Monday 30 December 2019
6th day within the octave of Christmas
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
From lands that see the sun arise,
To earth’s remotest boundaries,
The Virgin-born today we sing,
The Son of Mary, Christ the King.
Blest Author of this earthly frame,
To take a servant’s form he came,
That, liberating flesh by flesh,
Whom he had made might live afresh.
In that chaste parent’s holy womb,
Celestial grace hath found its home:
And she, as earthly bride unknown,
Yet calls that Offspring blest her own.
That Son, that royal Son she bore,
Whom Gabriel’s voice had told before;
Whom, in his Mother yet concealed,
The Infant Baptist had revealed.
All honour, laud and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
________
Psalm 84 (85)
Our salvation is very near
“When our Saviour came on earth God blessed his land” (Origen).
Faithfulness has sprung from the earth, and justice has looked down from heaven.
O Lórd, you once fávoured your lánd *
and révived the fórtunes of Jácob,
you forgáve the gúilt of your péople *
and cóvered áll their síns.
You avérted áll your ráge, *
you cálmed the héat of your ánger.
Revíve us now, Gód, our hélper! *
Put an énd to your gríevance agáinst us.
Will you be ángry with ús for éver, *
will your ánger néver céase?
Will you nót restóre again our lífe *
that your péople may rejóice in yóu?
Let us sée, O Lórd, your mércy *
and gíve us your sáving hélp.
I will héar what the Lord Gód has to sáy, *
a vóice that spéaks of péace,
péace for his péople and his fríends *
and those who túrn to hím in their héarts.
His help is néar for thóse who féar him *
and his glóry will dwéll in our lánd.
Mércy and fáithfulness have mét; *
jústice and péace have embráced.
Fáithfulness shall spríng from the éarth *
and jústice look dówn from héaven.
The Lórd will máke us prósper *
and our éarth shall yíeld its frúit.
Jústice shall márch befóre him *
and péace shall fóllow his stéps.
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.
Faithfulness has sprung from the earth, and justice has looked down from heaven.
Psalm-prayer
Show us your mercy, Lord; our misery is known to us. May no evil desires prevail over us, for your glory and love dwell in our hearts.
Or:
God of love and fidelity, you loved the world enough to give your only Son as Saviour and from a virgin brought him forth to the world. May we receive him as both Lord and brother and freely celebrate him as our gracious redeemer.
________
Psalm 88 (89)
The Lord's kindness to the house of David
“God has raised up one from the house of David, as he promised: Jesus the Saviour” (Acts 13:22,23).
Love and truth walk in your presence, O Lord.
I will síng for éver of your lóve, O Lórd; *
through all áges my móuth will procláim your trúth.
Of thís I am súre, that your lóve lasts for éver, *
that your trúth is fírmly estáblished as the héavens.
‘With my chósen one Í have made a cóvenant; *
I have swórn to Dávid my sérvant:
I will estáblish your dýnasty for éver *
and sét up your thróne through all áges.’
The héavens procláim your wónders, O Lórd; *
the assémbly of your hóly ones procláims your trúth.
For whó in the skíes can compáre with the Lórd *
or whó is like the Lórd among the sóns of Gód?
A Gód to be féared in the cóuncil of the hóly ones, *
gréat and dréadful to áll aróund him.
O Lórd God of hósts, whó is your équal? *
You are míghty, O Lórd, and trúth is your gárment.
It is yóu who rúle the séa in its príde; *
it is yóu who stíll the súrging of its wáves.
It is yóu who trod Ráhab underfóot like a córpse, *
scáttering your fóes with your míghty árm.
The héavens are yóurs, the wórld is yóurs. *
It is yóu who fóunded the éarth and all it hólds;
it is yóu who creáted the Nórth and the Sóuth. *
Tábor and Hérmon shout with jóy at your náme.
Yóurs is a míghty árm, O Lórd; *
your hánd is stróng, your ríght hand réady.
Jústice and ríght are the píllars of your thróne, *
lóve and trúth wálk in your présence.
Háppy the péople who accláim such a kíng, *
who wálk, O Lórd, in the líght of your fáce,
who fínd their jóy every dáy in your náme, *
who máke your jústice the sóurce of their blíss.
For yóu, O Lórd, are the glóry of their stréngth; *
by your fávour it ís that our míght is exálted;
for our rúler ís in the kéeping of the Lórd; *
our kíng in the kéeping of the Hóly One of Ísrael.
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.
