Thursday 5 December 2019
Thursday of the 1st week of Advent
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
Hark! a herald voice is calling
Through the shadows of the night
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness
Christ descends with heavenly light.’
Wakened by the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiv’n;
So, when next he comes with glory,
And his judgement-day draws near,
Faithful he may find his servants,
Watching till their Lord appear.
Honour, glory, might, and blessing
To the Father and the Son,
With the everlasting Spirit,
While eternal ages run.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
Thanksgiving
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).
The word of the Lord is a shield for all who make him their refuge.
As for Gód, his wáys are pérfect; *
the wórd of the Lórd, purest góld.
Hé indéed is the shíeld *
of áll who máke him their réfuge.
For whó is Gód but the Lórd? *
Whó is a róck but our Gód?
the Gód who gírds me with stréngth *
and mákes the páth safe befóre me.
My féet you made swíft as the déer’s; *
you have máde me stand fírm on the héights.
You have tráined my hánds for báttle *
and my árms to bend the héavy bów.
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 word of the Lord is a shield for all who make him their refuge.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
Lord, your right hand upheld me.
You gáve me your sáving shíeld; *
you uphéld me, tráined me with cáre.
You gáve me fréedom for my stéps; *
my féet have néver slípped.
I pursúed and overtóok my fóes, *
néver turning báck till they were sláin.
I smóte them so they cóuld not ríse; *
they féll benéath my féet.
You gírded me with stréngth for báttle; *
you made my énemies fáll benéath me,
you máde my fóes take flíght; *
those who háted me Í destróyed.
They críed, but there was nó one to sáve them; *
they críed to the Lórd, but in váin.
I crúshed them fine as dúst before the wínd; *
trod them dówn like dírt in the stréets.
You sáved me from the féuds of the péople *
and pút me at the héad of the nátions.
Péople unknówn to me sérved me: *
when they héard of mé they obéyed me.
Foreign nátions cáme to me crínging: †
foreign nátions fáded awáy. *
They came trémbling óut of their stróngholds.
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, your right hand upheld me.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
Long life to the Lord! Praised be the God who saves me.
Long lífe to the Lórd, my róck! *
Práised be the Gód who sáves me,
the Gód who gíves me redréss *
and subdúes péople únder me.
You sáved me from my fúrious fóes. *
You sét me abóve my assáilants.
You sáved me from víolent mén, †
so I will práise you, Lórd, among the nátions: *
I will síng a psálm to your náme.
He has gíven great víctories to his kíng †
and shówn his lóve for his anóinted, *
for Dávid and his sóns for éver.
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.
Long life to the Lord! Praised be the God who saves me.
Psalm-prayer
To protect your people, Father, you opened a new passage through the sea. May you be both the road we travel and the peaceful reward at the end of our journey.
________
℣. Listen to the word of the Lord, you nations.
℟. Make it known to coasts and islands far away.
________
First Reading
Isaiah 16:1-5,17:4-8
Zion, refuge of the Moabites. The conversion of Ephraim
Send lambs
to the king of the country
from Sela, by way of the desert,
to the mountain of the daughter of Zion.
Flying backwards and forwards
like bewildered nestlings,
at the ford of the Arnon.
‘Advise us what to do,
decide for us.
‘Spread your shadow as if it were night
at the height of noon.
Hide those who have been driven out,
do not let the refugee be seen.
‘Let those who have been driven out of Moab
stay with you;
be their refuge
against the destroyer.’
Once the oppression is over,
and the destroyer is no more,
and those now trampling the country underfoot have gone away,
the throne will be made secure in gentleness,
and on it there will sit in all fidelity,
within the tent of David,
a judge careful for justice
and eager for integrity.
That day, the glory of Jacob will be diminished,
from being fat he will grow lean;
as when a reaper hugs an armful of standing corn
and slices off the ears,
or when they glean the ears in the Valley of Rephaim:
nothing remains but gleanings;
or when an olive tree is beaten:
two or three berries left on the topmost bough,
four or five on the branches of the tree.
