Thursday 2 January 2020
Saints Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops, Doctors
on 2 January
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
Who are these like stars appearing,
these, before God’s throne who stand?
Each a golden crown is wearing;
who are all this glorious band?
Alleluia! Hark, they sing,
praising loud their heavenly King.
Who are these of dazzling brightness,
clothed in God’s own righteousness?
These, whose robes of purest whiteness,
shall their lustre still possess,
still untouched by time’s rude hand?
Whence came all this glorious band?
These are they who have contended
for their Saviour’s honour long,
wrestling on till life was ended,
following not the sinful throng;
these who well the fight sustained,
triumph through the Lamb have gained.
These are they whose hearts were riven,
sore with woe and anguish tried,
who in prayer full oft have striven
with the God they glorified;
now, their painful conflict o’er,
God has bid them weep no more.
These, the Almighty contemplating,
did as priests before him stand,
soul and body always waiting
day and night at his command:
now in God’s most holy place
blest they stand before his face.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
Thanksgiving
“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8:31).
The word of the Lord is a shield for all who make him their refuge.
As for Gód, his wáys are pérfect; *
the wórd of the Lórd, purest góld.
Hé indéed is the shíeld *
of áll who máke him their réfuge.
For whó is Gód but the Lórd? *
Whó is a róck but our Gód?
the Gód who gírds me with stréngth *
and mákes the páth safe befóre me.
My féet you made swíft as the déer’s; *
you have máde me stand fírm on the héights.
You have tráined my hánds for báttle *
and my árms to bend the héavy bów.
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 word of the Lord is a shield for all who make him their refuge.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
Lord, your right hand upheld me.
You gáve me your sáving shíeld; *
you uphéld me, tráined me with cáre.
You gáve me fréedom for my stéps; *
my féet have néver slípped.
I pursúed and overtóok my fóes, *
néver turning báck till they were sláin.
I smóte them so they cóuld not ríse; *
they féll benéath my féet.
You gírded me with stréngth for báttle; *
you made my énemies fáll benéath me,
you máde my fóes take flíght; *
those who háted me Í destróyed.
They críed, but there was nó one to sáve them; *
they críed to the Lórd, but in váin.
I crúshed them fine as dúst before the wínd; *
trod them dówn like dírt in the stréets.
You sáved me from the féuds of the péople *
and pút me at the héad of the nátions.
Péople unknówn to me sérved me: *
when they héard of mé they obéyed me.
Foreign nátions cáme to me crínging: †
foreign nátions fáded awáy. *
They came trémbling óut of their stróngholds.
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.
Lord, your right hand upheld me.
________
Psalm 17 (18)
Long life to the Lord! Praised be the God who saves me.
Long lífe to the Lórd, my róck! *
Práised be the Gód who sáves me,
the Gód who gíves me redréss *
and subdúes péople únder me.
You sáved me from my fúrious fóes. *
You sét me abóve my assáilants.
You sáved me from víolent mén, †
so I will práise you, Lórd, among the nátions: *
I will síng a psálm to your náme.
He has gíven great víctories to his kíng †
and shówn his lóve for his anóinted, *
for Dávid and his sóns 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.
Long life to the Lord! Praised be the God who saves me.
Psalm-prayer
To protect your people, Father, you opened a new passage through the sea. May you be both the road we travel and the peaceful reward at the end of our journey.
________
℣. O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
℟. Proclaim his help day by day.
________
First Reading
Colossians 2:16-3:4
New life in Christ
From now onwards, never let anyone else decide what you should eat or drink, or whether you are to observe annual festivals, New Moons or sabbaths. These were only pale reflections of what was coming: the reality is Christ. Do not be taken in by people who like grovelling to angels and worshipping them; people like that are always going on about some vision they have had, inflating themselves to a false importance with their worldly outlook. A man of this sort is not united to the head, and it is the head that adds strength and holds the whole body together, with all its joints and sinews – and this is the only way in which it can reach its full growth in God.
