Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Lord

and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.

Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving

and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,

the great king over all the gods.

He holds in his hands the depths of the earth

and the highest mountains as well

He made the sea; it belongs to him,

the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,

bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,

For he is our God and we are his people,

the flock he shepherds.

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:

Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness,

when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me,

Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Forty years I endured that generation.

I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray

and they do not know my ways.”

So I swore in my anger,

“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Ant. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

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. Cry out with joy to the Lord all the Earth, serve the Lord with gladness.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 615

Proper of Seasons: 384

Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 1151

Christian Prayer:

Does not contain Office of Readings

Office of Readings for Wednesday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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. Alleluia.

HYMN
For the beauty of the earth,

For the beauty of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour

Of the day and of the night,

Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,

Sun and moon, and stars of light,

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,

for the heart and mind's delight,

for the mystic harmony,

linking sense to sound and sight;

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,

brother, sister, parent, child,

friends on earth and friends above,

for all gentle thoughts and mild;

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For each perfect gift of Thine,

to our race so freely given,

graces human and divine,

flowers of earth and buds of heaven.

Lord of all, to thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

𝄞"For The Beauty Of The Earth" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Musical Score • Title: For the Beauty of the Earth; Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835–1917; Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786–1872; Tune: DIX; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 3

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.

Psalm 103

Praise for God’s tender compassion

In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us (see Luke 1:78).

I

My soul, give thanks to the Lord,

all my being, bless his holy name.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord

and never forget all his blessings.

It is he who forgives all your guilt,

who heals every one of your ills,

who redeems your life from the grave,

who crowns you with love and compassion,

who fills your life with good things,

renewing your youth like an eagle’s.

The Lord does deeds of justice,

gives judgment for all who are oppressed.

He made known his ways to Moses

and his deeds to Israel’s sons.

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. Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.

Ant. 2 As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.

II

The Lord is compassion and love,

slow to anger and rich in mercy.

His wrath will come to an end;

he will not be angry for ever.

He does not treat us according to our sins

nor repay us according to our faults.

For as the heavens are high above the earth

so strong is his love for those who fear him.

As far as the east is from the west

so far does he remove our sins.

As a father has compassion on his sons,

the Lord has pity on those who fear him;

for he knows of what we are made,

he remembers that we are dust.

As for man, his days are like grass;

he flowers like the flower of the field;

the wind blows and he is gone

and his place never sees him again.

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. As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.

Ant. 3 Bless the Lord, all you his works!

III

But the love of the Lord is everlasting

upon those who hold him in fear;

his justice reaches out to children’s children

when they keep his covenant in truth,

when they keep his will in their mind.

The Lord has set his sway in heaven

and his kingdom is ruling over all.

Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels,

mighty in power, fulfilling his word,

who heed the voice of his word.

Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,

his servants who do his will.

Give thanks to the Lord, all his works,

in every place where he rules.

My soul, give thanks to the Lord!

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 have compassion for the sinner, Lord, as a father has compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from lasting death that we may praise and glorify you for ever.

Ant. Bless the Lord, all you his works!

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Lord, make me understand the way of your precepts.

— And I will marvel at your wisdom.

READINGS

First reading

From the book of the prophet Zechariah

3:1–4:14

Promises proclaimed to Zerubbabel the prince and Joshua the priest

The Lord showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, while Satan stood at his right hand to accuse him.

And the angel of the Lord said to Satan, “May the Lord rebuke you, Satan; may the Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this man a brand snatched from the fire?”

Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clad in filthy garments. He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy garments, and clothe him in festal garments.” He also said, “Put a clean miter on his head.” And they put a clean miter on his head and clothed him with the garments. Then the angel of the Lord, standing, said, “See, I have taken away your guilt.”

The angel of the Lord then gave Joshua this assurance: “Thus says the Lord of hosts: If you walk in my ways and heed my charge, you shall judge my house and keep my courts, and I will give you access among these standing here. Listen, O Joshua, high priest! You and your associates who sit before you are men of good omen. Yes, I will bring my servant the Shoot. Look at the stone that I have placed before Joshua, one stone with seven facets. I will engrave its inscription, says the Lord of hosts, and I will take away the guilt of the land in one day. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, you will invite one another under your vines and fig trees.”

