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): 65-72
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.
You have been good to your servant, O Lord:
you are true to your word.
Teach me goodness and wisdom and knowledge,
for I trust your commands.
Before I suffered I used to stray;
but now I shall hold to your promises.
You are good and your actions are good,
so teach me your judgements.
The proud make lying plans against me,
but I shall still obey your commands
with all my heart.
Their hearts are as gross as solid fat,
but I delight in your law.
My suffering has done me good:
it has taught me your judgements.
The law that you proclaim does me good,
more than treasure of silver and gold.
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 55 (56)
Trusting in the word of the Lord
Take pity on me, O God,
for men have trampled me down.
My attackers press me all day long.
All day my enemies trample me:
so many fight against me, O Most High!
Whenever I fear,
I shall put my hope in you –
in God, whose sayings I praise:
in God I put my trust.
I am frightened no longer:
what harm can mere flesh do to me?
All day they attacked my interests,
their thoughts were directed against me.
They picked quarrels, they lay in ambush,
they followed at my very heels.
You have kept track of my wanderings –
so collect my tears in your wineskin,
and keep count of every one!
Then my enemies will be turned back
on the very day I call on you.
Then I shall know that you are my God.
In God I hope, whose sayings I praise;
in the Lord, whose sayings I praise.
In God I put my hope.
I do not fear: what harm can mere men do to me?
The vows I have made you hang over me:
I shall fulfil them and give you praise.
You have rescued my soul from death
and my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk in the presence of God
in the light that shines on the living.
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 56 (57)
Morning prayer in time of affliction
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
My soul flies to you for refuge.
I will hide in the shelter of your wings
until the time of ambush is past.
I will cry to God the Most High,
to the God who cares for me.
He will send help from heaven to set me free.
He will disgrace those who trample me underfoot.
He will send forth his mercy and faithfulness.
My soul lies among lion-cubs
that would devour the children of men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues are pointed swords.
May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;
let your glory cover the whole earth.
They prepared a trap for my feet;
my soul was bent double under its burden;
they dug a pit in front of me
– but they fell into it themselves.
My heart is ready, God.
My heart is ready.
I will offer you music and song.
Awake, my glory,
awake, lyre and harp.
I will awaken the dawn.
I will proclaim you among the peoples, Lord,
and make music for you among the nations,
for your mercy reaches as high as the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;
let your glory cover the 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.
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
Deuteronomy 30:2-3
©
If you return to the Lord your God, if you obey his voice with all your heart and soul in everything I enjoin on you today, you and your children, then the Lord your God will bring back your captives and will have pity on you.
℣. From my sins turn away your face.
℟. And blot out all my guilt.
Let us pray.
Lord God,
you love innocence of heart,
and when it is lost you alone can restore it.
Turn then our hearts to you,
and kindle in them the fire of your Spirit,
so that we may be steadfast in faith
and unwearied in good works.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
