Monday 2 December 2019
Monday of the 1st week of Advent
Office of Readings
(combined with Lauds)
This is the Office of Readings joined to another Hour, as described in §99 of the General Instruction. To see the Office of Readings on its own, use the menu button on the right.
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
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. Alleluia.
________
Hymn
Hark! a herald voice is calling
Through the shadows of the night
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness
Christ descends with heavenly light.’
Wakened by the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiv’n;
So, when next he comes with glory,
And his judgement-day draws near,
Faithful he may find his servants,
Watching till their Lord appear.
Honour, glory, might, and blessing
To the Father and the Son,
With the everlasting Spirit,
While eternal ages run.
________
Psalm 6
A prayer for relief from affliction
“Now my spirit is disturbed; Father, save me from this hour” (Jn 12:27).
Lord, save me in your merciful love.
Lórd, do not repróve me in your ánger; †
púnish me nót in your ráge. *
Have mércy on me, Lórd, I have no stréngth;
Lord, héal me, my bódy is rácked; *
my sóul is rácked with páin.
But yóu, O Lórd... how lóng? †
Retúrn, Lord, réscue my sóul. *
Sáve me in your mérciful lóve;
for in déath nó one remémbers you; *
from the gráve, whó can give you práise?
Í am exháusted with my gróaning; †
every níght I drench my píllow with téars; *
I bedéw my béd with wéeping.
My éye wastes awáy with gríef; *
I have grown óld surróunded by my fóes.
Léave me, all yóu who do évil; *
for the Lórd has héard my wéeping.
The Lórd has héard my pléa; *
The Lórd will accépt my práyer.
All my fóes will retíre in confúsion, *
fóiled and súddenly confóunded.
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.
Lord, save me in your merciful love.
Psalm-prayer
Lord God, you love mercy and tenderness; you give life and overcome death. Look upon the many wounds of your Church; restore her to health by your risen Son, so that she may sing a new song in your praise.
________
Psalm 9A (9)
Thanksgiving for victory
“He will come again to judge the living and the dead.”
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed in times of distress.
I will práise you, Lórd, with all my héart; *
I will recóunt áll your wónders.
I will rejóice in yóu and be glád, *
and sing psálms to your náme, O Most Hígh.
Sée how my énemies turn báck, *
how they stúmble and pérish befóre you.
You uphéld the jústice of my cáuse; *
you sat enthróned, júdging with jústice.
You have chécked the nátions, destróyed the wícked; *
you have wíped out their náme for éver and éver.
The fóe is destróyed, etérnally rúined. *
You upróoted their cíties; their mémory has pérished.
But the Lórd sits enthróned for éver. *
He has sét up his thróne for júdgement;
he will júdge the wórld with jústice, *
he will júdge the péoples with his trúth.
For the oppréssed let the Lórd be a strónghold, *
a strónghold in tímes of distréss.
Those who knów your náme will trúst you; *
you will néver forsáke those who séek you.
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.
The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed in times of distress.
________
Psalm 9A (9)
I will recount all your praise at the gates of the city of Sion.
Sing psálms to the Lórd who dwells in Síon. *
Procláim his mighty wórks among the péoples,
for the Avénger of blóod has remémbered them, *
has not forgótten the crý of the póor.
Have píty on me, Lórd, see my súfferings, *
you who sáve me from the gátes of déath;
that I may recóunt áll your práise †
at the gátes of the cíty of Síon *
and rejóice in your sáving hélp.
The nátions have fállen in the pít which they máde, *
their féet cáught in the snáre they láid.
The Lórd has revéaled himsélf, and given júdgement. *
The wícked are snáred in the wórk of their own hánds.
Let the wícked go dówn among the déad, *
all the nátions forgétful of Gód;
for the néedy shall not álways be forgótten *
nor the hópes of the póor be in váin.
Aríse, Lord, let mén not preváil! *
Let the nátions be júdged befóre you.
Lórd, stríke them with térror, *
let the nátions knów they are but mén.
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.
I will recount all your praise at the gates of the city of Sion.
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.
________
℣. Let us see, O Lord, your mercy.