It is the Lord, the God of Israel, who speaks.
That day, man will look to his creator and his eyes will turn to the Holy One of Israel. He will no longer look after the altars, his own handiwork, nor gaze at what his hands have made: the sacred poles and the solar pillars.
Responsory
Jr 33:15-16; Is 16:5
℟. I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land,* and this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness.
℣. A throne will be established in steadfast love and on it will sit in faithfulness one who judges and seeks justice,* and this is the name by which he will be called: The Lord is our righteousness.
________
Second Reading
From a commentary on the Diatessaron by Saint Ephraem, deacon
Keep watch: he is to come again
To prevent his disciples from asking the time of his coming, Christ said: About that hour no one knows, neither the angels nor the Son. It is not for you to know times or moments. He has kept those things hidden so that we may keep watch, each of us thinking that he will come in our own day. If he had revealed the time of his coming, his coming would have lost its savour: it would no longer be an object of yearning for the nations and the age in which it will be revealed. He promised that he would come but did not say when he would come, and so all generations and ages await him eagerly.
Though the Lord has established the signs of his coming, the time of their fulfilment has not been plainly revealed. These signs have come and gone with a multiplicity of change; more than that, they are still present. His final coming is like his first. As holy men and prophets waited for him, thinking that he would reveal himself in their own day, so today each of the faithful longs to welcome him in his own day, because Christ has not made plain the day of his coming.
He has not made it plain for this reason especially, that no one may think that he whose power and dominion rule all numbers and times is ruled by fate and time. He described the signs of his coming; how could what he has himself decided be hidden from him? Therefore, he used these words to increase respect for the signs of his coming, so that from that day forward all generations and ages might think that he would come again in their own day.
Keep watch; when the body is asleep nature takes control of us, and what is done is not done by our will but by force, by the impulse of nature. When deep listlessness takes possession of the soul, for example, faint-heartedness or melancholy, the enemy overpowers it and makes it do what it does not will. The force of nature, the enemy of the soul, is in control.
When the Lord commanded us to be vigilant, he meant vigilance in both parts of man: in the body, against the tendency to sleep; in the soul, against lethargy and timidity. As Scripture says: Wake up, you just, and I have risen, and am still with you; and again, Do not lose heart. Therefore, having this ministry, we do not lose heart.
Responsory
℟. I will make a covenant with you, this time for ever, to love you as faithfully as I loved David.* See, I have made of him a witness to all races, a leader and a master of the nations.
℣. This salvation of God has been sent to the pagans; they will listen to it.* See, I have made of him a witness to all races, a leader and a master of the nations.
________
Psalm 56 (57)
Morning prayer in time of affliction
“This psalm celebrates the passion of Christ” (St Augustine).
Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.
Have mércy on me, Gód, have mércy *
for in yóu my sóul has taken réfuge.
In the shádow of your wíngs I take réfuge *
till the stórms of destrúction pass bý.
I cáll to Gód the Most Hígh, *
to Gód who has álways been my hélp.
May he sénd from héaven and sáve me †
and sháme thóse who assáil me. *
May Gód send his trúth and his lóve.
My sóul lies dówn among líons, *
who would devóur the sóns of mén.
Their téeth are spéars and árrows, *
their tóngue a shárpened swórd.
O Gód, aríse above the héavens; *
may your glóry shine on éarth!
They láid a snáre for my stéps, *
my sóul was bowed dówn.
They dúg a pít in my páth *
but féll in it themsélves.
My héart is réady, O Gód, *
my héart is réady.
I will síng, I will síng your práise. *
Awáke, my sóul,
awáke, lýre and hárp, *
I will awáke the dáwn.
I will thánk you, Lórd, among the péoples, *
among the nátions I will práise you
for your lóve réaches to the héavens *
and your trúth to the skíes.
