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

Liturgy of the Hours


  • Sunday 5 April 2020

    Palm Sunday


    Vespers (Evening Prayer)

    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.


    ________

    Hymn

    The royal banners forward go,
    The Cross shines forth in radiant glow;
    Where he, the Life, did death endure,
    And yet by death did life procure.

    His feet and hands outstretching there,
    He willed the piercing nails to bear,
    For us and our redemption’s sake
    A victim of himself to make.

    There whilst he hung, his sacred side
    By soldier’s spear was opened wide,
    To cleanse us in the precious flood
    Of water mingled with his blood.

    Fulfilled is now what David told
    In true prophetic song of old,
    To all the nations, ‘Lo,’ said he,
    ‘Our God is reigning from the tree.’

    Blest Three in One, our praise we sing
    To thee from whom all graces spring:
    As by the cross thou dost restore,
    So rule and guide us evermore.


    ________

    Psalm 109 (110)
    The Messiah, king and priest


    “He must be king so that he may put all his enemies under his feet” (1 Cor 15:25).

    He was wounded and humbled, but God has raised him up with his own right hand.

    The Lórd’s revelátion to my Máster: †
        ‘Sít on my ríght: *
        your fóes I will pút beneath your féet.’

    The Lórd will wíeld from Síon †
        your scéptre of pówer: *
        rúle in the mídst of all your fóes.

    A prínce from the dáy of your bírth †
        on the hóly móuntains; *
        from the wómb before the dáwn I begót you.

    The Lórd has sworn an óath he will not chánge. †
        ‘You are a príest for éver, *
        a príest like Melchízedek of óld.’

    The Máster stánding at your ríght hand *
        will shatter kíngs in the dáy of his wráth.

    He shall drínk from the stréam by the wáyside *
        and thérefore he shall líft up his héad.

    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.

    He was wounded and humbled, but God has raised him up with his own right hand.


    Psalm-prayer

    Father, we ask you to give us victory and peace. In Jesus Christ, our Lord and King, we are already seated at your right hand. We look forward to praise you in the fellowship of all your saints in our heavenly homeland.


    Or:

    Almighty God, bring the kingdom of Christ, your anointed one, to its fullness. May the perfect offering of your Son, eternal priest of the new Jerusalem, be offered in every place to your name and make all nations a holy people for you.


    ________

    Psalm 113B (115)
    Praise of the true God


    “Turn away from idols and worship the living and true God” (1 Th 1:9).

    The blood of Christ purifies us to serve the living God.

    Not to ús, Lórd, not to ús, *
        but to yóur náme give the glóry
    for the sáke of your lóve and your trúth, *
        lest the héathen say: ‘Whére is their Gód?’

    But our Gód is ín the héavens; *
        he dóes whatéver he wílls.
    Their ídols are sílver and góld, *
        the wórk of húman hánds.

    They have móuths but they cánnot spéak; *
        they have éyes but they cánnot sée;
    they have éars but they cánnot héar; *
        they have nóstrils but they cánnot sméll.

    With their hánds they cánnot féel; †
        with their féet they cánnot wálk. *
        (No sóund cómes from their thróats.)
    Their mákers will cóme to be líke them *
        and so will áll who trúst in thém.

    Sons of Ísrael, trúst in the Lórd; *
        hé is their hélp and their shíeld.
    Sons of Áaron, trúst in the Lórd; *
        hé is their hélp and their shíeld.

    You who féar him, trúst in the Lórd; *
        hé is their hélp and their shíeld.
    He remémbers us, and hé will bléss us; †
        he will bléss the sóns of Ísrael. *
        (He will bléss the sóns of Áaron.)

    The Lord will bléss thóse who féar him, *
        the líttle no léss than the gréat:
    to yóu may the Lórd grant íncrease, *
        to yóu and áll your chíldren.

    May yóu be bléssed by the Lórd, *
        the máker of héaven and éarth.
    The héavens belóng to the Lórd *
        but the éarth he has gíven to mén.

