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

Liturgy of the Hours


  • Friday 3 June 2022

    Saints Charles Lwanga and his Companions, Martyrs 
    on Friday of the 7th week of Eastertide


    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. Alleluia.


    ________

    Hymn

    All hail the power of Jesus’ name;
    Let Angels prostrate fall;
    Bring forth the royal diadem
    To crown him Lord of all.

    Crown him, ye Martyrs of your God,
    Who from his altar call;
    Praise him whose way of pain ye trod,
    And crown him Lord of all.

    Hail him, ye heirs of David’s line,
    Whom David Lord did call;
    The God Incarnate, Man Divine,
    And crown him Lord of all.

    Let every tribe and every tongue
    To him their hearts enthral,
    Lift high the universal song,
    And crown him Lord of all.


    ________

    Psalm 134 (135):1-12
    Praise the Lord, the wonder-worker


    “You are a chosen race. Sing the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet 2:9).

    I, the Lord, am your Saviour, I am your Redeemer. Alleluia.

    Praise the name of the Lord,
    praise him, servants of the Lord,
    who stand in the house of the Lord
    in the courts of the house of our God.

    Praise the Lord for the Lord is good.
    Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving.
    For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself
    and Israel for his own possession.

    For I know the Lord is great,
    that our Lord is high above all gods.
    The Lord does whatever he wills,
    in heaven, on earth, in the seas.

    He summons clouds from the ends of the earth;
    makes lightning produce the rain;
    from his treasuries he sends forth the wind.

    The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
    of man and beast alike.
    Signs and wonders he worked
    in the midst of your land, O Egypt,
    against Pharaoh and all his servants.

    Nations in their greatness he struck
    and kings in their splendour he slew.
    Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    Og, the king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
    He let Israel inherit their land;
    on his people their land he bestowed.

    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.

    I, the Lord, am your Saviour, I am your Redeemer. Alleluia.


    ________

    Psalm 134 (135):13-21

    Blessed is the kingdom of our father David which has come among us. Alleluia.

    Lord, your name stands for ever,
    unforgotten from age to age,
    for the Lord does justice for his people;
    the Lord takes pity on his servants.

    Pagan idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
    They have mouths but they cannot speak;
    they have eyes but they cannot see.

    They have ears but they cannot hear;
    there is never a breath on their lips.
    Their makers will come to be like them
    and so will all who trust in them!

    Sons of Israel, bless the Lord!
    Sons of Aaron, bless the Lord!
    Sons of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear him, bless the Lord!

    From Sion may the Lord be blessed,
    he who dwells in Jerusalem!

    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.

    Blessed is the kingdom of our father David which has come among us. Alleluia.


    Psalm-prayer

    Father, your name and your memory last for ever. We stand to pray in your house and praise you with psalms of joy. We ask you in your kindness to have mercy on us in our lowliness.


    Or:

    Father, you shattered the powers of darkness, with all their evil plots, to give strength to your servants and make them magnanimous in the struggle for eternal life. Have mercy on us and do not permit us to be deceived by false idols. May we praise your name for ever and receive the eternal gift of our inheritance.


    ________

    Canticle
    Apocalypse 15
    A hymn of adoration

    Let us sing to the Lord: great is his triumph. Alleluia.

    Great and wonderful are your deeds,
    O Lord God the Almighty!
    Just and true are your ways,
    O King of the ages!

    Who shall not fear and glorify your name, O Lord?
    For you alone are holy.
    All nations shall come and worship you,
    for your judgements have been revealed.

    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.

    Let us sing to the Lord: great is his triumph. Alleluia.


    ________

    Short Reading
    Apocalypse 7:14-17

    These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and because they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb, they now stand in front of God’s throne and serve him day and night in his sanctuary; and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; neither the sun nor scorching wind will ever plague them, because the Lamb who is at the throne will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.


    ________

    Short Responsory

    The virtuous will shine before God. Alleluia, alleluia.
    – The virtuous will shine before God. Alleluia, alleluia.
    The pure of heart will rejoice.
    – The virtuous will shine before God. Alleluia, alleluia.
    Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
    – The virtuous will shine before God. Alleluia, alleluia.


    ________

    Canticle
    Magnificat
    My soul rejoices in the Lord

    Rejoice, you saints, before the Lamb: the kingdom was prepared for you from the beginning of the world, alleluia.

    My soul glorifies the Lord,
    my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour.
    He looks on his servant in her lowliness;
    henceforth all ages will call me blessed.

    The Almighty works marvels for me.
    Holy his name!
    His mercy is from age to age,
    on those who fear him.

    He puts forth his arm in strength
    and scatters the proud-hearted.
    He casts the mighty from their thrones
    and raises the lowly.

    He fills the starving with good things,
    sends the rich away empty.

    He protects Israel, his servant,
    remembering his mercy,
    the mercy promised to our fathers,
    to Abraham and his sons for ever.

    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.

    Rejoice, you saints, before the Lamb: the kingdom was prepared for you from the beginning of the world, alleluia.


    ________

    Prayers and intercessions

    Let us give thanks to the king of martyrs, for this is the hour when he offered himself in the last supper and laid down his life on the cross.
    – We praise you, Christ the Lord.

    We praise you, Christ our Saviour, example and strength of the martyrs, because you have loved us to the end;
    – We praise you, Christ the Lord.

    Because you have promised repentant sinners the reward of eternal life,
    – We praise you, Christ the Lord.

    Because you have called the Church to offer the blood of the new and eternal covenant, the blood shed for the remission of sins,
    – We praise you, Christ the Lord.

    Because you have brought us to this day with the gift of faith intact,
    – We praise you, Christ the Lord.

    Because of the many brothers who today have come to share in your saving death,
    – We praise you, Christ the Lord.


    ________

    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.


    ________


    Lord God, you have made the blood of martyrs
    become the seed of Christians.
    In your love, grant that your Church,
    the field that was moistened by the blood of Saint Charles and his companions,
    may always yield a fertile harvest for you.
    Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
    who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    God, for ever and ever.
    Amen.


    ________

    The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
    Amen.


    Copyright © 1996-2022 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.