Aug 18, Invitatory for Thursday of the 20th week of Ordinary Time
Lord, open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.
Psalm 67
O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant.
Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant.
The earth has yielded its fruit
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Ant.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come into the Lord’s presence singing for joy.
Aug 18, Office of Readings for Thursday of the 20th week of Ordinary Time
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: Page 615
Proper of Seasons: Page 136
Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 1174
Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings
Office of Readings for Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
HYMN
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home.
Under the shadow of Thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is Thine arm alone,
And our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting Thou art God,
To endless years the same.
A thousand ages in Thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly, forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be Thou our guard while troubles last,
And our eternal home.
O God, Our Help in Ages Past by Sheffield Cathedral Choir; Words: Isaac Watts, 1719. Music: William Croft, 1708
“O God, Our Help in Ages Past” by Sheffield Cathedral Choir is available from Amazon.com
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.
Psalm 44
The misfortunes of God’s people
We triumph over all these things through him who loved us (Romans 8:37).
I
We heard with our own ears, O God,
our fathers have told us the story
of the things you did in their days,
you yourself, in days long ago.
To plant them you uprooted the nations:
to let them spread you laid peoples low.
No sword of their own won the land;
no arm of their own brought them victory.
It was your right hand, your arm
and the light of your face: for you loved them.
It is you, my king, my God,
who granted victories to Jacob.
Through you we beat down our foes;
in your name we trampled our aggressors.
For it was not in my bow that I trusted
nor yet was I saved by my sword:
it was you who saved us from our foes,
it was you who put our foes to shame.
All day long our boast was in God
and we praised your name without ceasing.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face.
Ant. 2 Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.
II
Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us:
you no longer go forth with our armies.
You make us retreat from the foe
and our enemies plunder us at will.
You make us like sheep for the slaughter
and scatter us among the nations.
You sell your own people for nothing
and make no profit by the sale.
You make us the taunt of our neighbors,
the laughing stock of all who are near.
Among the nations, you make us a byword,
among the peoples a thing of derision.
All day long my disgrace is before me:
my face is covered with shame
at the voice of the taunter, the scoffer,
at the sight of the foe and avenger.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face.
Ant. 3 Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.
IIII
This befell us though we had not forgotten you;
though we had not been false to your covenant,
though we had not withdrawn our hearts;
though our feet had not strayed from your path.
Yet you have crushed us in a place of sorrows
and covered us with the shadow of death.
Had we forgotten the name of our God
or stretched out our hands to another god
would not God have found this out,
he who knows the secrets of the heart?
It is for you we face death all day long
and are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep?
Arise, do not reject us for ever!
Why do you hide your face
and forget our oppression and misery?
For we are brought down low to the dust;
our body lies prostrate on the earth.
Stand up and come to our help!
Redeem us because of your love!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, you foretold that we would share in the persecutions that brought you to a violent death. The Church formed at the cost of your precious blood is even now conformed to your Passion; may it be transformed, now and eternally, by the power of your resurrection.
Ant. Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
Let the light of your face shine on me, O Lord.
– Teach me your way of holiness.
READINGS
First reading
From the book of the prophet Isaiah
11:1-16
The root of Jesse and the return of the remnant of God’s people
Thus says the Lord:
A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.
Not by appearance shall he judge,
nor by hearsay shall he decide,
But he shall judge the poor with justice,
and decide aright for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.
Justice shall be the band around his waist,
and faithfulness a belt upon his hips.
Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb,
and the leopard shall lie down with the kid;
The calf and the young lion shall browse together,
with a little child to guide them.
The cow and the bear shall be neighbors,
together their young shall rest;
the lion shall eat hay like the ox.
The baby shall play by the cobra’s den,
and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair.
There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain;
for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord,
as water covers the sea.
On that day,
The root of Jesse,
set up as a signal for the nations,
The Gentiles shall seek out,
for his dwelling shall be glorious.
On that day,
The Lord shall again take it in hand
to reclaim the remnant of his people
that is left from Assyria and Egypt,
Pathros, Ethiopia, and Elam,
Shinar, Hamath, and the isles of the sea.
He shall raise a signal to the nations
and gather the outcasts of Israel;
The dispersed of Judah he shall assemble
from the four corners of the earth.
The envy of Ephraim shall pass away,
and the rivalry of Judah be removed;
Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah,
and Judah shall not be hostile to Ephraim;
But they shall swoop down on the foothills
of the Philistines to the west,
together they shall plunder the Kedemites;
Edom and Moab shall be their possessions,
and the Ammonites their subjects.
