Friday 6 December 2019
Friday of the 1st week of Advent
or Saint Nicholas, Bishop
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 34 (35)
The Lord, a saviour in time of persecution
“They united in making plans to arrest Jesus by treachery and have him put to death” (Mt 26:3,4).
O Lord, arise to help me.
O Lórd, plead my cáuse against my fóes; *
fight thóse who fight mé.
Táke up your búckler and shíeld; *
aríse to hélp me.
O Lórd, sáy to my sóul: *
‘Í am your salvátion.’
But my sóul shall be jóyful in the Lórd *
and rejóice in his salvátion.
My whóle béing will sáy: *
‘Lórd, whó is like yóu
who réscue the wéak from the stróng *
and the póor from the oppréssor?’
Lýing wítnesses aríse *
and accúse me unjústly.
They repáy me évil for góod; *
my sóul is forlórn.
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.
O Lord, arise to help me.
________
Psalm 34 (35)
Lord, plead my cause; defend me with your strength.
When they were síck I wént into móurning, *
afflícted with fásting.
My práyer was éver on my líps, *
as for a bróther, a fríend.
I wént as though móurning a móther, *
bówed down with gríef.
Now that Í am in tróuble they gáther, *
they gáther and móck me.
They táke me by surpríse and stríke me *
and téar me to píeces.
They provóke me with móckery on móckery *
and gnásh their téeth.
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, plead my cause; defend me with your strength.
________
Psalm 34 (35)
My tongue shall speak of your justice, all day long.
O Lórd, how lóng will you look ón? *
Cóme to my réscue!
Save my lífe from these ráging béasts, *
my sóul from these líons.
I will thánk you in the gréat assémbly, *
amid the thróng I will práise you.
Do not lét my lýing fóes *
rejóice over mé.
Do not lét those who háte me unjústly *
wink éyes at each óther.
O Lórd, you have séen, do not be sílent, *
do not stánd afar óff!
Awáke, stír to my defénce, *
to my cáuse, O Gód!
Let there be jóy for thóse who love my cáuse. *
Let them sáy without énd:
‘Gréat is the Lórd who delíghts *
in the péace of his sérvant.’
Then my tóngue shall spéak of your jústice, *
all day lóng of your práise.
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.
My tongue shall speak of your justice, all day long.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, you rescue the poor from their oppressors, and you rose to the aid of your beloved Son against those who unjustly sought his life. Look on your Church as we journey to you, that the poor and weak may recognize the help you provide and proclaim your saving acts.
________
℣. Lord, let your love come upon me.
℟. Grant me the saving help of your promise.
________
First Reading
Isaiah 19:16-24
The future conversion of Egypt and Assyria
That day, the Egyptians will become like women, fearful, terrified, when they see the uplifted hand that the Lord of Hosts will raise against them. The land of Judah will become the terror of Egypt. Whenever Egypt is reminded of this, she will be terrified, because of the fate the Lord of Hosts has prepared for her. That day, in the land of Egypt there will be five towns speaking the language of Canaan and swearing oaths in the name of the Lord of Hosts; Ir Haheres will be one of them. That day, there will be an altar to the Lord in the centre of the land of Egypt and, close to the frontier, a pillar to the Lord, which will be both sign and witness of the Lord of Hosts in the land of Egypt. When in oppression the Egyptians cry to the Lord he will send them a saviour to protect and deliver them. The Lord will reveal himself to them, and that day the Egyptians will acknowledge the Lord and worship him with sacrifices and offerings. They will make vows to the Lord and perform them. Then, though the Lord has struck the Egyptians harshly, he will heal them. They will turn to the Lord who will listen to them and heal them. That day, there will be a road from Egypt to Assyria. Assyria will have access to Egypt and Egypt have access to Assyria. Egypt will serve Assyria.
That day, Israel, making the third with Egypt and Assyria, will be blessed in the centre of the world.
Responsory
Is 19:21; Lk 13:29
℟. The Egyptians will know the Lord in that day,* and they will worship him with sacrifice and burnt offerings.
℣. Men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God,* and they will worship him with sacrifice and burnt offerings.