Love and truth walk in your presence, O Lord.
________
Psalm 88 (89)
He will say to me, ‘You are my father.’ Alleluia.
Of óld you spóke in a vísion. *
To your fríends the próphets you sáid:
‘I have sét the crówn on a wárrior, *
I have exálted one chósen from the péople.
‘I have fóund Dávid my sérvant *
and with my hóly óil anóinted him.
My hánd shall álways be wíth him *
and my árm shall máke him stróng.
‘The énemy shall néver outwít him *
nor the évil mán oppréss him.
I will béat down his fóes befóre him *
and smíte thóse who háte him.
‘My trúth and my lóve shall be wíth him; *
by my náme his míght shall be exálted.
I will strétch out his hánd to the Séa *
and his ríght hand as fár as the Ríver.
‘He will sáy to me: “Yóu are my fáther, *
my Gód, the róck who sáves me.”
And I will máke hím my fírst-born, *
the híghest of the kíngs of the éarth.
‘I will kéep my lóve for him álways; *
with hím my cóvenant shall lást.
I will estáblish his dýnasty for éver, *
make his thróne endúre as the héavens.’
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 say to me, ‘You are my father.’ Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
God, you anointed your servant Jesus with holy oil and raised him higher than all kings on earth. In this you fulfilled the promise made to David’s descendants and established a lasting covenant through your firstborn Son. Do not forget your holy covenant, so that we who are signed with the blood of your Son through the new sacrament of faith may sing of your mercies for ever.
________
℣. The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia.
℟. He has shown his justice to the nations, alleluia.
________
First Reading
Colossians 1:15-2:3
Christ, Head of the Church; Paul, slave of the Church
He is the image of the unseen God
and the first-born of all creation,
for in him were created
all things in heaven and on earth:
everything visible and everything invisible,
Thrones, Dominations, Sovereignties, Powers –
all things were created through him and for him.
Before anything was created, he existed,
and he holds all things in unity.
Now the Church is his body,
he is its head.
As he is the Beginning,
he was first to be born from the dead,
so that he should be first in every way;
because God wanted all perfection
to be found in him
and all things to be reconciled through him and for him,
everything in heaven and everything on earth,
when he made peace
by his death on the cross.
Not long ago, you were foreigners and enemies, in the way that you used to think and the evil things that you did; but now he has reconciled you, by his death and in that mortal body. Now you are able to appear before him holy, pure and blameless – as long as you persevere and stand firm on the solid base of the faith, never letting yourselves drift away from the hope promised by the Good News, which you have heard, which has been preached to the whole human race, and of which I, Paul, have become the servant.
It makes me happy to suffer for you, as I am suffering now, and in my own body to do what I can to make up all that has still to be undergone by Christ for the sake of his body, the Church. I became the servant of the Church when God made me responsible for delivering God’s message to you, the message which was a mystery hidden for generations and centuries and has now been revealed to his saints. It was God’s purpose to reveal it to them and to show all the rich glory of this mystery to pagans. The mystery is Christ among you, your hope of glory: this is the Christ we proclaim, this is the wisdom in which we thoroughly train everyone and instruct everyone, to make them all perfect in Christ. It is for this I struggle wearily on, helped only by his power driving me irresistibly.
Yes, I want you to know that I do have to struggle hard for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for so many others who have never seen me face to face. It is all to bind you together in love and to stir your minds, so that your understanding may come to full development, until you really know God’s secret in which all the jewels of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.
Responsory
Col 1:17-18
℟. Christ is the head of his body, the Church; he is the firstborn Son who was raised from death,* in order that he alone might have the first place in all things.
℣. He existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place,* in order that he alone might have the first place in all things.
________
Second Reading
The treatise of St Hippolytus "On the Refutation of All Heresies"
The word made flesh makes us divine
Our faith is not founded upon empty words; nor are we carried away by mere caprice or beguiled by specious arguments. On the contrary, we put our faith in words spoken by the power of God, spoken by the Word himself at God’s command. God wished to win men back from disobedience, not by using force to reduce him to slavery but by addressing to his free will a call to liberty.
The Word spoke first of all through the prophets, but because the message was couched in such obscure language that it could be only dimly apprehended, in the last days the Father sent the Word in person, commanding him to show himself openly so that the world could see him and be saved.
We know that by taking a body from the Virgin he re-fashioned our fallen nature. We know that his manhood was of the same clay as our own; if this were not so, he would hardly have been a teacher who could expect to be imitated. If he were of a different substance from me, he would surely not have ordered me to do as he did, when by my very nature I am so weak. Such a demand could not be reconciled with his goodness and justice.