Then I said to the angel who spoke with me, “What are these things, my lord?” And the angel who spoke with me replied, “Do you not know what these things are?” “No, my lord,” I answered.

Then he said to me, “This is the Lord’s message to Zerubbabel: Not by an army, nor by might, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts. What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you are but a plain. He shall bring out the capstone amid exclamations of ‘Hail, Hail’ to it.”

This word of the Lord then came to me: The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundations of this house, and his hands shall finish it; then you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For even they who were scornful on that day of small beginnings shall rejoice to see the select stone in the hands of Zerubbabel. These seven facets are the eyes of the Lord that range over the whole earth.

Then the angel who spoke with me returned and awakened me, like a man awakened from his sleep. “What do you see?” he asked me. “I see a lampstand all of gold, with a bowl at the top,” I replied; “on it are seven lamps with their tubes, and beside it are two olive trees, one on the right and the other on the left.” I then asked him, “What are these two olive trees at each side of the lampstand?”

And again I asked, “What are the two olive tufts which freely pour out fresh oil through the two golden channels?” “Do you not know what these are?” he said to me. “No, my lord,” I answered him. He said, “These are the two anointed who stand by the Lord of the whole earth.”

RESPONSORY Revelation 11:4, see 3

These are the two olive trees and two lampstands

— that stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth.

The Lord shall select his two witnesses to prophesy.

— That stand in the presence of the Lord of the earth.

Second reading

From an inquiry addressed to Thalassius by Saint Maximus the Confessor, abbot

The light that illumines all men

The lamp set upon the lampstand is Jesus Christ, the true light from the Father, the light that enlightens every man who comes into the world. In taking our own flesh he has become, and is rightly called, a lamp, for he is the connatural wisdom and word of the Father. He is proclaimed in the Church of God in accordance with orthodox faith, and he is lifted up and resplendent among the nations through the lives of those who live virtuously in observance of the commandments. So he gives light to all in the house (that is, in this world), just as he himself, God the Word, says: No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Clearly he is calling himself the lamp, he who was by nature God, and became flesh according to God’s saving purpose.

I think the great David understood this when he spoke of the Lord as a lamp, saying: Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. For God delivers us from the darkness of ignorance and sin, and hence he is greeted as a lamp in Scripture.

Lamp-like indeed, he alone dispelled the gloom of ignorance and the darkness of evil and became the way of salvation for all men. Through virtue and knowledge, he leads to the Father those who are resolved to walk by him, who is the way of righteousness, in obedience to the divine commandments. He has designated holy Church the lampstand, over which the word of God sheds light through preaching, and illumines with the rays of truth whoever is in this house which is the world, and fills the minds of all men with divine knowledge.

This word is most unwilling to be kept under a bushel; it wills to be set in a high place, upon the sublime beauty of the Church. For while the word was hidden under the bushel, that is, under the letter of the law, it deprived all men of eternal light. For then it could not give spiritual contemplation to men striving to strip themselves of a sensuality that is illusory, capable only of deceit, and able to perceive only decadent bodies like their own. But the word wills to be set upon a lampstand, the Church, where rational worship is offered in the spirit, that it may enlighten all men. For the letter, when it is not spiritually understood, bears a carnal sense only, which restricts its expression and does not allow the real force of what is written to reach the hearer’s mind.

Let us, then, not light the lamp by contemplation and action, only to put it under a bushel–that lamp, I mean, which is the enlightening word of knowledge–lest we be condemned for restricting by the letter the incomprehensible power of wisdom. Rather let us place it upon the lampstand of holy Church, on the heights of true contemplation, where it may kindle for all men the light of divine teaching.

RESPONSORY John 12:35, 36; 9:39

Walk while you still have the light,

or the darkness will cover you.

— While you have the light,

believe in the light

so that you may become sons of light.

I came into this world

to make the blind see.

— While you have the light,

believe in the light

so that you may become sons of light.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

May your grace,

O Lord, we pray,

at all times go before us and follow after

and make us always determined to carry out good works.

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.

ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 654

All from the Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 1191

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 618

All from the Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 1155

Christian Prayer (single volume)

Ordinary: 689

All from the Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 958

Morning Prayer for Wednesday in Ordinary Time

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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. Alleluia.

