Divine Office Office of Readings

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

The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to see but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious house. Now, son of man, during the day while they are looking on, prepare your baggage as though for exile, and again while they are looking on, migrate from where you live to another place; perhaps they will see that they are a rebellious house. You shall bring out your baggage like an exile in the daytime while they are looking on; in the evening, again while they are looking on, you shall go out like one of those driven into exile; while they look on, dig a hole in the wall and pass through it; while they look on, shoulder the burden and set out in the darkness; cover your face that you may not see the land, for I have made you a sign for the house of Israel.

I did as I was told. During the day I brought out my baggage as though it were that of an exile, and at evening I dug a hole through the wall with my hand and, while they looked on, set out in the darkness, shouldering my burden.

Then, in the morning, the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, did not the house of Israel, that rebellious house, ask you what you were doing? Tell them: Thus says the Lord God: This oracle concerns Jerusalem and the whole house of Israel within it.

I am a sign for you: as I have done, so shall it be done to them; as captives they shall go into exile. The prince who is among them shall shoulder his burden and set out in darkness, going through a hole that he has dug in the wall, and covering his face lest he be seen by anyone. But I will spread my net over him, and he shall be taken in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, into the land of the Chaldeans–but he shall not see it–and there he shall die. All his retinue, his aides, and his troops I will scatter in every direction, and pursue them with the sword.

Then shall they know that I am the Lord, when I disperse them among the nations and scatter them over foreign lands. Yet I will leave a few of them to escape the sword, famine and pestilence, so that they may tell of all their abominations among the nations to which they will come; thus they shall know that I am the Lord.

RESPONSORY Ezekiel 12:15; Psalm 89:31,33

When I disperse them among the nations

If they abandon my law

Second reading

After the Lord had shown what wicked shepherds esteem, he also spoke about what they neglect. The defects of the sheep are widespread. There are very few healthy and sound sheep, few that are solidly sustained by the food of truth, and few that enjoy the good pasture God gives them. But the wicked shepherds do not spare such sheep. It is not enough that they neglect those that are ill and weak, those that go stray and are lost. They even try, so far as it is in their power, to kill the strong and healthy. Yet such sheep live; yes, by God’s mercy they live. As for the wicked shepherds themselves, they kill the sheep. “How do they kill them?” you ask. By their wicked lives and by giving bad example. Or was God’s servant, who was high among the members of the chief shepherd, told this in vain: Show yourself as an example of good works toward all men, and, Be an example to the faithful?

Even the strong sheep, if he turns his eyes from the Lord’s laws and looks at the man set over him, notices when his shepherd is living wickedly and begins to say in his heart: “If my pastor lives like that, why should I not live like him?” The wicked shepherd kills the strong sheep. But if he kills the strong one what does he do to the rest? After all, by his wicked life he kills even the sheep he had not strengthened but had found strong and hardy.

I appeal to your love, and again I say, even if the sheep have life and if they are strong in the word of the Lord, and if they hold fast to what they have heard from their Lord, Do what they say but not what they do. Still, as far as he himself is concerned, the shepherd who lives a wicked life before the people kills the sheep under his care. Let such a shepherd not deceive himself because the sheep is not dead, for though it still lives, he is a murderer – just as when the lustful man looks on a woman with desire, even though she is chaste, he has committed adultery. For the Lord said in plain truth: Whoever has looked upon a woman with desire has already committed adultery with her in his heart. He has not entered her bedroom, yet he has ravished her within the bedroom of his heart.

Therefore anyone who lives wickedly before those who have been placed under his care kills, as far as he himself is concerned, even the strong. Whoever imitates him, dies; whoever does not, has life. But as for him, he kills both of them. You kill what is healthy and you do not pasture my sheep.

RESPONSORY Like 12:48; Wisdom 6:6

If much has been given to you,

The most severe judgment will be set aside for those in high places.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Look upon us,

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.

Lord, open my lips.

Ant. Come let us praise the Lord in whom is all our delight.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Lord

Ant. Come let us praise the Lord in whom is all our delight.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,

Ant. Come let us praise the Lord in whom is all our delight.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,

Ant. Come let us praise the Lord in whom is all our delight.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:

Ant. Come let us praise the Lord in whom is all our delight.

Forty years I endured that generation.

Ant. Come let us praise the Lord in whom is all our delight.

