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

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 651

Psalter: Tuesday, Week IV, 1165

Proper of Seasons: 266

Proper of Saints: 1431

Common of Pastors: 1737

Office of Readings for Tuesday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, Priest

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
The King of love my shepherd is,

Whose goodness fails me never.

I nothing lack if I am His,

and He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow,

my ransomed soul He's leading;

and where the verdant pastures grow,

with food celestial feeding.

Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed,

but yet in love He sought me;

and on His shoulder gently laid,

and home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill,

with You, dear Lord, beside me;

Your rod and staff my comfort still,

Your cross before to guide me.

You spread a table in my sight;

Your unction grace bestowing;

and oh, what transport of delight

from Your pure chalice flowing!

And so through all the length of days,

Your goodness fails me never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing Your praise

within Your house forever.

𝄞"The King of Love My Shepherd Is" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score • Title: The King of love my Shepherd is Author: H. W. Baker (1868) Tune: ST. COLUMBA, Ancient Irish melody; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord, let my cry come to you; do not hide your face from me.

Psalm 102

The longings and prayers of an exile

God comforts us in all our troubles (2 Corinthians 1:4).

I

O Lord, listen to my prayer

and let my cry for help reach you.

Do not hide your face from me

in the day of my distress.

Turn your ear towards me

and answer me quickly when I call.

For my days are vanishing like smoke,

my bones burn away like a fire.

My heart is withered like the grass.

I forget to eat my bread.

I cry with all my strength

and my skin clings to my bones.

I have become like a pelican in the wilderness,

like an owl in desolate places.

I lie awake and I moan

like some lonely bird on a roof.

All day long my foes revile me;

those who hate me use my name as a curse.

The bread I eat is ashes;

my drink is mingled with tears.

In your anger, Lord, and your fury

you have lifted me up and thrown me down.

My days are like a passing shadow

and I wither away like the grass.

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. Lord, let my cry come to you; do not hide your face from me.

Ant. 2 Be attentive, Lord, to the prayer of the helpless.

II

But you, O Lord, will endure for ever

and your name from age to age.

You will arise and have mercy on Zion:

for this is the time to have mercy;

yes, the time appointed has come

for your servants love her very stones,

are moved with pity even for her dust.

The nations shall fear the name of the Lord

and all the earth’s kings your glory,

when the Lord shall build up Zion again

and appear in all his glory.

Then he will turn to the prayers of the helpless;

he will not despise their prayers.

Let this be written for ages to come

that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord;

for the Lord leaned down from his sanctuary on high.

He looked down from heaven to the earth

that he might hear the groans of the prisoners

and free those condemned to die.

The sons of your servants shall dwell untroubled

and their race shall endure before you

that the name of the Lord may be proclaimed in Zion

and his praise in the heart of Jerusalem,

when peoples and kingdoms are gathered together

to pay their homage 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.

Ant. Be attentive, Lord, to the prayer of the helpless.

Ant. 3 You, O Lord, established the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

III

He has broken my strength in mid-course;

he has shortened the days of my life.

I say to God: “Do not take me away

before my days are complete,

you, whose days last from age to age.

Long ago you founded the earth

and the heavens are the work of your hands.

They will perish but you will remain.

They will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like clothes that are changed.

But you neither change, nor have an end.”

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 live in the hearts of your saints, and so have built up Zion. May you always show your greatness through their good works.

Ant. You, O Lord, established the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

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.

You will hear the word from my mouth.

— You will tell others what I have said.

READINGS

First reading

From the book of Job

3:1-26

Job’s lament

Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. Job spoke out and said:

Perish the day on which I was born,

the night when they said, “The child is a boy!”

May that day be darkness:

let not God above call for it,

nor light shine upon it!

May darkness and gloom claim it,

clouds settle upon it,

the blackness of night affright it!

May obscurity seize that day;

let it not occur among the days of the year,

nor enter into the count of the months!

May that night be barren;

let no joyful outcry greet it!

Let them curse it who curse the sea,

the appointed disturbers of Leviathan!

May the stars of its twilight be darkened;

may it look for daylight, but have none,

nor gaze on the eyes of the dawn,

Because it kept not shut the doors of the womb

to shield my eyes from trouble!

Why did I not perish at birth,

come forth from the womb and expire?

Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth,

like babes that have never seen the light?

Wherefore did the knees receive me?

or why did I suck at the breasts?

For then I should have lain down and been tranquil;

had I slept, I should then have been at rest

With kings and counselors of the earth

who built where now there are ruins

Or with princes who had gold

and filled their houses with silver.

There the wicked cease from troubling,

there the weary are at rest.

There the captives are at ease together,

and hear not the voice of the slave driver.

Small and great are there the same,

and the servant is free from his master.

Why is light given to the toilers,

and life to the bitter in spirit?

They wait for death and it comes not;

they search for it rather than for hidden treasures,

Rejoice in it exultingly,

and are glad when they reach the grave:

Men whose path is hidden from them,

and whom God has hemmed in!

For sighing comes more readily to me than food,

and my groans well forth like water.

For what I fear overtakes me,

and what I shrink from comes upon me.

I have no peace nor ease;

I have no rest, for trouble comes!

RESPONSORY Job 3:24-26; 6:13

My sighs have become my food, and my tears pour forth like flowing streams; whatever I fear happens, whatever I dread befalls me,

— and trouble comes, O Lord.

I am a man without help, and aid is beyond my reach.

— And trouble comes, O Lord.

Second Reading

From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop

Rejoice in the Lord always

The Apostle tells us to rejoice, but in the Lord, not in the world. Whoever wishes to be a friend of this world, says Scripture, will be reckoned an enemy of God. As a man cannot serve two masters, so one cannot rejoice both in the world and in the Lord.

Let joy in the Lord prevail, then, until joy in the world is no more. Let joy in the Lord go on increasing; let joy in the world go on decreasing until it is no more. This is said, not because we are not to rejoice while we are in this world, but in order that, even while we are still in this world, we may already rejoice in the Lord.

You may object: I am in the world; if I rejoice I certainly rejoice where I am. What is this? Do you mean that because you are in the world you are not in the Lord? Listen again to the Apostle, speaking now to the Athenians: in the Acts of the Apostles he says this of God and the Lord our creator: In him we live and move and have our being. If he is everywhere, where is he not? Surely this was what he was exhorting us to realize. The Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.

This is a great truth, that he ascended above all the heavens, yet is near to those on earth. Who is this stranger and neighbor if not the one who became our neighbor out of compassion?

The man lying on the road, left half-dead by robbers, the man treated with contempt by the priest and the levite who passed by, the man approached by the passing Samaritan to take care of him and help him, that man is the whole human race. When the immortal one, the holy one, was far removed from us because we were mortal and sinners, he came down to us, so that he, the stranger, might become our neighbor.

He did not treat us as our sins deserved. For we are now sons of God. How do we show this? The only Son of God died for us, so that he might not remain alone. He who died as the only Son did not want to remain as the only Son. For the only Son of God made many sons of God. He bought brothers for himself by his blood; he made them welcome by being rejected; he ransomed them by being sold; he honored them by being dishonored; he gave them life by being put to death.

So, brethren, rejoice in the Lord, not in the world. That is, rejoice in the truth, not in wickedness; rejoice in the hope of eternity, not in the fading flower of vanity. That is the way to rejoice. Wherever you are on earth, however long you remain on earth, the Lord is near, do not be anxious about anything.

RESPONSORY 2 Corinthians 13:11; Romans 15:13

Rejoice, brothers. Strive for perfection; encourage one another. Live in harmony and peace,

— and the God of peace and love will be with you.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace through your faith in him.

— And the God of peace and love will be with you.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

O God,

who never cease to bestow the glory of holiness

on the faithful servants you raise up for yourself,

graciously grant that the Holy Spirit may kindle in us that fire

with which he wonderfully filled

the heart of Saint Philip Neri.

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

Psalter: Monday, Week I, 706

Proper of Saints: 1449 (canticle ant)

Common of One Martyr: 1717 (reading, intercessions)

Christian Prayer:

Ordinary: 689

Psalter: Monday, Week I, 718

Proper of Saints: 1160 (canticle ant)

Common of One Martyr: 1414 (reading, intercessions)

Morning Prayer for Monday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

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
God's holy martyr, who disdained

And overcame all pains and death,

Your faithful following of Christ

Has led you to the Father's home.

By your incessant prayer for us,

Obtain forgiveness for our sins;

Protect us from the pow'rs of ill,

Relieve us in our daily cares.