________
Second Reading
From the "Proslogion" of St Anselm
Longing to see God
Little man, rise up! Flee your preoccupations for a little while. Hide yourself for a time from your turbulent thoughts. Cast aside, now, your heavy responsibilities and put off your burdensome business. Make a little space free for God; and rest for a little time in him.
Enter the inner chamber of your mind; shut out all thoughts. Keep only thought of God, and thoughts that can aid you in seeking him. Close your door and seek him. Speak now, my whole heart! Speak now to God, saying, I seek your face; your face, Lord, will I seek.
And come you now, O Lord my God, teach my heart where and how it may seek you, where and how it may find you.
Lord, if you are not here, where shall I seek you when you are absent? But if you are everywhere, why do I not see you present? Truly you dwell in unapproachable light. But where is unapproachable light, or how shall I come to it? Or who shall lead me to that light and into it, that I may see you in it? Again, by what signs, under what form, shall I seek you? I have never seen you, O Lord, my God; I do not know your face.
What, O most high Lord, shall this man do, an exile far from you? What shall your servant do, anxious in his love of you, and cast out far from your presence? He is breathless with desire to see you, and your face is too far from him. He longs to come to you, and your dwelling-place is inaccessible. He is eager to find you, but does not know where. He desires to seek you, and does not know your face.
Lord, you are my God, and you are my Lord, and never have I seen you. You have made me and renewed me, you have given me all the good things that I have, and I have not yet met you. I was created to see you, and I have not yet done the thing for which I was made.
And as for you, Lord, how long? How long, O Lord, do you forget us; how long do you turn your face from us? When will you look upon us, and hear us? When will you enlighten our eyes, and show us your face? When will you restore yourself to us?
Look upon us, Lord; hear us, enlighten us, reveal yourself to us. Restore yourself to us, that it may be well with us, yourself, without whom it is so ill with us. Pity our toilings and strivings towards you since we can do nothing without you.
Teach me to seek you, and reveal yourself to me when I seek you, for I cannot seek you unless you teach me, nor find you unless you reveal yourself. Let me seek you in longing, let me long for you in seeking; let me find you by loving you and love you in the act of finding you.
Responsory
℟. Henceforth we will never forsake you: grant us life, and we shall live only to invoke your name.* Smile upon us, and we shall find deliverance.
℣. Remember us, Lord, with loving thoughts towards your people. Come among us with your saving power.* Smile upon us, and we shall find deliverance.
________
Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me
“You must be made new in mind and spirit, and put on the new nature of God’s creating” (Eph 4:23,24).
Lord, you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice offered on your altar.
Have mércy on me, Gód, in your kíndness. *
In your compássion blot óut my offénce.
O wásh me more and móre from my gúilt *
and cléanse me fróm my sín.
My offénces trúly I knów them; *
my sín is álways befóre me.
Against yóu, you alóne, have I sínned; *
what is évil in your síght I have dóne.
That you may be jústified whén you give séntence *
and be withóut repróach when you júdge,
O sée, in gúilt I was bórn, *
a sínner was Í concéived.
Indéed you love trúth in the héart; *
then in the sécret of my héart teach me wísdom.
O púrify me, thén I shall be cléan; *
O wásh me, I shall be whíter than snów.
Make me héar rejóicing and gládness, *
that the bónes you have crúshed may revíve.
From my síns turn awáy your fáce *
and blót out áll my gúilt.
A púre heart creáte for me, O Gód, *
put a stéadfast spírit withín me.
Do not cást me awáy from your présence, *
nor depríve me of your hóly spírit.
Give me agáin the jóy of your hélp; *
with a spírit of férvour sustáin me,
that I may téach transgréssors your wáys *
and sínners may retúrn to yóu.
O réscue me, Gód, my hélper, *
and my tóngue shall ríng out your góodness.
O Lórd, ópen my líps *
and my móuth shall decláre your práise.
For in sácrifice you táke no delíght, *
burnt óffering from mé you would refúse,
my sácrifice, a cóntrite spírit. *
A húmbled, contrite héart you will not spúrn.