HYMN
Creator of the skies above,

The wisdom of your plan decreed

That sun should give us light by day,

And moon should rule the hours of night.

The darkness is dispelled at last,

The world's great beauty is revealed;

Our strength of soul is now renewed

To spur us on to kindly deeds.

Returning day calls us to prayer,

And bids us sing your praise anew;

The brightening aspect of the sky

Gives courage and serenity.

May we avoid all stain of sin,

No evil mar our thoughts this day,

No sinful action spoil our lives,

No wrong or idle words offend.

But while the sun draws on the day,

May our weak faith grow strong and sure

With hope that presses to the goal,

And love unites us all to Christ.

O Father, this we ask be done

Through Jesus Christ, your only Son,

Whom in the Spirit we adore:

One God who reigns for evermore. Amen.

𝄞"Creator of the Skies Above" by Kathleen Lundquist • Available for Purchase • Title: Creator of the Skies Above; Text: Fulgentis auctor ethers, 5th-6th c.; Translation: St. Cecilia's Abbey, Ryde, Isle of Wight, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode I; Lumen Christi Hymnal; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.

Psalm 108

Praise of God and a plea for help

Since the Son of God has been exalted above the heavens, his glory is proclaimed through all the earth (Arnobius).

My heart is ready, O God;

I will sing, sing your praise.

Awake, my soul;

awake, lyre and harp.

I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,

among the nations I will praise you,

for your love reaches to the heavens

and your truth to the skies.

O God, arise above the heavens;

may your glory shine on earth!

O come and deliver your friends;

help with your right hand and reply.

From his holy place God has made this promise:

“I will triumph and divide the land of Shechem;

I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine and Manasseh.

Ephraim I take for my helmet,

Judah for my commander’s staff.

Moab I will use for my washbowl,

on Edom I will plant my shoe.

Over the Philistines I will shout in triumph.”

But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?

Who will bring me face to face with Edom?

Will you utterly reject us, O God,

and no longer march with our armies?

Give us help against the foe:

for the help of man is vain.

With God we shall do bravely

and he will trample down our foes.

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

Accept the prayers of your servants, Lord, and prepare our hearts to praise your holy name. Come to our aid in time of trouble and make us worthy to sing you songs of thanksgiving.

Ant. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.

Ant. 2 The Lord has robed me with grace and salvation.

Canticle – Isaiah 61:10 – 62:5

The prophet’s joy in the vision of a new Jerusalem

I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, with the beauty of a bride adorned for her husband (Revelation 21:2).

I rejoice heartily in the Lord,

in my God is the joy of my soul;

for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,

and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,

like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,

like a bride bedecked with her jewels.

As the earth brings forth its plants,

and a garden makes its growth spring up,

so will the Lord God make justice and praise

spring up before all the nations.

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent,

for Jerusalem’s sake I will not be quiet,

until her vindication shines forth like the dawn

and her victory like a burning torch.

Nations shall behold your vindication,

and all kings your glory;

you shall be called by a new name

pronounced by the mouth of the Lord.

You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord,

a royal diadem held by your God.

No more shall men call you “Forsaken,”

or your land “Desolate,”

but you shall be called “My Delight,”

and your land “Espoused.”

For the Lord delights in you,

and makes your land his spouse.

As a young man marries a virgin,

your Builder shall marry you;

and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride

so shall your God rejoice in you.

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 Lord has robed me with grace and salvation.

Ant. 3 I will praise my God all the days of my life.

Psalm 146

Those who trust in God know what it is to be happy

To praise God in our lives means all we do must be for his glory (Arnobius).

My soul, give praise to the Lord;

I will praise the Lord all my days,

make music to my God while I live.

Put no trust in princes,

in mortal men in whom there is no help.

Take their breath, they return to clay

and their plans that day come to nothing.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob’s God,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

who alone made heaven and earth,

the seas and all they contain.

It is he who keeps faith for ever,

who is just to those who are oppressed.

It is he who gives bread to the hungry,

the Lord, who sets prisoners free,

the Lord who gives sight to the blind,

who raises up those who are bowed down,

the Lord, who protects the stranger

and upholds the widow and orphan.

