Saturday 21 December 2019
21 December
(optional commemoration of Saint Peter Canisius, Priest, Doctor)
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
O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
O come, now Wisdom from on high,
Who orders all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
And teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
O come, O come, now Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times you gave the law,
In cloud, and majesty, and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!
________
Psalm 106 (107)
Thanksgiving after rescue
“God sent his word to the people of Israel, and to them he announced peace through Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:36).
Let them thank the Lord for his love, for the wonders he does for men.
‘O give thánks to the Lórd for he is góod; *
for his lóve endúres for éver.’
Let them sáy this, the Lórd’s redéemed, *
whom he redéemed from the hánd of the fóe
and gáthered from fár-off lánds, *
from éast and wést, north and sóuth.
Some wándered in the désert, in the wílderness, *
finding no wáy to a cíty they could dwéll in.
Húngry they wére and thírsty; *
their sóul was fáinting withín them.
Then they críed to the Lórd in their néed *
and he réscued thém from their distréss
and he léd them alóng the right wáy, *
to reach a cíty théy could dwéll in.
Let them thánk the Lórd for his lóve, *
for the wónders he dóes for mén:
for he sátisfies the thírsty sóul; *
he fílls the húngry with good thíngs.
Sóme lay in dárkness and in glóom, *
prísoners in mísery and cháins,
having defíed the wórds of Gód *
and spúrned the cóunsels of the Most Hígh.
He crúshed their spírit with tóil; *
they stúmbled; there was nó one to hélp.
Then they críed to the Lórd in their néed *
and he réscued thém from their distréss.
He led them fórth from dárkness and glóom *
and bróke their cháins to píeces.
Let them thánk the Lórd for his góodness, *
for the wónders he dóes for mén:
for he búrsts the gátes of brónze *
and shátters the íron bárs.
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.
Let them thank the Lord for his love, for the wonders he does for men.
________
Psalm 106 (107)
They have seen the Lord’s deeds and the wonders he does.
Some were síck on accóunt of their síns *
and afflícted on accóunt of their gúilt.
They had a lóathing for évery fóod; *
they came clóse to the gátes of déath.
Then they críed to the Lórd in their néed *
and he réscued thém from their distréss.
He sént forth his wórd to héal them *
and sáved their lífe from the gráve.
Let them thánk the Lórd for his lóve, *
for the wónders he dóes for mén.
Let them óffer a sácrifice of thánks *
and téll of his déeds with rejóicing.
Some sáiled to the séa in shíps *
to tráde on the míghty wáters.
Thése men have séen the Lord’s déeds, *
the wónders he dóes in the déep.
For he spóke; he súmmoned the gále, *
tóssing the wáves of the séa
up to héaven and báck into the déep; *
their sóul melted awáy in their distréss.
They stággered, réeled like drunken mén, *
for áll their skíll was góne.
Then they críed to the Lórd in their néed *
and he réscued thém from their distréss.
He stílled the stórm to a whísper: *
all the wáves of the séa were húshed.
They rejóiced becáuse of the cálm *
and he léd them to the háven they desíred.
Let them thánk the Lórd for his lóve, *
for the wónders he dóes for mén.
Let them exált him in the gáthering of the péople *
and práise him in the méeting of the élders.
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 have seen the Lord’s deeds and the wonders he does.
________
Psalm 106 (107)
The upright see and rejoice; they consider the love of the Lord.
He chánges stréams into a désert, *
springs of wáter into thírsty gróund,
fruitful lánd into a sálty wáste, *
for the wíckedness of thóse who líve there.
But he chánges désert into stréams, *
thirsty gróund into spríngs of wáter.
Thére he séttles the húngry *
and they búild a cíty to dwéll in.
They sow fíelds and plánt their vínes; *
thése yield cróps for the hárvest.
He blésses them; they grów in númbers. *
He does not lét their hérds decréase.
He póurs contémpt upon prínces, *
makes them wánder in tráckless wástes.
They dimínish, are redúced to nóthing *
by oppréssion, évil and sórrow.
But he ráises the néedy from distréss; *
makes fámilies númerous as a flóck.
The úpright sée it and rejóice *
but áll who do wróng are sílenced.
Whoever is wíse, let him héed these thíngs. *
And consíder the lóve of the Lórd.
