Office of Readings
INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Go to the Hymn
Go to the Psalmody
Lord, + open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 24
Psalm 67
Psalm 100
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
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 the Lord, the King who is to come.
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 the Lord, the King who is to come.
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 the Lord, the King who is to come.
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 the Lord, the King who is to come.
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 the Lord, the King who is to come.
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, the King who is to come.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
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
Alternate Hymns
O Word proceeding from on high,
light coming from the Father’s light,
by birth you came to save the world
when time’s appointed course had run.
Now come and fill our hearts with light,
consume them in your love’s bright heat,
and when the herald’s cry is heard,
may all deceit be put to flight.
So when at length you come as Judge
to probe our hearts in thought and deed,
to weigh the guilt for hidden sin
and crown the just for deeds well done.
Let not the nature of our sins
detain us in the evil throng,
but let us with the blessed share
the life of heaven evermore.
To you, O Christ, most loving King,
and to the Father, glory be,
one with the Spirit Paraclete,
from age to age for evermore. Amen.
Tune: BRESLAU, 8 8 8 8
Music: first appeared in As Sacerdos Sacer, Leipzig, 1625, adapted by Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy, 1809-1847
or Mode II, melody 38; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Verbum supernum prodiens, a Patre lumen exiens, 10th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 This is our heavenly King; he comes with power and might to save the nations, alleluia.
Psalm 1
There are two ways a man may take
They are happy who, putting all their trust in the cross, have plunged into the water of life (from an author of the second century).
Happy indeed is the man *
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners *
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord *
and who ponders his law day and night.
He is like a tree that is planted *
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season *
and whose leaves shall never fade;
and all that he does shall prosper. *
Not so are the wicked, not so!
For they like winnowed chaff *
shall be driven away by the wind.
When the wicked are judged they shall not stand, *
nor find room among those who are just;
for the Lord guards the way of the just *
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
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 are the fullness of life, of holiness and of joy. Fill our days and nights with the love of your wisdom, that we may bear fruit in the beauty of holiness, like a tree watered by running streams.
Ant. This is our heavenly King; he comes with power and might to save the nations, alleluia.
Ant. 2 Daughter of Jerusalem, rejoice and be glad; your King will come to you. Zion, do not fear; your Savior hastens on his way.
Psalm 2
The Messiah, king and conqueror
The rulers of the earth joined forces to overthrow Jesus, your anointed Son (Acts 4:27).
Why this tumult among nations, *
among peoples this useless murmuring?
They arise, the kings of the earth, *
princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.
“Come let us break their fetters, *
come, let us cast off their yoke.”
He who sits in the heavens laughs; *
the Lord is laughing them to scorn.
Then he will speak in his anger, *
his rage will strike them with terror.
“It is I who have set up my king *
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will announce the decree of the Lord:
The Lord said to me: “You are my Son. *
It is I who have begotten you this day.
Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations, *
put the ends of the earth in your possession.
With a rod of iron you will break them, *
shatter them like a potter’s jar.”
Now, O kings, understand, *
take warning, rulers of the earth;
serve the Lord with awe *
and trembling, pay him your homage
lest he be angry and you perish; *
for suddenly his anger will blaze.
Blessed are they who put their trust in 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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord God, you gave the peoples of the world to be the inheritance of your only Son; you crowned him as King of Zion, your holy city, and gave him your Church to be his Bride. As he proclaims the law of your eternal kingdom, may we serve him faithfully, and so share his royal power forever.
Ant. Daughter of Jerusalem, rejoice and be glad; your King will come to you. Zion, do not fear; your Savior hastens on his way.
Ant. 3 Let us cleanse our hearts for the coming of our great King, that we may be ready to welcome him; he is coming and will not delay.
Psalm 3
I am safe in the Lord’s keeping
Christ fell asleep in death, but he rose from the dead, for God was his deliverer (Saint Irenaeus).
How many are my foes, O Lord! *
How many are rising up against me!
How many are saying about me: *
“There is no help for him in God.”
But you, Lord, are a shield about me, *
my glory, who lift up my head.
I cry aloud to the Lord. *
He answers from his holy mountain.
I lie down to rest and I sleep. *
I wake, for the Lord upholds me.
I will not fear even thousands of people *
who are ranged on every side against me.
Arise, Lord; save me, my God, *
you who strike all my foes on the mouth,
you who break the teeth of the wicked! *
O Lord of salvation, bless your people!
