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 91 (92) |
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Praise of God, the Creator |
It is good to praise the Lord, and to sing psalms to your name, O Most High, to proclaim your mercy in the morning and your faithfulness by night; on the ten-stringed lyre and the harp, with songs upon the lyre. For you give me joy, Lord, in your creation: I rejoice in the work of your hands. How great are your works, O Lord, how immeasurably deep your thoughts. The fool does not hear, the slow-witted do not understand. When the wicked sprout up like grass, and the doers of evil are in full bloom, it will come to nothing, for they will perish for ever and ever; but you, Lord, are the Highest eternally. For behold, Lord, your enemies, how your enemies will perish, how wrongdoers will be scattered. You will give me strength as the wild oxen have; I have been anointed with the purest oil. I will look down upon my enemies, and hear the plans of those who plot evil against me. The just will flourish like the palm tree, grow tall like the cedar of Lebanon. They will be planted in the house of the Lord; in the courts of our God they will flourish. They will bear fruit even when old, fresh and luxuriant through all their days. They will proclaim how just is the Lord, my refuge, for in him there is no unrighteousness. 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 | Ezekiel 36 |
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The Lord will renew his people | |
I will take you from among the Gentiles, I will bring you together from all the earth, I will lead you into your own land. I will pour clean water on you, and you will be cleansed from your filth: from all your worship of idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the stone heart from your breast and put a heart of flesh in its place. I will put my spirit among you, so that you will walk in the paths of my law, keep my judgements and obey them. You shall live in the land I gave to your fathers. You shall be a people for me, and I will be your God. 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 8 |
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The greatness of God, the dignity of man |
How wonderful is your name over all the earth, O Lord, our Lord! How exalted is your glory above the sky! Out of the mouths of children and infants you have brought praise, to confound your enemies, to destroy your vengeful foes. When I see the heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and stars, which you set in their place what is man, that you should take thought for him? what is the son of man, that you should look after him? You have made him but one step lower than the angels; you have crowned him with glory and honour; you have set him over the works of your hands. You have put everything beneath his feet, cattle and sheep and the beasts of the field, the birds in the air and the fish in the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the waters. How wonderful is your name above all the earth, O Lord, our 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. |
Short reading | 2 Peter 3:13 - 15 © |
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What we are waiting for is what he promised: the new heavens and new earth, the place where righteousness will be at home. So then, my friends, while you are waiting, do your best to live lives without spot or stain so that he will find you at peace. Think of our Lords patience as your opportunity to be saved. |
Canticle | Benedictus |
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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. |
Almighty and eternal God, you are true light and never-ending day. As morning comes round once more, may the glory of your coming shatter the night of sin and fill our minds with light. 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 |
Faith Worth More Than Life
Luke 8: 4-15
Petition: Lord, by your Word, help me to bear abundant fruit according to your will. 1. Faith Is Not a Gift to Take for Granted A person with sight must be grateful not to be blind. A person with hearing must be grateful not to be deaf. A person with faith, likewise, must tremble with gratitude before God. If this comparison seems extreme, Christ himself has clarified: "Knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of God has been granted to you; but to the rest, they are made known through parables so that they may look but not see, and hear but not understand." Therefore I ought to thank God for the very opportunity to contemplate the mysteries of my faith in order to deepen in my understanding of them. To misuse my times for prayer would betray ingratitude toward God and border on presumption. The Good Teacher has so much to teach me. He has entrusted himself to me even though not everyone has yet experienced this grace in such a personal way. Am I ready to learn? 2. Birds, Rocks, and Thorns If it had not been clear to me how any erosion to my life of prayer is a threat to my soul, Christ has clarified resoundingly. Apart from myself, there are three potentially enemies to my soul: birds, rocks, and thorns. In a world that denies sin and Satan even more, I might be tempted to think that I am safe, some immune species without a predator. Christ refers first and foremost to the danger posed by his mortal enemy, the devil. Christ wants to win my heart. My heart needs to receive his Word. Through my hardness of heart or superficiality, I can miss lifes meaning and lose the invitation to eternal salvation. Do I open and read my mail? Do I R.S.V.P. to the most important matters? Or do I throw my life to the wind to be swallowed up by the birds? 3. The Rich Harvest In Christs love and mercy toward me, he invites me to be that rich soil. I may choose to hear his Word and have it germinate in my heart. I may embrace it with a generous and good heart, and bear fruit through perseverance. What habits of contemplation have I fostered in order to best receive Gods Word in my soul and have it sprout with divine life in my soul? How effective am I at turning the pleasant thought of my piety into a real-life exercise of virtue that would distinguish me as a Christian? By their fruits you will know them (Matthew 7:16). Conversation with Christ: Lord Jesus, I recognize how pernicious my selfishness can be. Free me from pride, which would harden my heart and make me an easy prey for the devil. Free me from vanity, which would have me live by appearances and wither away in a shallow existence. Free me from sensuality, which would eventually deaden my spiritual life. Make of the rich soil that you desire for my soul a fertile ground for your grace. Resolution: Today I will choose to practice a particular virtue that will help me to grow in Gods grace, and in Christs presence I will review how faithfully I fulfilled this resolution before the day is over.
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