Sext (Midday 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.
Hymn
Lord God and Maker of all things,
Creation is upheld by you.
While all must change and know decay,
You are unchanging, always new.
You are man’s solace and his shield,
His Rock secure on which to build.
You are the spirit’s tranquil home,
In you alone is hope fulfilled.
To God the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit render praise:
Blest Trinity, from age to age
The strength of all our living days.
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.
PSALMS OF THE DAY
Psalm 118(119): 161-168
As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.
Princes are hounding me for no reason.
Your words fill me with dread.
I shall rejoice over your sayings
like one who has found a great treasure.
I loathe and detest untruthfulness
but I love the truth of your law.
Seven times a day I praise you
for the righteousness of your judgements.
Those who love you have abounding peace:
there is nothing to trip them up.
I looked forward to your salvation, O Lord,
and followed your commandments.
I keep your precepts in my heart:
I love them intensely.
I have followed your commands and your precepts.
All that I do is in your sight.
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 132 (133)
The pleasure of brotherly unity
How pleasant it is, how good,
when brothers dwell together in unity.
Like precious oil poured upon the head,
flowing down the beard, the beard of Aaron,
flowing onto the collar of his robes.
Like the dew of Hermon,
flowing onto the mountains of Zion.
From there the Lord sends blessing
and life everlasting.
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 139 (140)
You are my refuge
Tear me, Lord, from men of evil,
keep me safe from men of violence.
They plan evil in their hearts,
make warlike plots all day long.
They sharpen their tongues like serpents:
vipers’ venom is on their lips.
Protect me, Lord, from the power of the wicked,
keep me safe from men of violence
who plan to make me stumble.
In their pride they have laid a trap for me,
stretched out a network of ropes,
set snares in my path.
I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my God.
Lord, listen to my pleading.’
Lord, O Lord, the power that saves me:
you have shielded my head on the day of battle.
Lord, do not grant the wicked their desires:
do not fulfil their plans.
I know that the Lord will do justice to the needy
and give judgement in favour of the poor.
The righteous will proclaim your name
and the upright will dwell in your presence.
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.
As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.
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 122 (123)
The Lord guards his people
As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.
To you I lift up my eyes,
to you who dwell in the heavens.
Like the eyes of a servant watching his master,
like the eyes of a maid on her mistress’s hands,
so we keep our eyes on the Lord our God,
as we wait for his kindness.
Take pity on us, Lord, take pity:
we have had our fill of contempt.
Our souls have had their fill
of the laughter of the rich,
of the contempt of the proud.
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 123 (124)
Our help is in the name of the Lord
If the Lord had not been with us
(so let Israel sing),
If the Lord had not been with us
when men rose up against us,
they might have skinned us alive,
such was their anger.
The waters could have drowned us,
the torrent poured over us,
the foaming waters poured over us.
Blessed be the Lord, who saved us
from being torn to pieces by their teeth.
We have escaped, like a bird
from the snare of the fowler.
The snare was broken,
and we escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
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 124 (125)
The Lord guards his people
Those who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of Zion:
it cannot be shaken, it will stand firm for ever.
Jerusalem – the mountains stand guard over it,
and the Lord stands guard over his people,
both now and for ever.
The sceptre of the wicked shall not rest
upon the inheritance of the just;
lest the just themselves stretch out their hands
and turn to wickedness.
Be good, O Lord, to the good
and the upright of heart.
As for those who turn away to crooked paths,
the Lord shall treat them like the doers of evil.
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.
As I live, says the Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked man; rather let him turn from his evil way and live.
CONCLUSION
Short Reading
(Jeremiah 3:12,14)
©
Come back, says the Lord, and I will frown on you no more, since I am merciful and I shall not keep my resentment for ever. Come back, disloyal children, says the Lord.
℣. From my sins turn away your face.
℟. And blot out all my guilt.
Let us pray.
Give us the grace, Lord,
to continue the works of penitence we have begun;
so that the Lenten observance we have taken upon ourselves
may be accomplished in sincerity of heart.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
