Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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 79 (80)
Lord, tend your vine
Shepherd of Israel, listen – you who take Joseph as your flock. Shine out before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh – you who are enthroned upon the cherubim. Awaken your power and come to us, come to us and save us. Bring us back, O God: let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. Lord God of hosts – how long will your anger endure against the prayers of your people? You have given us tears for our bread, abundance of tears for us to drink. You have made us a mockery among our neighbours, and our enemies laugh at us. Bring us back, O God of hosts: let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. You brought a vine out of Egypt; planted it, and drove out the nations. You cleared the ground all about it, made firm its roots; and it filled the land. Its shade covered mountains, its boughs shaded the cedars of God; its leaves spread as far as the sea, its shoots as far as the River. So why did you destroy its wall, so that anyone could pluck its fruit, whoever was passing by? The wild boar of the forest broke it, every wild beast could graze off it. Turn back, O God of hosts, look down from heaven and tend this vine. Protect the vine, for your right hand planted it; and the son of man, whom you made strong. The vine is burnt and dug up; and they too will perish when they see you rebuke them. Stretch out your hand over your chosen one over the son of man, whom you made strong – and we will not forsake you, and you will give us life; and we will call on your name. Bring us back, Lord God of hosts: let your face shine on us and we shall be saved. 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.

Psalm 79 (80)

Lord, tend your vine

Shepherd of Israel, listen –
you who take Joseph as your flock.
Shine out before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh –
you who are enthroned upon the cherubim.
Awaken your power and come to us,
come to us and save us.

Bring us back, O God:
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Lord God of hosts –
how long will your anger endure
against the prayers of your people?
You have given us tears for our bread,
abundance of tears for us to drink.
You have made us a mockery among our neighbours,
and our enemies laugh at us.

Bring us back, O God of hosts:
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
planted it, and drove out the nations.
You cleared the ground all about it,
made firm its roots; and it filled the land.
Its shade covered mountains,
its boughs shaded the cedars of God;
its leaves spread as far as the sea,
its shoots as far as the River.

So why did you destroy its wall,
so that anyone could pluck its fruit,
whoever was passing by?
The wild boar of the forest broke it,
every wild beast could graze off it.

Turn back, O God of hosts,
look down from heaven and tend this vine.

Protect the vine, for your right hand planted it;
and the son of man, whom you made strong.
The vine is burnt and dug up;
and they too will perish when they see you rebuke them.
Stretch out your hand over your chosen one
over the son of man, whom you made strong –
and we will not forsake you, and you will give us life;
and we will call on your name.

Bring us back, Lord God of hosts:
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

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 12
The rejoicing of a redeemed people
I will praise you, Lord, for when you were angry with me you calmed your rage and turned again to console me. Behold, God is my salvation: I will be confident, I will not fear; for the Lord is my strength and my joy, he has become my saviour. And you will rejoice as you draw water from the springs of salvation. And then you will say: “Praise the Lord and call upon his name. Tell the peoples what he has done, remember always the greatness of his name. Sing to the Lord, for he has done great things: let this be known throughout the world”. 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 12

The rejoicing of a redeemed people

I will praise you, Lord, for when you were angry with me
you calmed your rage and turned again to console me.
Behold, God is my salvation:
I will be confident, I will not fear;
for the Lord is my strength and my joy,
he has become my saviour.

And you will rejoice as you draw water
from the springs of salvation.
And then you will say:
“Praise the Lord and call upon his name.
Tell the peoples what he has done,
remember always the greatness of his name.
Sing to the Lord, for he has done great things:
let this be known throughout the world”.

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.

Psalm 80 (81)
Solemn renewal of the covenant
Shout with joy to God our helper, rejoice in the God of Jacob. Take up the song, sound the timbrel, play on the lyre and the harp. At the start of the month, sound the trumpet, at the full moon, at our festival. For this is the law for Israel, the decree of the God of Jacob. He gave it to Joseph, for a witness, when he went out of the land of Egypt; with words that had never been heard: “I freed his back from burdens; his hands were freed from heavy loads. In your tribulation you called on me and I freed you, I heard you from the heart of the storm, I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Listen, my people, and I will put my case – Israel, if you would only hear me! You shall not have any strange god, you shall not worship the gods of foreigners. For I am the Lord, your God, who led you out of the land of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I shall fill it. But my people did not hear my voice: Israel did not turn to me. So I let them go on in the hardness of their hearts, and follow their own counsels. If my people had heard me, if only they had walked in my ways – I would swiftly have crushed their enemies, stretched my hand over those who persecuted them. The enemies of the Lord would be overcome with weakness, Israel’s would be the good fortune, for ever: I would feed them full of richest wheat and give them honey from the rock, to their heart’s content. 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.

