Wednesday 20 November 2019
Wednesday of week 33 in Ordinary Time
Office of Readings
(combined with Lauds)
This is the Office of Readings joined to another Hour, as described in §99 of the General Instruction. To see the Office of Readings on its own, use the menu button on the right.
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
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
Lord, God, your light which dims the stars
Awakes all things,
And all that springs to life in you
Your glory sings.
Your peaceful presence, giving strength,
Is everywhere,
And fallen men may rise again
On wings of prayer.
You are the God whose mercy rests
On all you made;
You gave us Christ, whose love through death
Our ransom paid.
We praise you, Father, with your Son
And Spirit blest,
In whom creation lives and moves,
And finds its rest.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
________
Psalm 17 (18)
Thanksgiving for salvation and victory
“A great earthquake took place at that time” (Rev 11:13).
I love you, Lord, my strength.
I lóve you, Lórd, my stréngth, *
my róck, my fórtress, my sáviour.
My Gód is the róck where I take réfuge; *
my shíeld, my mighty hélp, my strónghold.
The Lórd is wórthy of all práise, *
when I cáll I am sáved from my fóes.
The wáves of déath rose abóut me; *
the tórrents of destrúction assáiled me;
the snáres of the gráve entángled me; *
the tráps of déath confrónted me.
In my ánguish I cálled to the Lórd; *
I críed to Gód for hélp.
From his témple he héard my vóice; *
my crý cáme to his éars.
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 love you, Lord, my strength.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
The Lord saved me because he loved me.
Then the éarth réeled and rócked; †
the móuntains were sháken to their báse: *
they réeled at his térrible ánger.
Smóke came fórth from his nóstrils †
and scórching fíre from his móuth: *
cóals were set abláze by its héat.
He lówered the héavens and came dówn, *
a bláck cloud únder his féet.
He cáme enthróned on the chérubim, *
he fléw on the wíngs of the wínd.
He máde the dárkness his cóvering, *
the dark wáters of the clóuds, his tént.
A bríghtness shóne out befóre him *
with háilstones and fláshes of fíre.
The Lórd thúndered in the héavens; *
the Most Hígh let his vóice be héard.
He shot his árrows, scáttered the fóe, *
flashed his líghtnings and pút them to flíght.
The béd of the ócean was revéaled; *
the foundátions of the wórld were laid báre
at the thúnder of your thréat, O Lórd, *
at the blást of the bréath of your ánger.
From on hígh he réached down and séized me; *
he drew me fórth from the míghty wáters.
He snátched me from my pówerful fóe, *
from my énemies whose stréngth I could not mátch.
They assáiled me in the dáy of my misfórtune, *
but the Lórd was mý suppórt.
He bróught me fórth into fréedom, *
he sáved me becáuse he lóved 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.
The Lord saved me because he loved me.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
You, O Lord, are my lamp, my God who lightens my darkness.
He rewárded me becáuse I was júst, *
repáid me, for my hánds were cléan,
for I have képt the wáy of the Lórd, *
and have not fállen awáy from my Gód.
For his júdgements are áll befóre me: *
I have néver neglécted his commánds.
I have alwáys been úpright befóre him; *
I have képt mysélf from gúilt.
He repáid me becáuse I was júst *
and my hánds were cléan in his éyes.
You are lóving with thóse who lóve you: *
you shów yourself pérfect with the pérfect.
With the sincére you shów yourself sincére, *
but the cúnning you outdó in cúnning.
For you sáve a húmble péople *
but húmble the éyes that are próud.
Yóu, O Lórd, are my lámp, *
my Gód who líghtens my dárkness.
With yóu I can bréak through any bárrier, *
with my Gód I can scále any wáll.
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.
You, O Lord, are my lamp, my God who lightens my darkness.
Psalm-prayer
To show your great love for us, Father, you freed your Chosen One from the waves of death and established him head of the human race. Judge us by the sincerity of your Son that your strength may support us and our lives may remain blameless in your ways.
________
℣. All wondered at these gracious words.
℟. They marvelled at what the Lord was saying.
________
First Reading
Zechariah 10:3-11:3
Israel’s liberation and return
Thus says the Lord:
‘My anger burns against the shepherds,
and I mean to punish the he-goats.
Yes, the Lord of Hosts will take care of his flock, the House of Judah,
he will make it his proud steed in battle.
From him will issue Cornerstone and Tent-peg,
from him the Bow of battle,
from him all the Leaders.
Together they will be like heroes
trampling the dirt of the streets in battle;
they will fight, since the Lord is with them,
and the riders of horses will be thrown into confusion.
‘And I will make the House of Judah mighty,
and the House of Joseph victorious.
I am going to restore them, because I have taken pity on them,
and they shall be as though I had never cast them off
for I am the Lord their God and I mean to answer their prayer.
‘Ephraim will be like a hero.
Their hearts will be cheered as though by wine.
Their sons will look on this in gladness,
their hearts will exult in the Lord.
