Replies

Daytime Prayer

HYMN

At Midmorning

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love the things you love,
and do what you would do.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with you I have one will,
To live and to endure.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
My soul with grace refine,
Until this earthly part of me,
Glows with your fire divine.

Breathe on me, breath of God,
So I shall never die,
But live with you the perfect life
In your eternity. Amen.

Melody: Yattendon 46.66.86
Music: H. E. Woodridge, 1845-1917
Text: Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889, adapted by Anthony G. Petti

At Midday

Almighty Ruler, God of truth,
Who guide and master all,
The rays with which you gild the dawn
With noonday heat now fall.

O quench the fires of hatred, Lord,
Of anger and of strife,
Bring health to every mind and heart
That peace may enter life.

Most holy Father, grant our prayer
Through Christ your only Son,
That in your Spirit we may live
And praise you ever one.

Melody: Ballerma C.M.
Music: F. Barthelemon, 1741-1808
Text: Ralph Wright, O.S.B.

At Midafternoon

Lord God and Maker of all things,
Creation is upheld by you.
While all must change and know decay,
You are unchanging, always new.

You are manís solace and his shield,
His rock secure on which to build;
You are the spiritís tranquil home;
In You alone is hope fulfilled.

To God the Father, and the Son
And Holy Spirit render praise,
Blest Trinity, from age to age
The strength of all our living days.

Melody: Auctoritate Saeculi L.M.
Music: Poitiers Antiphoner, 1746
Text: © Stanbrook Abbey, used with permission.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Whoever follow me does not walk in the dark; he will have the light of life.

Psalm 119:105-112
XIV (Nun)

A meditation on Godís law

This is my commandment: that you should love one another (John 15:12).

Your word is a lamp for my steps *
and a light for my path.
I have sworn and have made up my mind *
to obey your decrees.

Lord, I am deeply afflicted: *
by your word give me life.
Accept, Lord, the homage of my lips *
and teach me your decrees.

Though I carry my life in my hands, *
I remember your law.
Though the wicked try to ensnare me, *
I do not stray from your precepts.

Your will is my heritage for ever, *
the joy of my heart.
I set myself to carry out your statutes *
in fullness, 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.

Psalm Prayer

Let your Word, Father, be a lamp for our feet and a light to our path, so that we may understand what you wish to teach us and follow the path your light marks out for us.

Ant. Whoever follow me does not walk in the dark; he will have the light of life.

Ant. 2 Help me, O God, for I am poor and needy.

Psalm 70
O God, come to my aid

Lord, save us, we are lost (Matthew 8:25).

O God, make haste to my rescue, *
Lord, come to my aid!
Let there be shame and confusion *
on those who seek my life.

O let them turn back in confusion, *
who delight in my harm,
let them retreat, covered with shame, *
who jeer at my lot.

Let there be rejoicing and gladness *
for all who seek you.
Let them say for ever: ìGod is great,î *
who love your saving help.

As for me, wretched and poor, *
come to me, O God.
You are my rescuer, my help, *
O Lord, do not delay.

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 help and deliverer, do not abandon us among the many temptations of life, but deliver us from evil and turn our tears and struggles into joy.

Ant. Help me, O God, for I am poor and needy.

Ant. 2 God, who is justice and truth, does not judge by appearances.

Psalm 75
The Lord, the ruler over all

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and lifted up the lowly (Luke 1:52).

We give thanks to you, O God, Ü
we give thanks and call upon your name. *
We recount your wonderful deeds.

ìWhen I reach the appointed time, *
then I will judge with justice.
Though the earth and all who dwell in it may rock, *
it is I who uphold its pillars.

To the boastful I say: ëDo not boast,í *
to the wicked: ëDo not flaunt your strength,
do not flaunt your strength on high. *
Do not speak with insolent pride.í î

For neither from the east nor from the west, *
nor from desert or mountains comes judgment,
but God himself is the judge. *
One he humbles, another he exalts.

The Lord holds a cup in his hand, *
full of wine, foaming and spiced.
He pours it; they drink it to the dregs: *
all the wicked on the earth must drain it.

As for me, I will rejoice for ever *
and sing psalms to Jacobís God.
He shall break the power of the wicked, *
while the strength of the just shall be exalted.

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

Father, by the passion of your Son you proclaimed the final judgment of the world; when you raised Christ upon the cross you deposed the prince of darkness. Strike down the pride that rules our hearts and raise us to the glory of the resurrection.

Ant. God, who is justice and truth, does not judge by appearances.

At the other hours, the complementary psalmody is taken from Series I and II

MIDMORNING

READING
1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Love is patient; love is kind. Love is not jealous, it does not put on airs, it is not snobbish. Love is never rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not prone to anger; neither does it brood over injuries. Love does not rejoice in what is wrong but rejoices with the truth. There is no limit to loveís forbearance, to its trust, its hope, its power to endure.

All who seek you, Lord, will dance for joy.
ñ They will proclaim your greatness for ever.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God of truth, Father of all,
you send your Spirit as you promised
to bring together in love
all whom sin has driven apart.
Strengthen us to work for your blessings
of unity and peace in the world.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
ñ Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

MIDDAY

READING
1 Corinthians 13:8-9, 13

Love never fails. Prophecies will cease, tongues will be silent, knowledge will pass away. Our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect. There are in the end three things that last: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love.

Lord, show us your love and mercy.
ñ For we put our trust in you.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

God of mercy,
this midday moment of rest
is your welcome gift.
Bless the work the have begun,
make good its defects
and let us finish it in a way that pleases you.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
ñ Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give him thanks.

