Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)

Lord, open my lips.

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Lord

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Forty years I endured that generation.

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Ribbon Placement:

Christian Prayer:

Office of Readings for Wednesday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

HYMN

For the beauty of the earth,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

For the beauty of each hour

Lord of all, to thee we raise

For the joy of ear and eye,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

For the joy of human love,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

For each perfect gift of Thine,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.

Psalm 103

I

My soul, give thanks to the Lord,

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

The Lord does deeds of justice,

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.

Ant. 2 As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.

II

The Lord is compassion and love,

For as the heavens are high above the earth

As a father has compassion on his sons,

As for man, his days are like grass;

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.

Ant. 3 Bless the Lord, all you his works!

III

But the love of the Lord is everlasting

The Lord has set his sway in heaven

Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Psalm-prayer

You have compassion for the sinner, Lord, as a father has compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from lasting death that we may praise and glorify you for ever.

Ant. Bless the Lord, all you his works!

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.

Lord, make me understand the way of your precepts.

READINGS

First reading

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords, with whom he drank. Under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought in so that the king, his lords, his wives and his entertainers might drink from them.

Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace. When the king saw the wrist and hand that wrote, his face blanched; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked.

The king shouted for the enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers to be brought in. “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means,” he said to the wise men of Babylon, “shall be clothed in purple, wear a golden collar about his neck, and be third in the government of the kingdom.” But though all the king’s wise men came in, none of them could either read the writing or tell the king what it meant. Then King Belshazzar was greatly terrified; his face went ashen, and his lords were thrown into confusion.

Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king. The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, the Jewish exile, whom my father, the king, brought from Judah? I have heard that the spirit of God is in you, that you possess brilliant knowledge and extraordinary wisdom. Now, the wise men and enchanters were brought in to me to read this writing and tell me its meaning, but they could not say what the words meant. But I have heard that you can interpret dreams and solve difficulties; if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be clothed in purple, wear a gold collar about your neck, and be third in the government of the kingdom.”

Daniel answered the king: “You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for you, O king, and tell you what it means.

“This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, TEKEL, and PERES. These words mean: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Then by order of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel in purple, with a gold collar about his neck, and proclaimed him third in the government of the kingdom. The same night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was slain: And Darius the Mede succeeded to the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

RESPONSORY Psalm 75:6, 8, 9; Revelation 14:9, 10

Do not be arrogant in the presence of the Most High, for God is our judge: one man he humbles and another he raises up.

Whoever worships the beast or its image will drink the wine of God’s wrath.

Second reading

For the sake of eternal life, my brothers, let us do the will of the Father who called us, resisting the temptations that lead us into sin and striving earnestly to advance in virtue. Let us revere God for fear of the evils that spring from impiety. If we are zealous in doing good, we shall have peace, but there is no peace for those who, governed by human respect, prefer present enjoyment to the future promises. They realize neither the torment that is laid up for them on account of these momentary pleasures, nor the joy of the promises to come. And indeed it could be endured if their conduct affected only themselves, but as it is, they persist in corrupting the innocent, unaware that they incur a double condemnation, for themselves and their disciples.

So let us serve God with a pure heart, and then we shall be living as we should. If we fail to serve him because of our disbelief, we shall only be miserable. Wretched are those of wavering faith, says the prophet, the people who double in their hearts and say: We heard all this even when our parents were alive and day after day we have waited in vain for any proof of it. O foolish ones! Think of a tree, and see how you resemble it. A vine, for example, first sheds its leaves and then the bud appears; after that there comes the sour grape and finally a cluster of ripened fruit. So it is with my people. They have had their tumults and afflictions, but afterward will come to their reward.

Therefore, my brothers, in order to obtain the reward, we must endure in hope with unwavering faith. He who made the promise to repay every man as his deeds deserve will be faithful to it. If we do what is right in God’s sight, we shall enter into his kingdom and receive the promise which no ear has heard, no eye seen, no human heart conceived.

