None (Afternoon Prayer)
INTRODUCTION
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
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
The psalms of the day are shown here. If you are reciting more than one daytime hour (Terce, Sext, None) today, use the psalms of the day at one hour and the complementary psalms at the others.
SPECIAL FOR TODAY: If you are celebrating Sext today, you must use the psalms of the day at Sext, and use the complementary psalms now.
PSALMS OF THE DAY
Psalm 118(119): 89-96
A meditation on the word of the Lord in the law
Mary was greatly troubled at this greeting and wondered what it might mean. She said, ‘I am to give birth to a King without ceasing to be a virgin.’
Your word, O Lord,
is established in heaven for ever.
Your truth lasts from generation to generation:
you have set the earth firm and it endures.
It is by your decree that they endure to this day,
for all things serve you.
Had your law not been my delight
I might have suffered and perished.
To all eternity I shall remember your commandments,
for in them you have given me life.
I am yours; keep me safe,
for I have sought out your commands.
The wicked waited for me, to destroy me;
but I have understood your sayings.
All that seems perfect has its limits;
but the perfection of your commands is boundless.
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 70 (71)
The Lord has been my hope since my youth
In you, Lord, I have placed my hope:
I shall never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, free me and rescue me;
turn your ear to my pleas and save me.
Be my rock, Lord, be my refuge,
a stronghold where I can be safe.
For you are my strength
and you are my refuge.
My God, rescue me from the hands of the wicked,
from the power of the unjust, the law-breakers.
For you, O Lord, are my hope;
Lord, my hope from my youth.
From birth I have leant on you,
from my mother’s womb you have been my support:
I praise you unceasingly.
Many people look at me in wonder,
but you are my strength and my helper.
May my mouth be full of your praises,
with your greatness all the day long.
Do not throw me out now I am old;
now I am weak, do not abandon me.
For my enemies have been watching me.
They have come together and discussed me.
They say, ‘God has abandoned him!
Follow him and surround him:
he has no-one to rescue him.’
God, do not distance yourself:
my God, hurry to my help.
Let those who seek my life
be powerless and ashamed.
Let confusion and shame overwhelm
those who wish harm to me.
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 70 (71)
But I will always have hope.
I will heap praise upon praise of you.
My mouth will proclaim your righteousness,
your saving power all the day long,
and your mercies, impossible to count.
I will turn to the power of the Lord
and recall only your righteousness.
God, from my youth you have taught me;
I am still proclaiming your marvels.
O God, do not abandon me,
now I have come to be old,
before I have proclaimed the strength of your arm
to every generation that is to come.
Your power, O God, and your righteousness
rise to the heights.
You have done great things,
for who, O God, is like you?
How many tribulations you have given me!
How many, and how severe!
But you have brought me to life again,
led me back up from the abyss.
You will lift me on high once again.
You will turn and console me.
I in my turn will proclaim you, my God:
on the lyre I will sing of your faithfulness,
on the harp I will praise you, O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will rejoice as I sing;
my soul will rejoice, for you have saved it.
Still I will meditate on your righteousness,
while my enemies who plotted my harm
will be ashamed and disgraced.
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.
Mary was greatly troubled at this greeting and wondered what it might mean. She said, ‘I am to give birth to a King without ceasing to be a virgin.’
OR:
At the daytime hours (Terce, Sext, None) when you don’t choose to use the psalms of the day, use the complementary psalms instead.
COMPLEMENTARY PSALMS
Psalm 125 (126)
Gladness and hope in the Lord
Mary was greatly troubled at this greeting and wondered what it might mean. She said, ‘I am to give birth to a King without ceasing to be a virgin.’
When the Lord gave Zion back her captives, we became like dreamers.
Our mouths were filled with gladness and our voices cried in exultation.
Among the Gentiles they were saying,
“By his deeds the Lord has shown himself great.”
The Lord’s deeds showed forth his greatness,
and filled us with rejoicing.
Give us back our captives, O Lord,
as you renew the dry streams in the desolate South.
Those who sow in tears will rejoice at the harvest.
They wept as they went, went with seed for the sowing;
but with joy they will come, come bearing the sheaves.
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 126 (127)
Without the Lord, we labour in vain
If the Lord does not build the house,
its builders labour in vain.
If the Lord does not watch over a city,
its watchmen guard it in vain.
It is vain for you to rise before the dawn
and go late to your rest,
eating the bread of toil –
to those he loves, the Lord gives sleep.
The Lord bestows sons as an heirloom,
the fruit of the womb as a reward.
Like arrows in the hand of a warrior –
so are the sons of one’s youth.
Happy the man who fills his quiver thus:
when he disputes with his enemies at the gate,
he will not be the loser.
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 127 (128)
Peaceful life in the Lord
Blessed are all who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways.
The food you have worked for, you will eat:
God’s blessing will bring you good things.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
on the side of your house.
Your children will be like olive shoots,
seated round your table.
See, this is how the man is blessed
who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion:
may you see the wealth of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.
May you see your children’s children.
Peace be on Israel.
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.
Mary was greatly troubled at this greeting and wondered what it might mean. She said, ‘I am to give birth to a King without ceasing to be a virgin.’
CONCLUSION
Short Reading
Isaiah 61:11
©
As the earth makes fresh things grow, as a garden makes seeds spring up, so will the Lord make both integrity and praise spring up in the sight of the nations.
℣. Come, Lord, and make no delay.
℟. Release your people from their sin.
Let us pray.
Father,
by your will your Son took upon himself
that human nature which you fashioned and redeemed.
Grant that the Word who took flesh
in the womb of the ever-virgin Mary
and became a man like us
may share with us his godhead.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