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

Ant. Come let us praise the Lord in whom is all our delight.

Ribbon Placement:

Christian Prayer:

Office of Readings for Friday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

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

HYMN

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me by the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of my Lord for ever.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 My God, do not reject my cry for help, assailed as I am by the wicked.

Psalm 55

I

O God, listen to my prayer,

I tremble at the shouts of the foe,

My heart is stricken within me,

O that I had wings like a dove

I would hasten to find a shelter

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

Ant. My God, do not reject my cry for help, assailed as I am by the wicked.

Ant. 2 The Lord himself will free us from hostile and treacherous hands.

II

For I can see nothing but violence

It is full of wickedness and evil;

If this had been done by an enemy

But it is you, my own companion,

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

Ant. The Lord himself will free us from hostile and treacherous hands.

Ant. 3 Entrust your cares to the Lord; he will sustain you.

III

As for me, I will cry to God

He will deliver my soul in peace

God will hear and will humble them,

The traitor has turned against his friends;

Entrust your cares to the Lord

But you, O God, will bring them down

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus, you were rejected by your people, betrayed by the kiss of a friend, and deserted by your disciples. Give us the confidence that you had in the Father, and our salvation will be assured.

Ant. Entrust your cares to the Lord; he will sustain you.

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.

Children, listen to my words of wisdom.

READINGS

First reading

Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: By origin and birth you are of the land of Canaan; your father was an Amorite and your mother a Hittite. You were thrown out on the ground as something loathsome, the day you were born.

Then I passed by and saw you weltering in your blood. I said to you: Live in your blood and grow like a plant in the field. You grew and developed, you came to the age of puberty. Again I passed by you and saw that you were now old enough for love. So I spread the corner of my cloak over you to cover your nakedness; I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you; you became mine, says the Lord God. Then I bathed you with water, washed away your blood, and anointed you with oil. I clothed you with an embroidered gown, put sandals of fine leather on your feet; I gave you a fine linen sash and silk robes to wear. I adorned you with jewelry: I put bracelets on your arms, a necklace about your neck, a ring in your nose, pendants in your ears, and a glorious diadem upon your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver; your garments were of fine linen, silk, and embroidered cloth. Fine flour, honey, and oil were your food. You were exceedingly beautiful, with the dignity of a queen. You were renowned among the nations for your beauty, perfect as it was, because of my splendor which I had bestowed on you, says the Lord God.

But you were captivated by your own beauty, you used your renown to make yourself a harlot, and you lavished your harlotry on every passer-by, whose own you became.

Therefore, harlot, hear the word of the Lord! I will now gather together all your lovers whom you tried to please, whether you loved them or loved them not. They shall lead an assembly against you to stone you and hack you with their swords. They shall burn your apartments with fire and inflict punishments on you while many women look on. Thus I will put an end to your harlotry, and you shall never again give payment. When I have wreaked my fury upon you I will cease to be jealous of you, I will be quiet and no longer vexed. Because you did not remember what happened when you were a girl, but enraged me with all these things, therefore in return I am bringing down your conduct upon your head, says the Lord God. For did you not add lewdness to the rest of your abominable deeds?

For thus speaks the Lord God: I will deal with you according to what you have done, you who despised your oath, breaking a covenant. Yet I will remember the covenant I made with you when you were a girl, and I will set up an everlasting covenant with you. Then you shall remember your conduct and be ashamed when I take your sisters, those older and younger than you, and give them to you as daughters, even though I am not bound by my covenant with you. For I will re-establish my covenant with you, that you may know that I am the Lord, that you may remember and be covered with confusion, and that you may be utterly silenced for shame when I pardon you for all you have done, says the Lord God.

RESPONSORY See Isaiah 54:6, 8; Ezekiel 16:60

I have called you back, like a forsaken wife;

I will remember the covenant I made with you

Second reading

You have already been told about the wicked things shepherds desire. Let us now consider what they neglect. You have failed to strengthen what was weak, to heal what was sick, and to bind up what was injured, that is, what was broken. You did not call back the straying sheep, nor seek out the lost. What was strong you have destroyed. Yes, you have cut it down and killed it. The sheep is weak, that is to say, its heart is weak, and so, incautious and unprepared, it may give in to temptations.