℟. And give us your saving help.
________
First Reading
Isaiah 1:21-27,2:1-5
The judgement and salvation of Zion
What a harlot she has become,
the faithful city,
Zion, that was all justice!
Once integrity lived there,
but now assassins.
Your silver has turned into dross,
your wine is watered.
Your princes are rebels,
accomplices of thieves.
All are greedy for profit
and chase after bribes.
They show no justice to the orphan,
the cause of the widow is never heard.
Therefore – it is the Lord, the Lord of Hosts who speaks,
the Mighty One of Israel,
‘Ah, I will outdo my enemies,
avenge myself on my foes.
‘I will turn my hand against you,
I will smelt away your dross in the furnace,
I will remove all your base metal from you.
‘I will restore your judges as of old,
your counsellors as in bygone days.
Then you will be called City of Integrity,
Faithful City.’
Zion will be redeemed by justice,
and her penitents by integrity.
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days to come
the mountain of the Temple of the Lord
shall tower above the mountains
and be lifted higher than the hills.
All the nations will stream to it,
peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Temple of the God of Jacob
that he may teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths;
since the Law will go out from Zion,
and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’
He will wield authority over the nations
and adjudicate between many peoples;
these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,
their spears into sickles.
Nation will not lift sword against nation,
there will be no more training for war.
O House of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Responsory
Mi 4:2; Jn 4:25
℟. Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob:* he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths.
℣. The Messiah is coming – he who is called Christ. When he comes, he will show us all things:* he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths.
________
Second Reading
From a pastoral letter by St Charles Borromeo
The season of Advent
Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery. In his infinite love for us, though we were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seeds of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life.
Each year, as the Church recalls this mystery, she urges us to renew the memory of the great love God has shown us. This holy season teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of his contemporaries; his power has still to be communicated to us all. We shall share his power, if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ.
The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.
In her concern for our salvation, our loving mother the Church uses this holy season to teach us through hymns, canticles and other forms of expression, of voice or ritual, used by the Holy Spirit. She shows us how grateful we should be for so great a blessing, and how to gain its benefit: our hearts should be as much prepared for the coming of Christ as if he were still to come into this world. The same lesson is given us for our imitation by the words and example of the holy men of the Old Testament.
Responsory
℟. Sound the trumpet in Zion! Summon the nations, say to the peoples,* See, our God and Saviour is coming!
℣. Tell it, proclaim it; cry aloud and say,* See, our God and Saviour is coming!
________
Psalm 5
A morning prayer for help
“Those who have received the Word of God which dwells within will rejoice for ever.”
It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. In the morning you hear me.
To my wórds give éar, O Lórd, *
give héed to my gróaning.
Atténd to the sóund of my críes, *
my Kíng and my Gód.
It is yóu whom I invóke, O Lórd. *
In the mórning you héar me;
in the mórning I óffer you my práyer, *
wátching and wáiting.
Yóu are no Gód who loves évil; *
no sínner is your gúest.
The bóastful shall not stánd their gróund *
befóre your fáce.
You háte áll who do évil; *
you destróy all who líe.
The decéitful and blóodthirsty mán *
the Lórd detésts.
But Í through the gréatness of your lóve *
have áccess to your hóuse.
I bów down befóre your holy témple, *
fílled with áwe.
Léad me, Lórd, in your jústice, †
because of thóse who líe in wáit; *
make cléar your way befóre me.
No trúth can be fóund in their móuths, *
their héart is all míschief,
their thróat a wíde-open gráve, *
all hóney their spéech.
All thóse you protéct shall be glád *
and ríng out their jóy.
You shélter them; in yóu they rejóice, *
those who lóve your náme.
It is yóu who bless the júst man, Lórd: *
you surróund him with fávour as with a shíeld.
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.
It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. In the morning you hear me.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, all justice and all goodness come from you; you hate evil and abhor lies. Lead us, your servants, in the path of your justice, so that all who hope in you may rejoice with the Church and in Christ.
________
Canticle
1 Chronicles 29
To God alone be honour and glory
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Eph 1:3).
Lord our God, we praise the splendour of your name.
