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
Psalm 118(119): 73-80
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
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.
Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
Short Reading
Judith 13:18-19
©
May you be blessed, my daughter, by God Most High,
beyond all women on earth;
and may the Lord God be blessed,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
by whose guidance you cut off the head
of the leader of our enemies.
The trust you have shown
shall not pass from the memories of men,
but shall ever remind them
of the power of God.
℣. Blessed are those who hear the word of God, alleluia,
℟. And keep it in their hearts. Alleluia.
Let us pray.
Almighty, ever-living God,
you inspired the Blessed Virgin Mary,
when she was carrying your Son,
to visit Elizabeth.
Grant that, always docile to the voice of the Spirit,
we may, together with Our Lady, glorify your Name.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
