Wednesday 28 July 2021
Wednesday of week 17 in Ordinary Time
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.
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Hymn
Lord, God, your light which dims the stars
Awakes all things,
And all that springs to life in you
Your glory sings.
Your peaceful presence, giving strength,
Is everywhere,
And fallen men may rise again
On wings of prayer.
You are the God whose mercy rests
On all you made;
You gave us Christ, whose love through death
Our ransom paid.
We praise you, Father, with your Son
And Spirit blest,
In whom creation lives and moves,
And finds its rest.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
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Psalm 35 (36)
The sinner's wickedness; God's goodness
“The man who follows me will not walk in darkness, but he will have the light of life for his guide” (Jn 8:12).
In your light, God, we see light.
Sin speaks to the sinner
in the depths of his heart.
There is no fear of God
before his eyes.
He so flatters himself in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth are mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone.
He plots the defeat of goodness
as he lies on his bed.
He has set his foot on evil ways,
he clings to what is evil.
Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven;
your truth to the skies.
Your justice is like God’s mountain,
your judgements like the deep.
To both man and beast you give protection.
O Lord, how precious is your love.
My God, the sons of men
find refuge in the shelter of your wings.
They feast on the riches of your house;
they drink from the stream of your delight.
In you is the source of life
and in your light we see light.
Keep on loving those who know you,
doing justice for upright hearts.
Let the foot of the proud not crush me
nor the hand of the wicked cast me out.
See how the evil-doers fall!
Flung down, they shall never arise.
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 your light, God, we see light.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, you are the source of unfailing light. Give us true knowledge of your mercy so that we may renounce our pride and be filled with the riches of your house.
Or:
Lord God, source of light and life, you make the sun rise and the rain fall on good and bad men alike. By the light of your truth may the virtuous know your goodness and sinners feel your mercy, so that together they may drink from your stream of delight.
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Canticle
Judith 16
The Lord, creator of the world, protects his people
“They began to sing a new song” (Rev 5:9).
Lord, you are great, you are glorious, you are wonderfully strong.
Begin a song to my God with tambourines,
sing to my Lord with cymbals.
Raise to him a new psalm;
exalt him and call upon his name.
For God is the Lord who crushes wars.
I will sing to my God a new song:
O Lord, you are great and glorious,
wonderful in strength, invincible.
Let all your creatures serve you,
for you spoke, and they were made.
You sent forth your Spirit, and it formed them;
there is none that can resist your voice.
For the mountains shall be shaken to their foundations with the waters;
at your presence the rocks shall melt like wax,
but to those who fear you
you will continue to show mercy.
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, you are great, you are glorious, you are wonderfully strong.
________
Psalm 46 (47)
The Lord is King
“He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and his kingdom will have no end.”
Cry to God with shouts of joy.
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples are assembled
with the people of Abraham’s God.
The rulers of the earth belong to God,
to God who reigns over all.
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.
Cry to God with shouts of joy.
Psalm-prayer
God, King of all peoples and all ages, it is your victory we celebrate as we sing with all the skill at our command. Help us always to overcome evil by good, that we may rejoice in your triumph for ever.
Or:
Lord Jesus, to you belongs the dominion of heaven, earth, and all things under the earth, for you have ascended on high and are seated on the throne prepared for you by the Father. May all peoples be gathered into your Church to form a holy nation, a kingly priesthood, your own chosen heritage, to praise and adore your divine majesty, now and for ever.
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Short Reading
Tobit 4:14-15,16,19
Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behaviour. Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who are naked. Whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving. Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end.
________
Short Responsory
Bend my heart to your will, O God.
– Bend my heart to your will, O God.
By your word, give me life.
– Bend my heart to your will, O God.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Bend my heart to your will, O God.
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Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
Show us your mercy, O Lord; remember your holy covenant.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel!
He has visited his people and redeemed them.
He has raised up for us a mighty saviour
in the house of David his servant,
as he promised by the lips of holy men,
those who were his prophets from of old.
A saviour who would free us from our foes,
from the hands of all who hate us.
So his love for our fathers is fulfilled
and his holy covenant remembered.
He swore to Abraham our father to grant us,
that free from fear, and saved from the hands of our foes,
we might serve him in holiness and justice
all the days of our life in his presence.
As for you, little child,
you shall be called a prophet of God, the Most High.
You shall go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his ways before him,
To make known to his people their salvation
through forgiveness of all their sins,
the loving-kindness of the heart of our God
who visits us like the dawn from on high.
He will give light to those in darkness,
those who dwell in the shadow of death,
and guide us into the way of peace.
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.
Show us your mercy, O Lord; remember your holy covenant.
________
Prayers and intercessions
We give thanks to Christ and we praise him because he was not ashamed to call us his brothers.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
Help us to live the new life of Easter,
so that men may know through us the power of your love.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
Every day is a proof of your love:
as you bring us to this new day, make us new in mind and in heart.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
Teach us to see you present in all men;
help us to recognize you most of all in those who suffer.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
May our lives today be filled with your compassion;
give us the spirit of forgiveness and a generous heart.
– Lord Jesus, we are your brothers.
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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 Saviour,
through the grace of baptism you have made us children of light.
Hear our prayer
that we may always walk in that light
and work for the truth as your witnesses before men.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
________
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Copyright © 1996-2021 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.