Blessed are you, O Lord, †
the God of Israel our father, *
for ever and ever.
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, †
and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; *
for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.
Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, *
and you are exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honour come from you, *
and you rule over all.
In your hand are power and might; *
and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.
And now we thank you, our God, *
and praise your glorious name.
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.
Lord our God, we praise the splendour of your name.
________
Psalm 28 (29)
Praise the word of the Lord
“A voice was heard from heaven, saying, ‘This is my beloved Son’” (Mt 3:17).
Adore the Lord in his holy court.
O give the Lórd, you sóns of Gód, *
give the Lórd glóry and pówer;
give the Lórd the glóry of his náme. *
Adóre the Lórd in his hóly court.
The Lord’s vóice resóunding on the wáters, *
the Lórd on the imménsity of wáters;
the vóice of the Lórd, full of pówer, *
the vóice of the Lórd, full of spléndour.
The Lord’s vóice sháttering the cédars, *
the Lord shátters the cédars of Lébanon;
he makes Lébanon léap like a cálf *
and Sírion like a yóung wild óx.
The Lord’s vóice fláshes flames of fíre. †
The Lord’s vóice sháking the wílderness, *
the Lord shákes the wílderness of Kádesh;
the Lord’s vóice rénding the óak tree *
and strípping the fórest báre.
The Gód of glóry thúnders. *
In his témple they áll cry: ‘Glóry!’
The Lórd sat enthróned over the flóod; *
the Lórd sits as kíng for éver.
The Lórd will give stréngth to his péople, *
the Lórd will bless his péople with péace.
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.
Adore the Lord in his holy court.
Psalm-prayer
You live for ever, Lord and King. All things of the earth justly sing your glory and honour. Strengthen your people against evil that we may rejoice in your peace and trust in your eternal promise.
Or:
Your voice sounds over the waters, Lord, as you reign above the flood. May we, who are born again in Christ by the new gift of water, praise your wonderful deeds with him in your holy temple.
________
Short Reading
Isaiah 2:3
Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.
________
Short Responsory
The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
– The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
His glory will appear in your midst.
– The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
Lift up your eyes, Jerusalem, and see the power of the king. Behold, the Saviour comes. He will free you from your bonds.
Bléssed be the Lórd, the Gód of Ísrael! *
He has vísited his péople and redéemed them.
He has raised úp for ús a mighty sáviour *
in the hóuse of Dávid his sérvant,
as he prómised by the líps of holy mén, *
thóse who were his próphets from of óld.
A sáviour who would frée us from our fóes, *
from the hánds of áll who háte us.
So his lóve for our fáthers is fulfílled *
and his hóly covenant remémbered.
He swóre to Ábraham our fáther to gránt us, *
that frée from féar, and sáved from the hánds of our fóes,
we might sérve him in hóliness and jústice *
all the dáys of our lífe in his présence.
As for yóu, little chíld, *
you shall be cálled a próphet of Gód, the Most Hígh.
You shall go ahéad of the Lórd *
to prépare his wáys befóre him,
To make knówn to his péople their salvátion *
through forgíveness of áll their síns,
the loving-kíndness of the héart of our Gód *
who vísits us like the dáwn from on hígh.
He will give líght to those in dárkness, †
those who dwéll in the shádow of déath, *
and gúide us into the wáy of péace.
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.
Lift up your eyes, Jerusalem, and see the power of the king. Behold, the Saviour comes. He will free you from your bonds.
________
Prayers and intercessions
As we take up again our daily work, we turn to Christ and ask for his blessing.
– Come, Lord Jesus!
Christ, you are the Daystar, powerfully dispelling our darkness:
awaken our faith from sleep.
– Come, Lord Jesus!
Reveal your presence in the world
through the lives of Christian men and women.
– Come, Lord Jesus!
Come to create a new world,
where justice and peace may find a home.
– Come, Lord Jesus!
End the long night of our pride,
and make us humble of heart.
– 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.
________
Give us the grace, Lord, to be ever on the watch for Christ your Son.
When he comes and knocks at our door,
let him find us alert in prayer,
joyfully proclaiming his glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.