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 upright see and rejoice; they consider the love of the Lord.
Psalm-prayer
You fill the hungry with good things, Lord God, and break the sinner’s chains. Hear your people who call to you in their need and lead your Church from the shadows of death. Gather us from sunrise to sunset, that we may grow together in faith and love and give lasting thanks for your kindness.
________
℣. Lord our God, turn our hearts back to you.
℟. Let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
________
First Reading
Isaiah 48:12-21,49:9-13
The new Exodus
Listen to me, Jacob,
Israel whom I have called:
I am the first,
I am also the last.
My hand laid the foundations of earth
and my right hand spread out the heavens.
I summon them
and they all come forward together.
Assemble, all of you, and listen;
which of them has foretold this?
‘My beloved will perform my pleasure
with Babylon and the offspring of the Chaldaeans.’
I, yes I myself, have spoken and summoned him,
brought him and prospered his plans.
Come near and listen to this:
from the beginning I have never spoken to you obscurely,
and all the time these things have been happening, I have been present.
– And now the Lord, with his spirit,
sends me.
Thus says the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
I, the Lord, your God, teach you what is good for you,
I lead you in the way that you must go.
If only you had been alert to my commandments,
your happiness would have been like a river,
your integrity like the waves of the sea.
Your children would have been numbered like the sand,
your descendants as many as its grains.
Never would your name have been cut off or blotted out before me.
Go away from Babylon! Flee from the Chaldaeans!
Declare this with cries of joy and proclaim it,
send it out to the ends of the earth.
Say, ‘The Lord has redeemed his servant Jacob.’
Those he led through the deserts never went thirsty;
he made water spring for them from the rock,
he split the rock and water flowed.
On every roadway they will graze,
and each bare height shall be their pasture.
They will never hunger or thirst,
scorching wind and sun shall never plague them;
for he who pities them will lead them
and guide them to springs of water.
I will make a highway of all the mountains,
and the high roads shall be banked up.
Some are on their way from afar,
others from the north and the west,
others from the land of Sinim.
Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth!
You mountains, break into happy cries!
For the Lord consoles his people
and takes pity on those who are afflicted.
Responsory
Ps 96:11, 72:7; Is 49:13
℟. Shout for joy, you heavens; exult, you earth! You mountains, break into happy cries, for our Lord is coming,* and he will take pity on those who are afflicted.
℣. In his days justice shall flourish, and peace till the moon fails;* and he will take pity on those who are afflicted.
________
Second Reading
From a commentary by St Ambrose on St Luke's Gospel
The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The angel Gabriel had announced the news of something that was as yet hidden and so, to buttress the Virgin Mary’s faith by means of a real example, he told her also that an old and sterile woman had conceived, showing that everything that God willed was possible to God.
When Mary heard this she did not disbelieve the prophecy, she was not uncertain of the message, she did not doubt the example: but happy because of the promise that had been given, eager to fulfil her duty as a cousin, hurried by her joy, she went up into the hill country.
Where could she hurry to except to the hills, filled with God as she was? The grace of the Holy Spirit does not admit of delays. And Mary’s arrival and the presence of her Son quickly show their effects: As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting her child leapt in her womb and she was filled with the Holy Spirit.
See the careful distinction in the choice of words. Elizabeth was the first to hear the voice but her son John was the first to feel the effects of grace. She heard as one hears in the natural course of things; he leapt because of the mystery that was there. She sensed the coming of Mary, he the coming of the Lord — the woman knew the woman, the child knew the child. The women speak of grace while inside them grace works on their babies. And by a double miracle the women prophesy under the inspiration of their unborn children.
The infant leapt and the mother was filled with the Spirit. The mother was not filled before her son: her son was filled with the Holy Spirit and in turn filled his mother. John leapt and so did Mary’s spirit. John leapt and filled Elizabeth with the Spirit; but we know that Mary was not filled but her spirit rejoiced. For the Incomprehensible was working incomprehensibly within his mother. Elizabeth had been filled with the Spirit after she conceived, but Mary before, at the moment the angel had come. “Blessed are you,” said Elizabeth, “who believed”.
You too, my people, are blessed, you who have heard and who believe. Every soul that believes — that soul both conceives and gives birth to the Word of God and recognises his works.