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 God, you heard the cry of your Son when he was oppressed and saved him from the sleep of death. Arise, Lord, help your Church. Be its shield so that it may hold up its head and radiate the glory of the resurrection.
Ant. Let us cleanse our hearts for the coming of our great King, that we may be ready to welcome him; he is coming and will not delay.
Lift up your heads and see.
— Your redemption is now at hand.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the beginning of the book of the prophet Isaiah
1:1-18
The reproof of the people
The vision which Isaiah, son of Amoz, had concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth,
for the Lord speaks:
Sons have I raised and reared,
but they have disowned me!
An ox knows its owner,
and an ass, its master’s manger;
But Israel does not know,
my people has not understood.
Ah! sinful nation, people laden with wickedness,
evil race, corrupt children!
They have forsaken the Lord,
spurned the Holy One of Israel, apostatized.
Where would you yet be struck,
you that rebel again and again?
The whole head is sick,
the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot to the head
there is no sound spot:
Wound and welt and gaping gash,
not drained, or bandaged,
or eased with salve.
Your country is waste,
your cities burnt with fire;
Your land before your eyes
strangers devour
[a waste, like Sodom overthrown]—
And daughter Zion is left
like a hut in a vineyard,
Like a shed in a melon patch,
like a city blockaded.
Unless the Lord of hosts
had left us a scanty remnant,
We had become as Sodom,
we should be like Gomorrah.
Hear the word of the Lord,
princes of Sodom!
Listen to the instruction of our God,
people of Gomorrah!
What care I for the number of your sacrifices?
says the Lord.
I have had enough of whole-burnt rams
and fat of fatlings;
In the blood of calves, lambs and goats
I find no pleasure.
When you come in to visit me,
who asks these things of you?
Trample my courts no more!
Bring no more worthless offerings;
your incense is loathsome to me.
New moon and sabbath, calling of assemblies,
octaves with wickedness: these I cannot bear.
Your new moons and festivals I detest;
they weigh me down, I tire of the load.
When you spread out your hands,
I close my eyes to you;
Though you pray the more,
I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood!
Wash yourselves clean!
Put away your misdeeds from before my eyes;
cease doing evil; learn to do good.
Make justice your aim: redress the wronged,
hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow.
Come now, let us set things right,
says the Lord:
Though your sins be like scarlet,
they may become white as snow;
Though they be crimson red,
they may become white as wool.
RESPONSORY
Isaiah 1:16, 18, 17
Wash yourselves, be clean.
Banish evil from your hearts,
away from my sight.
— Though your sins be scarlet,
they shall be made white as snow.
Cease to do evil and learn to do good,
seek always what is just.
— Though your sins be scarlet,
they shall be made white as snow.
SECOND READING
From a catechetical instruction by Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, bishop
(Cat. 15, 1-3: PG 33, 870-874)
On the twofold coming of Christ
We do not preach only one coming of Christ, but a second as well, much more glorious than the first. The first coming was marked by patience; the second will bring the crown of a divine kingdom.
In general, whatever relates to our Lord Jesus Christ has two aspects. There is a birth from God before the ages, and a birth from a virgin at the fullness of time. There is a hidden coming, like that of rain on fleece, and a coming before all eyes, still in the future.
At the first coming he was wrapped in swaddling clothes in a manger. At his second coming he will be clothed in light as in a garment. In the first coming he endured the cross, despising the shame; in the second coming he will be in glory, escorted by an army of angels. We look then beyond the first coming and await the second. At the first coming we said: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. At the second we shall say it again; we shall go out with the angels to meet the Lord and cry out in adoration: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
The Savior will not come to be judged again, but to judge those by whom he was judged. At his own judgment he was silent; then he will address those who committed the outrages against him when they crucified him and will remind them: You did these things, and I was silent.
His first coming was to fulfill his plan of love, to teach men by gentle persuasion. This time, whether men like it or not, they will be subjects of his kingdom by necessity. Malachi the prophet speaks of the two comings. And the Lord whom you seek will come suddenly to his temple: that is one coming.
Again he says of another coming: Look, the Lord almighty will come, and who will endure the day of his entry, or who will stand in his sight? Because he comes like a refiner’s fire, a fuller’s herb, and he will sit refining and cleansing.