For you are free from every bond

That bound you once to things of earth,

By your own ardent love for Christ,

Free us from all that drags us down.

All honor to our Father, God,

Who with the Spirit and the Son

Awarded you a deathless crown

In heaven's court of glory blest. Amen.

𝄞"God's Holy Martyr, Who Disdained" by Kathleen Lundquist • Available for Purchase • Title: God's Holy Martyr, Who Disdained; Text: Martyr Dei, qui unicum, 9th c.; Tr. the Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode VI; Liber Hymnarius; 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 I lift up my heart to you, O Lord, and you will hear my morning prayer.

Psalm 5

A morning prayer asking for help

Those who welcome the Word as the guest of their hearts will have abiding joy.

To my words give ear, O Lord,

give heed to my groaning.

Attend to the sound of my cries,

my King and my God.

It is you whom I invoke, O Lord.

In the morning you hear me;

in the morning I offer you my prayer,

watching and waiting.

You are no God who loves evil;

no sinner is your guest.

The boastful shall not stand their ground

before your face.

You hate all who do evil:

you destroy all who lie.

The deceitful and bloodthirsty man

the Lord detests.

But I through the greatness of your love

have access to your house.

I bow down before your holy temple,

filled with awe.

Lead me, Lord, in your justice,

because of those who lie in wait;

make clear your way before me.

No truth can be found in their mouths,

their heart is all mischief,

their throat a wide-open grave,

all honey their speech.

All those you protect shall be glad

and ring out their joy.

You shelter them; in you they rejoice,

those who love your name.

It is you who bless the just man, Lord:

you surround him with favor as with a shield.

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, all justice and all goodness come from you; you hate evil and abhor lies. Lead us, your servants, in the path of your justice, so that all who hope in you may rejoice with the Church and in Christ.

Ant. I lift up my heart to you, O Lord, and you will hear my morning prayer.

Ant. 2 We praise your glorious name, O Lord, our God.

Canticle: 1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Glory and honor are due to God alone

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:3).

Blessed may you be, O Lord,

God of Israel our father,

from eternity to eternity.

Yours, O Lord, are grandeur and power,

majesty, splendor, and glory.

For all in heaven and on earth is yours;

yours, O Lord, is the sovereignty:

you are exalted as head over all.

Riches and honor are from you,

and you have dominion over all.

In your hand are power and might;

it is yours to give grandeur and strength to all.

Therefore, our God, we give you thanks

and we praise the majesty of your name.

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. We praise your glorious name, O Lord, our God.

Ant. 3 Adore the Lord in his holy court.

Psalm 29

A tribute of praise to the Word of God

The Father’s voice proclaimed: “This is my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17)

O give the Lord, you sons of God,

give the Lord glory and power;

give the Lord the glory of his name.

Adore the Lord in his holy court.

The Lord’s voice resounding on the waters,

the Lord on the immensity of waters;

the voice of the Lord, full of power,

the voice of the Lord, full of splendor.

The Lord’s voice shattering the cedars,

the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon;

he makes Lebanon leap like a calf

and Sirion like a young wild-ox.

The Lord’s voice flashes flames of fire.

The Lord’s voice shaking the wilderness,

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh;

the Lord’s voice rending the oak tree

and stripping the forest bare.

The God of glory thunders.

In his temple they all cry: “Glory!”

The Lord sat enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits as king for ever.

The Lord will give strength to his people,

the Lord will bless his people with 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.

Psalm-prayer

You live for ever, Lord and King. All things of the earth justly sing your glory and honor. Strengthen your people against evil that we may rejoice in your peace and trust in your eternal promise.

Ant. Adore the Lord in his holy court.

READING 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation.

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

The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.

— The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.

The Lord is my savior,

— and I shall sing his praise.

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

— The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. In every sacrifice let us praise the creator of all things through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

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. In every sacrifice let us praise the creator of all things through his Son Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit.

INTERCESSIONS

Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the Word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness to the faith,

— give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood,

— give us a faith, O Lord, that is constant and pure.

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs followed in your footsteps by carrying the cross,

— help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb,

— help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

You redeemed us by your blood.

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

O God,

who through the folly of the Cross

wondrously taught Saint Justin the Martyr

the surpassing knowledge of Jesus Christ,

grant us, through his intercession, that,

having rejected deception and error,

we may become steadfast in the faith.

