Divine Office Office of Readings

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Let us praise Christ the Lord as we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph.

Psalm 67

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Ant. Let us praise Christ the Lord as we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Let us praise Christ the Lord as we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Ant. Let us praise Christ the Lord as we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Let us praise Christ the Lord as we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph.

The earth has yielded its fruit

for God, our God, has blessed us.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Ant. Let us praise Christ the Lord as we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph.

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 us praise Christ the Lord as we celebrate the feast of Saint Joseph.

The English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) ©1974,

International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Corporation. Readings and Old and New Testament Canticles (except the Gospel Canticles) are from the New American Bible

© 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

The DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media follows the liturgical calendar for the United States.

The 1970 edition of the New American Bible as published in the Liturgy of the Hours is approved for use

only in the United States. DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media is © 2006-2022

Surgeworks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II:

Ordinary: 1045

Proper of Saints: 1719

Common of Holy Men: 2136

Office of Readings for the Solemnity of Saint Joseph, Husband of 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.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and said: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; she will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

Psalm 21:2-8, 14

Thanksgiving for the king’s victory

He accepted life that he might rise and live for ever (Saint Hilary).

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;

how your saving help makes him glad!

You have granted him his heart’s desire;

you have not refused the prayer of his lips.

You came to meet him with the blessings of success,

you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.

He asked you for life and this you have given,

days that will last from age to age.

Your saving help has given him glory.

You have laid upon him majesty and splendor,

you have granted your blessings to him for ever.

You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.

The king has put his trust in the Lord:

through the mercy of the Most High he shall stand firm.

O Lord, arise in your strength,

we shall sing and praise your 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. The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and said: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; she will give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.

Ant. 2 When he awoke Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had directed him, and took Mary as his wife.

Psalm 92

Praise of God the Creator

Sing in praise of Christ’s redeeming work (Saint Athanasius).

I

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,

to make music to your name, O Most High,

to proclaim your love in the morning

and your truth in the watches of the night,

on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute,

with the murmuring sound of the harp.

Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad;

for the work of your hands I shout with joy.

O Lord, how great are your works!

How deep are your designs!

The foolish man cannot know this

and the fool cannot understand.

Though the wicked spring up like grass

and all who do evil thrive:

they are doomed to be eternally destroyed.

But you, Lord, are eternally on high.

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. When he awoke Joseph did as the angel of the Lord had directed him, and took Mary as his wife.

Ant. 3 Joseph left Nazareth and set out for the town of David called Bethlehem to register with Mary.

II

See how your enemies perish;

all doers of evil are scattered.

To me you give the wild-ox’s strength;

you anoint me with the purest oil.

My eyes looked in triumph on my foes;

my ears heard gladly of their fall.

The just will flourish like the palm-tree

and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

Planted in the house of the Lord

they will flourish in the courts of our God,

still bearing fruit when they are old,

still full of sap, still green,

to proclaim that the Lord is just;

in him, my rock, there is no wrong.

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.

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.

The English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) ©1974,

International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Corporation. Readings and Old and New Testament Canticles (except the Gospel Canticles) are from the New American Bible

© 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

The DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media follows the liturgical calendar for the United States.

The 1970 edition of the New American Bible as published in the Liturgy of the Hours is approved for use

only in the United States. DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media is © 2006-2022

Surgeworks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.

Psalm 67

O God, be gracious and bless us

and let your face shed its light upon us.

So will your ways be known upon earth

and all nations learn your saving help.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.

Let the nations be glad and exult

for you rule the world with justice.

With fairness you rule the peoples,

you guide the nations on earth.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;

let all the peoples praise you.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.

The earth has yielded its fruit

for God, our God, has blessed us.

May God still give us his blessing

till the ends of the earth revere him.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.

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 the Lord, the King of apostles.

The English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) ©1974,

International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Corporation. Readings and Old and New Testament Canticles (except the Gospel Canticles) are from the New American Bible

© 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

The DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media follows the liturgical calendar for the United States.

The 1970 edition of the New American Bible as published in the Liturgy of the Hours is approved for use

only in the United States. DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media is © 2006-2022

Surgeworks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship, alleluia.

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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship, alleluia.

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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship, alleluia.

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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship, alleluia.

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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship, alleluia.

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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship, alleluia.

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 virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship, alleluia.

The English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) ©1974,

International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Corporation. Readings and Old and New Testament Canticles (except the Gospel Canticles) are from the New American Bible

© 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

The DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media follows the liturgical calendar for the United States.

