Tuesday 10 December 2019
Tuesday of the 2nd 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 36 (37)
The fate of the evil and the righteous
“Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage” (Mt 5:5).
Commit your life to the Lord, and he will act on your behalf.
Do not frét becáuse of the wícked; *
do not énvy thóse who do évil,
for they wíther quíckly like gráss *
and fáde like the gréen of the fíelds.
If you trúst in the Lórd and do góod, *
then you will líve in the lánd and be secúre.
If you fínd your delíght in the Lórd, *
he will gránt your héart’s desíre.
Commít your lífe to the Lórd, *
trust in hím and hé will áct,
so that your jústice breaks fórth like the líght, *
your cáuse like the nóon-day sún.
Be stíll before the Lórd and wait in pátience; *
do not frét at the mán who próspers;
a mán who makes évil plóts *
to bríng down the néedy and the póor.
Calm your ánger and forgét your ráge; *
do not frét, it ónly leads to évil.
For thóse who do évil shall pérish; *
the pátient shall inhérit the lánd.
A little lónger – and the wícked shall have góne. *
Lóok at his pláce, he is not thére.
But the húmble shall ówn the lánd *
and enjóy the fúllness 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.
Commit your life to the Lord, and he will act on your behalf.
________
Psalm 36 (37)
Turn away from evil and do good: the Lord will support the just.
The wícked man plóts against the júst *
and gnáshes his téeth agáinst him;
but the Lórd láughs at the wícked *
for he sées that his dáy is at hánd.
The swórd of the wícked is dráwn, *
his bow is bént to sláughter the úpright.
Their swórd shall píerce their own héarts *
and their bóws shall be bróken to píeces.
The júst man’s féw posséssions *
are bétter than the wícked man’s wéalth;
for the pówer of the wícked shall be bróken *
and the Lórd will suppórt the júst.
He protécts the líves of the úpright, *
their héritage will lást for éver.
They shall nót be put to sháme in evil dáys, *
in time of fámine their fóod shall not fáil.
But áll the wícked shall pérish *
and áll the énemies of the Lórd.
Théy are like the béauty of the méadows, *
they shall vánish, they shall vánish like smóke.
The wícked man bórrows without repáying, *
but the júst man is génerous and gíves.
Those bléssed by the Lórd shall own the lánd, *
but thóse he has cúrsed shall be destróyed.
The Lórd guides the stéps of a mán *
and makes sáfe the páth of one he lóves.
Though he stúmble he shall néver fáll *
for the Lórd hólds him by the hánd.
I was yóung and nów I am óld, †
but I have néver seen the júst man forsáken *
nor his chíldren bégging for bréad.
All the dáy he is génerous and lénds *
and his chíldren becóme a bléssing.
Then túrn away from évil and do góod *
and yóu shall have a hóme for éver;
for the Lórd lóves jústice *
and will néver forsáke his fríends.
The unjúst shall be wíped out for éver *
and the chíldren of the wícked destróyed.
The júst shall inhérit the lánd; *
thére they shall líve 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.
Turn away from evil and do good: the Lord will support the just.
________
Psalm 36 (37)
Wait for the Lord, keep to his way.
The júst man’s móuth utters wísdom *
and his líps spéak what is ríght;
the láw of his Gód is in his héart, *
his stéps shall be sáved from stúmbling.
The wícked man wátches for the júst *
and séeks occásion to kíll him.
The Lórd will not léave him in his pówer *
nor lét him be condémned when he is júdged.
Then wáit for the Lórd, keep to his wáy. *
It is hé who will frée you from the wícked,
raise you úp to posséss the lánd *
and sée the wícked destróyed.
I have séen the wícked triúmphant, *
tówering like a cédar of Lébanon.
I pássed by agáin; he was góne. *
I séarched; he was nówhere to be fóund.
See the júst man, márk the úpright, *
for the péaceful man a fúture lies in stóre,
but sínners shall áll be destróyed. *
No fúture lies in stóre for the wícked.
The salvátion of the júst comes from the Lórd, *
their strónghold in tíme of distréss.
The Lórd hélps them and delívers them *
and sáves them: for their réfuge is in hím.
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.
Wait for the Lord, keep to his way.
Psalm-prayer
You proclaimed the poor to be blessed, Lord Jesus, for the kingdom of heaven is given to them. Fill us generously with your gifts. Teach us to put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom first of all rather than imitate the powerful and envy the rich.
________
℣. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord.
℟. Make straight the paths of our God.