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.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

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

— Amen.

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.

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. Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.

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. Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.

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. Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.

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. Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.

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. Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.

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 Christ, the King of martyrs.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 651

Psalter: Friday, Week I, 786

Common of One Martyr: 1711 (verse)

Proper of Seasons: 310 (first reading, responsory)

Proper of Saints: 1455 (second reading, responsory, concluding prayer)

Office of Readings for Friday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

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
Lo! round the throne, a glorious band,

The saints in countless myriads stand;

Of every tongue redeemed to God,

Arrayed in garments washed in blood,

Alleluia.

Through tribulation great they came;

They bore the cross, despised the shame;

From all their labors now they rest,

In God’s eternal glory blest,

Alleluia.

They see their Savior face to face;

And sing the triumphs of His grace;

Him day and night, they ceaseless praise,

To Him their loud thanksgiving raise,

Alleluia.

“Worthy the Lamb, for sinners slain,

Through endless years to live and reign;

Thou hast redeemed us by Thy blood,

And made us kings and priests to God.”

Alleluia.

O may we tread the sacred road

That saints and holy martyrs trod;

Wage to the end the glorious strife,

And win, like them, a crown of life,

Alleluia.

𝄞"Lo! Round The Throne, A Glorious Band" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Musical Score • Title: Lo! Round The Throne, A Glorious Band; Text: Rowland Hill, 1783; Music: • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Rise up, Lord, and come to my aid.

Psalm 35: 1-2, 3c, 9-19, 22-23, 27-28

The Lord as Savior in time of persecution

They came together… and laid their plans to capture Jesus by treachery and put him to death (Matthew 26:3-4).

I

O Lord, plead my cause against my foes;

fight those who fight me.

Take up your buckler and shield;

arise to help me.

O Lord, say to my soul:

“I am your salvation.”

But my soul shall be joyful in the Lord

and rejoice in his salvation.

My whole being will say:

“Lord, who is like you

who rescue the weak from the strong

and the poor from the oppressor?”

Lying witnesses arise

and accuse me unjustly.

They repay me evil for good:

my soul is forlorn.

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. Rise up, Lord, and come to my aid.

Ant. 2 All-powerful Lord, stand by me and defend me.

II

When they were sick I went into mourning,

afflicted with fasting.

My prayer was ever on my lips,

as for a brother, a friend.

I went as though mourning a mother,

bowed down with grief.

Now that I am in trouble they gather,

they gather and mock me.

They take me by surprise and strike me

and tear me to pieces.

They provoke me with mockery on mockery

and gnash their teeth.

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. All-powerful Lord, stand by me and defend me.

Ant. 3 My tongue will speak of your goodness all the day long.

III

O Lord, how long will you look on?

Come to my rescue!

Save my life from these raging beasts,

my soul from these lions.

I will thank you in the great assembly,

amid the throng I will praise you.

Do not let my lying foes

rejoice over me.

Do not let those who hate me unjustly

wink eyes at each other.

O Lord, you have seen, do not be silent,

do not stand afar off!

Awake, stir to my defense,

to my cause, O God!

Let there be joy for those who love my cause.

Let them say without end:

“Great is the Lord who delights

in the peace of his servant.”

Then my tongue shall speak of your justice,

all day long of your praise.

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 rescue the poor from their oppressors, and you rose to the aid of your beloved Son against those who unjustly sought his life. Look on your Church as we journey to you, that the poor and week may recognize the help you provide and proclaim your saving acts.

Ant. My tongue will speak of your goodness all the day long.

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.

I have known tribulations and distress.

— But in your commands I have found consolation.

READINGS

First reading

From the book of Job

40:1-14; 42:1-6

Job submits himself to the divine majesty

The Lord said to Job:

Will we have arguing with the Almighty by the critic?

Let him who would correct God give answer!

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

Behold, I am of little account; what can I answer you?

I put my hand over my mouth.

Though I have spoken once, I will not do so again;

though twice, I will do so no more.

Then the Lord addressed Job out of the storm and said:

Gird up your loins now, like a man.

I will question you, and you tell me the answers!

Would you refuse to acknowledge my right?

Would you condemn me that you may be justified?

Have you an arm like that of God,

or can you thunder with a voice like his?