If you have really died with Christ to the principles of this world, why do you still let rules dictate to you, as though you were still living in the world? ‘It is forbidden to pick up this, it is forbidden to taste that, it is forbidden to touch something else’; all these prohibitions are only concerned with things that perish by their very use – an example of human doctrines and regulations! It may be argued that true wisdom is to be found in these, with their self-imposed devotions, their self-abasement, and their severe treatment of the body; but once the flesh starts to protest, they are no use at all.
Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.
Responsory
Col 3:1-2; Lk 12:34
℟. You have been raised to life with Christ. Set your hearts, then, on the things that are in heaven, where Christ sits on his throne at the right side of God.* Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth.
℣. Your heart will always be where your riches are.* Keep your minds fixed on things there, not on things here on earth.
________
Second Reading
From a sermon by Saint Gregory Nazianzen
Two bodies, but a single spirit
Basil and I were both in Athens. We had come, like streams of a river, from the same source in our native land, had separated from each other in pursuit of learning, and were now united again as if by plan, for God so arranged it.
I was not alone at that time in my regard for my friend, the great Basil. I knew his irreproachable conduct, and the maturity and wisdom of his conversation. I sought to persuade others, to whom he was less well known, to have the same regard for him. Many fell immediately under his spell, for they had already heard of him by reputation and hearsay.
What was the outcome? Almost alone of those who had come to Athens to study he was exempted from the customary ceremonies of initiation for he was held in higher honour than his status as a first-year student seemed to warrant.
Such was the prelude to our friendship, the kindling of that flame that was to bind us together. In this way we began to feel affection for each other. When, in the course of time, we acknowledged our friendship and recognised that our ambition was a life of true wisdom, we became everything to each other: we shared the same lodging, the same table, the same desires, the same goal. Our love for each other grew daily warmer and deeper.
The same hope inspired us: the pursuit of learning. This is an ambition especially subject to envy. Yet between us there was no envy. On the contrary, we made capital out of our rivalry. Our rivalry consisted, not in seeking the first place for oneself but in yielding it to the other, for we each looked on the other’s success as his own.
We seemed to be two bodies with a single spirit. Though we cannot believe those who claim that everything is contained in everything, yet you must believe that in our case each of us was in the other and with the other.
Our single object and ambition was virtue, and a life of hope in the blessings that are to come; we wanted to withdraw from this world before we departed from it. With this end in view we ordered our lives and all our actions. We followed the guidance of God’s law and spurred each other on to virtue. If it is not too boastful to say, we found in each other a standard and rule for discerning right from wrong.
Different men have different names, which they owe to their parents or to themselves, that is, to their own pursuits and achievements. But our great pursuit, the great name we wanted, was to be Christians, to be called Christians.
Responsory
℟. The Lord gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding;* he reveals deep and mysterious things, and the light dwells with him.
℣. It is one and the same Spirit who does all this; he gives a different gift to each man, as he wishes;* he reveals deep and mysterious things, and the light dwells with him.
________
Psalm 56 (57)
Morning prayer in time of affliction
“This psalm celebrates the passion of Christ” (St Augustine).
Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.
Have mércy on me, Gód, have mércy *
for in yóu my sóul has taken réfuge.
In the shádow of your wíngs I take réfuge *
till the stórms of destrúction pass bý.
I cáll to Gód the Most Hígh, *
to Gód who has álways been my hélp.
May he sénd from héaven and sáve me †
and sháme thóse who assáil me. *
May Gód send his trúth and his lóve.
My sóul lies dówn among líons, *
who would devóur the sóns of mén.
Their téeth are spéars and árrows, *
their tóngue a shárpened swórd.
O Gód, aríse above the héavens; *
may your glóry shine on éarth!
They láid a snáre for my stéps, *
my sóul was bowed dówn.
They dúg a pít in my páth *
but féll in it themsélves.
My héart is réady, O Gód, *
my héart is réady.
I will síng, I will síng your práise. *
Awáke, my sóul,
awáke, lýre and hárp, *
I will awáke the dáwn.
I will thánk you, Lórd, among the péoples, *
among the nátions I will práise you
for your lóve réaches to the héavens *
and your trúth to the skíes.
O Gód, aríse above the héavens; *
may your glóry shine on éarth!
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.
Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations, happy to be known as companions of your Son.