Psalm 80 (81)

Solemn renewal of the covenant

Shout with joy to God our helper,
rejoice in the God of Jacob.
Take up the song, sound the timbrel,
play on the lyre and the harp.
At the start of the month, sound the trumpet,
at the full moon, at our festival.

For this is the law for Israel,
the decree of the God of Jacob.
He gave it to Joseph, for a witness,
when he went out of the land of Egypt;
with words that had never been heard:

“I freed his back from burdens;
his hands were freed from heavy loads.
In your tribulation you called on me and I freed you,
I heard you from the heart of the storm,
I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Listen, my people, and I will put my case –
Israel, if you would only hear me!
You shall not have any strange god,
you shall not worship the gods of foreigners.
For I am the Lord, your God,
who led you out of the land of Egypt.
Open wide your mouth and I shall fill it.

But my people did not hear my voice:
Israel did not turn to me.
So I let them go on in the hardness of their hearts,
and follow their own counsels.

If my people had heard me,
if only they had walked in my ways –
I would swiftly have crushed their enemies,
stretched my hand over those who persecuted them.

The enemies of the Lord would be overcome with weakness,
Israel’s would be the good fortune, for ever:
I would feed them full of richest wheat
and give them honey from the rock,
to their heart’s content.

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	Romans 14:17 - 19 ©
The kingdom of God does not mean eating or drinking this or that, it means righteousness and peace and joy brought by the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way you will please God and be respected by men. So let us adopt any custom that leads to peace and our mutual improvement.

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.

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.

Prayers and Intercessions

Blessed be God our Father, who protects his children and does not spurn their prayers. Let us all humbly pray to him: - Lord, give us light to see by.
We thank you, Lord, for sending us your only Son to enlighten us:: may his light fill us all day long.
Lord, send your wisdom to lead us through the day:: let us walk in the purity of a new life.
Give us the strength to endure adversity for your sake:: with courage let us serve you unceasingly.
Guide our thoughts, our feelings and our actions today,: so that we may serve you and follow you.

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.

We pray to you, Lord, the true Light and the creator of light.
May we keep our minds on what is holy
and live always in the brightness of your presence.

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

Regnum Christi

Lord Jesus Revealed
August 9, 2007

Thursday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Father Patrick Murphy, LC

Matthew 16: 13-23
When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippi he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter said in reply, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus said to him in reply, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father. And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Then he strictly ordered his disciples to tell no one that he was the Messiah. From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."

Introductory Prayer:Lord, I believe in you. My faith will increase in the measure I exercise it and allow it to transform my life. Increase my faith, hope and love, so that I will be capable of knowing you more intimately.

Petition:Lord, may I know you personally through faith and generous imitation of you.

1. Mysterious Jesus We acquire knowledge through experience. Some people in the gospel attempted to know Jesus by identifying him with others. Some said he was John the Baptist, who preached repentance and conversion like the Lord. Some compared him to Jeremiah, whose prophecies involved a new covenant that God would make with the house of Israel, one in which he would place his law within them, and “write it upon their hearts.” “I will be their God,” he said, “and they shall be my people.” (see Jeremiah 31:33). Some heard of Jesus’ extraordinary powers, and mistook him for Elijah, who was carried away in a chariot of fire.

2. Rays to the Sun Jesus does resemble the prophets and patriarchs of the Old Testament. He resembles them, but also supersedes them. None of these holy men exhaust the dimensions of Christ’s person. They are rays, he is the sun. The apostles know the Lord is more than Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah or even John. “Who do you say that I am?” “You are the Christ, the Son of God.”

3. Blessed are you… “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.” The apostles had first compared Jesus to all of the holy ones of Israel’s past, but soon saw that he surpassed them all. His virtue, goodness and power rose higher and higher, until he shattered the paradigms of measurement and comparison. He was not only quantitatively, but qualitatively, much, much more. The heavenly Father shed his light, and they believed at last.

Dialogue with Christ: Lord, in my reading of the gospels I come to admire you exceedingly, but only grace can allow me to believe. Only grace can strengthen my faith and allow me to understand and see things the way you do. Flesh and blood are limited. Give me the gift of faith, so I might rise above those limits and come to know you as my supreme good.

Resolution: I will pray for the gift of faith for those who don’t believe today.