    The déad shall not práise the Lórd, *
        nor thóse who go dówn into the sílence.
    But wé who líve bless the Lórd *
        nów and for éver. Amén.

    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 blood of Christ purifies us to serve the living God.


    Psalm-prayer

    Father, creator and ruler of heaven and earth, you made man in your likeness to subdue the earth and master it, and to recognize the work of your hands in created beauty. Grant that your children, thus surrounded on all sides by signs of your presence, may live continually in Christ, praising you through him and with him.


    ________

    Canticle
    1 Peter 2
    Christ's passion, freely chosen

    He carried our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for holiness.

    Christ suffered for you, †
        leaving you an example *
        that you should follow in his steps.

    He committed no sin; *
        no guile was found on his lips.
    When he was reviled, *
        he did not revile in return.

    When he suffered, *
        he did not threaten;
    but he trusted to him *
        who judges justly.

    He himself bore our sins *
        in his body on the tree,
    that we might die to sin *
        and live to righteousness.

    By his wounds you have been healed.

    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.

    He carried our sins in his own body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live for holiness.


    ________

    Short Reading
    Acts 13:26-30

    My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you. What the people of Jerusalem and their rulers did, though they did not realise it, was in fact to fulfil the prophecies read on every sabbath. Though they found nothing to justify his death, they condemned him and asked Pilate to have him executed. When they had carried out everything that scripture foretells about him they took him down from the tree and buried him in a tomb. But God raised him from the dead.


    ________

    Short Responsory

    We worship you, Christ, and we bless you.
    – We worship you, Christ, and we bless you.
    By your cross you have redeemed the world.
    – We worship you, Christ, and we bless you.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
    – We worship you, Christ, and we bless you.


    ________

    Canticle
    Magnificat
    My soul rejoices in the Lord

    It is written, ‘ I will strike the shepherd down and the sheep of his flock will be scattered.’ But after my resurrection I will go before you into Galilee; there you will see me, said the Lord.

    My soul glórifies the Lórd, *
        my spirit rejóices in Gód, my Sáviour.
    He looks on his sérvant in her lówliness; *
        henceforth all áges will cáll me bléssed.

    The Almíghty works márvels for me. *
        Hóly his náme!
    His mércy is from age to áge, *
        on thóse who féar him.

    He púts forth his árm in stréngth *
        and scátters the proud-héarted.
    He casts the míghty from their thrónes *
        and ráises the lówly.

    He fills the stárving with good thíngs, *
        sends the rích away émpty.

    He protects Ísrael, his sérvant, *
        remémbering his mércy,
    the mercy prómised to our fáthers, *
        to Ábraham and his sóns for éver.

    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 written, ‘ I will strike the shepherd down and the sheep of his flock will be scattered.’ But after my resurrection I will go before you into Galilee; there you will see me, said the Lord.


    ________

    Prayers and intercessions

    Let us pray humbly to the Saviour of all men. He went up to Jerusalem to endure the passion and enter into his glory.
    – Sanctify the people you redeemed by your blood.

    Christ our Redeemer, let us share in your passion by works of penance;
        let us attain the glory of your resurrection.
    – Sanctify the people you redeemed by your blood.

    Grant us the protection of your Mother, the comforter of the afflicted;
        help us to extend to others the consolation you have given us.
    – Sanctify the people you redeemed by your blood.

    Take care of those we have discouraged and those we have wronged;
        help us to learn from our sufferings so that justice and love may prevail in the end.
    – Sanctify the people you redeemed by your blood.

    You humbled yourself even to accepting death, death on a cross;
        grant to your servants obedience and patience.
    – Sanctify the people you redeemed by your blood.

    Share with the dead your bodily glory;
        let us rejoice one day with them in the fellowship of the saints.
    – Sanctify the people you redeemed by your blood.


    ________

    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.


    ________


    Almighty, ever-living God,
        you gave our Saviour the command
        to become man and undergo the cross
        as an example of humility for all men to follow.
    We have the lessons of his sufferings:
        give us also the fellowship of his resurrection.
    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 © 1996-2020 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.