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, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
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, 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.
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 Hymn
During the night or at dawn:
Waking in darkness, let us all keep vigil,
ever reflecting on the psalms we utter;
firm and wholehearted, let us sing with sweetness
hymns to our Savior,
That as we praise him, Lord and King most loving,
we may be worthy with his saints to enter
courts of high heaven and enjoy for ever
life blest and happy.
Grant this, we ask you, Godhead ever blessed,
equal and holy Father, Son, and Spirit,
through all creation, age to age reechoes
your wondrous glory. Amen.
Tune: ISTE CONFESSOR (ROUEN/POITIERS) 11 11 11 5
Music: from the Poitiers Antiphoner, 1746
or Mode I, melody 9; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983
Text: Nocte surgens vigilemus omnes, 8-9th c., © 2023 ICEL
During the day:
God, we beseech you, let your tender mercy:
Listen with favor to our supplications,
heed the petitions of your lowly servants,
as we implore you.
Gazing serenely from your throne most holy,
look down in kindness on the oil we offer;
keep our lamps burning, chase away the shadows
from hearts in darkness.
In your great mercy, free us from our failings,
cleanse our defilement, break apart our fetters,
pardon transgressions, with your right hand raising
all who have fallen.
Glory and power to the eternal Father,
praise to you always, Son and Sole-begotten,
with whom the Spirit, in all things your equal,
reigns through the ages. Amen.
Tune: As above
Text: Ad preces nostras deitatis aures, ca. 10th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Surrender to God, and he will do everything for you.
Psalm 37
The lot of the wicked and the good
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5).
I
Do not fret because of the wicked; *
do not envy those who do evil:
for they wither quickly like grass *
and fade like the green of the fields.
If you trust in the Lord and do good, *
then you will live in the land and be secure.
If you find your delight in the Lord, *
he will grant your heart’s desire.
Commit your life to the Lord, *
trust in him and he will act,
so that your justice breaks forth like the light, *
your cause like the noon-day sun.
Be still before the Lord and wait in patience; *
do not fret at the man who prospers;
a man who makes evil plots *
to bring down the needy and the poor.
Calm your anger and forget your rage; *
do not fret, it only leads to evil.
For those who do evil shall perish; *
the patient shall inherit the land.
A little longer—and the wicked shall have gone. *
Look at his place, he is not there.
But the humble shall own the land *
and enjoy the fullness 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. Surrender to God, and he will do everything for you.
Ant. 2 Turn away from evil and learn to do God’s will; the Lord will strengthen you if you obey him.
II
The wicked man plots against the just *
and gnashes his teeth against him;
but the Lord laughs at the wicked *
for he sees that his day is at hand.
The sword of the wicked is drawn, *
his bow is bent to slaughter the upright.
Their sword shall pierce their own hearts *
and their bows shall be broken to pieces.
The just man’s few possessions *
are better than the wicked man’s wealth;
for the power of the wicked shall be broken *
and the Lord will support the just.
He protects the lives of the upright, *
their heritage will last for ever.
They shall not be put to shame in evil days, *
in time of famine their food shall not fail.
But all the wicked shall perish *
and all the enemies of the Lord.
They are like the beauty of the meadows, *
they shall vanish, they shall vanish like smoke.
The wicked man borrows without repaying, *
but the just man is generous and gives.
Those blessed by the Lord shall own the land, *
but those he has cursed shall be destroyed.
The Lord guides the steps of a man *
and makes safe the path of one he loves.
Though he stumble he shall never fall *
for the Lord holds him by the hand.
I was young and now I am old, †
but I have never seen the just man forsaken *
nor his children begging for bread.
All the day he is generous and lends *
and his children become a blessing.
Then turn away from evil and do good *
and you shall have a home for ever;
for the Lord loves justice *
and will never forsake his friends.
The unjust shall be wiped out for ever *
and the children of the wicked destroyed.
The just shall inherit the land; *
there they shall live for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Turn away from evil and learn to do God’s will; the Lord will strengthen you if you obey him.