The Lord shall dry up the tongue of the Sea of Egypt,
and wave his hand over the Euphrates in his fierce anger
And shatter it into seven streamlets,
so that it can be crossed in sandals.
There shall be a highway for the remnant of his people
that is left from Assyria,
As there was for Israel
when he came up from the land of Egypt.
RESPONSORY Isaiah 55:12; 11:16
You will depart with joy;
you will be led away in peace.
– Mountains and hills will break into joyful song before you,
and all the trees of the forest will clap their hands.
There will be a highway for the remnant of my people
as there was for Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.
– Mountains and hills will break into joyful song before you,
and all the trees of the forest will clap their hands.
Second reading
From a treatise On the Hail Mary by Baldwin of Canterbury, bishop
A flower rises from the root of Jesse
Every day we devoutly greet the most Blessed Virgin Mary with the angel’s greeting and we usually add: Blessed is the fruit of your womb. After she was greeted by the Virgin, Elizabeth added this phrase as if she were echoing the salutation of the angel: Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb. This is the fruit of which Isaiah spoke: On that day the shoot of the Lord shall be splendid and radiant–the sublime fruit of earth. What is this fruit but the holy one of Israel, the seed of Abraham, the shoot of the Lord, the flower arising from the root of Jesse, the fruit of life, whom we have shared?
Blessed surely in seed and blessed in the shoot, blessed in the flower, blessed in the gift, finally blessed in thanksgiving and praise, Christ, the seed of Abraham, was brought forth from the seed of David into the flesh.
He alone among men is found perfected in every good quality, for the Spirit was given to him without measure so that he alone could fulfill all justice. For his justice is sufficient for all nations, according to Scriptures. As the earth brings forth its buds, and as the garden germinates its own seed, so the Lord God shall bring forth justice and praise before all the nations. For this is the shoot of justice, which the flower of glory adorns with its blessings when it has grown. But how great is this glory? How can anyone think of anything more glorious, or rather, how can anyone conceive of this at all? For the flower rises from the root of Jesse. You ask: “How far?” Surely it rises even to the highest place, because Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father. His magnificence is elevated above the heavens so that he, the issue of the Lord, is splendid and glorious, the sublime fruit of the earth.
But what is our benefit from this fruit? What other than the fruit of blessing from the blessed fruit? From this seed, this shoot, this flower, surely the fruit of blessing comes forth. It has come even to us; first as a seed it is planted through the grace of pardon, then germinated with the increase of perfection, and finally it flowers in the hope or the attainment of glory. For the fruit was blessed by God, and in God, so that God may be glorified through it. For us, too, the fruit was blessed, so that blessed by God we may be glorified in him through the promise spoken to Abraham. God made the fruit a blessing for all nations.
RESPONSORY Romans 15:12; Psalm 72:17, 7
The root of Jesse will appear and will rise up to rule the nations;
in him will the Gentiles place their trust;
– may his name be praised for ever!
In his days justice will flourish and peace will abound.
– May his name be praised for ever!
CONCLUDING PRAYER
God our Father,
may we love you in all things and above all things
and reach the joy you have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
Aug 18, Morning Prayer for Thursday of the 20th week of Ordinary Time
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: page 654
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 1211
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: page 618
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 1177
Christian Prayer (single volume)
Ordinary: page 689
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 968
Morning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
HYMN
I sing the mighty power of God, that made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad, and built the lofty skies.
I sing the wisdom that ordained the sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at His command, and all the stars obey.
I sing the goodness of the Lord, who filled the earth with food,
He formed the creatures through the Word, and then pronounced them good.
Lord, how Thy wonders are displayed, where’er I turn my eye,
If I survey the ground I tread, or gaze upon the sky.
Words: Isaac Watts, Divine and Moral Songs for Children, 1715. Music: Forest Green, traditional English melody, arranged by Ralph Vaughan Williams, 1906
“I Sing The Mighty Power” by Steven Anderson is available from Amazon.com.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 At daybreak, be merciful to me, O Lord.
Psalm 143
Prayer in distress
A man is not justified by observance of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16).
Lord, listen to my prayer;
turn your ear to my appeal.
You are faithful, you are just; give answer.
Do not call your servant to judgment
for no one is just in your sight.