________
First Reading
Isaiah 24:19-25:5
The kingdom of God. Thanksgiving
Yes, the sluice-gates above will open,
and the foundations of the earth will rock.
The earth will split into fragments,
the earth will be riven and rent.
The earth will shiver and shake,
the earth will stagger like a drunkard,
sway like a shanty;
so heavy will be its sin on it, it will fall
never to rise again.
That day, the Lord will punish
above, the armies of the sky,
below, the kings of the earth;
they will be herded together,
shut up in a dungeon,
confined in a prison
and, after long years, punished.
The moon will hide her face, the sun be ashamed,
for the Lord of Hosts will be king
on Mount Zion, in Jerusalem,
and his glory will shine in the presence of his elders.
O Lord, you are my God,
I extol you, I praise your name;
for you have carried out your excellent design,
long planned, trustworthy, true.
For you have made the town a heap of stones,
the fortified city a ruin.
The citadel of the proud is a city no longer,
it will never be rebuilt.
Hence a mighty people gives you glory,
the city of pitiless nations holds you in awe;
for you are a refuge for the poor,
a refuge for the needy in distress,
a shelter from the storm,
a shade from the heat;
while the breath of pitiless men
is like the winter storm.
Like drought in a dry land
you will repress the clamour of the proud;
like heat by the shadow of a cloud
the singing of the despots will be subdued.
Responsory
Is 25:1,4
℟. O Lord, you are my God, I will exalt you.* I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things.
℣. You have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in their distress.* I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things.
________
Second Reading
From "Lumen gentium", the Second Vatican Council's dogmatic constitution on the Church
The eschatological character of the pilgrim Church
The Church, to which we are all called in Christ Jesus and in which we acquire holiness through the grace of God, will reach its perfection only in the glory of heaven, when the time comes for the renewal of all things, and the whole world, which is intimately bound up with man and reaches its perfection through him, will, along with the human race, be perfectly restored in Christ.
Lifted above the earth, Christ drew all things to himself. Rising from the dead, he sent his life-giving Spirit upon his disciples, and through the Spirit established his Body, which is the Church, as the universal sacrament of salvation. Seated at the right hand of the Father, he works unceasingly in the world, to draw men into the Church and through it to join them more closely to himself, nourishing them with his own body and blood, and so making them share in his life of glory.
The promised renewal that we look for has already begun in Christ. It is continued in the mission of the Holy Spirit. Through the Spirit it goes on developing in the Church: there we are taught by faith about the meaning also of our life on earth as we bring to fulfilment – with hope in the blessings that are to come – the work that has been entrusted to us in the world by the Father, and so work out our salvation.
The end of the ages is already with us. The renewal of the world has been established, and cannot be revoked. In our era it is in a true sense anticipated: the Church on earth is already sealed by genuine, if imperfect, holiness. Yet, until a new heaven and a new earth are built as the dwelling place of justice, the pilgrim Church, in its sacraments and institutions belonging to this world of time, bears the likeness of this passing world. It lives in the midst of a creation still groaning and in travail as it waits for the sons of God to be revealed in glory.
Responsory
℟. We will eagerly wait for our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.* He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body.
℣. Let us live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this world, as we wait for the blessed Day we hope for, when the glory of our great God will appear.* He will change our weak mortal bodies and make them like his own glorious body.
________
Psalm 42 (43)
Longing for the temple
“I, the light, have come into the world” (Jn 12:46).
Lord, send forth your light and your truth.
Defénd me, O Gód, and plead my cáuse *
against a gódless nátion.
From decéitful and cúnning mén *
réscue me, O Gód.
Since yóu, O Gód, are my strónghold, *
whý have you rejécted me?
Whý do Í go móurning *
oppréssed by the fóe?
O sénd forth your líght and your trúth; *
let thése be my gúide.
Let them bríng me to your hóly móuntain, *
to the pláce where you dwéll.
And I will cóme to the áltar of Gód, *
the Gód of my jóy.
My redéemer, I will thánk you on the hárp, *
O Gód, my Gód.
Whý are you cast dówn my sóul, *
why gróan withín me?
Hope in Gód; I will práise him stíll, *
my sáviour and my Gód.
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, send forth your light and your truth.
Psalm-prayer
Almighty Father, source of everlasting light, send forth your truth into our hearts and pour over us the brightness of your light.