‘I am going to whistle to them and gather them in,
for I have redeemed them;
they will be as numerous as they used to be.
I have scattered them among the peoples
but from far away they will remember me:
they will teach their sons, and these will return.
I mean to bring them back from the land of Egypt,
and gather them from Assyria;
I shall lead them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon,
and even that will not be large enough for them.
They will pass through the sea of Egypt
and he will strike the waves on the sea;
all the depths of the Nile will be dried up.
The arrogance of Assyria will be cast down
and the sceptre of Egypt be taken away.
‘Their strength will be in the Lord;
in his name they will glory.’
It is the Lord who speaks.
Open your gateways, Lebanon,
and let the fire burn down your cedars.
Wail, cypress,
for felled is the cedar,
the mighty ones have been brought low!
Wail, oaks of Bashan,
for the impenetrable forest has been felled!
The wailing of the shepherds is heard;
their glorious pastures have been ruined.
The roaring of the young lions is heard;
the thickets of the Jordan have been laid waste.
Responsory
Zc 10:6-7; Is 28:5
℟. I am going to restore them, because I have taken pity on them, for I am the Lord their God,* and their hearts will exult in the Lord.
℣. On that day the Lord of hosts shall be a lovely garland, a beautiful diadem for the faithful remnant of his people,* and their hearts will exult in the Lord.
________
Second Reading
From a sermon by Saint Augustine
The heart of the just man will rejoice in the Lord
The just man will rejoice in the Lord and put his hope in him; the hearts of all good men will be filled with joy. We must surely have sung these words with our hearts as well as with our voices. Indeed, the tongue of the Christian expresses his deepest feelings when it addresses such words to God. The just man will rejoice, not in the world, but in the Lord. Light has dawned for the just, Scripture says in another place, and joy for the upright of heart. Were you wondering what reason he has for joy? Here you are told: The just man will rejoice in the Lord. Another text runs: Delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires.
What are we instructed to do then, and what are we enabled to do? To rejoice in the Lord. But who can rejoice in something he does not see? Am I suggesting that we see the Lord then? No, but we have been promised that we shall see him. Now, as long as we are in the body, we walk by faith, for we are absent from the Lord. We walk by faith, and not by sight. When will it be by sight? Beloved, says John, we are now the sons of God; what we shall be has not yet been revealed, but we know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. When this prophecy is fulfilled, then it will be by sight.
That will be the great joy, the supreme joy, joy in all its fullness. Then we shall no longer drink the milk of hope, but we shall feed on the reality itself. Nevertheless, even now, before that vision comes to us, or before we come to that vision, let us rejoice in the Lord; for it is no small reason for rejoicing to have a hope that will some day be fulfilled.
Therefore, since the hope we now have inspires love, the just man rejoices, Scripture says, in the Lord; but because he does not yet see, it immediately goes on to say, and hopes in him.
Yet already we have the first fruits of the Spirit, and have we not also other reasons for rejoicing? For we are drawing near to the one we love, and not only are we drawing near – we even have some slight feeling and taste of the banquet we shall one day eagerly eat and drink.
But how can we rejoice in the Lord if he is far from us? Pray God he may not be far. If he is, that is your doing. Love, and he will draw near; love, and he will dwell within you. The Lord is at hand; have no anxiety. Are you puzzled to know how it is that he will be with you if you love? God is love.
“What do you mean by love?” you will ask me. It is that which enables us to be loving. What do we love? A good that words cannot describe, a good that is for ever giving, a good that is the Creator of all good. Delight in him from whom you have received everything that delights you. But in that I do not include sin, for sin is the one thing that you do not receive from him. With that one exception, everything you have comes from him.
Responsory
℟. Believe in the unseen God, if you would see him who is now hidden from you.* Walk the dark ways of faith and you will attain the vision of God.
℣. If faith has not supported you on life’s journey, you will not attain the blissful vision of God in your heavenly country.* Walk the dark ways of faith and you will attain the vision of God.
________
Psalm 35 (36)
The sinner's wickedness; God's goodness
“The man who follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life for his guide” (Jn 8:12).
In your light, God, we see light.
Sín spéaks to the sínner *
in the dépths of his héart.
There ís no féar of Gód *
befóre his éyes.
He so flátters himsélf in his mínd *
that he knóws not his gúilt.
In his móuth are míschief and decéit. *
All wísdom is góne.
He plóts the deféat of góodness *
as he líes on his béd.
He has sét his fóot on evil wáys, *
he clíngs to what is évil.
Your lóve, Lord, réaches to héaven; *
your trúth to the skíes.
Your jústice is líke God’s móuntain, *
your júdgements like the déep.
To both mán and béast you give protéction. *
O Lórd, how précious is your lóve.
My Gód, the sóns of mén *
find réfuge in the shélter of your wíngs.
They féast on the ríches of your hóuse; *
they drínk from the stréam of your delíght.
In yóu is the sóurce of lífe *
and ín your líght we see líght.
Keep on lóving thóse who knów you, *
doing jústice for úpright héarts.