Adorn yourself with grandeur and majesty,

and array yourself with glory and splendor.

Let loose the fury of your wrath;

tear down the wicked and shatter them.

Bring down the haughty with a glance;

bury them in the dust together;

in the hidden world imprison them.

Then will I too acknowledge

that your own right hand can save you.

Then Job answered the Lord and said:

I know that you can do all things,

and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.

I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;

things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.

I had heard of you by word of mouth,

but now my eye has seen you.

Therefore I disown what I have said,

and repent in dust and ashes.

RESPONSORY Job 42:5-6; 40:5, 4

I have heard of you by word of mouth, O Lord, but now that I have seen you for myself I disown all that I have said,

— and I repent in dust and ashes.

Though I have spoken once, I will not speak again; though twice, I will do so no more. I shall put my finger against my lips.

— And I repent in dust and ashes.

Second reading

From a letter by Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr

The careful shepherd watches over Christ’s flock

In her voyage across the ocean of this world, the Church is like a great ship being pounded by the waves of life’s different stresses. Our duty is not to abandon ship but to keep her on her course.

The ancient fathers showed us how we should carry out this duty: Clement, Cornelius and many others in the city of Rome, Cyprian at Carthage, Athanasius at Alexandria. They all lived under emperors who were pagans; they all steered Christ’s ship—or rather his most dear spouse, the Church. This they did by teaching and defending her, by their labors and sufferings, even to the shedding of blood.

I am terrified when I think of all this. Fear and trembling came upon me and the darkness of my sins almost covered me. I would gladly give up the task of guiding the Church which I have accepted if I could find such an action warranted by the example of the fathers or by holy Scripture.

Since this is the case, and since the truth can be assaulted but never defeated or falsified, with our tired mind let us turn to the words of Solomon: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own prudence. Think on him in all your ways, and he will guide your steps. In another place he says: The name of the Lord is an impregnable tower. The just man seeks refuge in it and he will be saved.

Let us stand fast in what is right and prepare our souls for trial. Let us wait upon God’s strengthening aid and say to him: O Lord, you have been our refuge in all generations.

Let us trust in him who has placed this burden upon us. What we ourselves cannot bear let us bear with the help of Christ. For he is all-powerful and he tells us: My yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Let us continue the fight on the day of the Lord. The days of anguish and of tribulation have overtaken us; if God so wills, let us die for the holy laws of our fathers, so that we may deserve to obtain an eternal inheritance with them.

Let us be neither dogs that do not bark nor silent onlookers nor paid servants who run away before the wolf. Instead let us be careful shepherds watching over Christ’s flock. Let us preach the whole of God’s plan to the powerful and to the humble, to rich and to poor, to men of every rank and age, as far as God gives us the strength, in season and out of season, as Saint Gregory writes in his book of Pastoral Instruction.

RESPONSORY 1 Thessalonians 2:8; Galatians 4:19

I have longed to give you the Gospel, and more than that, to give you my very life;

— you have become very dear to me.

My little children, I am like a mother giving birth to you, until Christ is formed in you.

— You have become very dear to me.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

May the Martyr Saint Boniface

be our advocate, O Lord,

that we may firmly hold the faith he taught

with his lips and sealed in his blood

and confidently profess it by our deeds.

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

Psalter: Friday, Week I, 789

Common of One Martyr: 1717

Proper of Saints: 1457

Christian Prayer:

Ordinary: 689

Psalter: Friday, Week I, 759

Common of One Martyr: 1414

Proper of Saints: 1162

Morning Prayer for Friday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr

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
God's holy martyr, who disdained

And overcame all pains and death,

Your faithful following of Christ

Has led you to the Father's home.

By your incessant prayer for us,

Obtain forgiveness for our sins;

Protect us from the pow'rs of ill,

Relieve us in our daily cares.

For you are free from every bond

That bound you once to things of earth,

By your own ardent love for Christ,

Free us from all that drags us down.

All honor to our Father, God,

Who with the Spirit and the Son

Awarded you a deathless crown

In heaven's court of glory blest. Amen.

𝄞"God's Holy Martyr, Who Disdained" by Kathleen Lundquist • Available for Purchase • Title: God's Holy Martyr, Who Disdained; Text: Martyr Dei, qui unicum, 9th c.; Tr. the Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode VI; Liber Hymnarius; 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 Lord, you will accept the true sacrifice offered on your altar.

