Saturday 21 December 2019
21 December
(optional commemoration of Saint Peter Canisius, Priest, Doctor)
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
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 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.