These two comings are also referred to by Paul in writing to Titus: The grace of God the Savior has appeared to all men, instructing us to put aside impiety and worldly desires and live temperately, uprightly, and religiously in this present age, waiting for the joyful hope, the appearance of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Notice how he speaks of a first coming for which he gives thanks, and a second, the one we still await.
That is why the faith we profess has been handed on to you in these words: He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will therefore come from heaven. He will come at the end of the world, in glory, at the last day. For there will be an end to this world, and the created world will be made new.
RESPONSORY
Watching from afar, I see the power of God advancing,
and the whole earth enveloped in a cloud.
Go out to meet him crying:
— Tell us if you are the One who is to reign over the people of Israel.
All peoples of the earth,
all children of men,
— rich and poor alike, go out to meet him crying:
Shepherd of Israel, hear us,
you who lead Joseph’s race like a flock,
— tell us if you are the One.
Throw wide the gates, you princes,
let the King of glory enter,
— who is to reign over the people of Israel.
Watching from afar, I see the power of God advancing,
and the whole earth enveloped in a cloud.
Go out to meet him crying:
— Tell us if you are the One who is to reign over the people of Israel.
Those who wish to extend the celebration of the vigil of Sunday, according to tradition, first celebrate the Office of Readings. After both readings and before the Te Deum, they may add canticles and a gospel reading. Afterward the Te Deum is sung, the prayer is said, and the hour is concluded as in the Ordinary.
Optional Vigil
TE DEUM
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
℣. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
℟. Govern and uphold them now and always.
℣. Day by day we bless you.
℟. We praise your name for ever.
℣. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
℟. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
℣. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
℟. for we put our trust in you.
℣. In you, Lord, is our hope:
℟. and we shall never hope in vain.
The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
All-powerful God,
increase our strength of will for doing good
that Christ may find an eager welcome at his coming
and call us to his side in the kingdom of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God,
the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ
with righteous deeds at his coming,
so that, gathered at his right hand,
they may be worthy to possess the heavenly kingdom.
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
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
******
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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.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
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, the King who is to come.
Continue with the Hymn
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
O God, be gracious and bless us *
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth *
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
Let the nations be glad and exult *
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, *
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
The earth has yielded its fruit *
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing *
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
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, the King who is to come.
Continue with the Hymn
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.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
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, the King who is to come.
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, the King who is to come.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.
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, the King who is to come.
Continue with the Hymn
On Jordan’s bank, the Baptist’s cry
Announces that the Lord is nigh;
Awake and hearken for he brings
Glad tidings of the King of kings.
Then cleansed be ev’ry heart from sin,
Make straight the way of God within;
O let us each our hearts prepare
For Christ to come and enter there.
For you are our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge and our great reward;
Once more upon your people shine,
And fill the world with love divine.
To God the Son all glory be,
Whose advent set all nations free,
Whom with the Father we adore,
And Holy Spirit ever more.
Tune: Winchester New L.M.
Music: Musikaliches Handbuch, Hamburg, 1690
Text: Iordanis Ora Prævia, Charles Coffin, 1736
Translation: John Chandler, 1837, alt.
Continue with the Psalmody
Or:
“Comfort, comfort, now my people;
Tell of peace,” so says our God.
Comfort those who sit in darkness
Mourning under sorrow’s load.
To God’s people now proclaim
That God’s pardon waits for them!
Tell them that their war is over;
God will reign in peace forever.
For the herald’s voice is crying
In the desert far and near,
Calling us to true repentance,
Since the Kingdom now is here.
Oh, that warning cry obey!
Now prepare for Christ a way!
Let the valleys rise to meet him,
And the hills bow down to greet him!
Straight shall be what long was crooked,
And the rougher places plain!
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits his holy reign!
For the glory of the Lord
Now on earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That God’s word is never broken.
Tune: Geneva 42 87.87.77.88
Music: Genevan Psalter, 1553
Text: Tröstet, tröstet meine Lieben, Johann G. Olearus, 1611-1684
Translation: Catherine Winkworth, 1827-1878, alt.
Continue with the Psalmody
Or:
O come, Divine Messiah,
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
Refrain:
Dear Savior, haste! Come, come to earth.
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, Divine Messiah,
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
O come, Desired of nations,
Whom priest and prophet long foretold,
Will break the captive fetters,
Redeem the long-lost fold.
Refrain:
Dear Savior, haste! Come, come to earth.