The negligent shepherd fails to say to the believer: My son, come to the service of God, stand fast in fear and in righteousness, and prepare your soul for temptation. A shepherd who does say this strengthens the one who is weak and makes him strong. Such a believer will then not hope for the prosperity of this world. For if he has been taught to hope for worldly gain, he will be corrupted by prosperity. When adversity comes, he will be wounded or perhaps destroyed.

The builder who builds in such manner is not building the believer on a rock but upon sand. But the rock was Christ. Christians must imitate Christ’s sufferings, not set their hearts on pleasures. He who is weak will be strengthened when told: “Yes, expect the temptations of this world, but the Lord will deliver you from them all if your heart has not abandoned him. For it was to strengthen your heart that he came to suffer and die, came to be spit upon and crowned with thorns, came to be accused of shameful things, yes, came to be fastened to the wood of the cross. All these things he did for you, and you did nothing. He did them not for himself, but for you.”

But what sort of shepherds are they who for fear of giving offense not only fail to prepare the sheep for the temptations that threaten, but even promise them worldly happiness? God himself made no such promise to this world. On the contrary, God foretold hardship upon hardship in this world until the end of time. And you want the Christian to be exempt from these troubles? Precisely because he is a Christian, he is destined to suffer more in this world.

For the Apostle says, All who desire to live a holy life in Christ will suffer persecution. But you, shepherd, seek what is yours and not what is Christ’s, you disregard what the Apostle says: All who want to live a holy life in Christ will suffer persecution. You say instead: “If you live a holy life in Christ, all good things will be yours in abundance. If you do not have children, you will embrace and nourish all men, and none of them shall die.” Is this the way you build up the believer? Take note of what you are doing and where you are placing him. You have built him on sand. The rains will come, the river will overflow and rush in, the winds will blow, and the elements will dash against that house of yours. It will fall, and its ruin will be great.

Lift him up from the sand and put him on the rock. Let him be in Christ, if you wish him to be a Christian. Let him turn his thoughts to sufferings, however unworthy they may be in comparison to Christ’s. Let him center his attention on Christ, who was without sin, and yet made restitution for what he had not done. Let him consider Scripture, which says to him: He chastises every son whom he acknowledges. Let him prepare to be chastised, or else not seek to be acknowledged as a son.

RESPONSORY 1 Thessalonians 2:4, 3

God has found us worthy to be ministers of his Gospel, and so when we speak,

Our preaching does not spring from error, or impure motives, or a desire to deceive.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Look upon us,

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.

Lord, open my lips.

Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God, let us enter into his rest.

Psalm 100

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God, let us enter into his rest.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.

Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God, let us enter into his rest.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.

Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God, let us enter into his rest.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,

Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God, let us enter into his rest.

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

Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God, let us enter into his rest.

Ribbon Placement:

Christian Prayer:

Office of Readings for Saturday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

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

HYMN

Ave Maria, gratia plena

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei

Amen.

English Translation:

Hail Mary, full of grace

Holy Mary, Mother of God

Amen.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord summons heaven and earth to witness his judgment on his people.

Psalm 50

I

The God of gods, the Lord,

Our God comes, he keeps silence no longer.

Before him fire devours,

“Summon before me my people

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

Ant. The Lord summons heaven and earth to witness his judgment on his people.

Ant. 2 Come to me in your distress, and I will save you.

II

“Listen, my people, I will speak;

I find no fault with your sacrifices,

For I own all the beasts of the forest,

Were I hungry, I would not tell you,

Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God

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

Ant. Come to me in your distress, and I will save you.

Ant. 3 A sacrifice of praise will give me glory.

III

But God says to the wicked:

“But how can you recite my commandments

you who see a thief and go with him;

you who sit and malign your brother

Mark this, you who never think of God,

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

Psalm-prayer

Father, because Jesus, your servant, became obedient even unto death, his sacrifice was greater than all holocausts of old. Accept the sacrifice of praise we offer you through him and may we show the effects of it in our lives by striving to do your will until our whole life becomes adoration in Spirit and truth.

Ant. A sacrifice of praise will give me glory.

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.

We are always praying earnestly for you.

READINGS

First reading

The word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, what is the meaning of this proverb that you recite in the land of Israel:

“Fathers have eaten green grapes,

As I live, says the Lord God: I swear that there shall no longer be anyone among you who will repeat this proverb in Israel. For all lives are mine; the life of the father is like the life of the son, both are mine; only the one who sins shall die.