Ant. 3 Wait for the Lord to lead, then follow in his way.
III
The just man’s mouth utters wisdom *
and his lips speak what is right;
the law of his God is in his heart, *
his steps shall be saved from stumbling.
The wicked man watches for the just *
and seeks occasion to kill him.
The Lord will not leave him in his power *
nor let him be condemned when he is judged.
Then wait for the Lord, keep to his way. *
It is he who will free you from the wicked,
raise you up to possess the land *
and see the wicked destroyed.
I have seen the wicked triumphant, *
towering like a cedar of Lebanon.
I passed by again; he was gone. *
I searched; he was nowhere to be found.
See the just man, mark the upright, *
for the peaceful man a future lies in store,
but sinners shall all be destroyed. *
No future lies in store for the wicked.
The salvation of the just comes from the Lord, *
their stronghold in time of distress.
The Lord helps them and delivers them *
and saves them: for their refuge is in him.
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 proclaimed the poor to be blessed, Lord Jesus, for the kingdom of heaven is given to them. Fill us generously with your gifts. Teach us to put our trust in the Father and to seek his kingdom first of all rather than imitate the powerful and envy the rich.
Ant. Wait for the Lord to lead, then follow in his way.
Teach me goodness, and holy wisdom.
— For I have put my trust in your guidance.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the book of Wisdom
[In view of the omission of yesterday’s continuous reading on account of the Feast of Saints Simon and Jude, the following reading may precede today’s, in accordance with the GILH paragraph 249:
1:16—2:1a,10-24
The foolish thoughts of the impious against the just
It was the wicked who with hands and words invited death,
considered it a friend, and pined for it,
and made a covenant with it,
Because they deserve to be in its possession,
they who said among themselves, thinking not aright:
“Let us oppress the needy just man;
let us neither spare the widow
nor revere the old man for his hair grown white with time.
But let our strength be our norm of justice;
for weakness proves itself useless.
Let us beset the just one, because he is obnoxious to us;
he sets himself against our doings,
Reproaches us for transgressions of the law
and charges us with violations of our training.
“He professes to have knowledge of God
and styles himself a child of the Lord.
To us he is the censure of our thoughts;
merely to see him is a hardship for us,
Because his life is not like other men’s,
and different are his ways.
He judges us debased;
he holds aloof from our paths as from things impure.
He calls blest the destiny of the just
and boasts that God is his Father.
“Let us see whether his words be true;
let us find out what will happen to him.
For if the just one be the son of God, he will defend him
and deliver him from the hand of his foes.
With revilement and torture let us put him to the test
that we may have proof of his gentleness
and try his patience.
Let us condemn him to a shameful death;
for according to his own words, God will take care of him.”
These were their thoughts, but they erred;
for their wickedness blinded them,
And they knew not the hidden counsels of God;
neither did they count on a recompense of holiness
nor discern the innocent souls’ reward.
For God formed man to be imperishable;
the image of his own nature he made him.
But by the envy of the devil, death entered the world,
and they who are in his possession experience it.]
3:1-19
The just will possess the kingdom
The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with the elect.
But the wicked shall receive a punishment to match their thoughts,
since they neglected justice and forsook the Lord.
For he who despises wisdom and instruction is doomed.
Vain is their hope, fruitless are their labors,
and worthless are their works.
Their wives are foolish and their children wicked;
accursed is their brood.
Yes, blessed is she who, childless and undefiled,
knew not transgression of the marriage bed;
she shall bear fruit at the visitation of souls.
So also the eunuch whose hand wrought no misdeed,
who held no wicked thoughts against the Lord—
For he shall be given fidelity’s choice reward
and a more gratifying heritage in the Lord’s temple.
For the fruit of noble struggles is a glorious one;
and unfailing is the root of understanding.
But the children of adulterers will remain without issue,
and the progeny of an unlawful bed will disappear.
