Here's a simple exercise. Let's compare daily scripture reading habits. Every day, I pray the Morning and Evening Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, and I attend daily mass.
Here are today's scripture readings from Morning and Evening Prayer and today's mass. Please feel free to share your typical daily scripture readings (just a typical day, please don't exaggerate):
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
If you have already recited the Invitatory Psalm today, you should use the alternative opening.
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
| Invitatory Psalm |
Psalm 23 (24) |
Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.
– Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.*
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all who live in it.
He himself founded it upon the seas
and set it firm over the waters.
– Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.*
Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,
who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.
He will receive the blessing of the Lord
and be justified by God his saviour.
This is the way of those who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
– Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.*
Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,
and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord of might and power.
The Lord, strong in battle.
– Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.*
Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,
and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord of hosts
– he is the king of glory.
– Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our 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.
– Come, let us worship the Lord, for he is our God.*
* If you are reciting this on your own, you can choose to say the antiphon once only at the start of the psalm and not repeat it.
Behold the golden dawn arise;
The paling night forsakes the skies:
Those shades that hid the world from view,
And us to dangerous error drew.
May this new day be calmly passed,
May we keep pure while it shall last:
Nor let our lips from truth depart,
Nor dark designs engage the heart.
So may the day speed on; the tongue
No falsehood know, the hands no wrong:
Our eyes from wanton gaze refrain,
No guilt our guarded bodies stain.
For God all-seeing from on high
Surveys us with a watchful eye:
Each day our every act he knows
From early dawn to evening’s close.
All laud to God the Father be;
All praise, eternal Son, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete.
Psalm 56 (57)
Morning prayer in time of affliction |
Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.
My soul flies to you for refuge.
I will hide in the shelter of your wings
until the time of ambush is past.
I will cry to God the Most High,
to the God who cares for me.
He will send help from heaven to set me free.
He will disgrace those who trample me underfoot.
He will send forth his mercy and faithfulness.
My soul lies among lion-cubs
that would devour the children of men.
Their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues are pointed swords.
May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;
let your glory cover the whole earth.
They prepared a trap for my feet;
my soul was bent double under its burden;
they dug a pit in front of me
– but they fell into it themselves.
My heart is ready, God.
My heart is ready.
I will offer you music and song.
Awake, my glory,
awake, lyre and harp.
I will awaken the dawn.
I will proclaim you among the peoples, Lord,
and make music for you among the nations,
for your mercy reaches as high as the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;
let your glory cover the earth.
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.
Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.
| The joy of those whom God sets free |
Good things will fill my people to overflowing, says the Lord.
All you nations, listen to the word of the Lord,
proclaim it in the farthest islands:
“He who scattered his people Israel
has brought them back together.
He will care for them as a shepherd tends his flock.”
For the Lord has redeemed Jacob
and freed him from the hand of his conqueror.
They will come and sing praises on Mount Zion,
they will flood in to receive the good things of the Lord,
grain, and wine, and oil,
and the young of both herd and flock.
Their spirit will be like a richly watered garden,
and they will hunger no more.
The young girl will dance for joy,
young men and old men too.
“I will turn their weeping into gladness,” says the Lord,
“I will comfort them and give them joy after sorrow.
I will overwhelm my priests with rich food,
and my good things will fill my people to overflowing.”
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.
Good things will fill my people to overflowing, says the Lord.
Psalm 47 (48)
Thanksgiving for the safety of the people |
The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.
The Lord is great and greatly to be praised
in the city of our God.
His holy mountain is a beautiful sight,
the joy of all the earth.
Mount Zion is at its northernmost edge,
the city of the great king.
Here among its palaces,
God has shown himself as its refuge.
For the kings assembled,
made alliance against it –
but when they saw it, they were amazed.
Panic took them and they scattered.
Trembling took hold of them,
pain like that of childbirth.
With the east wind
you will destroy the ships of Tarshish.
What we had heard, we saw in the city of the Lord of hosts,
in the city of our God,
which God has founded for ever.
We ponder your mercy, O God,
as we stand in your temple.
Your name, O Lord, and your praise
will reach to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand delivers justice.
Let Mount Zion be glad
and the daughters of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgements.
Go round Zion, see it all,
count every tower.
Feel its strength,
visit its palaces,
so that you can tell the next generation –
Here is God, our God,
here he remains for ever;
and for ever he will lead us and guide us.
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.
The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.
| Short reading |
Isaiah 66:1-2 © |
Thus says the Lord:
With heaven my throne
and earth my footstool,
what house could you build me,
what place could you make for my rest?
All of this was made by my hand
and all this is mine – it is the Lord who speaks.
But my eyes are drawn to the man
of humbled and contrite spirit,
who trembles at my word.
I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.
– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.
I will keep your commandments.
– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.
| The Messiah and his forerunner |
Martha said to Jesus, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, and you have come into this world.’
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.
Martha said to Jesus, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, and you have come into this world.’