If a man is virtuous — if he does what is right and just, if he does not eat on the mountains, nor raise his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel; if he does not defile his neighbor’s wife, nor have relations with a woman in her menstrual period; if he oppresses no one, gives back the pledge received for a debt, commits no robbery; if he gives food to the hungry and clothes the naked; if he does not lend at interest nor exact usury; if he holds off from evildoing, judges fairly between a man and his opponent; if he lives by my statutes and is careful to observe my ordinances, that man is virtuous—he shall surely live, says the Lord God.

But if he begets a son who is a thief, a murderer, or who does any of these things (though the father does none of them), a son who eats on the mountains, defiles the wife of his neighbor, oppresses the poor and needy, commits robbery, does not give back a pledge, raises his eyes to idols, does abominable things, lends at interest and exacts usury — this son certainly shall not live. Because he practiced all these abominations, he shall surely die; his death shall be his own fault.

Only the one who sins shall die. The son shall not be charged with the guilt of his father, nor shall the father be charged with the guilt of his son. The virtuous man’s virtue shall be his own, as the wicked man’s wickedness shall be his own.

But if the wicked man turns away from all the sins he committed, if he keeps all my statutes and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of the crimes he committed shall be remembered against him; he shall live because of the virtue he has practiced. Do I indeed derive any pleasure from the death of the wicked? says the Lord God. Do I not rather rejoice when he turns from his evil way that he may live? And if the virtuous man turns from the path of virtue to do evil, the same kind of abominable things that the wicked man does, can he do this and still live? None of his virtuous deeds shall be remembered, because he has broken faith and committed sin; because of this, he shall die. You say, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Hear now, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? When a virtuous man turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if a wicked man, turning from the wickedness he has committed, does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. And yet the house of Israel says, “The Lord’s way is not fair!” Is it my way that is not fair, house of Israel, or rather, is it not that your ways are not fair?

Therefore I will judge you, house of Israel, each one according to his ways, says the Lord God. Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. Why should you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies, says the Lord God. Return and live!

RESPONSORY Jeremiah 31:29; Ezekiel 18;20, 30

Never again shall they say: The fathers ate unripe grapes; the children’s teeth are set on edge.

I will judge each person according to his own deeds. The son shall not suffer for the sins of the father, nor the father for the sins of his son.

Second reading

Scripture says: God chastises every son whom he acknowledges. But the bad shepherd says: “Perhaps I will be exempt.” If he is exempt from the suffering of his chastisements, then he is not numbered among God’s sons. You will say: “Does God indeed punish every son?” Yes, every one, just as he chastised his only Son. His only Son, born of the substance of the Father, equal to the Father in the form of God, the Word through whom all things were made, he could not be chastised. For this reason he was clothed with flesh so that he might know chastisement. God punishes his only Son who is without sin; does he then leave unpunished an adopted son who is with sin? The Apostle says that we have been called to adoption. We have been adopted as sons, that we might be co-heirs with the only Son, and also that we might be his inheritance: Ask of me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance. Christ gave us the example by his own sufferings.

But clearly one who is weak must neither be deceived with false hope nor broken by fear. Otherwise he may fail when temptations come. Say to him: Prepare your soul for temptation. Perhaps he is starting to falter, to tremble with fear, perhaps he is unwilling to approach. You have another passage of Scripture for him: God is faithful. He does not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. Make that promise while preaching about the sufferings to come, and you will strengthen the man who is weak. When someone is held back because of excessive fear, promise him God’s mercy. It is not that temptations will be lacking, but that God will not permit anyone to be tempted beyond what he can bear. In this manner you will be binding up the broken one.

When they hear of the trials that are coming, some men arm themselves more and, so to speak, are eager to drain the cup. The ordinary medicine of the faithful seems to them but a small thing; for their part they seek the glorious death of the martyrs. Others hear of the temptations to come, and when they do arrive, as arrive they must, they become broken and lame. Yet it is right that such things befall the Christian, and no one esteems them except the one who desires to be a true Christian.