No. He wanted us to consider him as no different from ourselves, and so he worked, he was hungry and thirsty, he slept. Without protest he endured his passion, he submitted to death and revealed his resurrection. In all these ways he offered his own manhood as the first fruits of our race to keep us from losing heart when suffering comes our way, and to make us look forward to receiving the same reward as he did, since we know that we possess the same humanity.
When we have come to know the true God, both our bodies and our souls will be immortal and incorruptible. We shall enter the kingdom of heaven, because while we lived on earth we acknowledged heaven’s King. Friends of God and co-heirs with Christ, we shall be subject to no evil desires or inclinations, or to any affliction of body or soul, for we shall have become divine.
Whatever evil you may have suffered, being man, it is God that sent it to you, precisely because you are man; but equally, when you have been deified, God has promised you a share in every one of his own attributes. The saying Know yourself means therefore that we should recognise and acknowledge in ourselves the God who made us in his own image, for if we do this, we in turn will be recognised and acknowledged by our Maker.
So let us not be at enmity with ourselves, but change our way of life without delay. For Christ who is God, exalted above all creation, has taken away man’s sin and has re-fashioned our fallen nature. In the beginning God made man in his image and so gave proof of his love for us. If we obey his holy commands and learn to imitate his goodness, we shall be like him and he will honour us. God is not beggarly, and for the sake of his own glory he has given us a share in his divinity.
Responsory
℟. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.* We have seen his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father.
℣. He appeared upon earth and lived among men.* We have seen his glory, the glory that is his as the only Son of the Father.
________
Hymn
Te Deum
We praise you, O God: *
we acclaim you as the Lord.
Everlasting Father, *
all the world bows down before you.
All the angels sing your praise, *
the hosts of heaven and all the angelic powers,
all the cherubim and seraphim *
call out to you in unending song:
Holy, Holy, Holy, *
is the Lord God of angel hosts!
The heavens and the earth are filled *
with your majesty and glory.
The glorious band of apostles, *
the noble company of prophets,
the white-robed army who shed their blood for Christ, *
all sing your praise.
And to the ends of the earth *
your holy Church proclaims her faith in you:
Father, whose majesty is boundless, *
your true and only Son, who is to be adored, *
the Holy Spirit sent to be our Advocate.
You, Christ, are the king of glory, *
Son of the eternal Father.
When you took our nature to save mankind *
you did not shrink from birth in the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the power of death *
opening the Father’s kingdom to all who believe in you.
Enthroned at God’s right hand in the glory of the Father, *
you will come in judgement according to your promise.
You redeemed your people by your precious blood. *
Come, we implore you, to our aid.
Grant us with the saints *
a place in eternal glory.
The final part of the hymn may be omitted:
Lord, save your people *
and bless your inheritance.
Rule them and uphold them *
for ever and ever.
Day by day we praise you: *
we acclaim you now and to all eternity.
In your goodness, Lord, keep us free from sin. *
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
May your mercy always be with us, Lord, *
for we have hoped in you.
In you, Lord, we put our trust: *
we shall not be put to shame.
________
Psalm 62 (63)
Thirsting for God
“Let the man who has put away the deeds of the night watch for God.”
Shepherds, tell us whom you have seen! Who has appeared on earth? ‘We have seen the newborn child and we have heard the choirs of angels praising the Lord. Alleluia.’
O Gód, you are my Gód, for you I lóng; *
for yóu my sóul is thírsting.
My bódy pínes for yóu *
like a drý, weary lánd without wáter.
So I gáze on yóu in the sánctuary *
to sée your stréngth and your glóry.
For your lóve is bétter than lífe, *
my líps will spéak your práise.
So I will bléss you áll my lífe, *
in your náme I will líft up my hánds.
My sóul shall be fílled as with a bánquet, *
my móuth shall práise you with jóy.
On my béd I remémber yóu. *
On yóu I múse through the níght
for yóu have béen my hélp; *
in the shádow of your wíngs I rejóice.
My sóul clíngs to yóu; *
your ríght hand hólds me fást.
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.
Shepherds, tell us whom you have seen! Who has appeared on earth? ‘We have seen the newborn child and we have heard the choirs of angels praising the Lord. Alleluia.’
Psalm-prayer
Father, creator of unfailing light, give that same light to those who call to you. May our lips praise you; our lives proclaim your goodness; our work give you honour, and our voices celebrate you for ever.
