Wednesday 8 April 2020
Wednesday of Holy Week
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.
________
Hymn
Sing my tongue, the glorious battle,
Sing the ending of the fray;
To the Cross, our noble trophy,
Here a fitting tribute pay,
Telling how the world’s Redeemer,
Slain as victim, won the day.
Tell how, when at length the fullness
Of the appointed time was come,
He, the Word, was born of woman,
Left for us his Father’s home,
Showed to men the perfect manhood,
Shone as light amidst the gloom.
Now the thirty years are ended
Which on earth he willed to see,
Willingly he meets his Passion,
Born to set his people free;
On the Cross the Lamb is lifted,
There the sacrifice to be.
Faithful Cross, above all other,
One and only noble Tree,
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit thy peer may be;
Sweet the wood and sweet the iron,
And the load, most sweet is he.
Unto God be praise and glory:
To the Father and the Son,
To the eternal Spirit, honour
Now and evermore be done;
Praise and glory in the highest,
While the timeless ages run.
________
Psalm 76 (77)
Remembering the works of the Lord
“We are in difficulties on every side, but never consumed” (2 Cor 4:8).
In the day of my distress I sought the Lord with outstretched arms.
I crý alóud to Gód, *
cry alóud to Gód that he may héar me.
In the dáy of my distréss I sought the Lórd. †
My hánds were raised at níght without céasing; *
my sóul refúsed to be consóled.
I remémbered my Gód and I gróaned. *
I póndered and my spírit fáinted.
You withhéld sléep from my éyes. *
I was tróubled, I cóuld not spéak.
I thóught of the dáys of long agó *
and remémbered the yéars long pást.
At níght I músed within my héart. *
I póndered and my spírit quéstioned.
‘Will the Lórd rejéct us for éver? *
Will he shów us his fávour no móre?
Has his lóve vánished for éver? *
Has his prómise cóme to an énd?
Does Gód forgét his mércy *
or in ánger withhóld his compássion?’
I said: ‘Thís is what cáuses my gríef; *
that the wáy of the Most Hígh has chánged.’
I remémber the déeds of the Lórd, *
I remémber your wónders of óld,
I múse on áll your wórks *
and pónder your míghty déeds.
Your wáys, O Gód, are hóly. *
What gód is gréat as our Gód?
Yóu are the Gód who works wónders. *
Yóu showed your pówer among the péoples.
Your stróng arm redéemed your péople, *
the sóns of Jácob and Jóseph.
The wáters sáw you, O Gód, *
the wáters sáw you and trémbled;
the dépths were móved with térror. *
The clóuds póured down ráin,
the skíes sent fórth their vóice; *
your árrows fláshed to and fró.
Your thúnder rólled round the ský, *
your fláshes líghted up the wórld.
The éarth was móved and trémbled *
when your wáy léd through the séa,
your páth through the míghty wáters *
and nó one sáw your fóotprints.
You gúided your péople like a flóck *
by the hánd of Móses and Áaron.
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.
In the day of my distress I sought the Lord with outstretched arms.
Psalm-prayer
Father, you established your ancient covenant by signs and wonders, but more wondrously you confirmed the new one through the sacrifice of your Son. Guide your Church through the pathways of life, that we may be led to the land of promise and celebrate your name with lasting praise.
________
Canticle
1 Samuel 2
The song of Hannah, mother of Samuel
“He put down the mighty from their seats and exalted the lowly; he filled the hungry with good things” (Lk 1:52-53).
If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also come to life with him.
My heart exults in the Lord, *
I find my strength in my God;
my mouth laughs at my enemies *
as I rejoice in your saving help.
There is none like the Lord, †
there is none besides you. *
There is no Rock like our God.
Bring your haughty words to an end, *
let no boasts fall from your lips,
for the Lord is a God who knows all. *
It is he who weighs men’s deeds.
The bows of the mighty are broken, *
but the weak are clothed with strength.
Those with plenty must labour for bread, *
but the hungry need work no more.
The childless wife has children now *
but the fruitful wife bears no more.
It is the Lord who gives life and death, *
he brings men to the grave and back;
it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches. *
He brings men low and raises them on high.
He lifts up the lowly from the dust, *
from the ash heap he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes, *
to give him a glorious throne.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, *
on them he has set the world.
He guards the steps of his faithful, *
but the wicked perish in darkness,
for no man’s power gives him victory. *
The enemies of the Lord shall be broken.
The Most High will thunder in the heavens, *
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give power to his king *
and exalt the might of his anointed.
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.
If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also come to life with him.
________
Psalm 96 (97)
The glory of God in his judgements
“This psalm tells of the salvation of the world and of the faith all peoples would have in Christ” (St Athanasius).
God has made Jesus Christ our wisdom and our virtue, our holiness and our freedom.
The Lord is kíng, let éarth rejóice, *
let áll the cóastlands be glád.
Clóud and dárkness are his ráiment; *
his thróne, jústice and ríght.
A fíre prepáres his páth; *
it búrns up his fóes on every síde.
His líghtnings líght up the wórld, *
the éarth trémbles at the síght.
The móuntains mélt like wáx *
before the Lórd of áll the éarth.
The skíes procláim his jústice; *
all péoples sée his glóry.
Let thóse who serve ídols be ashámed, †
those who bóast of their wórthless góds. *
All you spírits, wórship hím.
Síon héars and is glád; †
the péople of Júdah rejóice *
becáuse of your júdgements, O Lórd.
For yóu indéed are the Lórd †
most hígh above áll the éarth, *
exálted far abóve all spírits.
The Lórd loves thóse who hate évil; †
he gúards the sóuls of his sáints; *
he séts them frée from the wícked.
Líght shines fórth for the júst *
and jóy for the úpright of héart.
Rejóice, you júst, in the Lórd; *
give glóry to his hóly náme.
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 has made Jesus Christ our wisdom and our virtue, our holiness and our freedom.
Psalm-prayer
Father, you clothe the sky with light and the depths of the ocean with darkness. Among the sons of men you work wonders, and rain terror upon the enemy. Look upon your servants. Do not try us by fire but bring us rejoicing to the shelter of your home.
________
Short Reading
Isaiah 50:5-7
The Lord has opened my ear. For my part, I made no resistance, neither did I turn away. I offered my back to those who struck me, my cheeks to those who tore at my beard; I did not cover my face against insult and spittle. The Lord comes to my help, so that I am untouched by the insults. So, too, I set my face like flint; I know I shall not be shamed.
________
Short Responsory
You have redeemed us, Lord, by your blood.
– You have redeemed us, Lord, by your blood.
From every tribe and tongue and people and nation.
– You have redeemed us, Lord, by your blood.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– You have redeemed us, Lord, by your blood.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
May the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the Holy Spirit, purify our inner self from dead actions so that we may serve the living God.
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.
May the blood of Christ, who offered himself as the perfect sacrifice to God through the Holy Spirit, purify our inner self from dead actions so that we may serve the living God.
________
Prayers and intercessions
Let us pray earnestly to Christ our Saviour, who redeemed us by his death and resurrection.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
You went up to Jerusalem to endure the passion and enter into glory;
lead your Church into the paschal feast of eternal life.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
Your heart was pierced with a lance;
heal the wounds of our human weakness.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
You made your cross the tree of life;
share your victory with all the baptized.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
You gave salvation to the repentant thief;
pardon all our sins.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
________
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.
________
By your will, Lord God,
your Son underwent the agony of the cross
to break the power of Satan over man.
Give your people grace to rise again with Christ,
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 © 1996-2020 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.