It is the Lord who loves the just

but thwarts the path of the wicked.

The Lord will reign for ever,

Zion’s God, from age to age.

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 of glory and power, those who have put all their trust in you are happy indeed. Shine the brightness of your light on us, that we may love you always with a pure heart.

Ant. I will praise my God all the days of my life.

READING Deuteronomy 4:39-40a

Know, and fix in your heart, that the Lord is God in the heavens above and on earth below, and that there is no other. You must keep his statutes and commandments which I enjoin on you today.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

I will bless the Lord all my life long.

— I will bless the Lord all my life long.

With a song of praise ever on my lips,

— all my life long.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

— I will bless the Lord all my life long.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Let us serve the Lord in holiness all the days of our life.

Luke 1:68 – 79

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God

the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,

and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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. Let us serve the Lord in holiness all the days of our life.

INTERCESSIONS

Christ, the splendor of the Father’s glory, enlightens us with his word. With deep love we call upon him:

Hear us, King of eternal glory.

Blessed are you, the alpha and the omega of our faith,

— for you called us out of darkness into your marvelous light.

Hear us, King of eternal glory.

You enabled the blind to see, the deaf to hear,

— help our unbelief.

Hear us, King of eternal glory.

Lord, keep us in your love, preserve our community,

— do not let us become separated from one another.

Hear us, King of eternal glory.

Give us strength in temptation, endurance in trial,

— and gratitude in prosperity.

Hear us, King of eternal glory.

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

Father,

keep in mind your holy covenant,

sealed with the blood of the Lamb.

Forgive the sins of your people

and let this new day bring us closer to salvation.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

— Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.

— Amen.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 659

Complementary Psalmody: 1291 (Midmorning)

Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 1201 (Midmorning)

Midmorning Prayer for Wednesday in Ordinary Time using the Complementary Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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. Alleluia.

HYMN
1 Christ, whose glory fills the skies,

Christ, the true and only Light,

Sun of Righteousness, arise,

triumph o'er the shade of night;

Day-spring from on high, be near;

Day-star, in my heart appear.

2 Dark and cheerless is the morn

unaccompanied by thee;

joyless is the day's return

till thy mercy's beams I see,

till they inward light impart,

glad my eyes and warm my heart.

3 Visit, then, this soul of mine,

pierce the gloom of sin and grief;

fill me, Radiancy divine,

scatter all my unbelief;

more and more thyself display,

shining to the perfect day!

𝄞"Christ, Whose Glory Fills the Skies" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score • Title: Christ Who's Glory Fills the Skies; Text: Charles Wesley, 1740; Tune: RATISBON; J. G. Werner's Choralbuch, 1815; harm. William H. Havergal, 1861; Meter: 77 77 77; Artist: Johanna Montealto; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 I cried out, and the Lord heard me.

Psalm 120

Longing for peace

To the Lord in the hour of my distress

I call and he answers me.

“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips,

from the tongue of the deceitful.”

What shall he pay you in return,

O treacherous tongue?

The warrior’s arrows sharpened

and coals, red-hot, blazing.

Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech,

dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Long enough have I been dwelling

with those who hate peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak,

they are for fighting.

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. I cried out, and the Lord heard me.

Ant. 2 May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.

Psalm 121

Guardian of his people

Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

from where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the Lord

who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!

Let him sleep not, your guard.

No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,

Israel’s guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;

at your right side he stands.

By day the sun shall not smite you

nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,

he will guard your soul.

The Lord will guard your going and coming

both now and 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. May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.

Ant. 3 I rejoiced in the good news they told me.

Psalm 122

The holy city, Jerusalem

You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22)

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

“Let us go to God’s house.”

And now our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel’s law it is,

there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgment

of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“Peace be to your homes!

May peace reign in your walls,

in your palaces, peace!”

For love of my brethren and friends

I say: Peace upon you.

For love of the house of the Lord

I will ask for your good.

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. I rejoiced in the good news they told me.

READING 1 Corinthians 10:24,31

No man should seek his own interest, but rather that of his neighbor. The fact is that whether you eat or drink, whatever you do, you should do all for the glory of God.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

We do well to praise the Lord.