Offer the bandage of consolation, bind up what has been broken. Say this: “Do not be afraid. God in whom you have believed does not abandon you in temptations. God is faithful. He does not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. It is not I who say this, but the Apostle, and he says further: Are you willing to accept his trial, the trial of Christ who speaks in me? When you hear this you are hearing it from Christ himself, you are hearing it from the shepherd who gives pasture to Israel. For of him it was said: You will give us tears to drink in measure. The Apostle says: He does not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. This is also what the prophet intends by adding the words: in measure. God rebukes but also encourages, he brings fear and he brings consolation, he strikes and he heals. Do not reject him.”

RESPONSORY Psalm 44:23; Romans 8:37; Psalm 44:12

For your sake, O Lord, we are being put to death all day long, and we are being treated like sheep for the slaughter,

You have handed us over like sheep to be slaughtered and you have scattered us among the nations.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Look upon us,

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.

Lord, open my lips.

Ant. Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Lord

Ant. Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,

Ant. Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,

Ant. Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:

Ant. Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.

Forty years I endured that generation.

Ant. Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.

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

Ant. Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us, alleluia.

Ribbon Placement:

Office of Readings for Sunday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

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

HYMN

1. God Father, praise and glory

Refrain:

2. And you, Lord Coeternal,

Refrain:

3. O Holy Ghost, Creator

Refrain:

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life.

Psalm 1

Happy indeed is the man

Ant. See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life.

He is like a tree that is planted

Ant. See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life.

For they like winnowed chaff

Ant. See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life.

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord, you are the fullness of life of holiness and of joy. Fill our days and night with the love of your wisdom, that we may bear fruit in the beauty of holiness, like a tree watered by running streams.

Ant. See how the cross of the Lord stands revealed as the tree of life.

Ant. 2 Here is a King of my own choosing who will rule on Mount Zion.

Psalm 2

Why this tumult among nations,

Ant. Here is a King of my own choosing who will rule on Mount Zion.

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

Ant. Here is a King of my own choosing who will rule on Mount Zion.

I will announce the decree of the Lord:

Ant. Here is a King of my own choosing who will rule on Mount Zion.

Now, O kings, understand,

Ant. Here is a King of my own choosing who will rule on Mount Zion.

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

Ant. Here is a King of my own choosing who will rule on Mount Zion.

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, you gave the peoples of the world as the inheritance of your only Son; you crowned him as King of Zion, your holy city, and gave him your Church to be his bride. As he proclaims the law of your eternal kingdom, may we serve him faithfully, and so share his royal power forever.

Ant. Here is a King of my own choosing who will rule on Mount Zion.

Ant. 3 Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory.

Psalm 3

How many are my foes, O Lord!

Ant. Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory.

But you, Lord, are a shield about me,

Ant. Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory.

I lie down to rest and I sleep.

Ant. Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory.

Arise, Lord; save me, my God,

Ant. Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory.

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, you heard the cry of your Son when he was oppressed and saved him from the sleep of death. Arise, Lord, help your Church. Be its shield so that it may hold up its head and radiate the glory of the resurrection.

Ant. Lord, you are my protector; you have raised me up in glory.

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.

May the word of Christ ever fill your hearts.

READINGS

First Reading

Thus the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, by a sudden blow I am taking away from you the delight of your eyes, but do not mourn or weep or shed any tears. Groan in silence, make no lament for the dead, bind on your turban, put your sandals on your feet, do not cover your beard, and do not eat the customary bread.

That evening my wife died, and the next morning I did as I had been commanded. Then the people asked me, “Will you not tell us what all these things that you are doing mean for us?” I therefore spoke to the people that morning, saying to them: Thus the word of the Lord came to me: Say to the house of Israel: Thus says the Lord God: I will now desecrate my sanctuary, the stronghold of your pride, the delight of your eyes, the desire of your soul. The sons and daughters you left behind shall fall by the sword. Ezekiel shall be a sign for you: all that he did you shall do when it happens. Thus you shall know that I am the Lord. You shall do as I have done, not covering your beards nor eating the customary bread. Your turbans shall remain on your heads, your sandals on your feet. You shall not mourn or weep, but you shall rot away because of your sins and groan one to another.

As for you, son of man, truly, on the day I take away from them their bulwark, their glorious joy, the delight of their eyes, the desire of their soul, and the pride of their hearts, their sons and daughters, that day the fugitive will come to you, that you may hear it for yourself; that day your mouth shall be opened and you shall be dumb no longer. Thus you shall be a sign to them, and they shall know that I am the Lord.