The 1970 edition of the New American Bible as published in the Liturgy of the Hours is approved for use

only in the United States. DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media is © 2006-2022

Surgeworks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 651

Psalter: Thursday, Week I, 765

Common of Virgins: 1780 (verse before first reading)

Proper of Seasons: 185 (first reading)

Proper of Saints: 1372 (second reading, concluding prayer)

Office of Readings for Thursday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Scholastica, Virgin

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.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The word of the Lord is a strong shield for all who put their trust in him.

Psalm 18:31-51

Hymn of thanksgiving

If God is on our side who can be against us? (Romans 8:31).

IV

As for God, his ways are perfect;

the word of the Lord, purest gold.

He indeed is the shield

of all who make him their refuge.

For who is God but the Lord?

Who is a rock but our God?

The God who girds me with strength

and makes the path safe before me.

My feet you made swift as the deer’s;

you have made me stand firm on the heights.

You have trained my hands for battle

and my arms to bend the heavy bow.

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 word of the Lord is a strong shield for all who put their trust in him.

Ant. 2 Your strong right hand has upheld me, Lord.

V

You gave me your saving shield;

you upheld me, trained me with care.

You gave me freedom for my steps;

my feet have never slipped.

I pursued and overtook my foes,

never turning back till they were slain.

I smote them so they could not rise;

they fell beneath my feet.

You girded me with strength for battle;

you made my enemies fall beneath me,

you made my foes take flight;

those who hated me I destroyed.

They cried, but there was no one to save them;

they cried to the Lord, but in vain.

I crushed them fine as dust before the wind;

trod them down like dirt in the streets.

You saved me from the feuds of the people

and put me at the head of the nations.

People unknown to me served me:

when they heard of me they obeyed me.

Foreign nations came to me cringing:

foreign nations faded away.

They came trembling out of their strongholds.

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. Your strong right hand has upheld me, Lord.

Ant. 3 May the living God, my Savior, be praised for ever.

VI

Long life to the Lord, my rock!

Praised be the God who saves me,

the God who gives me redress

and subdues people under me.

You saved me from my furious foes.

You set me above my assailants.

You saved me from violent men,

so I will praise you, Lord, among the nations:

I will sing a psalm to your name.

He has given great victories to his king

and shown his love for his anointed,

for David and his sons 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 God, our strength and salvation, put in us the flame of your love and make our love for you grow to a perfect love which reaches to our neighbor.

Ant. May the living God, my Savior, be praised 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.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 651

Psalter: Saturday, Week IV, 1250

Common of One Martyr: 1711

Proper of Seasons: 164

Proper of Saints: 1364

Office of Readings for Saturday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Agatha, Virgin 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.

PSALMODY

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

Psalm 50

Genuine love of God

I have come not to abolish the law but to bring it to perfection (see Matthew 5:17).

I

The God of gods, the Lord,

has spoken and summoned the earth,

from the rising of the sun to its setting.

Out of Zion’s perfect beauty he shines.

Our God comes, he keeps silence no longer.

Before him fire devours,

around him tempest rages.

He calls on the heavens and the earth

to witness his judgment of his people.

“Summon before me my people

who made covenant with me by sacrifice.”

The heavens proclaim his justice,

for God himself is the judge.

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 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;

Israel, I will testify against you,

for I am God, your God.

I accuse you, lay the charge before you.

I find no fault with your sacrifices,

your offerings are always before me.

I do not ask more bullocks from your farms,

nor goats from among your herds.

For I own all the beasts of the forest,

beasts in their thousands on my hills.

I know all the birds in the sky,

all that moves in the field belongs to me.

Were I hungry, I would not tell you,

for I own the world and all it holds.

Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,

or drink the blood of goats?

Pay your sacrifice of thanksgiving to God

and render him your votive offerings.

Call on me in the day of distress.

I will free you and you shall honor 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.

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

and take my covenant on your lips,

you who despise my law

and throw my words to the winds,

you who see a thief and go with him;

who throw in your lot with adulterers,

who unbridle your mouth for evil

and whose tongue is plotting crime,

you who sit and malign your brother

and slander your own mother’s son.

You do this, and should I keep silence?

Do you think that I am like you?

Mark this, you who never think of God,

lest I seize you and you cannot escape;

a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors me

and I will show God’s salvation to the upright.”

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

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.