— To sing to you, our God most high.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

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.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 659

All from the Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 1197 (Midday)

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 623

All from the Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 1161 (Midday)

Midday Prayer for Wednesday in Ordinary Time using Current Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

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. Alleluia.

HYMN
Blest are the moments, doubly blest,

that, drawn from this one hour of rest,

are with a ready heart bestowed

upon the service of our God!

Each field is then a hallowed spot,

an altar in each man's cot,

a church in every grove that spreads

its living roof above our heads.

Look up to heaven! the industrious sun

already half his race hath run;

he cannot halt or go astray,

but our immortal spirits may.

Lord, since his rising in the east,

if we have faltered or transgressed,

guide, from thy love's abundant source,

what yet remains of this day's course;

help with thy grace, through life's short day,

our upward and our downward way;

and glorify for us the west,

when we shall sink to final rest. Amen.

𝄞"Blest are the Moments, Doubly Blest" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score • Title: Blest are the Moments, Doubly Blest; Text: William Wordsworth (1770-1850); Music: Wareham (William Knapp, 1697-1768); Artist: Johanna Montealto; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord, I cry to you for help; I trust in your promise.

Psalm 119:145-152

XIX (Koph)

I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,

I will keep your commands;

I call upon you, save me

and I will do your will.

I rise before dawn and cry for help,

I hope in your word.

My eyes watch through the night

to ponder your promise.

In your love hear my voice, O Lord;

give me life by your decrees.

Those who harm me unjustly draw near:

they are far from your law.

But you, O Lord, are close:

your commands are truth.

Long have I known that your will

is established 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

Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.

Ant. Lord, I cry to you for help; I trust in your promise.

Ant. 2 The Lord knows how fleeting are the thoughts of men.

Psalm 94

The Lord will avenge the just

God punishes wicked conduct; he has called you to share his holiness. You must have nothing to do with impurity (1 Thessalonians 4:6-7).

I

O Lord avenging God,

avenging God, appear!

Judge of the earth, arise,

give the proud what they deserve!

How long, O Lord, shall the wicked,

how long shall the wicked triumph?

They bluster with arrogant speech;

the evil-doers boast to each other.

They crush your people, Lord,

they afflict the ones you have chosen.

They kill the widow and the stranger

and murder the fatherless child.

And they say: “The Lord does not see;

the God of Jacob pays no heed.”

Mark this, most senseless of people;

fools, when will you understand?

Can he who made the ear, not hear?

Can he who formed the eye, not see?

Will he who corrects nations, not punish?

Will he who teaches men, not have knowledge?

The Lord knows the thoughts of men.

He knows they are no more than a breath.

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 Lord knows how fleeting are the thoughts of men.

Ant. 3 The Lord has become my stronghold; in him I put my trust.

II

Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord,

whom you train by means of your law:

to him you give peace in evil days

while the pit is being dug for the wicked.

The Lord will not abandon his people

nor forsake those who are his own;

for judgment shall again be just

and all true hearts shall uphold it.

Who will stand up for me against the wicked?

Who will defend me against those who do evil?

If the Lord were not to help me,

I would soon go down into the silence.

When I think: “I have lost my foothold,”

your mercy, Lord, holds me up.

When cares increase in my heart

your consolation calms my soul.

Can judges who do evil be your friends?

They do injustice under cover of law;

they attack the life of the just

and condemn innocent blood.

As for me, the Lord will be a stronghold;

my God will be the rock where I take refuge.

He will repay them for their wickedness,

destroy them for their evil deeds.

The Lord, our God, will destroy them.

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 Jesus, you taught your disciples not to fear the world. Do not abandon your inheritance to sinners, nor ignore the power of the enemy against the Church. Grant us always to seek the wisdom of the cross and the blessing of those who suffer for the sake of justice. May we always be filled with your happiness.

Ant. The Lord has become my stronghold; in him I put my trust.

READING Colossians 3:17

Whatever you do, whether in speech or in action, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Give thanks to God the Father through him.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Lord, I will offer you a sacrifice of praise.

— And I will call upon your name.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God of mercy,

this midday moment of rest

is your welcome gift.

Bless the work we have begun,

make good its defects

and let us finish it in a way that pleases you.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.