The enemy pursues my soul;
he has crushed my life to the ground;
he has made me dwell in darkness
like the dead, long forgotten.
Therefore my spirit fails;
my heart is numb within me.
I remember the days that are past:
I ponder all your works.
I muse on what your hand has wrought
and to you I stretch out my hands.
Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you.
Lord, make haste and answer;
for my spirit fails within me.
Do not hide your face
lest I become like those in the grave.
In the morning let me know your love
for I put my trust in you.
Make me know the way I should walk:
to you I lift up my soul.
Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies;
I have fled to you for refuge.
Teach me to do your will
for you, O Lord, are my God.
Let your good spirit guide me
in ways that are level and smooth.
For your name’s sake, Lord, save my life;
in your justice save my soul from distress.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, early in the morning of your resurrection, you made your love known and brought the first light of dawn to those who dwell in darkness. Your death has opened a path for us. Do not enter into judgment with your servants; let your Holy Spirit guide us together into the land of justice.
Ant. At daybreak, be merciful to me, O Lord.
Ant. 2 The Lord will make a river of peace flow through Jerusalem.
Canticle – Isaiah 66:10-14a
Joys of heaven
The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman and our mother (Galatians 4:26).
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;
exult, exult with her,
all you who were mourning over her!
Oh, that you may suck fully
of the milk of her comfort,
that you may nurse with delight
at her abundant breasts!
For thus says the Lord:
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent.
As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,
and fondled in her lap;
as a mother comforts her son,
so will I comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
and your bodies flourish like the grass.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The Lord will make a river of peace flow through Jerusalem.
Ant. 3 Let us joyfully praise the Lord our God.
Psalm 147
The loving kindness of God who can do all he wills
You are God: we praise you; you are the Lord: we acclaim you.
Praise the Lord for he is good;
sing to our God for he is loving:
to him our praise is due.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem
and brings back Israel’s exiles,
he heals the broken-hearted,
he binds up all their wounds.
He fixes the number of the stars;
he calls each one by its name.
Our Lord is great and almighty;
his wisdom can never be measured.
The Lord raises the lowly;
he humbles the wicked to the dust.
O sing to the Lord, giving thanks;
sing psalms to our God with the harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares the rain for the earth,
making mountains sprout with grass
and with plants to serve man’s needs.
He provides the beasts with their food
and young ravens that call upon him.
His delight is not in horses
nor his pleasure in warriors’ strength.
The Lord delights in those who revere him,
in those who wait for his love.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
God our Father, great builder of the heavenly Jerusalem, you know the number of the stars and call each of them by name. Heal hearts that are broken, gather together those who have been scattered, and enrich us all from the plenitude of your eternal wisdom.
Ant. Let us joyfully praise the Lord our God.
READING Romans 8:18-21
The sufferings of the present are as nothing compared with the glory to be revealed in us. Indeed, the whole created world eagerly awaits the revelation of the sons of God. Creation was made subject to futility, not of its own accord but by him who once subjected it; yet not without hope, because the world itself will be freed from its slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
In the early hours of the morning, I think of you, O Lord.
– In the early hours of the morning, I think of you, O Lord.
Always you are there to help me,
– I think of you, O Lord.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– In the early hours of the morning, I think of you, O Lord.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Ant. Give your people knowledge of salvation, Lord, and forgive us our sins.
Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Give your people knowledge of salvation, Lord, and forgive us our sins.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us pray to God, who gives salvation to his people:
– You are our life, O Lord.
Blessed are you, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for by your mercy we have been reborn to a living hope,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
– You are our life, O Lord.
You made man in your image and renewed him in Christ,
mold us into the likeness of your Son.
– You are our life, O Lord.
Pour out your love through the Holy Spirit,
heal our hearts, wounded by hatred and jealousy.
– You are our life, O Lord.
Today grant work to laborers, bread to the hungry, joy to the sorrowful,
grace and redemption to all men.
– You are our life, O Lord.
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.
Concluding Prayer
Lord,
let the knowledge of salvation
enlighten our hearts,
so that, freed from fear and from the power of our enemies,
we may serve you faithfully all the days of our life.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
Aug 18, Daytime Prayer for Thursday of the 20th week of Ordinary Time
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: Page 659
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 1219 (Midday)
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: Page 623
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 1183 (Midday)
Daytime Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
Firmly I believe and truly
God is three and God is one;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son
And I trust and hope most fully
In that manhood crucified;
And I love supremely, solely
Christ who for my sins has died.