In your góodness, show fávour to Síon: *
rebúild the wálls of Jerúsalem.
Thén you will be pléased with lawful sácrifice, *
hólocausts óffered on your áltar.
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 will be pleased with lawful sacrifice offered on your altar.
Psalm-prayer
Father, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship. Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations.
________
Canticle
Isaiah 45
All peoples, turn to the Lord
“Every knee must bow at the name of Jesus” (Phil 2:10).
All the descendants of Israel shall glory in victory through the Lord.
Truly, God of Israel, the Saviour, *
you are a God who lies hidden.
They will be put to shame and disgraced, *
all who resist you.
They will take themselves off in dismay, *
the makers of idols.
But Israel is saved by the Lord, *
saved for evermore.
You will never be ashamed or disgraced *
through endless ages.
For this is the word of the Lord, *
the creator of heaven,
the God who made earth and shaped it, *
he who made it firm.
He did not create it in vain, *
he made it to be lived in.
‘I am the Lord, there is no other. *
I have not spoken in secret, in some dark place,
I have not said to Jacob’s sons *
“Search for me in vain.”
I am the Lord, I speak the truth, *
I proclaim what is right.
Assemble, all of you, draw near *
you who have escaped from the nations.
They know nothing, who carry around *
their idols made of wood
and keep on praying to a god *
that cannot save them.
State your case and bring your proofs, *
consult among yourselves.
Who proclaimed this beforehand, *
who foretold it long ago?
Was it not I, the Lord? *
There is no god but me,
a God of justice, a saviour. *
There is none but me.
Turn to me and be saved, *
all the ends of the earth!
For I am God, there is no other; *
by myself I swear it.
It is truth that goes forth from my mouth, *
a word beyond recall.
To me every knee shall bow, *
every tongue shall swear.
They will say: “In the Lord alone *
are victory and power.
And to him will come in dismay *
all who have resisted.
Through the Lord will come victory and glory *
for all Israel’s sons.”’
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.
All the descendants of Israel shall glory in victory through the Lord.
________
Psalm 99 (100)
Enter the Temple with joy
“The Lord calls all those he has redeemed to sing a hymn of victory” (St Athanasius).
Come before the Lord, singing for joy.
Cry out with jóy to the Lórd, all the éarth. †
Sérve the Lórd with gládness. *
Come befóre him, sínging for jóy.
Know that hé, the Lórd, is Gód. †
He máde us, we belóng to hím, *
we are his péople, the shéep of his flóck.
Gó within his gátes, giving thánks. †
Enter his cóurts with sóngs of práise. *
Give thánks to him and bléss his náme.
Indéed, how góod is the Lórd, †
etérnal his mérciful lóve. *
He is fáithful from áge to áge.
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.
Come before the Lord, singing for joy.
Psalm-prayer
With joy and gladness we cry out to you, Lord, and ask you: open our hearts to sing your praises and announce your goodness and truth.
Or:
God, devoted to us as a Father, you created us as a sign of your power and elected us your people to show your goodness. Accept the thanks your children offer that all men may enter your courts praising you in song.
________
Short Reading
Jeremiah 30:21,22
The Lord says this: Their prince will come from Jacob, their ruler come from their own people. I will let him come freely into my presence and he can come close to me. And you shall be my people and I will be your God.
________
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
Behold the one who is both God and man: he comes forth from the house of David and sits on the throne, 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.
Behold the one who is both God and man: he comes forth from the house of David and sits on the throne, alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
It was the Father’s will that men should see him in the face of his beloved Son.
– Hallowed be your name!
Christ greeted us with good news:
may the world hear it through us, and find hope.
– Hallowed be your name!
We praise and thank you, Lord of heaven and earth:
the hope and joy of men in every age.
– Hallowed be your name!
May Christ’s coming transform the Church,
renewing its youth and vigour in the service of men.
– Hallowed be your name!
We pray for Christians who suffer for their beliefs:
sustain them in their hope.
– Hallowed be your name!
________
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.
________
Call forth your power, Lord:
come and save us from the judgement
that threatens us by reason of our sins.
Come, and set us free.
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.