Let the fóot of the próud not crúsh me *
nor the hánd of the wícked cast me óut.
Sée how the évil-doers fáll! *
Flung dówn, they shall néver aríse.
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.
In your light, God, we see light.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, you are the source of unfailing light. Give us true knowledge of your mercy so that we may renounce our pride and be filled with the riches of your house.
Or:
Lord God, source of light and life, you make the sun rise and the rain fall on good and bad men alike. By the light of your truth may the virtuous know your goodness and sinners feel your mercy, so that together they may drink from your stream of delight.
________
Canticle
Judith 16
The Lord, creator of the world, protects his people
“They began to sing a new song” (Rev 5:9).
Lord, you are great, you are glorious, you are wonderfully strong.
Begin a song to my God with tambourines, *
sing to my Lord with cymbals.
Raise to him a new psalm; †
exalt him and call upon his name. *
For God is the Lord who crushes wars.
I will sing to my God a new song: †
O Lord, you are great and glorious, *
wonderful in strength, invincible.
Let all your creatures serve you, *
for you spoke, and they were made.
You sent forth your Spirit, and it formed them; *
there is none that can resist your voice.
For the mountains shall be shaken to their foundations with the waters; *
at your presence the rocks shall melt like wax,
but to those who fear you *
you will continue to show mercy.
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.
Lord, you are great, you are glorious, you are wonderfully strong.
________
Psalm 46 (47)
The Lord is King
“He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and his kingdom will have no end.”
Cry to God with shouts of joy.
All péoples, cláp your hánds, *
cry to Gód with shóuts of jóy!
For the Lórd, the Most Hígh, we must féar, *
great kíng over áll the éarth.
He súbdues péoples únder us *
and nátions únder our féet.
Our inhéritance, our glóry, is from hím, *
gíven to Jácob out of lóve.
God goes úp with shóuts of jóy; *
the Lord goes úp with trúmpet blást.
Sing práise for Gód, sing práise, *
sing práise to our kíng, sing práise.
God is kíng of áll the éarth, *
sing práise with áll your skíll.
God is kíng óver the nátions; *
God réigns on his hóly thróne.
The prínces of the péoples are assémbled *
with the péople of Ábraham’s Gód.
The rúlers of the éarth belong to Gód, *
to Gód who réigns over áll.
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.
Cry to God with shouts of joy.
Psalm-prayer
God, King of all peoples and all ages, it is your victory we celebrate as we sing with all the skill at our command. Help us always to overcome evil by good, that we may rejoice in your triumph for ever.
Or:
Lord Jesus, to you belongs the dominion of heaven, earth, and all things under the earth, for you have ascended on high and are seated on the throne prepared for you by the Father. May all peoples be gathered into your Church to form a holy nation, a kingly priesthood, your own chosen heritage, to praise and adore your divine majesty, now and for ever.
________
Short Reading
Tobit 4:14-15,16,19
Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behaviour. Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who are naked. Whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving. Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end.
________
Short Responsory
Bend my heart to your will, O God.
– Bend my heart to your will, O God.
By your word, give me life.
– Bend my heart to your will, O God.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Bend my heart to your will, O God.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
Show us your mercy, O Lord; remember your holy covenant.
Bléssed be the Lórd, the Gód of Ísrael! *
He has vísited his péople and redéemed them.
He has raised úp for ús a mighty sáviour *
in the hóuse of Dávid his sérvant,
as he prómised by the líps of holy mén, *
thóse who were his próphets from of óld.
A sáviour who would frée us from our fóes, *
from the hánds of áll who háte us.
So his lóve for our fáthers is fulfílled *
and his hóly covenant remémbered.
He swóre to Ábraham our fáther to gránt us, *
that frée from féar, and sáved from the hánds of our fóes,
we might sérve him in hóliness and jústice *
all the dáys of our lífe in his présence.
As for yóu, little chíld, *
you shall be cálled a próphet of Gód, the Most Hígh.
You shall go ahéad of the Lórd *
to prépare his wáys befóre him,
To make knówn to his péople their salvátion *
through forgíveness of áll their síns,
the loving-kíndness of the héart of our Gód *
who vísits us like the dáwn from on hígh.
He will give líght to those in dárkness, †
those who dwéll in the shádow of déath, *
and gúide us into the wáy of péace.
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.
Show us your mercy, O Lord; remember your holy covenant.
________
Prayers and intercessions
We give thanks to Christ and we praise him because he was not ashamed to call us his brothers.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
Help us to live the new life of Easter,
so that men may know through us the power of your love.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
Every day is a proof of your love:
as you bring us to this new day, make us new in mind and in heart.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
Teach us to see you present in all men;
help us to recognize you most of all in those who suffer.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
May our lives today be filled with your compassion;
give us the spirit of forgiveness and a generous heart.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
________
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
________
God our Saviour,
through the grace of baptism you have made us children of light.
Hear our prayer
that we may always walk in that light
and work for the truth as your witnesses before men.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.