Posted on 03/12/2008 9:46:24 AM PDT by Salvation
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.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
Psalm 26 (27) |
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Keeping faith in time of peril |
The Lord is my light and my help: whom should I fear? The Lord protects my life: what could terrify me? When they come to do me harm, to consume my flesh, my enemies and my persecutors, it is they who stumble and fall. If their armies encamp against me, my heart will not fear; if battle flares up against me, even then will I hope. One thing I beg of the Lord, one thing will I ask: that I may live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, so that I may behold the joys of the Lord and always see his temple. For he will shelter me in his tent in the time of evils. He will hide me in the hidden parts of the tabernacle; then raise me up on a rock, lift me high up above the enemies who surround me. In his tabernacle I will offer him a sacrifice of shouts, of songs, of psalms to 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. |
Psalm 26 (27) |
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Listen, Lord, to my voice as I cry: have mercy and listen to me. Seek his face, my heart has said, and so I will seek your face, O Lord. Do not turn your face away from me, do not turn from your servant in anger. You are my helper, do not reject me; do not abandon me, God, my help. For when my father and mother have abandoned me, the Lord will take me up. Show me your ways, Lord, and guide me along the right path, out of the reach of my enemies. Do not hand me over to the whim of those who would persecute me, when lying witnesses have risen up against me, with those who plan to do me violence. I trust I shall see the joys of the Lord in the land of the living. Hope in the Lord, be brave, let your heart take comfort and trust in 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. |
Canticle | (Colossians 1) |
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Christ, firstborn of all creatures and firstborn from the dead | |
Let us give thanks to God the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the light that is the saints inheritance. He has rescued us from the power of the shadows and brought us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption and the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of all creation, for in him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, thrones and dominations, principalities and powers. All things were created through him and for him: he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the Church. He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, and so he is pre-eminent above all. For it was the Fathers will that the fullness of God should dwell in him, and that through him all things should be reconciled to himself. Through the blood of the Cross he brought peace to all things, both on Earth and in the heavens. 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 | Ephesians 4:32 - 5:2 © |
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Be friends with one another, and kind, forgiving each other as readily as God forgave you in Christ. Try to imitate God as children of his that he loves and follow Christ loving as he loved you, giving himself up in our place as a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. |
Canticle | Magnificat |
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My soul rejoices in the Lord | |
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed, because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy, his mercy lasts for generation after generation for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength: he has scattered the proud and conceited, torn princes from their thrones; but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things; the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel, he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. 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. |
O God of mercy and compassion, your children have been sanctified by penance: now enlighten their hearts. Give them the desire to worship you, and listen with kindness to their petitions. 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 |
Wednesday, March 12, 2008 Meditation Daniel 3:14-20,91-92,95 In everything he does in us, Gods one goal is to make us strong in faith. Todays reading from the Book of Daniel gives us a lesson in how faith can grow through testing. According to the story, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were companions of the prophet Daniel during the time of Babylonian captivity. When Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, issued a decree that all his subjects must bow down before a golden idol, these three men were not afraid to face the consequences of their refusal. Enraged, the king threw them into a furnace that was stoked sevenfold to make the flames murderously intense. Yet these three heroes escaped unharmed, and the king acknowledged Yahweh as the one true God. God wants us to trust that he is always with us, especially when we face trial and difficulty. Satan, our enemy, wants to rob us of our confidence. He wants to suggest doubts and fears to us so that we would abandon our trust in God. But the promise remains that God can turn every trial into an opportunity for revealing his faithfulness and power. We all face struggles: times of weakness and temptation, the loss of something we cherish, the disappointment of personal failure, or the death of a loved one. God wants to make use of these times of sorrow and stress to purify our faith and draw us closer into communion with him. Its in our trials that we experience most clearly that our strength does not come from ourselves but from God, who will never abandon us. If we keep our eyes fixed on the Lord as these three men did, nothing ever has to separate us from God. St. Teresa of Avila kept the following verse as a bookmark in her breviary: Let nothing trouble you. Let nothing frighten you. All is fleeting. God alone is unchanging. Patience obtains everything. The one who possesses God lacks nothing. God alone suffices. Similarly, Peter described the Christian faith as something more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire (1 Peter 1:7). Lets ask the Lord to give us a strong faith that can endure any trial, and to fill us with a joy that never forgets his abiding presence. Lord, I surrender my life into your hands. Let nothing keep me from the joy of your loving presence. (Psalm) Daniel 3:52-56; John 8:31-42 |
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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.
This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited. |
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
Psalm 30 (31) |
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Trustful prayer in time of adversity |
O God, protect me; be my refuge. |
In you, Lord, I put my trust: may I never be put to shame. In your justice, set me free, Turn your ear to me, make haste to rescue me. Be my rampart, my fortification; keep me safe. For you are my strength and my refuge: you will lead me out to the pastures, for your own names sake. You will lead me out of the trap that they laid for me for you are my strength. Into your hands I commend my spirit: you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth. 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. |
O God, protect me; be my refuge. |
Psalm 129 (130) |
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Out of the depths |
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord. |
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord: Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears listen out for the voice of my pleading. If you took notice of our transgressions, Lord Lord, who would be left? But with you is forgiveness, and for this we revere you. I rely on you, Lord, my spirit relies on your promise; my soul hopes in the Lord, more than the watchman for daybreak. More than the watchman for daybreak, let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is kindness and abundant redemption. He himself will redeem Israel from all its transgressions. 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. |
Out of the depths I have cried to you, Lord. |
Reading | Ephesians 4:26-27 |
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Be angry if you must, but do not sin: do not let your anger outlast the sunset: do not give the Devil his chance. |
Short Responsory | ? |
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Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. - Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. |
Canticle | Nunc Dimittis |
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Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. | |
Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace. You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness; the glory of your people Israel. 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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Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. |
Prayer | |
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Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, you lay a gentle yoke upon those who follow you. Meek and humble, you give them a light burden to carry. Receive the work and the prayers we have offered to you today; and give us rest, to make us more eager to serve you, who live and reign for ever and ever, Amen. |
May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. |
A M E N |
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