Terce (Mid-Morning 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
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
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
I seek your precepts, Lord; for with them you give me life.
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.
I seek your precepts, Lord; for with them you give me life.
Psalm 70 (71)
The Lord has been my hope since my youth
O Lord, you have 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.
O Lord, you have been my hope since my youth.
Psalm 70 (71)
When I grow old do not forsake me, O God.
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.
When I grow old do not forsake me, O God.
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 119 (120)
Longing for peace
I called and the Lord answered me.
I was in trouble, and cried to the Lord;
and he answered me.
Lord, free me from the lips of liars,
from deceitful tongues.
What will be given you, what will you receive,
deceitful tongue?
Sharp arrows from the warrior,
hardened in the flames.
Alas, I am an exile in Meshech;
I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
My soul has lived too long
with those who hate peace.
I am for making peace;
but whenever I spoke, they attacked 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.
I called and the Lord answered me.
Psalm 120 (121)
The guardian of the people
May the Lord guard your going in and coming out.
I shall lift my eyes to the hills:
where is my help to come from?
My help will come from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip:
he will not doze, your guardian.
Behold, he will not doze or sleep,
the guardian of Israel.
The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is your shade;
he is at your right hand.
By day the sun will not strike you;
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will guard you from all harm;
the Lord will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going
both now and 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.
May the Lord guard your going in and coming out.
Psalm 121 (122)
Jerusalem, the holy city
I rejoiced in the things which were said to me.
They filled me with joy when they said,
“We will go to the house of the Lord.”
Now our feet are standing
within your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city,
whole and self-contained:
there the tribes have gone up,
the tribes of the Lord –
the witness of Israel,
to praise the Lord’s name.
For there are the thrones of justice,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“Safety for those who care for you,
peace inside your walls,
security within your ramparts!”
For my brethren and those near to me I will say
“Peace be upon you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will call blessings upon you.
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 rejoiced in the things which were said to me.
CONCLUSION
Short Reading
2 Corinthians 13:11
©
Brethren, be joyful. Try to grow perfect; help one another. Be united; live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.
℣. The Lord turns his eyes to the just.
℟. He gives ear to their appeal.
Let us pray.
Father, Creator of all that is good,
you have called men to work in your world,
and by their cooperation to better the condition of mankind.
Grant that we may always work together as children of your family,
and love all men as our brethren.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