Psalm 51

O God, have mercy on me

Your inmost being must be renewed, and you must put on the new man (Ephesians 4:23-24).

Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.

In your compassion blot out my offense.

O wash me more and more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

My offenses truly I know them;

my sin is always before me

Against you, you alone, have I sinned;

what is evil in your sight I have done.

That you may be justified when you give sentence

and be without reproach when you judge,

O see, in guilt I was born,

a sinner was I conceived.

Indeed you love truth in the heart;

then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.

O purify me, then I shall be clean;

O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,

that the bones you have crushed may revive.

From my sins turn away your face

and blot out all my guilt.

A pure heart create for me, O God,

put a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me away from your presence,

nor deprive me of your holy spirit.

Give me again the joy of your help;

with a spirit of fervor sustain me,

that I may teach transgressors your ways

and sinners may return to you.

O rescue me, God, my helper,

and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.

O Lord, open my lips

and my mouth shall declare your praise.

For in sacrifice you take no delight,

burnt offering from me you would refuse,

my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.

A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.

In your goodness, show favor to Zion:

rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.

Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,

holocausts offered on your altar.

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, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship. Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations.

Ant. Lord, you will accept the true sacrifice offered on your altar.

Ant. 2 All the descendants of Israel will glory in the Lord’s gift of victory.

Canticle — Isaiah 45:15-25

People of all nations will become disciples of the Lord

Every knee shall bend at the name of Jesus (Philippians 2:10).

Truly with you God is hidden,

the God of Israel, the savior!

Those are put to shame and disgrace

who vent their anger against him.

Those go in disgrace

who carve images.

Israel, you are saved by the Lord, saved forever!

You shall never be put to shame or disgrace

in future ages.

For thus says the Lord,

the creator of the heavens,

who is God,

the designer and maker of the earth

who established it,

not creating it to be a waste,

but designing it to be lived in:

I am the Lord, and there is no other.

I have not spoken from hiding

nor from some dark place of the earth.

And I have not said to the descendants of Jacob,

“Look for me in an empty waste.”

I, the Lord, promise justice,

I foretell what is right.

Come and assemble, gather together,

you fugitives from among the Gentiles!

They are without knowledge who bear wooden idols

and pray to gods that cannot save.

Come here and declare

in counsel together:

Who announced this from the beginning

and foretold it from of old?

Was it not I, the Lord,

besides whom there is no other God?

There is no just and saving God but me.

Turn to me and be safe,

all you ends of the earth,

for I am God; there is no other!

By myself I swear,

uttering my just decree

and my unalterable word:

To me every knee shall bend;

by me every tongue shall swear,

saying, “Only in the Lord

are just deeds and power.

“Before him in shame shall come

all who vent their anger against him.

In the Lord shall be the vindication and the glory

of all the descendants of Israel.”

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. All the descendants of Israel will glory in the Lord’s gift of victory.

Ant. 3 Let us go into God’s presence singing for joy.

Psalm 100

The joyful song of those entering God’s temple

The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).

Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.

Serve the Lord with gladness.

Come before him, singing for joy.

Know that he, the Lord, is God.

He made us, we belong to him,

we are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Go within his gates, giving thanks.

Enter his courts with songs of praise.

Give thanks to him and bless his name.

Indeed, how good is the Lord,

eternal his merciful love.

He is faithful 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

With joy and gladness we cry out to you, Lord, and ask you: open our hearts to sing your praises and announce your goodness and truth.

Ant. Let us go into God’s presence singing for joy.

READING 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation.

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

The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.

— The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.

The Lord is my savior,

— and I shall sing his praise.

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

— The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Whoever hates his life in this world keeps it safe for life everlasting.

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. Whoever hates his life in this world keeps it safe for life everlasting.

INTERCESSIONS

Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness to the faith,

— give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood,

— give us a faith, O Lord, that is constant and pure.

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs followed in your footsteps by carrying the cross,

— help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.

You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb,

— help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.

You redeemed us by your blood.

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

May the Martyr Saint Boniface

be our advocate, O Lord,

that we may firmly hold the faith he taught

with his lips and sealed in his blood

and confidently profess it by our deeds.

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.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

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

— Amen.