For should they attain long life, they will be held in no esteem,
and dishonored will their old age be at last;
While should they die abruptly, they have no hope
nor comfort in the day of scrutiny;
for dire is the end of the wicked generation.
RESPONSORY
Wisdom 3:6, 7, 9
The Lord tested his chosen ones like gold tested by fire;
he has received them as a sacrificial offering;
at the time of his visitation men shall see,
— for grace and mercy shall be given to his chosen ones.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall live with him in love.
— For grace and mercy shall be given to his chosen ones.
SECOND READING
From a letter to the Corinthians by Saint Clement I, pope and martyr
(Cap. 24, 1-5; 27, 1-29, 1: Funk 1, 93-97)
God is faithful in his promises
Consider, beloved, how the Lord keeps reminding us of the resurrection that is to come, of which he has made the Lord Jesus Christ the firstfruits by raising him from the dead. Let us look, beloved, at the resurrection that occurs at its appointed time. Day and night show us a resurrection; the night lies in sleep, day rises again; the day departs, night takes its place. Let us think about the harvest; how does the sowing take place, and in what manner? The sower goes out and casts each seed onto the ground. Dry and bare, they fall into the earth and decay. Then the greatness of the Lord’s providence raises them up again from decay, and out of one many are produced and yield fruit.
In this hope, then, let our hearts be bound fast to him who is faithful in his promises and just in his judgments. He forbade us to tell lies; still less will he himself tell a lie. Nothing is impossible for God except to tell a lie. Then let our faith in him be awakened; let us reflect that everything is close to him.
By the word of his power he established all things, and by his word he can reduce them to ruin. Who shall say to him: What have you done? Who shall stand up against the power of his might? He will accomplish everything when he wills and as he wills, and nothing that he has decreed shall pass away. All things stand in his presence, and nothing lies hidden from his counsel, if the heavens tell forth the glory of God, the firmament reveals the work of his hands, day speaks to day, and night shares knowledge with night; there are no words, no speeches, and their voices are not heard.
Since all things lie open to his eyes and ears, let us hold him in awe and rid ourselves of impure desires to do works of evil, so that we may be protected by his mercy from the judgment that is to come. Which of us can escape his mighty hand? What world will give asylum to one who deserts him? Where will I go, where will I hide from your face? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go to the limits of the earth, your right hand is there; if I lie down in the deep, your spirit is there. Where, then, can one go, where can one escape to, from the presence of him whose hands embrace the universe?
Let us then approach him in holiness of soul, raising up to him hands pure and undefiled, out of love for our good and merciful Father who made us a chosen portion for himself.
RESPONSORY
Esther 13:9, 10, 11
O Lord, ruler of all creation,
the whole universe is subject to your authority,
and no one can oppose your will.
— Free us for the sake of your love.
You fashioned the heavens and the earth
and every wonderful thing under heaven.
— Free us for the sake of your love.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Almighty and ever-living God,
strengthen our faith, hope, and love.
May we do with loving hearts
what you ask of us
and come to share the life you promise.
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.
Or:
Almighty ever-living God,
increase our faith, hope and charity,
and make us love what you command,
so that we may merit what you promise.
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.
******
DONATE to support the continued development of the iBreviary
SUBSCRIBE iBreviary newsletter
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, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.
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, 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.
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, our mighty God.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.
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, our mighty God.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, our mighty God.
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, 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.
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, 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.
Continue with the Hymn
Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible hid from our eyes,
Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, your great name we praise.
Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, you rule day and night;
Your justice like mountains high soaring above
Your clouds, which are fountains of goodness and love.
Life-giving Creator, of both great and small;
Of all life the maker, the true life of all;
We blossom, then wither, as leaves on a tree,
But you live for ever, who is and will be.
Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Your angels adoring, all veiling their sight;
We too, God invisible, offer our praise;
O light inaccessible, Ancient of Days!
Tune: St. Denio 11.11.11.11
Music: Roberts’ Canaidau y Cyssegr, 1839
Text: Walter C. Smith, 1824-1908, alt.
Continue with the Psalmody