And I hold in veneration,
For the love of him alone,
Holy Church as his creation,
And her teachings as his own.
Praise and thanks be ever given
With and through the angel host,
To the God of earth and heaven,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Melody: Halton Holgate 87.87; Music: William Boyce, 1710-1779; Text: John Henry Newman, 1801-1890, adapted by Anthony G. Petti; © 1971 by Faber Music Ltd, London. Reproduced by kind permission of the publishers. All Rights Reserved.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 If you love me, says the Lord, keep my commandments.
Psalm 119:153-160
XX (Resh)
See my affliction and save me
for I remember your law.
Uphold my cause and defend me;
by your promise give me life.
Salvation is far from the wicked
who are heedless of your commands.
Numberless, Lord, are your mercies;
with your decrees give me life.
Though my foes and oppressors are countless
I have not swerved from your will.
I look at the faithless with disgust;
they ignore your promise.
See how I love your precepts;
in your mercy give me life.
Your word is founded on truth:
your decrees are eternal.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Help us always to rejoice in your promise, Father, and to praise the glory of your deeds. Keep us united in the love of your peace; then we shall have little to fear from the threats of the mighty.
Ant. If you love me, says the Lord, keep my commandments.
Ant. 2 May the Lord bless you, and peace will be yours all the days of your life.
Psalm 128
Happiness of family life rooted in God
“May the Lord bless you from Zion” refers to the Church (Arnobius).
O blessed are those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways!
By the labor of your hands you shall eat.
You will be happy and prosper;
your wife like a fruitful vine
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive,
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion
all the days of your life!
May you see your children’s children
in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Give lasting happiness, Lord, to those who reverence your name, so that our life and work may be such as to deserve your commendation, and bring us, laden with good fruit, to our everlasting home.
Ant. May the Lord bless you, and peace will be yours all the days of your life.
Ant. 3 God will gain the victory for you over all your enemies.
Psalm 129
God’s people reaffirm their trust in time of affliction
The voice of the Church lamenting its suffering is heard in this psalm (Saint Augustine).
“They have pressed me hard from my youth,”
this is Israel’s song.
“They have pressed me hard from my youth
but could never destroy me.
They ploughed my back like ploughmen,
drawing long furrows.
But the Lord, who is just, has destroyed
the yoke of the wicked.”
Let them be shamed and routed,
those who hate Zion!
Let them be like grass on the roof
that withers before it flowers.
With that no reaper fills his arms,
no binder makes his sheaves
and those passing by will not say:
“On you the Lord’s blessing!”
“We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, living in glory as the Son of Man, remember that when our sins had ploughed long furrows on your back, your death broke the bonds of sin and Satan for ever. Bless your Church, wounded in its members, and strengthen it by your invincible power and grace.
Ant. God will gain the victory for you over all your enemies.
READING Wisdom 1:1-2
Love justice, you who judge the earth;
think of the Lord in goodness,
and seek him in integrity of heart;
Because he is found by those who test him not,
and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him.
Trust firmly in the Lord and do his will.
– And you will dwell secure in the land of promise.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
All-powerful and ever-living God,
with you there is no darkness,
from you nothing is hidden.
Fill us with the radiance of your light:
may we understand the law you have given us
and live it with generosity and faith.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
Aug 18, Evening Prayer for Thursday of the 20th week of Ordinary Time
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: Page 668
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 1224
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: Page 632
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 1188
Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: Page 694
All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, Page 973
Evening Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
HYMN
Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving
To God our creator triumphantly raise.
Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,
Who guideth us on to the end of our days.
God’s banners are o’er us, His light goes before us,
A pillar of fire shining forth in the night.
Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished
As forward we travel from light into Light.
His law he enforces, the stars in their courses
And sun in his orbit obediently shine;
The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,
The deeps of the ocean proclaim him divine.
We too should be voicing our love and rejoicing;
With glad adoration a song let us raise
Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving:
“To God in the highest, Hosanna and praise!”
“Let All Things Now Living” by Michael Card; Tune: The Ash Grove, traditional Welsh Melody; Text: Anonymous
Click here to purchase this hymn.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 He is my comfort and my refuge. In him I put my trust.
Psalm 144
Prayer for victory and peace
Christ learned the art of warfare when he overcame the world, as he said: “I have overcome the world” (Saint Hilary).
I
Blessed be the Lord, my rock
who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war.