Mass Readings
| First reading |
Jeremiah 18:1-6 © |
The word that was addressed to Jeremiah by the Lord, ‘Get up and make your way down to the potter’s house; there I shall let you hear what I have to say.’ So I went down to the potter’s house; and there he was, working at the wheel. And whenever the vessel he was making came out wrong, as happens with the clay handled by potters, he would start afresh and work it into another vessel, as potters do. Then this word of the Lord was addressed to me, ‘House of Israel, can not I do to you what this potter does? – it is the Lord who speaks. Yes, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so you are in mine, House of Israel.’
| Psalm |
Psalm 145:2-6 2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom. 4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts. 5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. 6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.
|
Many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to sympathise with them over their brother. When Martha heard that Jesus had come she went to meet him. Mary remained sitting in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died, but I know that, even now, whatever you ask of God, he will grant you.’ ‘Your brother’ said Jesus to her ‘will rise again.’ Martha said, ‘I know he will rise again at the resurrection on the last day.’ Jesus said:
‘I am the resurrection.
If anyone believes in me, even though he dies he will live,
and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.
Do you believe this?’
‘Yes, Lord,’ she said ‘I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, the one who was to come into this world.’
| Alternative gospel |
Luke 10:38-42 © |
Jesus came to a village, and a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who sat down at the Lord’s feet and listened to him speaking. Now Martha who was distracted with all the serving said, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister is leaving me to do the serving all by myself? Please tell her to help me.’ But the Lord answered: ‘Martha, Martha,’ he said ‘you worry and fret about so many things, and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.’
Vespers (Evening Prayer)
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.
Darkening night the land doth cover:
Day is over:
We give thanks, O thou most high:
While in song we now adore thee,
And implore thee
For the light that doth not die.
Like a day our short life lasteth;
Soon it wasteth;
Cometh surely its sad eve:
O do thou that eve enlighten,
Save and brighten;
Nor old age of joy bereave.
Come no pain nor pity near it:
Bless and cheer it,
That in peace our peace we win:
As thou wilt, do thou us gather,
Gracious Father,
Freed at last from shame and sin.
Now we pray for rest, that sleeping
In thy keeping,
We may joy in thy sun’s ray:
So through death’s last darkness take us,
So awake us
To the light of heaven’s day.
Psalm 29 (30)
Thanksgiving for rescue from death |
Lord, I cried to you and you healed me: I will proclaim your name for ever.
Lord, I will give you all praise, for you have rescued me
and not let my foes triumph over me.
My Lord God, I cried to you
and you healed me.
Lord, you led my soul out from the underworld,
gave me life so that I would not sink into the abyss.
Sing to the Lord, his holy ones,
and proclaim the truth of his holiness.
His anger lasts a moment,
but his favour for a lifetime.
At night there are tears,
but in the morning, joy.
Once I was secure. I said,
“I will never be shaken.”
Lord, by your
favour you had given me strength, set me high;
but then you turned your face from me
and I was shaken.
I cried to you, Lord,
and prayed to my God.
“What use is my life,
when I sink into decay?
Will dust proclaim you,
or make known your faithfulness?”
The Lord heard and took pity on me.
The Lord became my helper.
You have turned my weeping into dancing,
torn off my sackcloth and clothed me in joy,
It is my glory to sing to you and never cease:
Lord, my God, I will proclaim your goodness 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.
Lord, I cried to you and you healed me: I will proclaim your name for ever.
Psalm 31 (32)
The joy of the forgiven |
Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame.
Blessed is he whose sins are forgiven,
whose transgressions are hidden away.
Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame,
and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
While I kept silent,
my bones grew old
as I groaned all day long.
While your hand lay heavy on me,
by day and by night,
my strength was dried up as if by summer heat.
I made my sin known to you,
and I did not hide my faults.
I said “I will bear witness against myself before the Lord,”
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
This is why every saint will pray to you in due time,
and even in the great flood he will not be touched.
You are my refuge, you will preserve me from trouble,
you will surround me with cries of deliverance.
I will give you understanding and teach you the path you are to follow;
I will keep watch over you.
Do not be like the horse and the mule,
without understanding:
if you approach them with bit or bridle,
they will not come near.
Many are the sufferings of the wicked,
but the Lord’s mercy will protect those who trust in him.
Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you just.
Shout for joy, you upright of heart.
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.
Happy the man to whom the Lord imputes no blame.
The Lord has given him power and honour and kingship, and all people shall serve him.
We thank you,
Lord God Almighty,
who are and who were,
that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign.
The nations were angered,
but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged,
the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants,
and those who feared your name, both great and small.
Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God,
and the power of his Anointed,
for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down,
who accused them day and night in the sight of God.
But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb
and through their own witness.
They did not cling to life,
even in the face of death.
Therefore rejoice, heavens,
and you who dwell in them.
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.
The Lord has given him power and honour and kingship, and all people shall serve him.
| Short reading |
1 Peter 1:6-9 © |
This is a cause of great joy for you, even though you may for a short time have to bear being plagued by all sorts of trials; so that, when Jesus Christ is revealed, your faith will have been tested and proved like gold – only it is more precious than gold, which is corruptible even though it bears testing by fire – and then you will have praise and glory and honour. You did not see him, yet you love him; and still without seeing him, you are already filled with a joy so glorious that it cannot be described, because you believe; and you are sure of the end to which your faith looks forward, that is, the salvation of your souls.
The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.
– The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.
He has filled us with honey from the rock.
– The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has fed us with finest wheat.
| My soul rejoices in the Lord |
Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus.
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.
Jesus loved Martha and her sister Mary and her brother Lazarus.