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.
PSALMS OF THE DAY
Psalm 118(119): 161-168
The lovers of your law have great peace, O Lord.
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.
The lovers of your law have great peace, O Lord.
Psalm 132 (133)
The pleasure of brotherly unity
The whole group of believers was united in heart and in soul.
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.
The whole group of believers was united in heart and in soul.
Psalm 139 (140)
You are my refuge
Guard me from the hands of the wicked, O Lord, my mighty help.
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.
Guard me from the hands of the wicked, O Lord, my mighty help.
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
Romans 1:16-17
©
I am not ashamed of the Good News: it is the power of God saving all who have faith – Jews first, but Greeks as well – since this is what reveals the justice of God to us: it shows how faith leads to faith, or as scripture says: The upright man finds life through faith.
℣. Their voice has gone out through all the earth.
℟. Their message reaches to the ends of the world.
Let us pray.
Lord God,
you chose Saint Luke to reveal the mystery of your love for the poor
in his preaching and his writings.
Grant that those who already acknowledge your name
may continue to be one in mind and heart,
and that all the nations may see your salvation.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.
