Monday 23 December 2019
23 December
(optional commemoration of Saint John of Kęty, Priest)
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 72 (73)
Why should the just suffer?
“Blessed is the man who does not lose faith in me” (Mt 11:6).
How good God is to Israel, to those who are pure of heart.
How góod God ís to Ísrael, *
to thóse who are púre of héart.
Yet my féet came clóse to stúmbling, *
my stéps had álmost slípped
for Í was filled with énvy of the próud *
when I sáw how the wícked prósper.
For thém there áre no páins; *
their bódies are sóund and sléek.
They háve no sháre in men’s sórrows; *
they áre not strícken like óthers.
So they wéar their príde like a nécklace, *
they clóthe themsélves with víolence.
Their héarts overflów with málice, *
their mínds séethe with plóts.
They scóff; they spéak with málice; *
from on hígh they plán oppréssion.
They have sét their móuths in the héavens *
and their tóngues dictáte to the éarth.
So the péople túrn to fóllow them *
and drínk in áll their wórds.
They sáy: ‘Hów can God knów? *
Dóes the Most Hígh take any nótice?’
Lóok at them, súch are the wícked, *
but untróubled, they grów in wéalth.
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.
How good God is to Israel, to those who are pure of heart.
________
Psalm 72 (73)
Their rejoicing will be turned to weeping, their joy to sorrow.
How úseless to kéep my heart púre *
and wásh my hánds in ínnocence,
when I was strícken áll day lóng, *
suffered púnishment dáy after dáy.
Then I sáid: ‘If I should spéak like thát, *
I should betráy the ráce of your sóns.’
I stróve to fáthom this próblem, *
too hárd for my mínd to understánd,
until I píerced the mýsteries of Gód *
and understóod what becómes of the wícked.
How slíppery the páths on which you sét them; *
you máke them slíde to destrúction.
How súddenly they cóme to their rúin, *
wiped óut, destróyed by térrors.
Like a dréam one wákes from, O Lórd, *
when you wáke you dismíss them as phántoms.
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.
Their rejoicing will be turned to weeping, their joy to sorrow.
________
Psalm 72 (73)
All those who abandon you shall perish; but to be near God is my happiness.
And só when my héart grew embíttered *
and whén I was cút to the quíck,
I was stúpid and díd not understánd, *
no bétter than a béast in your síght.
Yet I was álways ín your presénce; *
you were hólding me bý my right hánd.
You will gúide me bý your cóunsel *
and só you will léad me to glóry.
What élse have I in héaven but yóu? *
Apart from yóu I want nóthing on éarth.
My bódy and my héart faint for jóy; *
Gód is my posséssion for éver.
All thóse who abándon you shall pérish; *
you will destróy all thóse who are fáithless.
To bé near Gód is my háppiness. *
I have máde the Lord Gód my réfuge.
I will téll of áll your wórks *
at the gátes of the cíty of Síon.
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.
All those who abandon you shall perish; but to be near God is my happiness.
Psalm-prayer
It is good to be with you, Father; in you is fullness of life for your faithful people; in you all hope resides. May you lead us to everlasting happiness.
Or:
In your wisdom, Father, you allowed your Son to be fearful and saddened at the prospect of his cross; death, the penalty of sin, was changed into glory by his death. Grant that on our journey to you the cross may not be a stumbling block but rather a beacon to guide us.
________
℣. Lord, let your love come upon me.
℟. Grant me the saving help of your promise.
________
First Reading
Isaiah 51:1-11
Salvation is promised to Children of Abraham
Listen to me, you who pursue integrity,
who seek the Lord.
Consider the rock you were hewn from,
the quarry from which you were cut.
Consider Abraham your father
and Sarah who gave you birth.
For he was all alone when I called him,
but I blessed and increased him.
Yes, the Lord has pity on Zion,
has pity on all her ruins;
turns her desolation into an Eden,
her wasteland into the garden of the Lord.
Joy and gladness shall be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of music.
Pay attention to me, you peoples,
listen to me, you nations.
For from me comes the Law
and my justice shall be the light of the peoples,
I will establish my integrity speedily,
my salvation shall come like the light,
my arm shall judge the peoples.
The islands put their hope in me,
put their trust in my strength.
Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look down at the earth.
The heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth wear out like a garment,
and its inhabitants die like vermin,
but my salvation shall last for ever
and my justice have no end.
Listen to me, you who know what integrity means,
people who take my laws to heart:
do not fear the taunts of men,
nor be dismayed by their insults,
for the moth shall eat them like garments,
the grub devour them like wool,
but my integrity will remain for ever,
and my salvation for all generations.
