O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
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.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
| Psalm 83 (84) |
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| Longing for the Lord's temple |
| How delightful is your dwelling-place, Lord of hosts! My soul is weak with longing for the courts of your palace. My heart and my body rejoice in the living God. Even the sparrow finds itself a home, the swallow a nest to raise her young – in your altars, O Lord, Lord of strength, my king and my God. Blessed are they who dwell in your house: they will praise you for ever. Blessed the man whose help comes from you, who has set his heart on reaching you. They pass through the valley of thirst and make a spring there: the morning rain will cover it with blessings. They will go from strength to strength: they will see the God of gods, in Sion. Lord God of hosts, listen to my prayer; hear me, O God of Jacob. Take notice of us, God our protector, and look on the face of your anointed one. One day in the courts of my God is worth more than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be at the doorstep of the house of my God than live in the dwellings of sinners. For the Lord my God is my sun and my shield. The Lord gives grace and glory. He will not deny his good things to those who walk in purity. Blessed is he who trusts in you, O Lord of hosts. 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. |
| Canticle | Isaiah 2 |
|---|---|
| The mountain of the house of the Lord | |
| In the last days, at the end of time, the mountain of the house of the Lord will be prepared high above all mountains. It will be raised above the hills and all nations will come to it. And many peoples will come there and say “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. Let him teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths”. For from Sion the law will go forth, from Jerusalem the word of the Lord. And he will judge the nations and rebuke many peoples. They will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into sickles. Nation will lift sword against nation no longer. No longer will they go out into battle. People of Jacob, come: let us walk in the light of the Lord. 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. |
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| Psalm 95 (96) |
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| The Lord, the universal King and judge |
| Sing a new song to the Lord, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord, bless his name; day after day, proclaim his saving power. Proclaim his glory to the nations, proclaim to all peoples the wonders he has done. For the Lord is great; great is the praise we owe him, he is to be feared above all gods. The gods of the nations are foolishness, but the Lord made the heavens. Majesty and splendour are all about him, power and honour in his holy place. Bring to the Lord, clans of the peoples, bring to the Lord glory and power, bring to the Lord the glory that belongs to his name. Bring your offerings, enter his courts, worship the Lord in holy attire. Tremble at his presence, all the earth. Say to the nations: “The Lord reigns!”. For he has set the world firm, so that it cannot be shaken, and he will judge the peoples with fairness. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad, let the sea and its fulness resound. The fields will rejoice, and all that is in them, all the trees of the woods will rejoice at the Lord’s presence – for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth. He will judge all the world with justice. He will judge all the peoples with fairness. 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. |
| Short reading | James 2:12 - 13 © |
|---|---|
| Talk and behave like people who are going to be judged by the law of freedom, because there will be judgement without mercy for those who have not been merciful themselves; but the merciful need have no fear of judgement. | |
| Canticle | Benedictus |
|---|---|
| The Messiah and his forerunner | |
| Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path 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. |
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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 that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
| Lord God, King of heaven and earth, guide and sanctify, rule and govern our hearts and our bodies, our feelings, words and actions, according to your law and following your commandments. With your help, in this world and the next, may we deserve to receive freedom and salvation. 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. |
| May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
| A M E N |