INVITATORY

Lord, open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.

Psalm 100

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.

Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.

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. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.

OFFICE OF READINGS

PSALMODY

Office of Readings

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord is just; he will defend the poor.

Psalm 10
Prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are the poor; the kingdom of heaven is theirs (Luke 6:20).

I

Lord, why do you stand afar off *
and hide yourself in times of distress?
The poor man is devoured by the pride of the wicked: *
he is caught in the schemes that others have made.

For the wicked man boasts of his heart’s desires; *
the covetous blasphemes and spurns the Lord.
In his pride the wicked says: “He will not punish, *
There is no God.” Such are his thoughts.

His path is ever untroubled; †
your judgment is far from his mind. *
His enemies he regards with contempt.
He thinks: “Never shall I falter: *
misfortune shall never be my lot.”

His mouth is full of cursing, guile, oppression, *
mischief and deceit under his tongue.
He lies in wait among the reeds; *
the innocent he murders in secret.

His eyes are on the watch for the helpless man. *
He lurks in hiding like a lion in his lair;
he lurks in hiding to seize the poor; *
he seizes the poor man and drags him away.

He crouches, preparing to spring, *
and the helpless fall beneath his strength.
He thinks in his heart: “God forgets, *
he hides his face, he does not see.”

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 is just; he will defend the poor.

Ant. 2 Lord, you know the burden of my sorrow.

II

Arise then, Lord, lift up your hand! *
O God, do not forget the poor!
Why should the wicked spurn the Lord *
and think in his heart: “God will not punish?”

But you have seen the trouble and sorrow, *
you note it, you take it in hand.
The helpless trusts himself to you; *
for you are the helper of the orphan.

Break the power of the wicked and the sinner! *
Punish his wickedness till nothing remains!
The Lord is king for ever and ever. *
The heathen shall perish from the land he rules.

Lord, you hear the prayer of the poor; *
you strengthen their hearts; you turn your ear
to protect the rights of the orphan and oppressed *
so that mortal man may strike terror no more.

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

Rise up, Lord, in defense of your people; do not hide your face from our troubles. Father of orphans, wealth of the poor, we rejoice in making you known; may we find comfort and security in times of pain and anxiety.

Ant. Lord, you know the burden of my sorrow.

Ant. 3 The words of the Lord are true, like silver from the furnace.

Psalm 12
A cry for God’s help against powerful opponents

The Father sent his Son into the world to defend the poor (Saint Augustine).

Help, O Lord, for good men have vanished; *
truth has gone from the sons of men.
Falsehood they speak one to another, *
with lying lips, with a false heart.

May the Lord destroy all lying lips, *
the tongue that speaks high-sounding words,
those who say: “Our tongue is our strength; *
our lips are our own, who is our master?”

“For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan †
I myself will arise,” says the Lord. *
“I will grant them the salvation for which they thirst.”

The words of the Lord are words without alloy, *
silver from the furnace, seven times refined.

It is you, O Lord, who will take us in your care *
and protect us for ever from this generation.
See how the wicked prowl on every side, *
while the worthless are prized highly by the sons of men.

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

Your light is true light, Lord, and your truth shines like the day. Direct us to salvation through your life-giving words. May we be saved by always embracing your word.

Ant. The words of the Lord are true, like silver from the furnace.

The Lord teaches the humble his way.
— He guides the gentle-hearted along the right path.

READINGS

FIRST READING

From the book of Job
31:1-8, 13-23, 35-37

Job’s appeal to the goodness of his life

  Job said:
I have made an agreement with my eyes
  and entertained no thoughts against a maiden.

But what is man’s lot from God above,
  his inheritance from the Almighty on high?
Is it not calamity for the unrighteous,
  and woe for evildoers?
Does he not see my ways,
  and number all my steps?
Let God weigh me in the scales of justice;
  thus will he know my innocence!

If I have walked in falsehood
  and my foot has hastened to deceit;
If my steps have turned out of the way,
  and my heart has followed my eyes,
  or any stain clings to my hands,
Then may I sow, but another eat of it,
  or may my planting be rooted up!

Had I refused justice to my manservant
  or to my maid, when they had a claim against me,
What then should I do when God rose up;
  what could I answer when he demanded an account?
Did not he who made me in the womb make him?
  Did not the same One fashion us before our birth?