So let us live loving and upright lives, in hourly expectation of the kingdom of God, since we do not know when it will come. Let us repent at once of our great folly and wickedness, and from now on always be ready to do good. We should blot out past sins by being truly sorry for them, and then we shall be saved. We must have no desire to curry favor with men, nor should we think only of making ourselves acceptable to our fellow Christians. We should live upright lives in order to win the respect of non-Christians as well. The Name must not be blasphemed on our account.

RESPONSORY 1 Cor. 15:58; 2 Thess. 3:13

Be steadfast, stand firm,

Never grow weary of doing good.

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 (single volume)

Morning Prayer for Wednesday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

HYMN

Creator of the skies above,

The darkness is dispelled at last,

Returning day calls us to prayer,

May we avoid all stain of sin,

But while the sun draws on the day,

O Father, this we ask be done

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.

Psalm 108

My heart is ready, O God;

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,

O come and deliver your friends;

Gilead is mine and Manasseh.

But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?

Give us help against the foe:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Psalm-prayer

Accept the prayers of your servants, Lord, and prepare our hearts to praise your holy name. Come to our aid in time of trouble and make us worthy to sing you songs of thanksgiving.

Ant. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.

Ant. 2 The Lord has robed me with grace and salvation.

Canticle – Isaiah 61:10 – 62:5

I rejoice heartily in the Lord,

As the earth brings forth its plants,

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,

Nations shall behold your vindication,

No more shall men call you “Forsaken,”

As a young man marries a virgin,

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. The Lord has robed me with grace and salvation.

Ant. 3 I will praise my God all the days of my life.

Psalm 146

My soul, give praise to the Lord;

Put no trust in princes,

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,

It is he who keeps faith for ever,

the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

It is the Lord who loves the just

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Psalm-prayer

God of glory and power, those who have put all their trust in you are happy indeed. Shine the brightness of your light on us, that we may love you always with a pure heart.

Ant. I will praise my God all the days of my life.

READING Deuteronomy 4:39-40a

Know, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today.

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

I will bless the Lord all my life long.

With a song of praise ever on my lips,

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness all the days of our life.

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. Let us serve the Lord in holiness all the days of our life.

INTERCESSIONS

Christ, the splendor of the Father’s glory, enlightens us with his word. With deep love we call upon him:

Blessed are you, the alpha and the omega of our faith,

You enabled the blind to see, the deaf to hear,

Lord, keep us in your love, preserve our community,

Give us strength in temptation, endurance in trial,

Our Father who art in heaven,

Concluding Prayer

Father,

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

Ribbon Placement:

Midmorning Prayer for Wednesday 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

1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,

2 Dark and cheerless is the morn

3 Visit, then, this soul of mine,

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 1 Corinthians 10:24,31

No man should seek his own interest, but rather that of his neighbor. The fact is that whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, you should do all for the glory of God.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

We do well to praise the Lord.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God of truth, Father of all,

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Midday Prayer for Wednesday in Ordinary Time using Current Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

HYMN

Blest are the moments, doubly blest,

Each field is then a hallowed spot,

Look up to heaven! the industrious sun

Lord, since his rising in the east,

help with thy grace, through life's short day,

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord, I cry to you for help; I trust in your promise.

Psalm 119:145-152

I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,

I rise before dawn and cry for help,

In your love hear my voice, O Lord;

But you, O Lord, are close:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Psalm-prayer

Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.

Ant. Lord, I cry to you for help; I trust in your promise.

Ant. 2 The Lord knows how fleeting are the thoughts of men.

Psalm 94

I

O Lord avenging God,

How long, O Lord, shall the wicked,

They crush your people, Lord,

And they say: “The Lord does not see;

Can he who made the ear, not hear?

The Lord knows the thoughts of men.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. The Lord knows how fleeting are the thoughts of men.

Ant. 3 The Lord has become my stronghold; in him I put my trust.

II

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord,

The Lord will not abandon his people

Who will stand up for me against the wicked?

When I think: “I have lost my foothold,”

Can judges who do evil be your friends?