He is my love, my fortress;
he is my stronghold, my savior,
my shield, my place of refuge.
He brings peoples under my rule.
Lord, what is man that you care for him,
mortal man, that you keep him in mind;
man, who is merely a breath
whose life fades like a shadow?
Lower your heavens and come down;
touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke.
Flash your lightnings; rout the foe,
shoot your arrows and put them to flight.
Reach down from heaven and save me;
draw me out from the mighty waters,
from the hands of alien foes
whose mouths are filled with lies,
whose hands are raised in perjury.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. He is my comfort and my refuge. In him I put my trust.
Ant. 2 Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.
II
To you, O God, will I sing a new song;
I will play on the ten-stringed harp
to you who give kings their victory,
who set David your servant free.
You set him free from the evil sword;
you rescued him from alien foes
whose mouths were filled with lies,
whose hands were raised in perjury.
Let our sons then flourish like saplings
grown tall and strong from their youth:
our daughters graceful as columns,
adorned as though for a palace.
Let our barns be filled to overflowing
with crops of every kind;
our sheep increasing by thousands,
myriads of sheep in our fields,
our cattle heavy with young,
no ruined wall, no exile,
no sound of weeping in our streets.
Happy the people with such blessings;
happy the people whose God is the Lord.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm-prayer
Lord, God of strength, You gave your Son victory over death. Direct Your Church’s fight against evil in this world. Clothe us with the weapons of light and unite us under one banner of love, that we may receive our eternal reward after the battle of earthly life.
Ant. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord.
Ant. 3 Now the victorious reign of our God has begun.
Canticle – Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
The judgment of God
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.
The nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
The time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our God and the authority
of his Anointed One.
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Now the victorious reign of our God has begun.
READING See Colossians 1:23
You must hold fast to faith, be firmly grounded and steadfast in it, unshaken in the hope promised you by the gospel you have received. It is the gospel which has been announced to every creature under heaven.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall want for nothing.
– The Lord is my shepherd, I shall want for nothing.
He has brought me to green pastures.
– I shall want for nothing.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– The Lord is my shepherd, I shall want for nothing.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. If you hunger for holiness, God will satisfy your longing, good measure, and flowing over.
Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. If you hunger for holiness, God will satisfy your longing, good measure, and flowing over.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us pray to Christ, the light of the nations and the joy of every living creature:
– Give us light, peace and security, Lord.
Brilliant Light, Word of the Father, you came to save all men,
lead the catechumens of your Church into your marvelous light.
– Give us light, peace and security, Lord.
Overlook our sins, Lord,
for you are the source of forgiveness.
– Give us light, peace and security, Lord.
Lord, it is your will that men use their minds to unlock nature’s secrets and master the world,
may the arts and sciences advance your glory and the happiness of all peoples.
– Give us light, peace and security, Lord.
Look kindly on those who have dedicated themselves to the service of their fellow men,
may they fulfill their work freely and completely.
– Give us light, peace and security, Lord.
Lord, you open the way and no one can close it,
lead into your light those who have fallen asleep in the hope of resurrection.
– Give us light, peace and security, Lord.
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.
Concluding Prayer
Lord,
hear the evening prayers we bring before you:
help us to follow in the footsteps of your Son
so that we may produce an abundant harvest of goodness
in patience and in faith.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
Aug 18, Night Prayer for Thursday of the 20th week of Ordinary Time
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours:
Vol I, page 1183
Vol II, Page 1642
Vol III, Page 1283
Vol IV, Page 1247
Christian Prayer:
Page 1049
General instruction:
Please pray with us actively, especially by joining with us in saying antiphons and responses, most of which are indicated in this highlight.
Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer.
Night Prayer for Thursday
God, come to my assistance.
– Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
– as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Examination of conscience:
We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better.
Lord Jesus raise us to new life:
Lord, have mercy
– Lord have mercy
Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins:
Christ, have mercy.
– Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus you feed us with your body and blood:
Lord, have mercy
– Lord have mercy
HYMN
O Lord my God! when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the mighty thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
When through the woods and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look down from lofty mountain grandeur
And hear the brook and feel the gentle breeze:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul! my Savior God, to Thee:
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
”How Great Thou Art” by Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Originally this was a Swedish folk melody, “O Store Gud” by Carl Boberg (1859-1940) and was translated by Stuart K. Hine in 1899.