Or:
This morning, Lord, we lift up our hands to praise you. We thirst for you; we long for you. Help us to love you more than life itself and fill us with good gifts from your banquet table.
________
Canticle
Daniel 3:57-88,56
All creatures, bless the Lord
“Praise our God, all you his servants” (Rev 19:5).
The angel said to the shepherds: ‘I bring you news of great joy: today the Saviour of the world has been born to you. Alleluia.’
O all you works of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, angels of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, the heavens of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
And you, clouds of the sky, O bless the Lord.
And you, all armies of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, sun and moon, O bless the Lord. *
And you, the stars of the heavens, O bless the Lord.
And you, showers and rain, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, all you breezes and winds, O bless the Lord. *
And you, fire and heat, O bless the Lord.
And you, cold and heat, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, showers and dew, O bless the Lord. *
And you, frosts and cold, O bless the Lord.
And you, frost and snow, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, night-time and day, O bless the Lord. *
And you, darkness and light, O bless the Lord.
And you, lightning and clouds, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, mountains and hills, O bless the Lord. *
And you, all plants of the earth, O bless the Lord.
And you, fountains and springs, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, rivers and seas, O bless the Lord. *
And you, creatures of the sea, O bless the Lord.
And you, every bird in the sky, O bless the Lord. †
And you, wild beasts and tame, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, children of men, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
O Israel, bless the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
And you, priests of the Lord, O bless the Lord.
And you, servants of the Lord, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
And you, spirits and souls of the just, O bless the Lord. *
And you, holy and humble of heart, O bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mizael, O bless the Lord. *
To him be highest glory and praise for ever.
Let us praise the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit: *
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
May you be blessed, O Lord, in the heavens: *
To you be highest glory and praise for ever.
The angel said to the shepherds: ‘I bring you news of great joy: today the Saviour of the world has been born to you. Alleluia.’
________
Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
“The members of the Church, God’s new people, will rejoice in their king, who is Christ” (Hesychius).
Today a child is born to us. His name will be called ‘Mighty God.’ Alleluia.
Síng a new sóng to the Lórd, *
his práise in the assémbly of the fáithful.
Let Ísrael rejóice in its Máker, *
let Síon’s sons exúlt in their kíng.
Let them práise his náme with dáncing *
and make músic with tímbrel and hárp.
For the Lórd takes delíght in his péople. *
He crówns the póor with salvátion.
Let the fáithful rejóice in their glóry, *
shout for jóy and táke their rést.
Let the práise of Gód be on their líps *
and a twó-edged swórd in their hánd,
to déal out véngeance to the nátions *
and púnishment on áll the péoples;
to bínd their kíngs in cháins *
and their nóbles in fétters of íron;
to cárry out the séntence pre-ordáined: *
this hónour is for áll his fáithful.
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.
Today a child is born to us. His name will be called ‘Mighty God.’ Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Let Israel rejoice in you, Lord, and acknowledge you as creator and redeemer. We put our trust in your faithfulness and proclaim the wonderful truths of salvation. May your loving kindness embrace us now and for ever.
Or:
Lord Jesus, you came to your own people and gave to all who welcomed you power to become children of God. In your merciful love watch over the Church and through her ministry bring salvation to the meek and lowly. May we avoid the snares of the impious, and come to rejoice in glory with your saints.
________
Short Reading
Isaiah 9:5
There is a child born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him: Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.
________
Short Responsory
The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
He has revealed his saving power.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has made known his salvation, alleluia, alleluia.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
At the birth of the Lord the choir of angels chanted: Praise be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
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.
At the birth of the Lord the choir of angels chanted: Praise be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray to Christ in whom all things are restored by the Father’s will.
– Most loving Son of God, hear our prayer.
Son of God, in the fullness of time you became a man:
share with us your love for everyone.
– Most loving Son of God, hear our prayer.
You emptied yourself to enrich us with your glory:
make us selfless ministers of your gospel.
– Most loving Son of God, hear our prayer.
You brought light into the darkness of our lives:
guide all our actions in the ways of virtue, justice and peace.
– Most loving Son of God, hear our prayer.
May our hearts be disposed to hear your word
and so be able to do good for ourselves and for our fellow-men.
– Most loving Son of God, hear our prayer.
________
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 and Father,
the human birth of your Only-Begotten Son
was the beginning of new life.
May he set us free from the tyranny of sin.
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.