Or:
Father, your Son was condemned by reason of our sins, but on Easter morning you glorified him with the glory he always had with you. Do not leave us, his members, in the enemy’s hands, but bring us, through our joyful participation at your altar, to your eternal tabernacle on high to adore in spirit and truth.
________
Canticle
Isaiah 38
The psalm of Hezekiah on recovering from sickness
“I was dead and behold, I am alive and I hold the keys of death” (Rev 1:17-18).
Lord, come to our help all the days of our life.
I said, In the noontide of my days I must depart; †
I am consigned to the gates of Sheol *
for the rest of my years.
I said, I shall not see the Lord *
in the land of the living;
I shall look upon man no more *
among the inhabitants of the world.
My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me *
like a shepherd’s tent;
like a weaver I have rolled up my life; *
he cuts me off from the loom.
From day to night you bring me to an end; *
I cry for help until morning;
like a lion he breaks all my bones; *
from day to night you bring me to an end.
Like a swallow or a crane I clamour, *
I moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary with looking upward. *
O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security.
Lo, it was for my welfare *
that I had great bitterness;
but you have held back my life *
from the pit of destruction,
for you have cast all my sins *
behind your back.
For Sheol cannot thank you, *
death cannot praise you;
those who go down to the pit *
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
The living, the living, he thanks you, †
as I do this day; *
the father makes known to the children your faithfulness.
The Lord will save me, *
and we will sing to stringed instruments
all the days of our life, *
at the house of the Lord.
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, come to our help all the days of our life.
________
Psalm 64 (65)
A solemn thanksgiving
“Sion is to be understood as the heavenly city” (Origen)
To you our praise is due in Sion, O God. †
To yóu our práise is dúe *
in Síon, O Gód.
To yóu we páy our vóws, *
you who héar our práyer.
To yóu all flésh will cóme *
with its búrden of sín.
Too héavy for ús, our offénces, *
but you wípe them awáy.
Blessed is hé whom you chóose and cáll *
to dwéll in your cóurts.
We are fílled with the bléssings of your hóuse, *
of your hóly témple.
You kéep your plédge with wónders, *
O Gód our sáviour,
the hópe of áll the éarth *
and of fár distant ísles.
You uphóld the móuntains with your stréngth, *
you are gírded with pówer.
You stíll the róaring of the séas, †
(the róaring of their wáves) *
and the túmult of the péoples.
The énds of the éarth stand in áwe *
at the síght of your wónders.
The lánds of súnrise and súnset *
you fíll with your jóy.
You cáre for the éarth, give it wáter, *
you fíll it with ríches.
Your ríver in héaven brims óver *
to províde its gráin.
And thús you províde for the éarth; *
you drénch its fúrrows;
you lével it, sóften it with shówers; *
you bléss its grówth.
You crówn the yéar with your góodness. †
Abúndance flóws in your stéps, *
in the pástures of the wílderness it flóws.
The hílls are gírded with jóy, *
the méadows cóvered with flócks,
the válleys are décked with whéat. *
They shóut for jóy, yes they síng.
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.
To you our praise is due in Sion, O God.
Psalm-prayer
Lord God, hope of all the earth, hear the humble prayer of your children as we sing your praises. Pour out your Spirit on us so that our lives may bear fruit abundantly.
Or:
Father, you created everything in and for your Son, not because you needed creation, but you wished to make your goodness the source of goodness for others. Abide with your Church and fill her to overflowing through your sacraments that she may give us more abundantly the fruits of your favour which bring fullness of life.
________
Short Reading
Genesis 49:10
The sceptre shall not pass from Judah, nor the mace from between his feet, until the one comes to whom it belongs, to whom the peoples shall render obedience.
________
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
Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Sion. Behold, I am coming to live in your midst, says the Lord.
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.
Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Sion. Behold, I am coming to live in your midst, says the Lord.
________
Prayers and intercessions
In a world divided by fear and greed, the Church calls again on her Saviour.
– Lord Jesus, come to us in love.
Help us to set our hearts
where they will find fulfilment and not betrayal.
– Lord Jesus, come to us in love.
As we proclaim your saving power to others,
let us not ourselves lose hold of your salvation.
– Lord Jesus, come to us in love.
May our world be flooded with the grace of your coming:
let us experience the fullness of your joy.
– Lord Jesus, come to us in love.
May we live our lives to the full in this world,
and transfigure it with the hope of future glory.
– Lord Jesus, come to us in love.
________
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.
________
Lord God,
all the ends of the earth have seen your salvation.
Give us the grace to await with joy
the glorious day of our Saviour’s birth.
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.