Wednesday 11 December 2019
Wednesday of the 2nd week of Advent
or Saint Damasus I, Pope
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
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 76 (77)
Remembering the works of the Lord
“We are in difficulties on every side, but never consumed” (2 Cor 4:8).
Your ways, O God, are holy: what god is as great as our God?
I crý alóud to Gód, *
cry alóud to Gód that he may héar me.
In the dáy of my distréss I sought the Lórd. †
My hánds were raised at níght without céasing; *
my sóul refúsed to be consóled.
I remémbered my Gód and I gróaned. *
I póndered and my spírit fáinted.
You withhéld sléep from my éyes. *
I was tróubled, I cóuld not spéak.
I thóught of the dáys of long agó *
and remémbered the yéars long pást.
At níght I músed within my héart. *
I póndered and my spírit quéstioned.
‘Will the Lórd rejéct us for éver? *
Will he shów us his fávour no móre?
Has his lóve vánished for éver? *
Has his prómise cóme to an énd?
Does Gód forgét his mércy *
or in ánger withhóld his compássion?’
I said: ‘Thís is what cáuses my gríef; *
that the wáy of the Most Hígh has chánged.’
I remémber the déeds of the Lórd, *
I remémber your wónders of óld,
I múse on áll your wórks *
and pónder your míghty déeds.
Your wáys, O Gód, are hóly. *
What gód is gréat as our Gód?
Yóu are the Gód who works wónders. *
Yóu showed your pówer among the péoples.
Your stróng arm redéemed your péople, *
the sóns of Jácob and Jóseph.
The wáters sáw you, O Gód, *
the wáters sáw you and trémbled;
the dépths were móved with térror. *
The clóuds póured down ráin,
the skíes sent fórth their vóice; *
your árrows fláshed to and fró.
Your thúnder rólled round the ský, *
your fláshes líghted up the wórld.
The éarth was móved and trémbled *
when your wáy léd through the séa,
your páth through the míghty wáters *
and nó one sáw your fóotprints.
You gúided your péople like a flóck *
by the hánd of Móses and Áaron.
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.
Your ways, O God, are holy: what god is as great as our God?
Psalm-prayer
Father, you established your ancient covenant by signs and wonders, but more wondrously you confirmed the new one through the sacrifice of your Son. Guide your Church through the pathways of life, that we may be led to the land of promise and celebrate your name with lasting praise.
________
Canticle
1 Samuel 2
The song of Hannah, mother of Samuel
“He put down the mighty from their seats and exalted the lowly; he filled the hungry with good things” (Lk 1:52-53).
My heart exults in the Lord: he humbles and he exalts.
My heart exults in the Lord, *
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies *
as I rejoice in your saving help.
There is none like the Lord, †
there is none besides you. *
There is no Rock like our God.
Bring your haughty words to an end, *
let no boasts fall from your lips,
for the Lord is a God who knows all. *
It is he who weighs men’s deeds.
The bows of the mighty are broken, *
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread, *
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now *
but the fruitful wife bears no more.
It is the Lord who gives life and death, *
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches. *
He brings men low and raises them on high.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust, *
from the ash heap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes, *
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, *
on them he has set the world.
He guards the steps of his faithful, *
but the wicked perish in darkness,
for no man’s power gives him victory. *
The enemies of the Lord shall be broken.
The Most High will thunder in the heavens, *
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to his king *
and exalt the might of his anointed.
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 heart exults in the Lord: he humbles and he exalts.
________
Psalm 96 (97)
The glory of God in his judgements
“This psalm tells of the salvation of the world and of the faith all peoples would have in Christ” (St Athanasius).
The Lord is king, let earth rejoice. †
The Lord is kíng, let éarth rejóice, *
let áll the cóastlands be glád.
Clóud and dárkness are his ráiment; *
his thróne, jústice and ríght.
A fíre prepáres his páth; *
it búrns up his fóes on every síde.
His líghtnings líght up the wórld, *
the éarth trémbles at the síght.
The móuntains mélt like wáx *
before the Lórd of áll the éarth.
The skíes procláim his jústice; *
all péoples sée his glóry.
Let thóse who serve ídols be ashámed, †
those who bóast of their wórthless góds. *
All you spírits, wórship hím.
Síon héars and is glád; †
the péople of Júdah rejóice *
becáuse of your júdgements, O Lórd.
For yóu indéed are the Lórd †
most hígh above áll the éarth, *
exálted far abóve all spírits.
The Lórd loves thóse who hate évil; †
he gúards the sóuls of his sáints; *
he séts them frée from the wícked.
Líght shines fórth for the júst *
and jóy for the úpright of héart.
Rejóice, you júst, in the Lórd; *
give glóry to his hóly náme.
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 king, let earth rejoice.
Psalm-prayer
Father, you clothe the sky with light and the depths of the ocean with darkness. Among the sons of men you work wonders, and rain terror upon the enemy. Look upon your servants. Do not try us by fire but bring us rejoicing to the shelter of your home.
________
Short Reading
Isaiah 7:14-15
The maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Immanuel. On curds and honey will he feed until he knows how to refuse evil and choose good.
________
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
He will sit on the throne of David and he will rule his kingdom for ever, 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.
He will sit on the throne of David and he will rule his kingdom for ever, alleluia.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray to our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his mercy comes to visit us.
– Come, Lord, do not delay.
Lord Jesus Christ, our glory lies in praising you;
come to save us, and we shall bless your name.
– Come, Lord, do not delay.
Through faith you have already led us into light;
may our lives be worthy of your call.
– Come, Lord, do not delay.
Lord Jesus, you entered our world and shared our condition;
bring health to the sick and give the dying a share in your glory.
– Come, Lord, do not delay.
Let us pray for those who work for their living in the cities or in the countryside;
bless and unite their efforts for a better world.
– Come, Lord, do not delay.
________
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.
________
At your bidding, Lord,
we are preparing the way for Christ, your Son.
May we not grow faint on the journey
as we wait for his healing presence.
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.