Office of Readings

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 104 (105)
The Lord is faithful to his promises
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; proclaim his works among the peoples. Sing and make music to him and reflect on all the wonders he has performed. Glory in his holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord in his power, always seek his face. Remember the wonders he performed, his miracles and the judgements he has uttered. Seed of Abraham, his servants, children of Jacob, his chosen ones. The Lord himself is our God, his rule extends over the whole earth. He has always remembered his covenant, that he made to last a thousand generations, the agreement he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac. He made it a decree for Jacob, an eternal covenant for Israel, saying “I will give you Canaan and measure it out as your inheritance.” Although they were few in number, a handful of wanderers, although they were travelling from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another, he let no harm come to them, he rebuked kings in their defence: “do not touch my anointed ones, do no harm to my prophets.” 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 104 (105)

The Lord is faithful to his promises

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; proclaim his works among the peoples.
Sing and make music to him and reflect on all the wonders he has performed.
Glory in his holy name, let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.

Seek the Lord in his power, always seek his face.
Remember the wonders he performed, his miracles and the judgements he has uttered.
Seed of Abraham, his servants, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.

The Lord himself is our God, his rule extends over the whole earth.
He has always remembered his covenant, that he made to last a thousand generations,
the agreement he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.

He made it a decree for Jacob, an eternal covenant for Israel, saying
“I will give you Canaan and measure it out as your inheritance.”
Although they were few in number, a handful of wanderers,
although they were travelling from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another,
he let no harm come to them, he rebuked kings in their defence:
“do not touch my anointed ones, do no harm to my prophets.”

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 104 (105)
The Lord called down famine upon the land, he ground away every stick of bread. He had sent a man to them, Joseph, and he was sold as a slave. They confined his feet in fetters and put a ring around his neck – until the Lord’s word came, the Lord spoke and justified him. The king sent for him and released him – the ruler of the peoples set him free. He set him to rule over his house, made him lord of all his possessions, so that he could make the princes as wise as himself and teach wisdom to the elders. 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 104 (105)

The Lord called down famine upon the land, he ground away every stick of bread.
He had sent a man to them, Joseph, and he was sold as a slave.
They confined his feet in fetters and put a ring around his neck –
until the Lord’s word came, the Lord spoke and justified him.
The king sent for him and released him – the ruler of the peoples set him free.
He set him to rule over his house, made him lord of all his possessions,
so that he could make the princes as wise as himself and teach wisdom to the elders.

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 104 (105)
And so Israel passed into Egypt and Jacob lived in the country of Ham. The Lord made his people grow enormously and strengthened them against their enemies. Then he turned the hearts of men against his chosen people, so that they hated them and made plots against them. He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. He made them prophesy the signs and prodigies he would work in the land of Ham. He sent shadows and darkness, but they would not listen to his words. He turned their rivers into blood, killing all the fish. Frogs ate up the earth, even in the secret gardens of the palaces. He summoned flies and insects throughout the land. He sent stones of hail and fire to devastate their land. He struck their vines and their fig-trees, broke down the trees of their country. He spoke, and locusts came, and worms without number: they ate all the grain of the land, consumed all of the fruit. He struck down the first-born of their land, the flower of all their strength. He led his people out with silver and gold; not a single one of them stumbled. Egypt rejoiced to see them go, to see the last of the people they feared. He sent a cloud to protect them, and fire to light up their nights. He led out his people in exultation, his chosen ones in gladness. He gave them the territory of the nations, the fruits of the labours of the peoples. All this he did so that they would keep his decrees and follow his laws. 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 104 (105)

And so Israel passed into Egypt and Jacob lived in the country of Ham.
The Lord made his people grow enormously and strengthened them against their enemies.
Then he turned the hearts of men against his chosen people, so that they hated them and made plots against them.
He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
He made them prophesy the signs and prodigies he would work in the land of Ham.

He sent shadows and darkness, but they would not listen to his words.
He turned their rivers into blood, killing all the fish.
Frogs ate up the earth, even in the secret gardens of the palaces.
He summoned flies and insects throughout the land.
He sent stones of hail and fire to devastate their land.
He struck their vines and their fig-trees, broke down the trees of their country.

He spoke, and locusts came, and worms without number:
they ate all the grain of the land, consumed all of the fruit.
He struck down the first-born of their land, the flower of all their strength.

He led his people out with silver and gold; not a single one of them stumbled.
Egypt rejoiced to see them go, to see the last of the people they feared.
He sent a cloud to protect them, and fire to light up their nights.

He led out his people in exultation, his chosen ones in gladness.
He gave them the territory of the nations, the fruits of the labours of the peoples.
All this he did so that they would keep his decrees and follow his laws.

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.

Reading	Colossians 3:5-16 ©
You must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything. You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful. Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God.