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, Divine Messiah,
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
O come, in peace and meekness,
For lowly will your cradle be:
Though clothed in human weakness
We shall your Godhead see.
Refrain:
Dear Savior, haste! Come, come to earth.
Dispel the night and show your face,
And bid us hail the dawn of grace.
O come, Divine Messiah,
The world in silence waits the day
When hope shall sing its triumph,
And sadness flee away.
Tune: Venez Divin Messie 78.76 with Refrain
Music: French Noël, sixteenth century
Text: Venez divin Messie, Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin, 1663-1745
Translation: Sister Mary of Saint Philip, 1877
Continue with the Psalmody
CANTICLES
Ant. Rejoice and sing for joy, daughter of Zion, for I come to live in your midst, says the Lord.
Canticle I: Isaiah 40:10-17
The Good Shepherd: God most high and most wise
See, I come quickly; I have my reward in hand (Revelation 22:12).
Here comes with power †
the Lord God, *
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him, *
his recompense before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; *
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom, *
and leading the ewes with care.
Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea, *
and marked off the heavens with a span?
Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, †
weighed the mountains in scales *
and the hills in a balance?
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, *
or has instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did he consult to gain knowledge? †
Who taught him the path of judgment, *
or showed him the way of understanding?
Behold, the nations count as a drop in the bucket, †
as dust on the scales; *
the coastlands weigh no more than powder.
Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, *
nor its animals be enough for holocausts.
Before him all the nations are as nought, *
as nothing and void he accounts 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.
Canticle II: Isaiah 42:10-16
God victor and savior
They were singing a new hymn before the throne of God (Revelation 14:3).
Sing to the Lord a new song, *
his praise from the end of the earth:
Let the sea and what fills it resound, *
the coastlands, and those who dwell in them.
Let the steppe and its cities cry out, *
the villages where Kedar dwells;
Let the inhabitants of Sela exult, *
and shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the Lord, *
and utter his praise in the coastlands.
The Lord goes forth like a hero, *
like a warrior he stirs up his ardor;
He shouts out his battle cry, *
against his enemies he shows his might:
I have looked away, and kept silence, *
I have said nothing, holding myself in;
But now, I cry out as a woman in labor, *
gasping and panting.
I will lay waste mountains and hills, *
all their herbage I will dry up;
I will turn the rivers into marshes, *
and the marshes I will dry up.
I will lead the blind on their journey; *
by paths unknown I will guide them.
I will turn darkness into light before them, *
and make crooked ways straight.
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.
Canticle III: Isaiah 49:7-13
God redeems the people through his Servant
God has sent his only-begotten Son into the world that we might have life through him (1 John 4:9).
Thus says the Lord, *
the redeemer and the Holy One of Israel,
to the one despised, whom the nations abhor, *
the slave of rulers:
When kings see you, they shall stand up, *
and princes shall prostrate themselves
because of the Lord who is faithful, *
the Holy One of Israel who has chosen you.
Thus says the Lord: *
In a time of favor I answer you,
on the day of salvation I help you, †
to restore the land *
and allot the desolate heritages,
Saying to the prisoners: Come out! *
To those in darkness: Show yourselves!
Along the ways they shall find pasture, *
on every bare height shall their pastures be,
They shall not hunger or thirst, *
nor shall the scorching wind or the sun strike them;
for he who pities them leads them *
and guides them beside springs of water.
I will cut a road through all my mountains, *
and make my highways level.
See, some shall come from afar, †
others from the north and the west, *
and some from the land of Syene.
Sing out, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, *
break forth into song, you mountains.
For the Lord comforts his people *
and shows mercy to his afflicted.
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. Rejoice and sing for joy, daughter of Zion, for I come to live in your midst, says the Lord.
THE HOLY GOSPEL
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
24:1-12
Why do you seek the living among the dead?
At daybreak on the first day of the week they took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb; but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were puzzling over this, behold, two men in dazzling garments appeared to them.
They were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground. They said to them, “Why do you seek the living one among the dead? He is not here, but he has been raised. Remember what he said to you while he was still in Galilee, that the Son of Man must be handed over to sinners and be crucified, and rise on the third day.” And they remembered his words.
Then they returned from the tomb and announced all these things to the eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James; the others who accompanied them also told this to the apostles, but their story seemed like nonsense and they did not believe them.
But Peter got up and ran to the tomb, bent down, and saw the burial cloths alone; then he went home amazed at what had happened.
A homily on the Gospel may be given