Awake, awake! Clothe yourself in strength,
arm of the Lord.
Awake, as in the past,
in times of generations long ago.
Did you not split Rahab in two,
and pierce the Dragon through?
Did you not dry up the sea,
the waters of the great Abyss,
to make the seabed a road
for the redeemed to cross?
Those whom the Lord has ransomed return,
they come to Zion shouting for joy,
everlasting joy in their faces;
joy and gladness go with them,
sorrow and lament are ended.
Responsory
Cf. Is 51:4-5, 35:10
℟. Pay attention to me, you peoples, listen to me, you nations:* My Just One is near, my Saviour is close at hand.
℣. Those whom the Lord has ransomed shall return. They will come to Zion shouting for joy:* My Just One is near, my Saviour is close at hand.
________
Second Reading
From a treatise by St Hippolytus against the Noetic heresy
The hidden sacrament is revealed
There is, brethren, one God, the knowledge of whom we gain from the Holy Scriptures and from no other source. Whatever things the Holy Scriptures declare, at these let us look; and whatever they teach, let us learn it; and as the Father wills our belief to be, let us believe; and as he wills the Son to be glorified, let us glorify him; and as he wills the Holy Spirit to be bestowed, let us receive him. Not according to our own will, nor according to our own mind, nor yet storming by force the things which are given by God, but even as he has chosen to teach them by the Holy Scriptures, so let us discern them.
God, subsisting alone, and having nothing coeval with himself, chose to create the world. And conceiving the world in mind, and willing and uttering the Word, he made it; and at once it appeared, formed it in the way he desired. For us it is sufficient simply to know that nothing was coeval with God. Outside him there was nothing; but he, while existing alone, yet existed in plurality. For he did not lack reason, or wisdom, or power, or counsel. All things were in him, and he was the All. At a time and in a manner chosen by him he made his Word manifest, and through his Word he made all things.
He bears this Word in himself, as yet invisible to the created world. He makes him visible, uttering the voice first, and begetting him as Light of Light. He presents him to the world as its Lord; and whereas the Word was visible formerly to God alone, and invisible to the world which is made, God makes the Word visible in order that the world might see him and be able to be saved.
This is the mind which came forth into the world and was manifested as the Son of God. All things came into being through him, and he alone comes from the Father.
He gave us the Law and the prophets; and in giving them, he made them speak by the Holy Ghost, in order that, receiving the inspiration of the Father’s power, they might declare the Father’s counsel and will.
Thus, then, was the Word made manifest, even as the blessed John says. For he sums up the things that were said by the prophets, and shows that this is the Word, by whom all things were made. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made by him, and without him nothing was made. And later, The world was made by him, and the world did not know him; he came to his own, and his own did not receive him.
Responsory
℟. A child shall be born for us, and this is the name they shall give him: Mighty God.* He shall sit upon the throne of David, his father, and rule; dominion shall be laid upon his shoulders.
℣. All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men.* He shall sit upon the throne of David, his father, and rule; dominion shall be laid upon his shoulders.
________
Psalm 89 (90)
Let the Lord's glory shine upon us
“With the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like a day” (2 Pet 3:8).
Behold, the Lord, the ruler of the kings of the earth, will come. Happy are those who are ready to meet him.
O Lórd, you have béen our réfuge *
from óne generátion to the néxt.
Befóre the móuntains were bórn †
or the éarth or the wórld brought fórth, *
you are Gód, without begínning or énd.
You túrn men báck into dúst *
and say: ‘Go báck, sóns of mén.’
To yóur eyes a thóusand yéars †
are like yésterday, cóme and góne, *
no móre than a wátch in the níght.
You swéep men awáy like a dréam, *
like gráss which springs úp in the mórning.
In the mórning it springs úp and flówers: *
by évening it wíthers and fádes.
So wé are destróyed in your ánger, *
strúck with térror in your fúry.
Our gúilt lies ópen befóre you; *
our sécrets in the líght of your fáce.
All our dáys pass awáy in your ánger. *
Our lífe is óver like a sígh.
Our spán is séventy yéars, *
or éighty for thóse who are stróng.
And most of thése are émptiness and páin. *
They pass swíftly and wé are góne.
Who understánds the pówer of your ánger *
and féars the stréngth of your fúry?
Make us knów the shórtness of our lífe *
that we may gáin wísdom of héart.
Lord, relént! Is your ánger for éver? *
Show píty tó your sérvants.