As for me, the Lord will be a stronghold;

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus, you taught your disciples not to fear the world. Do not abandon your inheritance to sinners, nor ignore the power of the enemy against the Church. Grant us always to seek the wisdom of the cross and the blessing of those who suffer for the sake of justice. May we always be filled with your happiness.

Ant. The Lord has become my stronghold; in him I put my trust.

READING Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

Lord, I will offer you a sacrifice of praise.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God of mercy,

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

Ribbon Placement:

Midafternoon Prayer for Wednesday 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

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 Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being. Do it for the Lord rather than for men, since you know full well you will receive an inheritance from Him as your reward. Be slaves of Christ the Lord.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

Lord, you are my inheritance and my cup.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ,

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 Wednesday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

HYMN

As sun declines and shadows fall,

And this, O God, creator wise,

While darkness rides across the sky,

Made rich in hope, kept strong in faith,

He is the sun that never sets,

O Father, Son and Spirit blest

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord, how wonderful is your wisdom, so far beyond my understanding.

Psalm 139

I

O Lord, you search me and you know me,

Before ever a word is on my tongue

O where can I go from your spirit,

If I take the wings of the dawn

If I say: “Let the darkness hide me

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Lord, how wonderful is your wisdom, so far beyond my understanding.

Ant. 2 I am the Lord: I search the mind and probe the heart; I give to each one as his deeds deserve.

II

For it was you who created my being,

Already you knew my soul,

To me, how mysterious your thoughts,

O search me, God, and know my heart.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Psalm-prayer

You watch over heaven and earth, Lord Jesus. Your death brought light to the dead; your resurrection gave joy to the saints; your ascension made the angels rejoice. Your power exceeds all power. Lead us to life eternal, and watch over us with your love. May your friends be filled with honour and join you in heaven.

Ant. I am the Lord: I search the mind and probe the heart; I give to each one as his deeds deserve.

Ant. 3 Through him all things were made; he holds all creation together in himself.

Canticle – Colossians 1:12-20

Let us give thanks to the Father

He rescued us

He is the image of the invisible God,

All were created through him;

It is he who is head of the body, the church!

It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Through him all things were made; he holds all creation together in himself.

READING 1 John 2:3-6

The way we can be sure of our knowledge of 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

Keep us, O Lord, as the apple of your eye.

Gather us under the shadow of your wings, and keep us,

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. Lord, with the strength of your arm scatter the proud and lift 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. Lord, with the strength of your arm scatter the proud and lift up the lowly.

INTERCESSIONS

With joyful hearts, let us praise the Eternal Father whose mercy toward his people is exalted to the heavens:

Remember, Lord, that you sent your Son into the world to be its savior, not its judge,

You ordained your priests to be ministers of Christ and stewards of your marvelous gifts,

You have called men and women to chastity for the sake of the kingdom,

From the beginning you intended husband and wife to be one,

You sent Christ Jesus into the world to absolve the sins of men,

Our Father who art in heaven,

Concluding Prayer

God our Father,

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 Wednesday

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

Before the ending of the day,

From harmful dreams defend our sight,

O Father, this we ask be done,

Amen.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord God, be my refuge and my strength.

Psalm 31:1-6

In you, O Lord, I take refuge.

Be a rock of refuge for me,

Release me from the snares they have hidden

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Lord God, be my refuge and my strength.

Ant. 2 Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord.

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

Because with the Lord there is mercy

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord.

READING Ephesians 4:26-27

If you are angry, let it be without sin. The sun must not go down on your wrath; do not give the devil a chance to work on you.

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 Jesus Christ,

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

Hail Mary full of grace the Lord is with you.

Lord, open my lips.

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Psalm 67

O God, be gracious and bless us

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Let the nations be glad and exult

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

The earth has yielded its fruit

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.

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 Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.

Psalm 44

I

We heard with our own ears, O God,

To plant them you uprooted the nations:

It is you, my king, my God,

For it was not in my bow that I trusted

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.

Ant. 2 Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.

II

Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us:

You make us like sheep for the slaughter

You make us the taunt of our neighbors,

All day long my disgrace is before me:

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Ant. Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.