”How Great Thou Art” by Melinda Kirigin-Voss is available from Amazon.com.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 In you, my God, my body will rest in hope.
Psalm 16
God is my portion, my inheritance
The Father raised up Jesus from the dead and broke the bonds of death (Acts 2:24).
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: “You are my God.
My happiness lies in you alone.”
He has put into my heart a marvelous love
for the faithful ones who dwell in his land.
Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows.
Never will I offer their offerings of blood.
Never will I take their name upon my lips.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
The lot marked out for me is my delight:
welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me!
I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel,
who even at night directs my heart.
I keep the Lord ever in my sight:
since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm.
And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad;
even my body shall rest in safety.
10 For you will not leave my soul among the dead,
nor let your beloved know decay.
You will show me the path of life,
the fullness of joy in your presence,
at your right hand happiness for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. In you, my God, my body will rest in hope.
READING 1 Thessalonians 5:23
May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May he preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
RESPONSORY
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth.
– I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
– Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.
Gospel Canticle
Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.
Luke 2:29-32
Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
your word has been fulfilled:
my own eyes have seen the salvation
which you have prepared in the sight of every people:
a light to reveal you to the nations
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace.
Concluding Prayer
Lord God,
send peaceful sleep
to refresh our tired bodies.
May your help always renew us
and keep us strong in your service.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.
Blessing
May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death.
– Amen.
Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
For: Thursday, August 18, 2011
20th Week in Ordinary Time
From: Judges 11:29-39a
Jephthah’s rash vow
Jephthath’s victory over the Ammonites
In fulfillment of his vow, Jephthah sacrifices his daughter
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Commentary:
11:29-40. The Bible contains clear laws which, in addition to forbidding the kil-
ling of an innocent person (Ex 23:7), regard human sacrifice as a very grave sin,
a crime and a form of idolatry (cf. Lev 18:21; 20:2-5; Deut 12:31; 18:10; Mic 6:7).
Human sacrifice was common among Israel’s neighbours, as can be seen from
Ugarit and Phoenician texts and from the book of Kings (2 Kings 3:27) which
reports the sacrificing of the first-born son of Mesha, king of Moah; there even
seems to have been an instance of it in Israel (cf. 2 Kings 16:3). But in all cases
it is condemned. However, the sacrificing of Jephthah’s daughter is reported with-
out any clear negative criticism and the event was commemorated year by year
(v. 40). The episode certainly is disconcerting, but it may be that the author (wri-
ting at a time when no one was in any doubt about human sacrifice being an abo-
mination) chose to respect the traditions that had come down, cruel and harsh
though they were, in order to convey a lesson about the sacredness of vows and
promises. Vows are such holy things that they should always be kept. But, for
that very reason, they should not be made rashly. This teaching is repeated else-
where in the Bible in reaction to abuses involved in the fulfillment of vows, espe-
cially by those who made them hurriedly and then went back on them (cf. Num
30:3; Deut 23: 22-24; Eccles 5:3-4; cf. also Lev 27:1ff).
When revelation reaches its fullness, the doctrine on vows and promises made
to God becomes quite clear: a person may, out of devotion, promise God that he
will perform some act – say some prayer, give alms or do some other good work.
Keeping this promise is a sign of respect for God’s majesty and of love towards
a faithful God. Sometimes, that promise may take the form of a vow, that is, of
“a deliberate and free promise made to God, concerning some good which is pos-
sible and better” (Code of Canon Law, c. 1191, 1) which “is an act of devotion in
which the Christian dedicates himself to God or promises him some good work”
(Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2102). If having made a promise or vow, one
realizes that one has promised something wrong, one clearly should not keep
the promise: to do so would not be proof of fidelity to God; it would be sacrile-
gious. Therefore, Jephthah’s action cannot be justified.
11:37. Jephthah’s daughter asks him to delay carryout out his vow so that she
can “bewail her virginity”, that is, lament that fact that she will die before marrying
or conceiving a child. These were ambitions of every Israelite woman and not to
have achieved them would have been a reason for feeling ashamed and sorrow-
ful.