Reading

Colossians 3:5-16 ©

You must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; all this is the sort of behaviour that makes God angry. And it is the way in which you used to live when you were surrounded by people doing the same thing, but now you, of all people, must give all these things up: getting angry, being bad-tempered, spitefulness, abusive language and dirty talk; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.
You are God’s chosen race, his saints; he loves you, and you should be clothed in sincere compassion, in kindness and humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with one another; forgive each other as soon as a quarrel begins. The Lord has forgiven you; now you must do the same. Over all these clothes, to keep them together and complete them, put on love. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it is for this that you were called together as parts of one body. Always be thankful.
Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God.

Reading	St Augustine's tractates on St John
The twin commandments of love
The Lord himself came, the Teacher of love, full of love, shortening the word upon the earth, as it was foretold that he would do. He showed that from the two precepts of love depend the whole of the Law and the prophets. What are these two commandments? Join me, my brethren, in recollecting them. They ought to be thoroughly familiar to you and not just come into your mind when we recite them: they ought never to be blotted out from your hearts. Always and everywhere, bear in mind that you must love God and your neighbour, love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as you would love yourself. We must always ponder these words, meditate them, hold them in our minds, practise them and bring them to fruition. As far as teaching is concerned, the love of God comes first; but as far as doing is concerned, the love of our neighbour comes first. Whoever sets out to teach you these two commandments of love must not commend your neighbour to you first, and then God, but God first and then your neighbour. You, on the other hand, do not yet see God, but loving your neighbour will bring you that sight. By loving your neighbour you purify your eyes so that they are ready to see God, as John clearly says: If you do not love your brother, whom you see, how can you love God, whom you do not see? You are told “Love God”. If you say to me “Show me whom I should love”, what can I say except what John says? No man has ever seen God. But you must not think yourself wholly unsuited to seeing God: God is love, says John, and whoever dwells in love dwells in God. So love whoever is nearest to you and look inside you to see where that love is coming from: thus, as far as you are capable, you will see God. So start to love your neighbout. Share your bread with the hungry, bring the homeless pauper into your house. Clothe the naked, and do not despise the servants of your kin. What will you get from doing all this? Your light will break forth like the dawn. Your light is your God, your dawn, because he will come to you to end the night of this world — he who, himself, neither rises nor sets but is eternal. By loving your neighbour, by having care for your neighbour, you are travelling on a journey. Where are you journeying, except to the Lord God, whom we must love with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind? We have not yet reached the Lord, but our neighbour is with us already. So support your neighbour, who is travelling with you, so that you may reach him with whom you long to dwell.

Reading

St Augustine's tractates on St John

The twin commandments of love

The Lord himself came, the Teacher of love, full of love, shortening the word upon the earth, as it was foretold that he would do. He showed that from the two precepts of love depend the whole of the Law and the prophets.
What are these two commandments? Join me, my brethren, in recollecting them. They ought to be thoroughly familiar to you and not just come into your mind when we recite them: they ought never to be blotted out from your hearts. Always and everywhere, bear in mind that you must love God and your neighbour, love God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind; and love your neighbour as you would love yourself.
We must always ponder these words, meditate them, hold them in our minds, practise them and bring them to fruition. As far as teaching is concerned, the love of God comes first; but as far as doing is concerned, the love of our neighbour comes first. Whoever sets out to teach you these two commandments of love must not commend your neighbour to you first, and then God, but God first and then your neighbour. You, on the other hand, do not yet see God, but loving your neighbour will bring you that sight. By loving your neighbour you purify your eyes so that they are ready to see God, as John clearly says: If you do not love your brother, whom you see, how can you love God, whom you do not see?
You are told “Love God”. If you say to me “Show me whom I should love”, what can I say except what John says? No man has ever seen God. But you must not think yourself wholly unsuited to seeing God: God is love, says John, and whoever dwells in love dwells in God. So love whoever is nearest to you and look inside you to see where that love is coming from: thus, as far as you are capable, you will see God.
So start to love your neighbout. Share your bread with the hungry, bring the homeless pauper into your house. Clothe the naked, and do not despise the servants of your kin.
What will you get from doing all this? Your light will break forth like the dawn. Your light is your God, your dawn, because he will come to you to end the night of this world — he who, himself, neither rises nor sets but is eternal.
By loving your neighbour, by having care for your neighbour, you are travelling on a journey. Where are you journeying, except to the Lord God, whom we must love with all our heart and all our soul and all our mind? We have not yet reached the Lord, but our neighbour is with us already. So support your neighbour, who is travelling with you, so that you may reach him with whom you long to dwell.

Concluding Prayer
O God, your Son, born of the Virgin, received a manhood without human failings. Grant that we who put on the newness of Jesus Christ may shed the stains of our old state of being. 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.