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

Morning Prayer

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Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 653
Proper of Seasons: 312/381
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 1051

Christian Prayer:

Ordinary: 689
Proper of Seasons: 137
Psalter: Sunday, Week IV, 926

Morning Prayer for the Fourth Sunday, December 24, in the Season of Advent

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

Infant holy, infant lowly,

for his bed a cattle stall;
oxen lowing, little knowing
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Swift are winging angels singing,
noels ringing, tidings bringing:
Christ the babe is Lord of all.
Christ the babe is Lord of all.

Flocks were sleeping, shepherds keeping

vigil 'til the morning new
saw the glory, heard the story,
tidings of a gospel true.
Thus rejoicing, free from sorrow,
praises voicing, greet the morrow:
Christ the babe was born for you.
Christ the babe was born for you.

𝄞"Infant Holy, Infant Lowly" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 4

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Bethlehem in Judah’s land, how glorious your future! The king who will rule my people comes from you.

Psalm 118

Song of joy for salvation
This Jesus is the stone which, rejected by you builders, has become the chief stone supporting all the rest. (Acts 4:11).

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,

for his love endures forever.

Let the sons of Israel say:

“His love endures for ever.”
Let the sons of Aaron say:
“His love endures for ever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures for ever.”

I called to the Lord in my distress;

he answered and freed me.
The Lord is at my side; I do not fear.
what can man do against me?
The Lord is at my side as my helper;
I shall look down on my foes.

It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.

The nations all encompassed me;

in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me, compassed me about;
in the Lord’s name I crushed them.
They compassed me about like bees;
they blazed like a fire among thorns.
In the Lord’s name I crushed them.

I was hard-pressed and was falling

but the Lord came to help me.
The Lord is my strength and my song;
he is my savior.
There are shouts of joy and victory
in the tents of the just.

The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;

his right hand raised me.
The Lord’s right hand has triumphed;
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord,
but not doomed to die.

Open to me the gates of holiness:

I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have answered
and you are my savior.

The stone which the builders rejected

has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.

O Lord, grant us salvation;

O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the Lord;
the Lord God is our light.

Go forward in procession with branches

even to the altar.
You are my God, I thank you.
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;
for his love endures 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, you have given us the great day of rejoicing: Jesus Christ, the stone rejected by the builders, has become the cornerstone of the Church, our spiritual home. Shed upon your Church the rays of your glory, that it may be seen as the gate of salvation open to all nations. Let cries of joy and exultation ring out from its tents, to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s resurrection.

Ant. 1 Bethlehem in Judah’s land, how glorious your future! The king who will rule my people comes from you.

Ant. 2 Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is now at hand.

Canticle – Daniel 3:52-57

Let all creatures praise the Lord
The Creator… is blessed for ever (Romans 1:25).

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;

And blessed is your holy and glorious name,

praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,

praiseworthy and glorious above all forever.

Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,

praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Blessed are you who look into the depths

from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,

praiseworthy and glorious forever.

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,

praise and exalt him above all forever.

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. Lift up your heads and see; your redemption is now at hand.

Ant. 3 The day has come at last when Mary will bring forth her first-born Son.

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord
Let mind and heart be in your song: this is to glorify God with your whole self. (Hesychius)

Praise God in his holy place,

praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his powerful deeds,
praise his surpassing greatness.

O praise him with sound of trumpet,

praise him with lute and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes.

O praise him with resounding cymbals,

praise him with clashing of cymbals.
Let everything that lives and that breathes
give praise to the Lord.

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

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

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, maker of heaven and earth and of all created things, you make your just ones holy and you justify sinners who confess your name. Hear us as we humbly pray to you: give us eternal joy with your saints.

Ant. 3 The day has come at last when Mary will bring forth her first-born Son.

READING Isaiah 11:1-3a

A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,

and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.

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

Tomorrow will be the day of your salvation,

the sinfulness of earth will be destroyed.
— Tomorrow will be the day of your salvation,
the sinfulness of earth will be destroyed.

The Savior of the world will be our king;

— the sinfulness of earth will be destroyed.

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

— Tomorrow will be the day of your salvation,
the sinfulness of earth will be destroyed.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. The time has come for Mary to give birth to her firstborn Son.

Luke 1:68 – 79

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The time has come for Mary to give birth to her firstborn Son.

INTERCESSIONS

To Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, who will come again in glory with great power, let us make our humble prayer:

Come, Lord Jesus!

Lord Jesus, you will come with great power,

— look on our lowliness and make us worthy of your gifts.
Come, Lord Jesus!

You came to be the good news for mankind,

— may we always proclaim your saving work.
Come, Lord Jesus!

You are worthy of praise, for you have life and rule all things,

— help us to wait in joyful hope for the coming of your glory.
Come, Lord Jesus!

We long for the grace of your coming,

— console us with the gift of your own divine life.
Come, Lord Jesus!

Our Father who art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth,
as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

Come quickly,

we pray, Lord Jesus, and do not delay,
that those who trust in your compassion
may find solace and relief in your coming.
Who live and reign with God the Father
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.

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Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)By Divine Office (DivineOffice.org)