RESPONSORY Ezekiel 24:24; Joel 2:13

Ezekiel shall be a sign for you; you shall do just as he has done,

Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the Lord your God.

Second reading

You have failed to strengthen the weak, says the Lord. He is speaking to wicked shepherds, false shepherds, shepherds who seek their own concerns and not those of Christ. They enjoy the bounty of milk and wool, but they take no care at all of the sheep, and they make no effort to heal those who are ill. I think there is a difference between one who is weak (that is, not strong) and one who is ill, although we often say that the weak are also suffering from illness.

My brothers, when I try to make that distinction, perhaps I could do it better and with greater precision, or perhaps someone with more experience and insight could do so. But when it comes to the words of Scripture, I say what I think so that in the meantime you will not be deprived of all profit. In the case of the weak sheep, it is to be feared that the temptation, when it comes, may break him. The sick person, however, is already ill by reason of some illicit desire or other, and this is keeping him from entering God’s path and submitting to Christ’s yoke.

There are men who want to live a good life and have already decided to do so, but are not capable of bearing sufferings even though they are ready to do good. Now it is a part of the Christian’s strength not only to do good works but also to endure evil. Weak men are those who appear to be zealous in doing good works but are unwilling or unable to endure the sufferings that threaten. Lovers of the world, however, who are kept from good works by some evil desire, lie sick and listless, and it is this sickness that deprives them of any strength to accomplish good works.

The paralytic was like that. When his bearers could not bring him in to the Lord, they opened the roof and lowered him down to the feet of Christ. Perhaps you wish to do this in spirit: to open the roof and to lower a paralytic soul down to the Lord. All its limbs are lifeless, it is empty of every good work, burdened with its sins, and weak from the illness brought on by its evil desires. Since all its limbs are helpless, and the paralysis is interior, you cannot come to the physician. But perhaps the physician himself is concealed within; for the true understanding of Scripture is hidden. Reveal therefore what is hidden, and thus you will open the roof and lower the paralytic to the feet of Christ.

As for those who fail to do this and those who are negligent, you have heard what was said to them: You have failed to heal the sick; you have failed to bind up what was broken. Of this we have already spoken. Man was broken by terrible temptations. But there is at hand a consolation that will bind what was broken: God is faithful. He does not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.

RESPONSORY 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak;

I do all this for the sake of the Gospel, in order to share in its rewards.

TE DEUM

You are God: we praise you;

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,

The glorious company of apostles praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:

You, Christ, are the King of glory,

When you became man to set us free

You overcame the sting of death,

You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.

Day by day we bless you.

Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.

Lord, show us your love and mercy,

In you, Lord, is our hope:

CONCLUDING PRAYER

O God,

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.

Lord, open my lips.

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

Psalm 24

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

O gates, lift high your heads;

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

Who is the king of glory?

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

O gates, lift high your heads;

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

Who is he, the king of glory?

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

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

Ant. Let us approach the Lord with praise and thanksgiving.

Ribbon Placement:

Christian Prayer:

Office of Readings for Monday 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 Show me your mercy, Lord, and keep me safe.

Psalm 6

Lord, do not reprove me in your anger:

But you, O Lord… how long?

I am exhausted with my groaning;

Leave me, all who do evil;

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, you love mercy and tenderness; you give life and overcome death. Look upon the many wounds of your Church; restore it to health by your risen Son, so that it may sing a new song in your praise.

Ant. Show me your mercy, Lord, and keep me safe.

Ant. 2 The poor are not alone in their distress; God is here to help them.

Psalm 9A

I

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;

See how my enemies turn back,

You have checked the nations, destroyed the wicked;

But the Lord sits enthroned for ever.

For the oppressed let the Lord be a stronghold,

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

Ant. The poor are not alone in their distress; God is here to help them.

Ant. 3 I will be the herald of your praises, Lord, where the people of Zion gather.

II

Sing psalms to the Lord who dwells in Zion.

Have pity on me, Lord, see my sufferings,

The nations have fallen in the pit which they made,

Let the wicked go down among the dead,

Arise, Lord, let men not prevail!

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, when you judge, do not be deaf to the shouts of the poor, bring havoc to the madness of oppressors. Look at our wounds and save us from the gates of death, so that we may always rejoice in your help and speak your praise in the gates of Zion.