MIDAFTERNOON

READING
Colossians 3:14-15

Over all these virtues put on love, which binds the rest together and makes them perfect. Christís peace must reign in your hearts, since as members of the one body you have been called to that peace. Dedicate yourselves to thankfulness.

The gentle will inherit the earth.
ñ They will have peace to their heartís content.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Lord Jesus Christ,
to save all mankind
you stretched out your arms on the cross.
Let our work be pleasing to you:
may it proclaim your salvation to the world,
for you live and reign forever and ever.
ñ Amen.

ACCLAMATION

Let us praise the Lord.
ñ And give hm thanks.

Vespers

INTRODUCTION

God, + come to my assistance.
ñ Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
ñ as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN

O Father, whose creating hand
Brings harvest from the fruitful land,
Your providence we gladly own,
And bring our hymns before your throne
To praise you for the living bread
On which our lives are daily fed.

O Lord, who in the desert fed
The hungry thousands in their need,
Where want and famine still abound
Let your relieving love be found,
And in your name we may supply
Your hungry children when they cry.

O Spirit, your revealing light
Has led our questing souls aright;
Source of our science, you have taught
The marvels human minds have wrought,
So that the barren deserts yield
The bounty by your love revealed.

Melody: Melita 88.88.88
Music: John B. Dykes, 1823-1876
Text: Donald Hughes, 1911-1967

Or:

When breaks the day, and dawn grows bright,
Christ nearer seems, the Light of Light:
From us, like shades that nighttime brings,
Drive forth, O Lord, all darksome things.

Earthís dusky veil is torn away,
Pierced by the sparkling beams of day;
Our life resumes its hues apace,
Soon as the Daystar shows his face.

So thee, O Christ, alone we seek,
With conscience pure and temper meek:
With tears and chants we humbly pray
That thou wouldst guide us through each day.

For manyía shade obscures each sense
Which needs thy beams to purge it thence;
Light of the Morning Star, thy grace
Shed on us from thy cloudless face.

All laud to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete. Amen.

Melody: Te lucis ante terminum L. M.
Music: Anonymous, Gregorian
Text: CÊli Deus sanctissime, attributed to Saint Gregory the Great, 540-604
Translation: John M. Neale, 1818-1866

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.

Psalm 126
Joyful hope in God

Just as you share in sufferings so you will share in the divine glory (2 Corinthians 1:7).

When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, *
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
on our lips there were songs.

The heathens themselves said: ìWhat marvels *
the Lord worked for them!î
What marvels the Lord worked for us! *
Indeed we were glad.

Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage *
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears *
will sing when they reap.

They go out, they go out, full of tears, *
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song, *
carrying their sheaves.

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, you have raised us from the earth; may you let the seeds of justice, which we have sown in tears, grow and increase in your sight. May we reap in joy the harvest we hope for patiently.

Ant. Those who sow in tears will reap in joy.

Ant. 2 May the Lord build our house and guard our city.

Psalm 127
Apart from God our labors are worthless

You are Godís building (1 Corinthians 3:9).

If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.

In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat: *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.

Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.

O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.

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

You command the seed to rise, Lord God, though the farmer is unaware. Grant that those who labor for you may trust not in their own work but in your help. Remembering that the land is brought to flower not with human tears but with those of your Son, may the Church rely only upon your gifts.

Ant. May the Lord build our house and guard our city.

Ant. 3 He is the first-born of all creation; in every way the primacy is his.

Canticle: Colossians 1:12-20

Christ the first-born of all creation and the first-born from the dead

Let us give thanks to the Father *
for having made you worthy
to share the lot of the saints *
in light.

He rescued us *
from the power of darkness
and brought us *
into the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Through him we have redemption, *
the forgiveness of our sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, *
the first-born of all creatures.
In him everything in heaven and on earth was created, *
things visible and invisible.

All were created through him; *
all were created for him.
He is before all else that is. *
In him everything continues in being.

It is he who is head of the body, the church! *
he who is the beginning,
the first-born of the dead, *
so that primacy may be his in everything.

It pleased God to make absolute fullness reside in him *
and, by means of him, to reconcile everything in his person,
both on earth and in the heavens, *
making peace through the blood of his cross.

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 the first-born of all creation; in every way the primacy is his.

READING
Ephesians 3:20-21

To God whose power now at work in us can do immeasurably more than we ask or imagineóto him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations, world without end. Amen.

RESPONSORY

Claim me once more as your own, Lord, and have mercy on me.
ñ Claim me once more as your own, Lord, and have mercy on me.

Do not abandon me with the wicked;
ñ have mercy on me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
ñ Claim me once more as your own, Lord, and have mercy on me.

CANTICLE OF MARY

Ant. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord

My + soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, Ü
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: Ü
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. The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us humbly pray to God who sent his Son as the Savior and exemplar of his people:
May your people praise you, Lord.

Let us give thanks to God who chose us as the first-fruits of salvation,
ñ and who called us to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
May your people praise you, Lord.

May those who confess your holy name be united in your truth,
ñ and fervent in your love.
May your people praise you, Lord.

Creator of all things, your Son desired to work among us with his own hands,
ñ be mindful of all who earn their living by the sweat of their brow.
May your people praise you, Lord.

Be mindful of those who devote themselves to the service of their brothers,
ñ do not let them be deterred from their goals by discouraging results or lack of support.
May your people praise you, Lord.

Be merciful to the faithful departed,
ñ keep them from the power of the Evil One.
May your people praise you, Lord.

THE LORDíS PRAYER

(With longing for the coming of Godís kingdom, let us offer our prayer to the Father:)

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

Merciful Lord,
let the evening prayer of your Church
come before you.
May we do your work faithfully;
free us from sin
and make us secure in your love.
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.
ñ Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless + us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
ñ Amen.