Ant. 3 Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.

III

This befell us though we had not forgotten you;

Had we forgotten the name of our God

Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep?

For we are brought down low to the dust;

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus, you foretold that we would share in the persecutions that brought you to a violent death. The Church formed at the cost of your precious blood is even now conformed to your Passion; may it be transformed, now and eternally, by the power of your resurrection.

Ant. Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.

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.

Let the light of your face shine on me, O Lord.

READINGS

First reading

It was the first year that Darius, son of Ahasuerus, of the race of the Medes, reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans; in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, tried to understand in the Scriptures the counting of the years of which the Lord spoke to the prophet Jeremiah: that for the ruins of Jerusalem seventy years must be fulfilled.

I turned to the Lord God, pleading in earnest prayer, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. I prayed to the Lord, my God, and confessed, “Give ear, O my God, and listen; open your eyes and see our ruins and the city which bears your name. When we present our petition before you, we rely not on our just deeds, but on your great mercy. O Lord, hear! O Lord, pardon! O Lord, be attentive and act without delay, for your own sake, O my God, because this city and your people bear your name!”

I was still occupied with my prayer, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, presenting my petition to the Lord, my God, on behalf of his holy mountain—I was still occupied with this prayer, when Gabriel, the one whom I had seen before in vision, came to me in rapid flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He instructed me in these words: “Daniel, I have now come to give you understanding. When you began your petition, an answer was given which I have come to announce, because you are beloved. Therefore, mark the answer and understand the vision.

“Seventy weeks are decreed

Know and understand this:

During sixty-two weeks

For one week he shall make

RESPONSORY Baruch 2:16; Daniel 9:18; Psalms 80:20

Look down from your holy dwelling place, O Lord, and think of us. Turn your ear toward us, my God, and listen;

O Lord of hosts, restore us; let your face shine upon us, and we shall be saved.

Second reading

My name is constantly blasphemed by unbelievers, says the Lord. Woe to the man who causes my name to be blasphemed. Why is the Lord’s name blasphemed? Because we say one thing and do another. When they hear the words of God on our lips, unbelievers are amazed at their beauty and power, but when they see that those words have no effect in our lives, their admiration turns to scorn, and they dismiss such words as myths and fairy tales.

They listen, for example, when we tell them that God has said: It is no credit to you if you love those who love you, but only if you love your enemies, and those who hate you. They are full of admiration at such extraordinary virtue, but when they observe that we not only fail to love people who hate us, but even those who love us, they laugh us to scorn, and the Name is blasphemed.

Therefore, brothers, if we do the will of God the Father, we shall be members of the first spiritual Church that was created before the sun and the moon; but if we fail to do the will of the Lord, we shall be among those to whom it is said in Scripture: My house has been made into a robbers’ den. We must choose then, if we want to be saved, to be members of the Church of life.

You surely cannot be ignorant of the fact that the living Church is the body of Christ; for Scripture says: God made man male and female. Now the male signifies Christ, and the female signifies the Church, which, according to both the Old and the New Testament, is no recent creation, but has existed from the beginning. At first the Church was purely spiritual, even as our Jesus was spiritual, but it appeared in the last days to save us.

For the spiritual Church was made manifest in the body of Christ, in order to show us that if we uphold its honor in the outward, visible form, and do not defile it, we shall, through the Holy Spirit be made its members in the true, spiritual sense. For the body of the Church is a copy of the Spirit, and no one who defaces the copy can have any part in what the copy represents. In other words, brothers, you must preserve the honor of the body in order to share in the Spirit. For if we say that the body is the Church and the Spirit is Christ, it follows that anyone who dishonors his body, dishonors the Church. Such a man will have no part in the Spirit, which is Christ. But if the Holy Spirit is joined to it, this body can receive an immortal life that is wonderful beyond words, for the blessings God has made ready for his chosen ones surpass all human powers of description.

RESPONSORY Jeremiah 7:3; James 4:8

The Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, says this:

Draw near and he will draw near to you;

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty and merciful God,

Acclamation (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.