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

Liturgy of the Hours


  • Tuesday 10 December 2019

    Tuesday of the 2nd week of Advent


    Morning Prayer (Lauds)


    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 42 (43)
    Longing for the temple


    “I, the light, have come into the world” (Jn 12:46).

    Lord, send forth your light and your truth.

    Defénd me, O Gód, and plead my cáuse *
        against a gódless nátion.
    From decéitful and cúnning mén *
        réscue me, O Gód.

    Since yóu, O Gód, are my strónghold, *
        whý have you rejécted me?
    Whý do Í go móurning *
        oppréssed by the fóe?

    O sénd forth your líght and your trúth; *
        let thése be my gúide.
    Let them bríng me to your hóly móuntain, *
        to the pláce where you dwéll.

    And I will cóme to the áltar of Gód, *
        the Gód of my jóy.
    My redéemer, I will thánk you on the hárp, *
        O Gód, my Gód.

    Whý are you cast dówn my sóul, *
        why gróan withín me?
    Hope in Gód; I will práise him stíll, *
        my sáviour and my Gód.

    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, send forth your light and your truth.


    Psalm-prayer

    Almighty Father, source of everlasting light, send forth your truth into our hearts and pour over us the brightness of your light.


    Or:

    Father, your Son was condemned by reason of our sins, but on Easter morning you glorified him with the glory he always had with you. Do not leave us, his members, in the enemy’s hands, but bring us, through our joyful participation at your altar, to your eternal tabernacle on high to adore in spirit and truth.


    ________

    Canticle
    Isaiah 38
    The psalm of Hezekiah on recovering from sickness


    “I was dead and behold, I am alive and I hold the keys of death” (Rev 1:17-18).

    Lord, come to our help all the days of our life.

    I said, In the noontide of my days I must depart; †
        I am consigned to the gates of Sheol *
        for the rest of my years.

    I said, I shall not see the Lord *
        in the land of the living;
    I shall look upon man no more *
        among the inhabitants of the world.

    My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me *
        like a shepherd’s tent;
    like a weaver I have rolled up my life; *
        he cuts me off from the loom.

    From day to night you bring me to an end; *
        I cry for help until morning;
    like a lion he breaks all my bones; *
        from day to night you bring me to an end.

    Like a swallow or a crane I clamour, *
        I moan like a dove.
    My eyes are weary with looking upward. *
        O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.

    Lo, it was for my welfare *
        that I had great bitterness;
    but you have held back my life *
        from the pit of destruction,
    for you have cast all my sins *
        behind your back.

    For Sheol cannot thank you, *
        death cannot praise you;
    those who go down to the pit *
        cannot hope for your faithfulness.

    The living, the living, he thanks you, †
        as I do this day; *
        the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.

    The Lord will save me, *
        and we will sing to stringed instruments
    all the days of our life, *
        at the house of the Lord.

    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, come to our help all the days of our life.


    ________

    Psalm 64 (65)
    A solemn thanksgiving


    “Sion is to be understood as the heavenly city” (Origen)

    To you our praise is due in Sion, O God. †

    To yóu our práise is dúe *
        in Síon, O Gód.
    To yóu we páy our vóws, *
        you who héar our práyer.

    To yóu all flésh will cóme *
        with its búrden of sín.
    Too héavy for ús, our offénces, *
        but you wípe them awáy.

    Blessed is hé whom you chóose and cáll *
        to dwéll in your cóurts.
    We are fílled with the bléssings of your hóuse, *
        of your hóly témple.

    You kéep your plédge with wónders, *
        O Gód our sáviour,
    the hópe of áll the éarth *
        and of fár distant ísles.

    You uphóld the móuntains with your stréngth, *
        you are gírded with pówer.
    You stíll the róaring of the séas, †
        (the róaring of their wáves) *
        and the túmult of the péoples.

    The énds of the éarth stand in áwe *
        at the síght of your wónders.
    The lánds of súnrise and súnset *
        you fíll with your jóy.

    You cáre for the éarth, give it wáter, *
        you fíll it with ríches.
    Your ríver in héaven brims óver *
        to províde its gráin.

    And thús you províde for the éarth; *
        you drénch its fúrrows;
    you lével it, sóften it with shówers; *
        you bléss its grówth.

    You crówn the yéar with your góodness. †
        Abúndance flóws in your stéps, *
        in the pástures of the wílderness it flóws.

    The hílls are gírded with jóy, *
        the méadows cóvered with flócks,
    the válleys are décked with whéat. *
        They shóut for jóy, yes they síng.

    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.

    To you our praise is due in Sion, O God.


    Psalm-prayer

    Lord God, hope of all the earth, hear the humble prayer of your children as we sing your praises. Pour out your Spirit on us so that our lives may bear fruit abundantly.


    Or:

    Father, you created everything in and for your Son, not because you needed creation, but you wished to make your goodness the source of goodness for others. Abide with your Church and fill her to overflowing through your sacraments that she may give us more abundantly the fruits of your favour which bring fullness of life.


    ________

    Short Reading
    Genesis 49:10

    The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, nor the mace from between his feet, until the one comes to whom it belongs, to whom the peoples shall render obedience.


    ________

    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

    Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Sion. Behold, I am coming to live in your midst, says the Lord.

    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.

    Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Sion. Behold, I am coming to live in your midst, says the Lord.


    ________

    Prayers and intercessions

    In a world divided by fear and greed, the Church calls again on her Saviour.
    – Lord Jesus, come to us in love.

    Help us to set our hearts
        where they will find fulfilment and not betrayal.
    – Lord Jesus, come to us in love.

    As we proclaim your saving power to others,
        let us not ourselves lose hold of your salvation.
    – Lord Jesus, come to us in love.

    May our world be flooded with the grace of your coming:
        let us experience the fullness of your joy.
    – Lord Jesus, come to us in love.

    May we live our lives to the full in this world,
        and transfigure it with the hope of future glory.
    – Lord Jesus, come to us in love.


    ________

    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.


    ________


    Lord God,
        all the ends of the earth have seen your salvation.
    Give us the grace to await with joy
        the glorious day of our Saviour’s birth.
    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.