Saturday 14 December 2019
Saturday of the 2nd week of Advent
Mid-Morning Prayer (Terce)
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.
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Hymn
Come, Holy Spirit, live in us
With God the Father and the Son,
And grant us your abundant grace
To sanctify and make us one.
May mind and tongue made strong in love
Your praise throughout the world proclaim,
And may that love within our hearts
Set fire to others with its flame.
Most blessèd Trinity of love,
For whom the heart of man was made,
To you be praise in timeless song,
And everlasting homage paid.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
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PSALMS OF THE DAY
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Psalm 118(119): 81-88
Meditating the word of the Lord in the Law
“His mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him” (Luke 1:50)
The prophets foretold that the Saviour would be born of the Virgin Mary.
I yéarn for your sáving hélp; *
I hópe in your wórd.
My éyes yéarn to see your prómise. *
Whén will you consóle me?
Though párched and exháusted with wáiting *
I remémber your státutes.
How lóng must your sérvant súffer? *
When will you júdge my fóes?
For mé the próud have dug pítfalls, *
agáinst your láw.
Your commánds are all trúe; then hélp me *
when líes oppréss me.
They álmost made an énd of me on éarth, *
but I képt your précepts.
Becáuse of your lóve give me lífe *
and Í will do your wíll.
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.
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Psalm 60 (61)
An exile's prayer
“The prayer of a just man who looks to the things which are eternal” (St Hilary).
O Gód, héar my crý! *
Lísten to my práyer!
From the énd of the éarth I cáll; *
my héart is fáint.
On the róck too hígh for me to réach *
sét me on hígh,
O yóu who have béen my réfuge, *
my tówer against the fóe.
Let me dwéll in your tént for éver *
and híde in the shélter of your wíngs.
For yóu, O Gód, hear my práyer, *
grant me the héritage of thóse who féar you.
May you léngthen the lífe of the kíng; *
may his yéars cover mány generátions.
May he éver sit enthróned before Gód: *
bid lóve and trúth be his protéction.
So I will álways práise your náme *
and dáy after dáy fulfil my vóws.
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.
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Psalm 63 (64)
A prayer against enemies
“This psalm in particular invites us to think about the passion of the Lord” (St Augustine).
Hear my vóice, O Gód, as I compláin, *
guard my lífe from dréad of the fóe.
Híde me from the bánd of the wícked, *
from the thróng of thóse who do évil.
They shárpen their tóngues like swórds; *
they áim bitter wórds like árrows
to shóot at the ínnocent from ámbush, *
shóoting súddenly and récklessly.
They schéme their évil cóurse; *
they conspíre to lay sécret snáres.
They sáy: ‘Whó will sée us? *
Whó can séarch out our crímes?’
He will séarch who séarches the mínd *
and knóws the dépths of the héart.
Gód has shót them with his árrow *
and déalt them súdden wóunds.
Their ówn tongue has bróught them to rúin *
and áll who sée them móck.
Thén will áll men féar; *
they will téll what Gód has dóne.
They will únderstánd God’s déeds. *
The júst will rejóice in the Lórd
and flý to hím for réfuge. *
All the úpright héarts will glóry.
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 prophets foretold that the Saviour would be born of the Virgin Mary.
Psalm-prayer
Father, you gave your Son victory over the men who plotted evil against him; when he cried to you in his agony, you delivered him from fear of his enemies. May those who suffer with him in this life find refuge and success in you.
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Short Reading
Isaiah 4:2
That day, the branch of the Lord shall be beauty and glory, and the fruit of the earth shall be the pride and adornment of Israel’s survivors.
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℣. The nations shall fear your name, O Lord.
℟. And all the kings of the earth your glory.
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Let us pray.
Almighty God,
let the splendour of your glory dawn in our hearts.
May the coming of your only Son dispel all darkness
and reveal that we are children of light.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
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Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
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.