Ant. I will be the herald of your praises, Lord, where the people of Zion gather.

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.

Give me insight, Lord, to know your will.

READINGS

First reading

Thus the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, in these words prophesy to them [to the shepherds]: Thus says the Lord God:

Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep? You have fed off their milk, worn their wool, and slaughtered the fatlings, but the sheep you have not pastured. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost, but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered and wandered over all the mountains and high hills; my sheep were scattered over the whole earth, with no one to look after them or to search for them.

For thus says the Lord God: I myself will look after and tend my sheep. As a shepherd tends his flock when he finds himself among his scattered sheep, so will I tend my sheep. I will rescue them from every place where they were scattered when it was cloudy and dark. I will lead them out from among the peoples and gather them from the foreign lands; I will bring them back to their own country and pasture them upon the mountains of Israel [in the land’s ravines and all its inhabited places]. In good pastures will I pasture them, and on the mountain heights of Israel shall be their grazing ground. There they shall lie down on good grazing ground, and in rich pastures shall they be pastured on the mountains of Israel.

I myself will pasture my sheep; I myself will give them rest, says the Lord God. The lost I will seek out, the strayed I will bring back, the injured I will bind up, the sick I will heal [but the sleek and the strong I will destroy], shepherding them rightly.

I will appoint one shepherd over them to pasture them, my servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd. I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.

I will make a covenant of peace with them, and rid the country of ravenous beasts, that they may dwell securely in the desert and sleep in the forests. I will place them about my hill, sending rain in due season, rains that shall be a blessing to them. The trees of the field shall bear their fruits, and the land its crops, and they shall dwell securely on their own soil. Thus they shall know that I am the Lord when I break the bonds of their yoke and free them from the power of those who enslaved them. They shall no longer be despoiled by the nations or devoured by beasts of the earth, but shall dwell secure, with no one to frighten them.

I will prepare for them peaceful fields for planting; they shall no longer be carried off by famine in the land, or bear the reproaches of the nations. Thus they shall know that I, the Lord, am their God, and they are my people, the house of Israel, says the Lord God. [You, my sheep, you are the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord God.]

RESPONSORY Ezekiel 34:12, 13, 14; John 10:10

I shall rescue my sheep from wherever they were scattered on the day of mist and darkness, and I shall bring them back to their own land,

I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.

Second reading

The straying sheep you have not recalled; the lost sheep you have not sought. In one way or another, we go on living between the hands of robbers and the teeth of raging wolves, and in light of these present dangers we ask your prayers. The sheep moreover are insolent. The shepherd seeks out the straying sheep, but because they have wandered away and are lost they say that they are not ours. “Why do you want us? Why do you seek us?” they ask, as if their straying and being lost were not the very reason for our wanting them and seeking them out. “If I am straying,” he says, “if I am lost, why do you want me?” You are straying, that is why I wish to recall you. You have been lost, I wish to find you. “But I wish to stray,” he says: “I wish to be lost.”

So you wish to stray and be lost? How much better that I do not also wish this. Certainly, I dare say, I am unwelcome. But I listen to the Apostle who says: Preach the word; insist upon it, welcome and unwelcome. Welcome to whom? Unwelcome to whom? By all means welcome to those who desire it; unwelcome to those who do not. However unwelcome, I dare to say: “You wish to stray, you wish to be lost; but I do not want this.” For the one whom I fear does not wish this. And should I wish it, consider his words of reproach: The straying sheep you have not recalled; the lost sheep you have not sought. Shall I fear you rather than him? Remember, we must all present ourselves before the judgment seat of Christ.

I shall recall the straying; I shall seek the lost. Whether they wish it or not, I shall do it. And should the brambles of the forests tear at me when I seek them, I shall force myself through all straits; I shall put down all hedges. So far as the God whom I fear grants me the strength, I shall search everywhere. I shall recall the straying; I shall seek after those on the verge of being lost. If you do not want me to suffer, do not stray, do not become lost. It is enough that I lament your straying and loss. No, I fear that in neglecting you, I shall also kill what is strong. Consider the passage that follows: And what was strong you have destroyed. Should I neglect the straying and lost, the strong one will also take delight in straying and in being lost.

RESPONSORY

Speak out when the time is right;

Preach the word, persevere in this task,

CONCLUDING PRAYER

O God,

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.