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

April 26, 2025 Apr 26, Office of Readings for Saturday of the 1st week of Easter

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II:

Ordinary: 1045

All from Proper of Seasons: 617

Office of Readings for Saturday in the Octave of Easter

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

Dominus tecum

Benedicta tu in mulieribus

Et benedictus fructus ventris tui, Jesus

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei

Ora pro nobis peccatoribus

Nunc et in hora mortis nostrae

Amen.

English Translation:

Hail Mary, full of grace

The Lord is with thee

Blessed are thou among women

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

Amen.

𝄞"Ave Maria" by Gretchen Harris • Musical Score • Title: Ave Maria (Chant); Album: Sing of Mary; Music; Plainsong mode I; vocal: Gretchen Harris; Used with permission; Visit and thank Gretch at http://www.gretchen-harris.com;

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Great is the Lord; his majesty is beyond measure, alleluia.

Psalm 145

Praise of God’s majesty

Lord, you are the Just One, who was and who is (Revelation 16:5).

I will give you glory, O God my King,

I will bless your name forever.

I will bless you day after day

and praise your name forever.

The Lord is great, highly to be praised,

his greatness cannot be measured.

Age to age shall proclaim your works,

shall declare your mighty deeds,

shall speak of your splendor and glory,

tell the tale of your wonderful works.

They will speak of your terrible deeds,

recount your greatness and might.

They will recall your abundant goodness;

age to age shall ring out your justice.

The Lord is kind and full of compassion,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

How good is the Lord to all,

compassionate to all his creatures.

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. Great is the Lord; his majesty is beyond measure, alleluia.

Ant. 2 The Lord has made known the glorious splendor of his kingdom, alleluia.

All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord,

and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God,

to make known to men your mighty deeds

and the glorious splendor of your reign.

Yours is an everlasting kingdom;

your rule lasts from age to age.

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 known the glorious splendor of his kingdom, alleluia.

Ant. 3 Let all creatures praise your holy name for ever, alleluia.

III

The Lord is faithful in all his words

and loving in all his deeds.

The Lord supports all who fall

and raises all who are bowed down.

The eyes of all creatures look to you

and you give them their food in due time.

You open wide your hand,

grant the desires of all who live.

The Lord is just in all his ways

and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts.

He grants the desires of those who fear him,

he hears their cry and he saves them.

The Lord protects all who love him;

but the wicked he will utterly destroy.

Let me speak the praise of the Lord,

let all mankind bless his holy name

for ever, for ages unending.

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

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Let all creatures praise your holy name for ever, alleluia.

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.

God raised up Christ from the dead, alleluia.

— So that all our faith and hope might be in God, alleluia.

READINGS

First reading

From the first letter of the apostle Peter

4:12—5:14

Exhortations to the elders and to the faithful

Do not be surprised, beloved, that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst. It is a test for you, but it should not catch you off guard. Rejoice instead, in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly. Happy are you when you are insulted for the sake of Christ, for then God’s Spirit in its glory has come to rest on you.

See to it that none of you suffers for being a murderer, a thief, a malefactor, or a destroyer of another’s rights. If anyone suffers for being a Christian, however, he ought not to be ashamed. He should rather glorify God in virtue of that name.

The season of judgment has begun, and begun with God’s own household. If it begins this way with us, what must be the end for those who refuse obedience to the gospel of God? And if the just man is saved only with difficulty, what is to become of the godless and the sinner? Accordingly, let those who suffer as God’s will requires continue in good deeds, and entrust their lives to a faithful Creator.

To the elders among you I, a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and sharer in the glory that is to be revealed, make this appeal. God’s flock is in your midst; give it a shepherd’s care. Watch over it willingly as God would have you do, not under constraint; and not for shameful profit either, but generously. Be examples to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you, so that when the chief Shepherd appears you will win for yourselves the unfading crown of glory.

In the same way, you younger men must be obedient to the elders. In your relations with one another, clothe yourselves with humility, because God “is stern with the arrogant but to the humble he shows kindness.” Bow humbly under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time he may lift you high. Cast all your cares on him because he cares for you.

Stay sober and alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, solid in your faith, realizing that the brotherhood of believers is undergoing the same sufferings throughout the world.

The God of all grace, who called you to his everlasting glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish those who have suffered a little while. Dominion be his throughout the ages! Amen.

I am writing briefly through Silvanus, whom I take to be a faithful brother to you. Herewith are expressed my encouragement and my testimony that this is the true grace of God. Be steadfast in it. The church that is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greeting, as does Mark my son. Greet one another with the embrace of true love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

RESPONSORY See 1 Peter 4:13; Luke 6:22

Insofar as you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice,

— for your joy will be much greater when his glory is revealed, alleluia.

Blessed are you when men hate you because of the Son of Man.

— For your joy will be much greater when his glory is revealed, alleluia.

Second reading

From the Jerusalem Catecheses

The bread of heaven and the cup of salvation

On the night he was betrayed our Lord Jesus Christ took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples and said: “Take, eat: this is my body.” He took the cup, gave thanks and said: “Take, drink: this is my blood.” Since Christ himself has declared the bread to be his body, who can have any further doubt? Since he himself has said quite categorically, This is my blood, who would dare to question it and say that it is not his blood?

Therefore, it is with complete assurance that we receive the bread and wine as the body and blood of Christ. His body is given to us under the symbol of bread, and his blood is given to us under the symbol of wine, in order to make us by receiving them one body and blood with him. Having his body and blood in our members, we become bearers of Christ and sharers, as Saint Peter says, in the divine nature.

Once, when speaking to the Jews, Christ said: Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you shall have no life in you. This horrified them and they left him. Not understanding his words in a spiritual way, they thought the Savior wished them to practice cannibalism. Under the old covenant there was showbread, but it came to an end with the old dispensation to which it belonged. Under the new covenant there is bread from heaven and the cup of salvation. These sanctify both soul and body, the bread being adapted to the sanctification of the body, the Word, to the sanctification of the soul.

Do not, then, regard the eucharistic elements as ordinary bread and wine: they are in fact the body and blood of the Lord, as he himself has declared. Whatever your senses may tell you, be strong in faith.

You have been taught and you are firmly convinced that what looks and tastes like bread and wine is not bread and wine but the body and the blood of Christ. You know also how David referred to this long ago when he sang: Bread gives strength to man’s heart and makes his face shine with the oil of gladness. Strengthen your heart, then, by receiving this bread as spiritual bread, and bring joy to the face of your soul.

May purity of conscience remove the veil from the face of your soul so that by contemplating the glory of the Lord, as in a mirror, you may be transformed from glory to glory in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

RESPONSORY Luke 22:19; Exodus 12:27

Jesus took bread, gave thanks, and broke the bread.

Then he gave it to his disciples and said:

This is my body which is given up for you.

— Do this in memory of me, alleluia.

When your children ask: What does this ritual mean?

Say to them: This is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover.

— Do this in memory of me, alleluia.

TE DEUM

You are God: we praise you;

You are the Lord: we acclaim you;

You are the eternal Father: