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Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.

Liturgy of the Hours

  • Sext (Midday Prayer)


    INTRODUCTION  
    O God, come to our aid.
      O Lord, make haste to help us.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit,
    as it was in the beginning,
      is now, and ever shall be,
      world without end.
    Amen.

    Hymn  
    Lord God and Maker of all things,
    Creation is upheld by you.
    While all must change and know decay,
    You are unchanging, always new.
    You are man’s solace and his shield,
    His Rock secure on which to build.
    You are the spirit’s tranquil home,
    In you alone is hope fulfilled.
    To God the Father and the Son
    And Holy Spirit render praise:
    Blest Trinity, from age to age
    The strength of all our living days.
    Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

    The psalms of the day are shown here. If you are reciting more than one daytime hour (Terce, Sext, None) today, use the psalms of the day at one hour and the complementary psalms at the others.

    PSALMS OF THE DAY


    Psalm 118(119): 1-8
    The word of the Lord in the law
    As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.
    Happy are they who follow the pure path,
      who walk in the law of the Lord.
    Happy are they who obey his decrees
      and seek him out with all their heart.
    They do not do evil:
      they walk in his paths.
    You have made your commandments
      for us to obey them.
    If only I can direct my paths
      to conform to your statutes!
    Then I will not be shamed
      as I hold to your precepts.
    I shall proclaim you by right living
      since I have learnt your just decrees.
    I shall hold close to your statutes:
      Lord, never abandon me.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit,
    as it was in the beginning,
      is now, and ever shall be,
      world without end.
    Amen.

    Psalm 12 (13)
    Lament of a righteous man who trusts in God
    How long, O Lord, will you forget me?
      How long will you turn your face from me?
    How long must I bear grief in my soul,
      how long must I carry sadness in my heart
      by day and by night?
    How long will my enemy be stronger than me?
    Turn to me and hear me, O Lord my God.
      Give light to my eyes and save me from the sleep of death.
    Or my enemy will say, ‘I have prevailed against him!’
      and those who torment me will rejoice at my stumbling.
    But I put my hope in your loving kindness.
      My heart will rejoice at your saving power.
      I shall sing to the Lord, who has granted good things to me.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit,
    as it was in the beginning,
      is now, and ever shall be,
      world without end.
    Amen.

    Psalm 13 (14)
    The folly of the lawless
    The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’.
      They are corrupt and they do vile things:
      not one of them does good.
    From heaven the Lord looks down on the sons of men
      to see if any understand, and seek God.
    All have fallen away, each as corrupt as the other.
      Not one of them does good, not even one.
    They must know what they are doing, those who do evil,
      who eat up my people like so much bread.
    They did not call on the Lord,
      so they tremble with fear,
      for God is on the side of the righteous.
    You persecute the poor,
      but God is on the side of the poor.
    Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion?
      When the Lord delivers his people from captivity,
      Jacob will exult and Israel will rejoice.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit,
    as it was in the beginning,
      is now, and ever shall be,
      world without end.
    Amen.
    As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.
    OR:

    At the daytime hours (Terce, Sext, None) when you don’t choose to use the psalms of the day, use the complementary psalms instead.

    COMPLEMENTARY PSALMS


    Psalm 122 (123)
    The Lord guards his people
    As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.
    To you I lift up my eyes,
      to you who dwell in the heavens.
    Like the eyes of a servant watching his master,
      like the eyes of a maid on her mistress’s hands,
      so we keep our eyes on the Lord our God,
      as we wait for his kindness.
    Take pity on us, Lord, take pity:
      we have had our fill of contempt.
    Our souls have had their fill
      of the laughter of the rich,
      of the contempt of the proud.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit,
    as it was in the beginning,
      is now, and ever shall be,
      world without end.
    Amen.

    Psalm 123 (124)
    Our help is in the name of the Lord
    If the Lord had not been with us
      (so let Israel sing),
    If the Lord had not been with us
      when men rose up against us,
    they might have skinned us alive,
      such was their anger.
    The waters could have drowned us,
      the torrent poured over us,
      the foaming waters poured over us.
    Blessed be the Lord, who saved us
      from being torn to pieces by their teeth.
    We have escaped, like a bird
      from the snare of the fowler.
    The snare was broken,
      and we escaped.
    Our help is in the name of the Lord,
      who made heaven and earth.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit,
    as it was in the beginning,
      is now, and ever shall be,
      world without end.
    Amen.

    Psalm 124 (125)
    The Lord guards his people
    Those who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of Zion:
      it cannot be shaken, it will stand firm for ever.
    Jerusalem – the mountains stand guard over it,
      and the Lord stands guard over his people,
      both now and for ever.
    The sceptre of the wicked shall not rest
      upon the inheritance of the just;
    lest the just themselves stretch out their hands
      and turn to wickedness.
    Be good, O Lord, to the good
      and the upright of heart.
    As for those who turn away to crooked paths,
      the Lord shall treat them like the doers of evil.
    Peace be on Israel!
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit,
    as it was in the beginning,
      is now, and ever shall be,
      world without end.
    Amen.
    As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.

    CONCLUSION


    Short Reading Jeremiah 3:25 ©
    We have sinned against the Lord our God, we and our ancestors from our youth until today, and we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God.

    ℣. From my sins turn away your face.
    ℟. And blot out all my guilt.

    Let us pray.
    Look with favour on your family, Lord,
      and as at this time we restrain the desires of the body,
      may our hearts burn with love of you.
    Through Christ our Lord.
    Amen.

    Let us praise the Lord.
    – Thanks be to God.