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.
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 Terce today, you must use the psalms of the day at Terce, and use the complementary psalms now.
PSALMS OF THE DAY
Psalm 118(119): 73-80
Armed with the justice which is the power of God, let us prove ourselves with great patience.
Your hands, Lord, made and shaped me:
give me understanding and I will learn your commands.
Those who fear you will see me and rejoice in you
because I have put all my trust in your word.
I know, O Lord, that your decrees are just,
and that you were right to lay me low.
Give me your loving kindness and console me,
as you have promised to your servant.
Pour out your mercies on me, and I shall live,
because your law is my delight.
Bring confusion upon the proud,
for they attack me with lies;
but I shall devote myself to your commandments.
May those who fear you turn towards me,
those who know your precepts.
In the light of your judgements may my heart shine pure:
let me not be ashamed.
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 58 (59)
A prayer against attackers
Tear me, God, from the hands of my enemies.
Protect me from those who rise up against me.
Rescue me from those who do evil,
save me from the men of blood.
They lie in wait for my life,
they come down on me in force.
But no crime, no sin is in me, O Lord –
they attack me when I have done nothing.
Rise up, come out to me and see!
O my strength, I will await you,
for you, God, are my refuge.
The loving kindness of my God will come to help me:
thanks to God I will look down on my enemies.
I, in turn, will sing of your power
and your loving kindness every morning,
because you are my stronghold,
my refuge in times of trouble.
My strength, I will sing to you,
because you, God, are my stronghold:
my God of loving kindness.
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 59 (60)
A prayer after disaster
O God, you have pushed us away and destroyed us.
You have been angry – turn back to us!
You have struck the earth and broken it:
now heal its tottering remnants.
You have given your people hardship,
made them dizzy with the wine you made them drink.
You have given those who fear you a signal
to flee from the enemy’s bow.
Put forth your strength for those you love:
free them, make them safe – hear us!
God has spoken from his holy place:
“I shall triumph, dividing Shechem,
measuring off the vale of Succoth.
Gilead is mine, mine is Manasseh;
Ephraim my helmet, Judah my sceptre.
But Moab shall be my wash-basin,
on Edom I will place my sandal;
I will cry in triumph over the Philistine.”
Who shall lead me to the fortified city?
Who shall lead me to Edom?
Surely you, God – although you rejected us.
Will you not come out, O God, with our armies?
Give us help in our troubles,
for vain is the help of man.
With God we shall triumph –
he will trample our enemies.
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.
Armed with the justice which is the power of God, let us prove ourselves with great patience.
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
Armed with the justice which is the power of God, let us prove ourselves with great patience.
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.
Armed with the justice which is the power of God, let us prove ourselves with great patience.
CONCLUSION
Short Reading
James 1:27
©
In the eyes of God our Father, pure unspoilt religion is this: coming to the help of orphans and widows when they need it, and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world.
℣. My sacrifice is a contrite spirit.
℟. A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn, O God.
Let us pray.
Purify us, almighty God,
through our whole-hearted endeavour to renew our lives,
so that we may approach the coming festival
with single-minded devotion.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