In the mórning, fíll us with your lóve; *
we shall exúlt and rejóice all our dáys.
Give us jóy to bálance our afflíction *
for the yéars when we knéw misfórtune.
Show fórth your wórk to your sérvants; *
let your glóry shíne on their chíldren.
Let the fávour of the Lórd be upón us: †
give succéss to the wórk of our hánds, *
give succéss to the wórk of our hánds.
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.
Behold, the Lord, the ruler of the kings of the earth, will come. Happy are those who are ready to meet him.
Psalm-prayer
Eternal Father, you give us life despite our guilt and even add days and years to our lives in order to bring us wisdom. Make us love and obey you, so that the works of our hands may always display what your hands have done, until the day we gaze upon the beauty of your face.
________
Canticle
Isaiah 42
God, the victor and saviour
“They were singing a new hymn before the throne of God” (Rev 14:5).
Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise to the end of the earth.
Sing to the Lord a new song, *
his praise to the end of the earth!
Let the sea roar and all that fills it, *
the coastlands and their inhabitants;
let the desert and its cities lift up their voice, *
the villages that Kedar inhabits.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy, *
let them shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the Lord, *
and declare his praise in the coastlands.
The Lord goes forth like a mighty man, *
like a man of war he stirs up his fury;
he cries out, he shouts aloud, *
he shows himself mighty against his foes.
For a long time I have held my peace, *
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out like a woman in travail, *
I will gasp and pant.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, *
and dry up all their herbage;
I will turn the rivers into islands, *
and dry up the pools.
And I will lead the blind *
in a way that they know not;
in paths that they have not known *
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light, *
the rough places into level ground.
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.
Sing a new song to the Lord, his praise to the end of the earth.
________
Psalm 134 (135)
Praise the Lord, the wonder-worker
“You are a chosen race. Sing the praises of the one who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light” (1 Pet 2:9).
When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?
Práise the náme of the Lórd, *
práise him, sérvants of the Lórd,
who stánd in the hóuse of the Lórd *
in the cóurts of the hóuse of our Gód.
Praise the Lórd for the Lórd is góod. *
Sing a psálm to his náme for he is lóving.
For the Lórd has chosen Jácob for himsélf *
and Ísrael for his ówn posséssion.
For I knów the Lórd is gréat, *
that our Lórd is hígh above all góds.
The Lórd does whatéver he wílls, *
in héaven, on éarth, in the séas.
He summons clóuds from the énds of the éarth; †
makes líghtning prodúce the ráin; *
from his tréasuries he sénds forth the wínd.
The fírst-born of the Egýptians he smóte, *
of mán and béast alíke.
Sígns and wónders he wórked †
in the mídst of your lánd, O Égypt, *
against Pháraoh and áll his sérvants.
Nátions in their gréatness he strúck *
and kíngs in their spléndour he sléw.
Síhon, kíng of the Ámorites, *
Óg, the kíng of Báshan,
and áll the kíngdoms of Cánaan. *
He let Ísrael inhérit their lánd;
on his péople their lánd he bestówed.
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.
When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?
Psalm-prayer
You chose Israel and then your Church, Lord God, to be your special people. Help the Church to remember you in every generation, so that all men may be marked with the seal of Christ, the eternal Shepherd.
________
Short Reading
Jeremiah 30:21,22
The Lord says this: Their prince will come from Jacob, their ruler come from their own people. I will let him come freely into my presence and he can come close to me. And you shall be my people and I will be your God.
________
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
Behold, everything is fulfilled which the angel promised to the Virgin Mary.
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.
Behold, everything is fulfilled which the angel promised to the Virgin Mary.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Though the Lord’s coming is at hand, we must have patience: for he will come in his own time, in his own way.
– Lord Jesus, help us to believe that you are coming.
We live in a world weighed down by unbelief:
Lord, increase our faith.
– Lord Jesus, help us to believe that you are coming.
Upon the richness and complexity of man’s thoughts, among the theories and philosophies of our world today,
let your coming shed its own glorious light.
– Lord Jesus, help us to believe that you are coming.
Give us the strong faith of the apostles,
and their fervour in preaching your Word.
– Lord Jesus, help us to believe that you are coming.
Let us love the Church,
which continues to proclaim to all ages the reality of your coming.
– Lord Jesus, help us to believe that you are coming.
________
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.
________
Almighty God,
now that the birthday of your Son as man is drawing near,
we pray that your eternal Word,
who took flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary and came to dwell among men,
will show your unworthy people the greatness of his love and mercy.
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.