Thursday 26 December 2019
Saint Stephen, the first Martyr - Feast
Afternoon Prayer (None)
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
Eternal Father, loving God,
Who made us from the dust of earth,
Transform us by the Spirit’s grace,
Give value to our little worth.
Prepare us for that day of days
When Christ from heaven will come with might
To call us out of dust again,
Our bodies glorified in light.
O Godhead, here untouched, unseen,
All things created bear your trace;
The seed of glory sown in man
Will flower when we see your face.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
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PSALMS OF THE DAY
The psalms of the day are shown here, because the complementary psalms cannot be used today at this hour.
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Psalm 118(119): 153-160
Meditating the word of the Lord in the Law
“You have the message of eternal life” (John 6:69)
My eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the presence of all the peoples.
Sée my afflíction and sáve me *
for I remémber your láw.
Uphóld my cáuse and defénd me; *
by your prómise, give me lífe.
Salvátion is fár from the wícked *
who are héedless of your státutes.
Númberless, Lórd, are your mércies; *
with your décrees give me lífe.
Though my fóes and oppréssors are cóuntless *
I have not swérved from your wíll.
I lóok at the fáithless with disgúst; *
they ignóre your prómise.
Sée how I lóve your précepts; *
in your mércy give me lífe.
Your wórd is fóunded on trúth, *
your decrées are etérnal.
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 127 (128)
Peaceful life in the Lord
“’May the Lord bless you from Sion’, that is, from his Church” (Arnobius).
O bléssed are thóse who fear the Lórd *
and wálk in his wáys!
By the lábour of your hánds you shall éat. *
You will be háppy and prósper;
your wífe like a frúitful víne *
in the héart of your hóuse;
your chíldren like shóots of the ólive, *
aróund your táble.
Indéed thús shall be bléssed *
the mán who fears the Lórd.
May the Lórd bléss you from Síon *
all the dáys of your lífe!
May you sée your chíldren’s chíldren *
in a háppy Jerúsalem!
On Ísrael, 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.
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Psalm 128 (129)
The renewed faith of an afflicted people
“The Church tells of the sufferings it endures” (St Augustine).
‘They have préssed me hárd from my yóuth,’ *
this is Ísrael’s sóng.
‘They have préssed me hárd from my yóuth *
but could néver destróy me.
They plóughed my báck like plóughmen, *
drawing lóng fúrrows.
But the Lórd who is júst, has destróyed *
the yóke of the wícked.’
Lét them be shámed and róuted, *
thóse who hate Síon!
Lét them be like gráss on the róof *
that wíthers befóre it flówers.
With thát no réaper fills his árms, †
no bínder makes his shéaves *
and thóse passing bý will not sáy:
‘On yóu the Lord’s bléssing! *
We bléss you in the náme of the Lórd.’
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.
My eyes have seen the salvation which you prepared in the presence of all the peoples.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, living in glory as the Son of Man, remember that when our sins had ploughed long furrows on your back, your death broke the bonds of sin and Satan for ever. Bless your Church, wounded in her members, and strengthen her by your invincible power and grace.
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Short Reading
Wisdom 3:1-2,3
The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, but they are at peace.
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℣. They will come back with songs of joy.
℟. They will carry home their sheaves.
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Let us pray.
Give us grace, Lord, to practise what we worship.
Teach us to love our enemies
as we keep the feast of Saint Stephen,
who prayed even for the men who stoned him to death.
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.