________
Canticle
Jeremiah 31
The joy of those whom God sets free
“Jesus had to die to reunite the children of God who had been scattered” (Jn 11:51,52).
Thus says the Lord: my people shall be filled with my good things.
O nations, hear the word of the Lord, *
proclaim it to the far-off coasts.
Say: ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him *
and guard him as a shepherd guards his flock.’
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob, *
has saved him from an overpowering hand.
They will come and shout for joy on Mount Sion, *
they will stream to the blessings of the Lord,
to the corn, the new wine and the oil, *
to the flocks of sheep and the herds.
Their life will be like a watered garden. *
They will never be weary again.
Then the young girls will rejoice and will dance, *
the men, young and old, will be glad.
I will turn their mourning into joy, *
I will console them, give gladness for grief.
The priests I will again feed with plenty, *
and my people shall be filled with my blessings.
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.
Thus says the Lord: my people shall be filled with my good things.
________
Psalm 47 (48)
Thanksgiving for the safety of the people
“He took me to the top of a great mountain, and showed me the holy city of Jerusalem” (Rev 21:10).
The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God. †
The Lord is gréat and wórthy to be práised *
in the cíty of our Gód.
His holy móuntain ríses in béauty, *
the jóy of all the éarth.
Mount Síon, true póle of the éarth, *
the Gréat King’s cíty!
Gód, in the mídst of its cítadels, *
has shówn himself its strónghold.
For the kíngs assémbled togéther, *
togéther they advánced.
They sáw; at ónce they were astóunded; *
dismáyed, they fled in féar.
A trémbling séized them thére, *
like the pángs of bírth.
By the éast wind yóu have destróyed *
the shíps of Társhish.
As we have héard, só we have séen *
in the cíty of our Gód,
in the cíty of the Lórd of hósts *
which Gód upholds for éver.
O Gód, we pónder your lóve *
withín your témple.
Your práise, O Gód, like your náme *
reaches the énds of the éarth.
With jústice your ríght hand is fílled. *
Mount Síon rejóices;
the péople of Júdah rejóice *
at the síght of your júdgements.
Walk through Síon, wálk all róund it; *
count the númber of its tówers.
Revíew áll its rámparts, *
exámine its cástles,
that you may téll the néxt generátion *
that súch is our Gód,
our Gód for éver and álways. *
It is hé who léads 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.
The Lord is great and worthy to be praised in the city of our God.
Psalm-prayer
Father, the body of your risen Son is the temple not made by human hands and the defending wall of the new Jerusalem. May this holy city, built of living stones, shine with spiritual radiance and witness to your greatness in the sight of all nations.
________
Short Reading
Wisdom 7:13-14
What I learned without self-interest, I pass on without reserve; I do not intend to hide her riches. For she is an inexhaustible treasure to men, and those who acquire her win God’s friendship, commended as they are to him by the benefits of her teaching.
________
Short Responsory
The people tell about the wisdom of the saints.
– The people tell about the wisdom of the saints.
The Church sings their praises.
– The people tell about the wisdom of the saints.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The people tell about the wisdom of the saints.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
The learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars for all eternity.
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 learned will shine as brightly as the vault of heaven, and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars for all eternity.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Christ, the good shepherd, laid down his life for his sheep. Let us praise him with grateful hearts, as we pray:
– Lord, nourish the lives of your people.
Christ our Lord, in the holy pastors you reveal your love for us;
may we never be deprived of the care you show through them.
– Lord, nourish the lives of your people.
Through your sacred ministers you are present in our midst as the shepherd of our souls;
never cease to guide us through their teaching and encouragement.
– Lord, nourish the lives of your people.
In the saints who lead your people, you manifest your power of healing souls and bodies;
remain always with us to renew our lives in holiness.
– Lord, nourish the lives of your people.
By the example of the saints you instruct your faithful in the ways of wisdom and love;
through our pastors, help us grow to the full stature of perfection.
– Lord, nourish the lives of your people.
________
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.
________
God our Father, you enriched your Church
and gave examples for us to follow
in the life and teaching of Saint Basil and Saint Gregory.
Grant that, learning your truth with humility,
we may practise it in faith and love.
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.