February 2

The Presentation of the Lord

Feast

“And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him; and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, ‘Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), and thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed’” (Luke 2:33-35).[1]

Today marks the Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord. It celebrates the holy convergence of Jesus the Messiah with His people who faithfully waited for His coming. Traditionally, the feast is celebrated with the greatest of joys and thanksgivings. Forty days after the solemnity of Christmas, Mary and Joseph consecrated Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem, showing their obedience to God and fulfilling the Mosaic Law. Simeon, a just and devout man, utters a prophecy that Jesus will be the light of the Gentiles and the glory of Israel. Anna thanks God for the child and talks about him to all who looked to God for the deliverance of Jerusalem. Amid their joy looms the shadow of the cross, the opposition Jesus will face and the sword of suffering Mary, too, will experience. [2]

Written by Sarah Ciotti

Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD

[1] Revised Standard Version, s.v., “Luke, The Gospel According to.”

[2] Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, The Martyrology of the Monastery of the Ascension, 2008.

The English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) ©1974,

International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Corporation. Readings and Old and New Testament Canticles (except the Gospel Canticles) are from the New American Bible

© 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

The DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media follows the liturgical calendar for the United States.

The 1970 edition of the New American Bible as published in the Liturgy of the Hours is approved for use

only in the United States. DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media is © 2006-2022

Surgeworks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord of salvation; Christ enters his holy temple.

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 the Lord of salvation; Christ enters his holy temple.

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 the Lord of salvation; Christ enters his holy temple.

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 the Lord of salvation; Christ enters his holy temple.

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 the Lord of salvation; Christ enters his holy temple.

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 the Lord of salvation; Christ enters his holy temple.

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 the Lord of salvation; Christ enters his holy temple.

The English translation of The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) ©1974,

International Commission on English in the Liturgy

Corporation. Readings and Old and New Testament Canticles (except the Gospel Canticles) are from the New American Bible

© 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C.. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

The DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media follows the liturgical calendar for the United States.

The 1970 edition of the New American Bible as published in the Liturgy of the Hours is approved for use

only in the United States. DivineOffice.org website, podcast, apps and all related media is © 2006-2022

Surgeworks, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 651

All from the Proper of Saints: 1344

Christian Prayer:

Does not contain Office of Readings.

Office of Readings for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord

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.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 This child is destined for the fall and for the rising of many.

Psalm 2

The Messiah, king and conqueror

The rulers of the earth joined forces to overthrow Jesus, your anointed Son (Acts 4:27).

Why this tumult among nations,

among peoples this useless murmuring?

They arise, the kings of the earth,

princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.

Come, let us break their fetters,

come, let us cast off their yoke.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs;

the Lord is laughing them to scorn.

Then he will speak in his anger,

his rage will strike them with terror.

It is I who have set up my king on Zion,

my holy mountain.”

I will announce the decree of the Lord:

The Lord said to me: You are my Son.

It is I who have begotten you this day.

Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations,

put the ends of the earth in your possession.

With a rod of iron you will break them,

shatter them like a potter’s jar.”

Now, O kings, understand,

take warning, rulers of the earth;

serve the Lord with awe

and trembling, pay him your homage

lest he be angry and you perish;

for suddenly his anger will blaze.

Blessed are they who put their trust in God.

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 child is destined for the fall and for the rising of many.

Ant. 2 Arise and shine, Jerusalem, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.

Psalm 19A

Praise of the Lord, Creator of all

The dawn from on high shall break on us… to guide our feet into the way of peace (Luke 1:78, 79).

The heavens proclaim the glory of God,

and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.

Day unto day takes up the story

and night unto night makes known the message.

No speech, no word, no voice is heard

yet their span extends through all the earth,

their words to the utmost bounds of the world.

There he has placed a tent for the sun;

it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,

rejoices like a champion to run its course.

At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;

to the furthest end of the sky is its course.

There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.

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 and shine, Jerusalem, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.

Ant. 3 Rejoice and exult, new city of Zion. See how humbly your King comes to save you.

Psalm 45

The marriage of the king

The Bridegroom is here; go out and welcome him (Matthew 25:6).

My heart overflows with noble words.

To the king I must speak the song I have made,

my tongue as nimble as the pen of a scribe.

You are the fairest of the children of men

and graciousness is poured upon your lips:

because God has blessed you for evermore.

O mighty one, gird your sword upon your thigh;

in splendor and state, ride on in triumph

for the cause of truth and goodness and right.

Take aim with your bow in your dread right hand.