Tuesday 24 December 2019
24 December
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.
________
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
________
PSALMS OF THE DAY
________
Psalm 118(119): 137-144
Meditating the word of the Lord in the Law
“Happy are those who read this prophecy and treasure all that it says” (Apoc 1:3)
The prophets foretold that the Saviour would be born of the Virgin Mary.
Lórd, you are júst indéed; *
your decrées are ríght.
You have impósed your wíll with jústice *
and with ábsolute trúth.
I am cárried awáy by ánger *
for my fóes forget your wórd.
Your prómise is tríed in the fíre, *
the delíght of your sérvant.
Althóugh I am wéak and despísed, *
I remémber your précepts.
Your jústice is etérnal jústice *
and your láw is trúth.
Though ánguish and distréss have séized me, *
I delíght in your commánds.
The jústice of your wíll is etérnal: *
if you téach me, I shall líve.
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 87 (88)
The prayer of one gravely ill
“This is your hour; this is the reign of darkness” (Lk 22:53).
Lord my Gód, I call for hélp by dáy; *
I crý at níght befóre you.
Let my práyer cóme into your présence. *
O túrn your éar to my crý.
For my sóul is fílled with évils; *
my lífe is on the brínk of the gráve.
I am réckoned as óne in the tómb: *
I have réached the énd of my stréngth,
like óne alóne among the déad; *
like the sláin lýing in their gráves;
like thóse you remémber no móre, *
cut óff, as they áre, from your hánd.
You have láid me in the dépths of the tómb, *
in pláces that are dárk, in the dépths.
Your ánger weighs dówn upón me: *
I am drówned benéath your wáves.
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 87 (88)
You have táken awáy my fríends *
and máde me háteful in their síght.
Imprísoned, I cánnot escápe; *
my éyes are súnken with gríef.
I cáll to you, Lórd, all the day lóng; *
to yóu I strétch out my hánds.
Will you wórk your wónders for the déad? *
Will the shádes stánd and práise you?
Will your lóve be tóld in the gráve *
or your fáithfulness amóng the déad?
Will your wónders be knówn in the dárk *
or your jústice in the lánd of oblívion?
As for mé, Lord, I cáll to you for hélp: *
in the mórning my práyer comes befóre you.
Lórd, whý do you rejéct me? *
Whý do you híde your fáce?
Wrétched, close to déath from my yóuth, *
I have bórne your tríals; I am númb.
Your fúry has swépt down upón me; *
your térrors have útterly destróyed me.
They surróund me all the dáy like a flóod, *
they assáil me áll togéther.
Friend and néighbour you have táken awáy: *
my óne compánion is dárkness.
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
Lord Jesus, redeemer of all and author of our salvation, for us you went down to the realm of death and became free of death. Hear the prayers of your family and lift us from our slavery to evil, that we may be redeemed by you and see your Father’s glory.
Or:
Lord Jesus Christ, you chose to suffer and be overwhelmed by death in order to open the gates of death in triumph. Stay with us to help us on our pilgrimage; free us from all evil by the power of your resurrection. In the company of your saints, and constantly remembering your love for us, may we sing of your wonders in our Father’s house.
________
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.
________
℣. The nations shall fear your name, O Lord.
℟. And all the kings of the earth your glory.
________
Let us pray.
Come, Lord Jesus, come soon.
In this time of your coming,
support and console us who trust in your love.
You live and reign for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
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.