what Moab’s King Balak planned,
and how Balaam, the son of Beor, answered him
… from Shittim to Gilgal,
that you may know the just deeds of the Lord.
With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with holocausts,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Hark! the Lord cries to the city.
[It is wisdom to fear your name!]
Hear, O tribe and city council,
You whose rich men are full of violence,
whose inhabitants speak falsehood
with deceitful tongues in their heads!
Am I to bear any longer criminal hoarding
and the meager ephah that is accursed?
Shall I acquit criminal balances,
bags of false weights?
Rather I will begin to strike you
with devastation because of your sins.
You shall sow, yet not reap,
tread out the olive, yet pour no oil,
and the grapes, yet drink no wine.
You shall eat, without being satisfied,
food that will leave you empty;
What you acquire, you cannot save; what you do save,
I will deliver up to the sword.
RESPONSORY See Micah 6:8; Psalm 37:3
The Lord has told you, O man, what is good,
— and this is what he expects of you:
to do what is right, to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Trust in the Lord and do good
and you shall possess the land.
— And this is what he expects of you:
to do what is right, to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Second reading
From the Letters of Maximilian Mary Kolbe
Apostolic zeal for the salvation and sanctification of souls
The burning zeal for God’s glory that motivates you fills my heart with joy. It is sad for us to see in our own time that indifferentism in its many forms is spreading like an epidemic not only among the laity but also among religious. But God is worthy of glory beyond measure, and therefore it is of absolute and supreme importance to seek that glory with all the power of our feeble resources. Since we are mere creatures we can never return to him all that is his due. The most resplendent manifestation of God’s glory is the salvation of souls, whom Christ redeemed by shedding his blood. To work for the salvation and sanctification of as many souls as possible, therefore, is the preeminent purpose of the apostolic life. Let me, then, say a few words that may show the way toward achieving God’s glory and the sanctification of many souls.
God, who is all-knowing and all-wise, knows best what we should do to increase his glory. Through his representatives on earth he continually reveals his will to us; thus it is obedience and obedience alone that is the sure sign to us of the divine will. A superior may, it is true, make a mistake; but it is impossible for us to be mistaken in obeying a superior’s command. The only exception to this rule is the case of a superior commanding something that in even the slightest way would contravene God’s law. Such a superior would not be conveying God’s will.
God alone is infinitely wise, holy, merciful, our Lord, Creator, and Father; he is beginning and end, wisdom and power and love; he is all. Everything other than God has value to the degree that it is referred to him, the maker of all and our own redeemer, the final end of all things. It is he who, declaring his adorable will to us through his representatives on earth, draws us to himself and whose plan is to draw others to himself through us and to join us all to himself in an ever deepening love.
Look, then, at the high dignity that by God’s mercy belongs to our state in life. Obedience raises us beyond the limits of our littleness and puts us in harmony with God’s will. In boundless wisdom and care, his will guides us to act rightly. Holding fast to that will, which no creature can thwart, we are filled with unsurpassable strength.
Obedience is the one and the only way of wisdom and prudence for us to offer glory to God. If there were another, Christ would certainly have shown it to us by word and example. Scripture, however, summed up his entire life at Nazareth in the words: He was subject to them; Scripture set obedience as the theme of the rest of his life, repeatedly declaring that he came into the world to do his Father’s will. Let us love our loving Father with all our hearts. Let our obedience increase that love, above all when it requires us to surrender our own will. Jesus Christ crucified is our sublime guide toward growth in God’s love.
We will learn this lesson more quickly through the Immaculate Virgin, whom God has made the dispenser of his mercy. It is beyond all doubt that Mary’s will represents to us the will of God himself. By dedicating ourselves to her we become in her hands instruments of God’s mercy even as she was such an instrument in God’s hands. We should let ourselves be guided and led by Mary and rest quiet and secure in her hands. She will watch out for us, provide for us, answer our needs of body and spirit; she will dissolve all our difficulties and worries.
RESPONSORY Ephesians 5:1-2; 6:6
Be imitators of God as his dear children. Follow the way of love, even as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as an offering to God.
— A gift of pleasing fragrance.
Do God’s will with your whole heart as servants of Christ.
— A gift of pleasing fragrance.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
who filled the Priest and Martyr Saint Maximilian Kolbe
with a burning love for the Immaculate Virgin Mary
and with zeal for souls and love of neighbor,
graciously grant, through his intercession,
that striving for your glory by eagerly serving others,
we may be conformed, even until death, to your Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
20 min