Office of Readings
In those places where this Memorial is observed as a Solemnity or Feast, please use the texts found in the Common of One Martyr or the Common of Virgins with the proper texts below.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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
O Christ, the lily of the vale,
we praise you and extol your name,
for you adorned with blessed palm
this Virgin in her martyrdom.
This prudent woman, wise and strong,
was willing to confess her faith;
undaunted, she endured the woe
of fearful tortures for your sake.
And thus, abounding in your gifts,
she spurned the ruler of this world:
victorious in the bloodied fray,
she won an everlasting crown.
Lord, by the merits of this Saint
include us in her company,
that, pure of heart, we may enjoy
the fruits of your redeeming blood.
To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
who are the Virgin Mary’s Son,
with God the Father, ever blest,
and loving Spirit, evermore. Amen.
Tune: HEREFORD, 8 8 8 8
Music: Samel Sebastian Wesley, 1810-1876
or Mode I, melody 21; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: O Christe, flos convallium, ca. 9th c., © 2023 ICEL
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 weak may recognize the help you provide and proclaim your saving acts.
Ant. My tongue will speak of your goodness all the day long.
My son, take my words to heart.
— Do as I say, and you will live.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of the prophet Zechariah
12:9-12a; 13:1-9
Salvation in Jerusalem
On that day I will seek the destruction of all nations that come against Jerusalem.
I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have thrust through, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a first-born.
On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. And the land shall mourn, each family apart.
On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness. On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will destroy the names of the idols from the land, so that they shall be mentioned no more; I will also take away the prophets and the spirit of uncleanness from the land. If a man still prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall say to him, “You shall not live, because you have spoken a lie in the name of the Lord.” When he prophesies, his parents, father and mother, shall thrust him through.
On that day, every prophet shall be ashamed to prophesy his vision, neither shall he assume the hairy mantle to mislead, but he shall say, “I am no prophet, I am a tiller of the soil, for I have owned land since my youth.” And if anyone asks him, “What are these wounds on your chest?” he shall answer, “With these I was wounded in the house of my dear ones.”
Awake, O sword, against my shepherd,
against the man who is my associate,
says the Lord of hosts.
Strike the shepherd
that the sheep may be dispersed,
and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
In all the land, says the Lord,
two thirds of them shall be cut off and perish,
and one third shall be left.
I will bring the one third through fire,
and I will refine them as silver is refined,
and I will test them as gold is tested.
They shall call upon my name,
and I will hear them.
I will say, “They are my people,”
and they shall say, “The Lord is my God.”
RESPONSORY
Matthew 26:31; Zechariah 13:7
Tonight your faith in me will be shaken,
for Scripture says:
— I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.
Awake, O sword, and strike my shepherd,
the man who is my companion, says the Lord.
— I will strike the shepherd,
and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.
SECOND READING
From a discourse on the psalms by Saint Augustine, bishop
(Ps. 32, sermo 1, 7-8: CCL 38, 253-254)
Sing to God with songs of joy
Praise the Lord with the lyre, make melody to him with the harp of ten strings! Sing to him a new song. Rid yourself of what is old and worn out, for you know a new song. A new man, a new covenant—a new song. This new song does not belong to the old man. Only the new man learns it: the man restored from his fallen condition through the grace of God, and now sharing in the new covenant, that is, the kingdom of heaven. To it all our love now aspires and sings a new song. Let us sing a new song not with our lips but with our lives.
Sing to him a new song, sing to him with joyful melody. Every one of us tries to discover how to sing to God. You must sing to him, but you must sing well. He does not want your voice to come harshly to his ears, so sing well, brothers!
If you were asked, “Sing to please this musician,” you would not like to do so without having taken some instruction in music, because you would not like to offend an expert in the art. An untrained listener does not notice the faults a musician would point out to you. Who, then, will offer to sing well for God, the great artist whose discrimination is faultless, whose attention is on the minutest detail, whose ear nothing escapes? When will you be able to offer him a perfect performance that you will in no way displease such a supremely discerning listener?
See how he himself provides you with a way of singing. Do not search for words, as if you could find a lyric which would give God pleasure. Sing to him “with songs of joy.” This is singing well to God, just singing with songs of joy.
But how is this done? You must first understand that words cannot express the things that are sung by the heart. Take the case of people singing while harvesting in the fields or in the vineyards or when any other strenuous work is in progress. Although they begin by giving expression to their happiness in sung words, yet shortly there is a change. As if so happy that words can no longer express what they feel, they discard the restricting syllables. They burst out into a simple sound of joy, of jubilation. Such a cry of joy is a sound signifying that the heart is bringing to birth what it cannot utter in words.
Now, who is more worthy of such a cry of jubilation than God himself, whom all words fail to describe? If words will not serve, and yet you must not remain silent, what else can you do but cry out for joy? Your heart must rejoice beyond words, soaring into an immensity of gladness, unrestrained by syllabic bonds. Sing to him with jubilation.
RESPONSORY
Psalm 71:8, 23: 9:3
My mouth will be filled with your praise.
I will sing of your greatness all the day long.
— My lips will shout for joy when I sing to you.
In you I will rejoice and be glad;
I will sing to your name, Most High.
— My lips will shout for joy when I sing to you.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Lord of mercy,
be close to those who call upon you.
With Saint Cecilia to help us
hear and answer our prayers.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
Or:
O God, who gladden us each year
with the feast day of your handmaid Saint Cecilia,
grant, we pray,
that what has been devoutly handed down concerning her
may offer us examples to imitate
and proclaim the wonders worked in his servants
by 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: 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. The holy virgins praise their Lord and King; come, let us join in their worship.
Or: Come, let us worship the Lamb with the virgins who followed him.
Or: Come, let us worship Christ, the King of martyrs.
Continue with the Hymn
