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

Liturgy of the Hours


  • Friday 10 April 2020

    Good Friday


    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.


    ________

    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 39 (40)
    Thanksgiving and a prayer for help


    “You wanted no sacrifice or oblation, but you have prepared a body for me” (Heb 10:5).

    At the third hour Jesus was crucified.

    I wáited, I wáited for the Lórd †
        and he stóoped down to mé; *
        he héard my crý.

    He dréw me from the déadly pít, *
        from the míry clay.
    He sét my féet upon a róck *
        and made my fóotsteps fírm.

    He pút a new sóng into my móuth, *
        práise of our Gód.
    Mány shall sée and féar *
        and shall trúst in the Lórd.

    Háppy the mán who has pláced *
        his trúst in the Lórd
    and has nót gone óver to the rébels *
        who fóllow false góds.

    How mány, O Lórd my Gód, *
        are the wónders and desígns
    that yóu have wórked for ús; *
        you háve no équal.
    Shóuld I procláim and spéak of them, *
        they are móre than I can téll!

    You do not ásk for sácrifice and ófferings, *
        but an ópen éar.
    You do not ásk for hólocaust and víctim. *
        Instéad, here am Í.

    In the scróll of the bóok it stands wrítten *
        that Í should do your wíll.
    My Gód, I delíght in your láw *
        in the dépth of my héart.

    Your jústice Í have procláimed *
        in the gréat assémbly.
    My líps I háve not séaled; *
        you knów it, O Lórd.

    I have not hídden your jústice in my héart *
        but decláred your faithful hélp.
    I have not hídden your lóve and your trúth *
        from the gréat assémbly.

    O Lórd, you wíll not withhóld *
        your compássion from mé.
    Your mérciful lóve and your trúth *
        will álways gúard me.

    For Í am besét with évils *
        too mány to be cóunted.
    My síns have fállen upón me *
        and my síght fáils me.
    They are móre than the háirs of my héad *
        and my héart sínks.

    O Lórd, cóme to my réscue; *
        Lord, cóme to my áid.

    O lét there be rejóicing and gládness *
        for áll who séek you.
    Let them éver say: ‘The Lórd is gréat’, *
        who lóve your saving hélp.

    As for mé, wrétched and póor, *
        the Lórd thinks of mé.
    Yóu are my réscuer, my hélp, *
        O Gód, do not deláy.

    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 53 (54)
    A plea for help


    “The prophet prays in the name of the Lord to be freed from the evil of those who persecute him” (Cassian).

    O Gód, sáve me by your náme; *
        by your pówer, uphóld my cáuse.
    O Gód, héar my práyer; *
        lísten to the wórds of my móuth.

    For próud men have rísen agáinst me, †
        rúthless men séek my lífe. *
        They háve no regárd for Gód.
    But Í have Gód for my hélp. *
        The Lórd uphólds my lífe.

    I will sácrifice to yóu with willing héart *
        and práise your náme for it is góod:
    for you have réscued me from áll my distréss *
        and my éyes have seen the dównfall of my fóes.

    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.

    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.

    At the third hour Jesus was crucified.


    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 53:2-3

    Like a sapling he grew up in front of us, like a root in arid ground. Without beauty, without majesty (we saw him), no looks to attract our eyes; a thing despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering, a man to make people screen their faces; he was despised and we took no account of him.


    ________

    ℣. We adore you, Christ, and we bless you.
    ℟. By your cross you have redeemed the world.


    ________

    Let us pray.

    Be mindful, Lord, of this your family,
        for whose sake our Lord Jesus Christ, when betrayed,
    did not hesitate to yield himself into his enemies’ hands
        and undergo the agony of the cross.
    Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
    Amen.


    ________

    Let us praise the Lord.
    – Thanks be to God.


    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.