Let the soul of Mary be in each one of you, to proclaim the greatness of the Lord. Let the spirit of Mary be in each one of you, to rejoice in God. According to the flesh only one woman can be the mother of Christ but in the world of faith Christ is the fruit of all of us. For every soul can receive the Word of God if only it is pure and preserves itself in chastity and modesty.
The soul that has been able to reach this state proclaims the greatness of the Lord just as Mary did and rejoices in God its saviour just like her.
The Lord’s greatness is proclaimed, as you have read elsewhere, where it says Join me in magnifying the Lord. This does not mean that anything can be added to the Lord’s greatness by human words, but that he is magnified in us. Christ is the image of God and so any good or religious act that a soul performs magnifies that image of God in that soul, the God in whose likeness the soul itself was made. And thus the soul itself has some share in his greatness and is ennobled.
Responsory
℟. ‘Blessed are you who have believed, because what has been promised to you by the Lord will be fulfilled.’ And Mary said,* My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
℣. Come and hear: I will tell what God has done for my soul.* My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
________
Psalm 118 (119): 145-152
Meditating the word of the Lord in the Law
“When anyone obeys what he has said, God’s love comes to perfection in him” (1 John 2:5)
God will come from Lebanon and his splendour is like the light.
I cáll with all my héart; Lord, héar me, *
I will kéep your commánds.
I cáll upón you, sáve me *
and Í will do your wíll.
I ríse before dáwn and cry for hélp, *
I hópe in your wórd.
My éyes wátch through the níght *
to pónder your prómise.
In your lóve hear my vóice, O Lórd; *
give me lífe by your decrées.
Those who hárm me unjústly draw néar; *
they are fár from your láw.
But yóu, O Lórd, are clóse, *
your commánds are trúth.
Lóng have I knówn that your wíll *
is estáblished 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.
God will come from Lebanon and his splendour is like the light.
Psalm-prayer
Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.
________
Canticle
Wisdom 9
Lord, give me wisdom
“I myself will give you an eloquence and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to resist” (Lk 21:15).
Send the Holy One like the dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down. Let the earth open for the Saviour to spring forth.
O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, *
who have made all things by your word;
and by your wisdom have formed man *
to have dominion over the creatures you have made,
and rule the world in holiness and righteousness, *
and pronounce judgement in uprightness of soul,
give me the wisdom that sits by your throne, *
and do not reject me from among your servants.
For I am your slave *
and the son of your maidservant,
a man who is weak and short-lived, *
with little understanding of judgement and laws;
for even if one is perfect among the sons of men, †
yet without the wisdom that comes from you *
he will be regarded as nothing.
With you is wisdom, who knows your works *
and was present when you made the world,
and who understands what is pleasing in your sight *
and what is right according to your commandments.
Send her forth from the holy heavens, *
and from the throne of your glory send her,
that she may be with me and toil, *
and that I may learn what is pleasing to you;
for she knows and understands all things, †
and she will guide me wisely in my actions *
and guard me with her glory.
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.
Send the Holy One like the dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain down. Let the earth open for the Saviour to spring forth.
________
Psalm 116 (117)
Praise of the merciful Lord
“I ask the nations to give praise to God for his mercy” (Rom 15:8,9).
Israel, be ready to meet the Lord, for he is coming.
O práise the Lórd, all you nátions, *
accláim him all you péoples!
Stróng is his lóve for ús; *
he is fáithful 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.
Israel, be ready to meet the Lord, for he is coming.
Psalm-prayer
God our Father, may all nations and peoples praise you. May Jesus, who is called faithful and true and who lives with you eternally, possess our hearts for ever.
Or:
Lord God, everything you have promised has been done to show your faithfulness; and you have revealed your kindness to all peoples. Gather all nations into your Church that in all the various tongues of this world one hymn of praise may be offered you.
________
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
Do not be afraid. You will see our Lord on the fifth day.
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.
Do not be afraid. You will see our Lord on the fifth day.
________
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.
________
In your goodness, Lord,
listen to your people’s prayer.
As we rejoice in the coming of your Son
in flesh and blood like ours,
grant that when he comes again in glory
we may receive the gift of eternal life.
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.