If I have denied anything to the poor,
  or allowed the eyes of the widow to languish
While I ate my portion alone,
  with no share in it for the fatherless,
Though like a father God has reared me from my youth,
  guiding me even from my mother’s womb—
If I have seen a wanderer without clothing,
  or a poor man without covering,
Whose limbs have not blessed me
  when warmed with the fleece of my sheep;
If I have raised my hand against the innocent
  because I saw that I had supporters at the gate—
Then may my arm fall from the shoulder,
  my forearm be broken at the elbow!
For the dread of God will be upon me,
  and his majesty will overpower me.
Oh, that I had one to hear my case,
  and that my accuser would write out his indictment!
Surely, I should wear it on my shoulder
  or put it on me like a diadem;
Of all my steps I should give him an account;
  like a prince I should present myself before him.

RESPONSORY
Job 31:3; Proverbs 15:3; Job 31:4

Does not calamity befall the wicked
and disaster the evildoers?
— The eyes of the Lord are everywhere observing the evil and the good.

Does he not see my way,
and count all my steps?
— The eyes of the Lord are everywhere observing the evil and the good.

SECOND READING

From the teachings of Saint Dorotheus, abbot
(Doct. 13, De accusatione sui ipsius, 2-3: PG 88, 1699)

On false spiritual peace

The man who finds fault with himself accepts all things cheerfully—misfortune, loss, disgrace, dishonor and any other kind of adversity. He believes that he is deserving of all these things and nothing can disturb him. No one could be more at peace than this man.

But perhaps you will offer me this objection: “Suppose my brother injures me, and on examining myself I find that I have not given him any cause. Why should I blame myself?”

Certainly if someone examines himself carefully and with fear of God, he will never find himself completely innocent. He will see that he has given some provocation by an action, a word or by his manner. If he does find that he is not guilty in any of these ways, certainly he must have injured that brother somehow at some other time. Or perhaps he has been a source of annoyance to some other brother. For this reason he deserves to endure the injury because of many other sins that he has committed on other occasions.

Someone else asks why he should accuse himself when he was sitting peacefully and quietly when a brother came upon him with an unkind or insulting word. He cannot tolerate it, and so he thinks that his anger is justified. If that brother had not approached him and said those words and upset him, he never would have sinned.

This kind of thinking is surely ridiculous and has no rational basis. For the fact that he has said anything at all in this situation breaks the cover on the passionate anger within him, which is all the more exposed by his excessive anxiety. If he wished, he would do penance. He has become like a clean, shiny grain of wheat that, when broken, is full of dirt inside.

The man who thinks that he is quiet and peaceful has within him a passion that he does not see. A brother comes up, utters some unkind word and immediately all the venom and mire that lie hidden within him are spewed out. If he wishes mercy, he must do penance, purify himself and strive to become perfect. He will see that he should have returned thanks to his brother instead of returning the injury, because his brother has proven to be an occasion of profit to him. It will not be long before he will no longer be bothered by these temptations. The more perfect he grows, the less these temptations will affect him. For the more the soul advances, the stronger and more powerful it becomes in bearing the difficulties that it meets.

RESPONSORY
Job 9:2, 14; 15:15

Truly I know that no man can stand justified before God.
— Who am I to answer God,
and choose words against him?

God put no trust in his holy ones,
and even the heavens are not pure in his sight.
—Who am I to answer God,
and choose words against him?

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Let us pray.

Father,
your love never fails.
Hear our call.
Keep us from danger
and provide for all our needs.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

Or:

O God, whose providence never fails in its design,
keep from us, we humbly beseech you,
all that might harm us
and grant all that works for our good.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.

ACCLAMATION

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

LAUDS

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The man whose deeds are blameless and whose heart is pure will climb the mountain of the Lord.

When Psalm 24 is used as the invitatory psalm, psalm 95, above, is used as the first psalm at Morning Prayer.

Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple

Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.

O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.

O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.

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

King of glory, Lord of power and might, cleanse our hearts from all sin, preserve the innocence of our hands, and keep our minds from vanity, so that we may deserve your blessing in your holy place.

Ant. The man whose deeds are blameless and whose heart is pure will climb the mountain of the Lord.

Ant. 2 Praise the eternal King in all your deeds.

Canticle: Tobit 13:1-8
God afflicts but only to heal

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord, Jesus Christ, who in his great love for us has brought us to a new birth (1 Peter 1:3).

Blessed be God who lives forever, *
because his kingdom lasts for all ages.

