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Arch Bishop Micheal Ralph Vendegna S.O.S.M.A.

Liturgy of the Hours


  • Monday 16 December 2019

    Monday of the 3rd week of Advent


    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 83 (84)
    Longing for the Lord's temple


    “We have no lasting city in this life, but we look for one in the life to come” (Heb 13:14).

    They are happy who dwell in your house, Lord.

    How lóvely is your dwélling pláce, *
        Lórd, Gód of hósts.

    My sóul is lónging and yéarning, *
        is yéarning for the cóurts of the Lórd.
    My héart and my sóul ring out their jóy *
        to Gód, the líving Gód.

    The spárrow hersélf finds a hóme *
        and the swállow a nést for her bróod;
    she láys her yóung by your áltars, *
        Lord of hósts, my kíng and my Gód.

    They are háppy, who dwéll in your hóuse, *
        for éver sínging your práise.
    They are háppy, whose stréngth is in yóu, *
        in whose héarts are the róads to Síon.

    As they gó through the Bítter Válley †
        they máke it a pláce of spríngs, *
        the áutumn rain cóvers it with bléssings.
    They wálk with éver growing stréngth, *
        they will sée the God of góds in Síon.

    O Lórd God of hósts, hear my práyer, *
        give éar, O Gód of Jácob.
    Turn your éyes, O Gód, our shíeld, *
        lóok on the fáce of your ánointed.

    Óne day withín your cóurts *
        is bétter than a thóusand elsewhére.
    The thréshold of the hóuse of Gód *
        I prefér to the dwéllings of the wícked.

    For the Lord Gód is a rámpart, a shíeld; *
        he will gíve us his fávour and glóry.
    The Lórd will not refúse any góod *
        to thóse who wálk without bláme.

    Lórd, Gód of hósts, *
        háppy the mán who trusts in yóu!

    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.

    They are happy who dwell in your house, Lord.


    Psalm-prayer

    Bless your people, Lord. You have given us the law that we may walk from strength to strength and raise our minds to you from this valley of tears. May we receive the gifts you have gained for us.


    Or:

    Almighty God, you listened to the prayer of Christ, your Chosen One, and granted him the lasting joy of your presence. Help us to love your Church on her pilgrimage toward you and to offer the sacrifice of praise at your altar. May we hasten to your home and joyfully look upon your glorious splendour.


    ________

    Canticle
    Isaiah 2
    The mountain of the house of the Lord


    “All the peoples will come and worship you” (Rev 15:4).

    Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.

    It shall come to pass in the latter days †
        that the mountain of the house of the Lord *
        shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
    and shall be raised above the hills; *
        and all the nations shall flow to it,

    And many peoples shall come, and say: †
        ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, *
        to the house of the God of Jacob,
    that he may teach us his ways *
        and that we may walk in his paths.’
    For out of Sion shall go forth the law, *
        and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

    He shall judge between the nations, *
        and shall decide for many peoples;
    and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, *
        and their spears into pruning hooks;
    nation shall not lift up sword against nation, *
        neither shall they learn war any more.

    O house of Jacob, come, *
        let us walk in the light 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.

    Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.


    ________

    Psalm 95 (96)
    The Lord, the universal King and judge


    “They were singing a new hymn in front of the throne, in the presence of the Lamb” (cf Rev 14:3).

    O sing to the Lord, bless his name.

    O síng a new sóng to the Lórd, †
        síng to the Lórd all the éarth. *
        O síng to the Lórd, bless his náme.

    Procláim his hélp day by dáy, †
        téll among the nátions his glóry *
        and his wónders amóng all the péoples.

    The Lord is gréat and wórthy of práise, †
        to be féared abóve all góds; *
        the góds of the héathens are náught.

    It was the Lórd who máde the héavens, †
        his are májesty and státe and pówer *
        and spléndour in his hóly pláce.

    Give the Lórd, you fámilies of péoples, †
        give the Lórd glóry and pówer; *
        give the Lórd the glóry of his náme.

    Bring an óffering and énter his cóurts, †
        wórship the Lórd in his témple. *
        O éarth, trémble befóre him.

    Procláim to the nátions: ‘God is kíng.’ †
        The wórld he made fírm in its pláce; *
        he will júdge the péoples in fáirness.

    Let the héavens rejóice and earth be glád, *
        let the séa and all withín it thunder práise,
    let the lánd and all it béars rejóice, *
        all the trées of the wóod shout for jóy

    at the présence of the Lórd for he cómes, *
        he cómes to rúle the éarth.
    With jústice he will rúle the wórld, *
        he will júdge the péoples with his trúth.

    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 sing to the Lord, bless his name.


    Psalm-prayer

    Lord, you have renewed the face of the earth. Your Church throughout the world sings you a new song, announcing your wonders to all. Through a virgin, you have brought forth a new birth in our world; through your miracles, a new power; through your suffering, a new patience; in your resurrection, a new hope, and in your ascension, new majesty.


    Or:

    Lord Jesus, the incarnate Word, when you consented to dwell with us, the heavens were glad and earth rejoiced. In hope and love we await your return. Help us to proclaim your glory to those who do not know you, until the whole earth sings to you a new song.


    ________

    Short Reading
    Isaiah 2:3

    Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.


    ________

    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

    The Lord, the ruler of the universe, will come from heaven in great majesty.

    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.

    The Lord, the ruler of the universe, will come from heaven in great majesty.


    ________

    Prayers and intercessions

    As we take up again our daily work, we turn to Christ and ask for his blessing.
    – Come, Lord Jesus!

    Christ, you are the Daystar, powerfully dispelling our darkness:
        awaken our faith from sleep.
    – Come, Lord Jesus!

    Reveal your presence in the world
        through the lives of Christian men and women.
    – Come, Lord Jesus!

    Come to create a new world,
        where justice and peace may find a home.
    – Come, Lord Jesus!

    End the long night of our pride,
        and make us humble of heart.
    – Come, Lord Jesus!


    ________

    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.


    ________


    In your love, Father, listen to our prayer:
        may your Son at his coming
        dispel by his grace the darkness of our hearts.
    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.