*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
| Matthew | |||
| English: Douay-Rheims | Latin: Vulgata Clementina | Greek NT: Byzantine/Majority Text (2000) | |
| Matthew 22 |
|||
| 1. | AND Jesus answering, spoke again in parables to them, saying: | Et respondens Jesus, dixit iterum in parabolis eis, dicens : | και αποκριθεις ο ιησους παλιν ειπεν αυτοις εν παραβολαις λεγων |
| 2. | The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son. | Simile factum est regnum cælorum homini regi, qui fecit nuptias filio suo. | ωμοιωθη η βασιλεια των ουρανων ανθρωπω βασιλει οστις εποιησεν γαμους τω υιω αυτου |
| 3. | And he sent his servants, to call them that were invited to the marriage; and they would not come. | Et misit servos suos vocare invitatos ad nuptias, et nolebant venire. | και απεστειλεν τους δουλους αυτου καλεσαι τους κεκλημενους εις τους γαμους και ουκ ηθελον ελθειν |
| 4. | Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were invited, Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my beeves and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the marriage. | Iterum misit alios servos, dicens : Dicite invitatis : Ecce prandium meum paravi, tauri mei et altilia occisa sunt, et omnia parata : venite ad nuptias. | παλιν απεστειλεν αλλους δουλους λεγων ειπατε τοις κεκλημενοις ιδου το αριστον μου ητοιμασα οι ταυροι μου και τα σιτιστα τεθυμενα και παντα ετοιμα δευτε εις τους γαμους |
| 5. | But they neglected, and went their own ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise. | Illi autem neglexerunt : et abierunt, alius in villam suam, alius vero ad negotiationem suam : | οι δε αμελησαντες απηλθον ο μεν εις τον ιδιον αγρον ο δε εις την εμποριαν αυτου |
| 6. | And the rest laid hands on his servants, and having treated them contumeliously, put them to death. | reliqui vero tenuerunt servos ejus, et contumeliis affectos occiderunt. | οι δε λοιποι κρατησαντες τους δουλους αυτου υβρισαν και απεκτειναν |
| 7. | But when the king had heard of it, he was angry, and sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city. | Rex autem cum audisset, iratus est : et missis exercitibus suis, perdidit homicidas illos, et civitatem illorum succendit. | και ακουσας ο βασιλευς εκεινος ωργισθη και πεμψας τα στρατευματα αυτου απωλεσεν τους φονεις εκεινους και την πολιν αυτων ενεπρησεν |
| 8. | Then he saith to his servants: The marriage indeed is ready; but they that were invited were not worthy. | Tunc ait servis suis : Nuptiæ quidem paratæ sunt, sed qui invitati erant, non fuerunt digni : | τοτε λεγει τοις δουλοις αυτου ο μεν γαμος ετοιμος εστιν οι δε κεκλημενοι ουκ ησαν αξιοι |
| 9. | Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find, call to the marriage. | ite ergo ad exitus viarum, et quoscumque inveneritis, vocate ad nuptias. | πορευεσθε ουν επι τας διεξοδους των οδων και οσους αν ευρητε καλεσατε εις τους γαμους |
| 10. | And his servants going forth into the ways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good: and the marriage was filled with guests. | Et egressi servi ejus in vias, congregaverunt omnes quos invenerunt, malos et bonos : et impletæ sunt nuptiæ discumbentium. | και εξελθοντες οι δουλοι εκεινοι εις τας οδους συνηγαγον παντας οσους ευρον πονηρους τε και αγαθους και επλησθη ο γαμος ανακειμενων |
| 11. | And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. | Intravit autem rex ut viderent discumbentes, et vidit ibi hominem non vestitum veste nuptiali. | εισελθων δε ο βασιλευς θεασασθαι τους ανακειμενους ειδεν εκει ανθρωπον ουκ ενδεδυμενον ενδυμα γαμου |
| 12. | And he saith to him: Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? But he was silent. | Et ait illi : Amice, quomodo huc intrasti non habens vestem nuptialem ? At ille obmutavit. | και λεγει αυτω εταιρε πως εισηλθες ωδε μη εχων ενδυμα γαμου ο δε εφιμωθη |
| 13. | Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. | Tunc dicit rex ministris : Ligatis manibus et pedibus ejus, mittite eum in tenebras exteriores : ibi erit fletus et stridor dentium. | τοτε ειπεν ο βασιλευς τοις διακονοις δησαντες αυτου ποδας και χειρας αρατε αυτον και εκβαλετε εις το σκοτος το εξωτερον εκει εσται ο κλαυθμος και ο βρυγμος των οδοντων |
| 14. | For many are called, but few are chosen. | Multi enim sunt vocati, pauci vero electi. | πολλοι γαρ εισιν κλητοι ολιγοι δε εκλεκτοι |