For he scourges and then has mercy; *
he casts down to the depths of the nether world,
and he brings up from the great abyss. *
No one can escape his hand.

Praise him, you Israelites, before the Gentiles, †
for though he has scattered you among them, *
he has shown you his greatness even there.

Exalt him before every living being, †
because he is the Lord our God, *
our Father and God forever.

He scourged you for your iniquities, *
but will again have mercy on you all.
He will gather you from all the Gentiles *
among whom you have been scattered.

When you turn back to him with all your heart, *
to do what is right before him,
then he will turn back to you, *
and no longer hide his face from you.

So now consider what he has done for you, *
and praise him with full voice.
Bless the Lord of righteousness, *
and exalt the King of the ages.

In the land of my exile I praise him, *
and show his power and majesty to a sinful nation.
“Turn back, you sinners! do the right before him: †
perhaps he may look with favor upon you *
and show you mercy.

“As for me, I exalt my God, *
and my spirit rejoices in the King of heaven.
Let all men speak of his majesty, *
and sing his praises in Jerusalem.”

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. Praise the eternal King in all your deeds.

Ant. 3 The loyal heart must praise the Lord.

Psalm 33
Song of praise for God’s continual care

Through the Word all things were made (John 1:3).

Ring out your joy to the Lord, O you just; *
for praise is fitting for loyal hearts.

Give thanks to the Lord upon the harp, *
with a ten-stringed lute sing him songs.
O sing him a song that is new, *
play loudly, with all your skill.

For the word of the Lord is faithful *
and all his works to be trusted.
The Lord loves justice and right *
and fills the earth with his love.

By his word the heavens were made, *
by the breath of his mouth all the stars.
He collects the waves of the ocean; *
he stores up the depths of the sea.

Let all the earth fear the Lord, *
all who live in the world revere him.
He spoke; and it came to be. *
He commanded; it sprang into being.

He frustrates the designs of the nations, *
he defeats the plans of the peoples.
His own designs shall stand for ever, *
the plans of his heart from age to age.

They are happy, whose God is the Lord, *
the people he has chosen as his own.
From the heavens the Lord looks forth, *
he sees all the children of men.

From the place where he dwells he gazes *
on all the dwellers on the earth,
he who shapes the hearts of them all *
and considers all their deeds.

A king is not saved by his army, *
nor a warrior preserved by his strength.
A vain hope for safety is the horse; *
despite its power it cannot save.

The Lord looks on those who revere him, *
on those who hope in his love,
to rescue their souls from death, *
to keep them alive in famine.

Our soul is waiting for the Lord. *
The Lord is our help and our shield.
In him do our hearts find joy. *
We trust in his holy name.

May your love be upon us, O Lord, *
as we place all our hope 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.

Psalm Prayer

Nourish your people, Lord, for we hunger for your word. Rescue us from the death of sin and fill us with your mercy, that we may share your presence and the joy of all the saints.

Ant. The loyal heart must praise the Lord.

READING
Romans 13:11b, 12-13a

It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us live honorably as in daylight.

RESPONSORY

My God stands by me, all my trust is in him.
— My God stands by me, all my trust is in him.

I find refuge in him, and I am truly free;
— all my trust is in him.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
— My God stands by me, all my trust is in him.

GOSPEL CANTICLE

Ant. God has raised up for us a mighty Savior, as he promised through the words of his holy prophets.

Canticle of Zechariah
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. God has raised up for us a mighty Savior, as he promised through the words of his holy prophets.

INTERCESSIONS

Beloved brothers and sisters, we share a heavenly calling under Christ, our high priest. Let us praise him with shouts of joy:
Lord, our God and our Savior.

Almighty King, through baptism you conferred on us a royal priesthood,
— inspire us to offer you a continual sacrifice of praise.
Lord, our God and our Savior.

Help us to keep your commandments,
— that through the power of the Holy Spirit we may live in you and you in us.
Lord, our God and our Savior.

Give us your eternal wisdom,
— to be with us today and to guide us.
Lord, our God and our Savior.

May our companions today be free of sorrow,
— and filled with joy.
Lord, our God and our Savior.

THE LORD’S PRAYER

(Now let us offer together the prayer our Lord Jesus Christ taught us:)

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

God our Father,
hear our morning prayer
and let the radiance of your love
scatter the gloom of our hearts.
The light of heaven’s love has restored us to life:
free us from the desires that belong to darkness.
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

If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:

The Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.

May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
— Amen.