O Gód, aríse above the héavens; *
may your glóry shine on éarth!
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.
Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son.
________
Canticle
Jeremiah 31
The joy of those whom God sets free
“Jesus had to die to reunite the children of God who had been scattered” (Jn 11:51,52).
Thus says the Lord: my people shall be filled with my good things.
O nations, hear the word of the Lord, *
proclaim it to the far-off coasts.
Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him *
and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.’
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, *
has saved him from an overpowering hand.
They will come and shout for joy on Mount Sion, *
they will stream to the blessings of the Lord,
to the corn, the new wine and the oil, *
to the flocks of sheep and the herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden. *
They will never be weary again.
Then the young girls will rejoice and will dance, *
the men, young and old, will be glad.
I will turn their mourning into joy, *
I will console them, give gladness for grief.
The priests I will again feed with plenty, *
and my people shall be filled with my blessings.
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.
Thus says the Lord: my people shall be filled with my good things.
________
Psalm 47 (48)
Thanksgiving for the safety of the people
“He took me to the top of a great mountain, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem” (Rev 21:10).
The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God. †
The Lord is gréat and wórthy to be práised *
in the cíty of our Gód.
His holy móuntain ríses in béauty, *
the jóy of all the éarth.
Mount Síon, true póle of the éarth, *
the Gréat King’s cíty!
Gód, in the mídst of its cítadels, *
has shówn himself its strónghold.
For the kíngs assémbled togéther, *
togéther they advánced.
They sáw; at ónce they were astóunded; *
dismáyed, they fled in féar.
A trémbling séized them thére, *
like the pángs of bírth.
By the éast wind yóu have destróyed *
the shíps of Társhish.
As we have héard, só we have séen *
in the cíty of our Gód,
in the cíty of the Lórd of hósts *
which Gód upholds for éver.
O Gód, we pónder your lóve *
withín your témple.
Your práise, O Gód, like your náme *
reaches the énds of the éarth.
With jústice your ríght hand is fílled. *
Mount Síon rejóices;
the péople of Júdah rejóice *
at the síght of your júdgements.
Walk through Síon, wálk all róund it; *
count the númber of its tówers.
Revíew áll its rámparts, *
exámine its cástles,
that you may téll the néxt generátion *
that súch is our Gód,
our Gód for éver and álways. *
It is hé who léads 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.
The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God.
Psalm-prayer
Father, the body of your risen Son is the temple not made by human hands and the defending wall of the new Jerusalem. May this holy city, built of living stones, shine with spiritual radiance and witness to your greatness in the sight of all nations.
________
Short Reading
Isaiah 45:8
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down. Let the earth open for salvation to spring up. Let deliverance, too, bud forth which I, the Lord, shall create.
________
Short Responsory
The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
– The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
His glory will appear in your midst.
– The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The glory of the Lord will shine on you, Jerusalem. Like the sun he will rise over you.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
I will wait for the Lord who saves me. I will hope in him, for he is coming, alleluia.
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.
I will wait for the Lord who saves me. I will hope in him, for he is coming, alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let the heavens open, and the skies rain down the just one; let the earth bring forth Christ, who is the wisdom and power of God.
– Be near us, Lord, today.
Lord Jesus Christ, you have called us into your kingdom:
may we enter in, and live according to your call.
– Be near us, Lord, today.
The world does not know you:
show yourself, in our midst, to all our brothers.
– Be near us, Lord, today.
We thank you, Lord, for all that we have:
move us to give of our plenty to those who have little.
– Be near us, Lord, today.
We look for your coming, Lord Jesus:
when you knock, may we be found watching in prayer and rejoicing in praise.
– Be near us, Lord, today.
________
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.
________
Show forth your power, O Lord, and come.
Come in your great strength and help us.
Be merciful and forgiving,
and hasten the salvation which only our sins delay.
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.