Office of Readings
INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Go to the Hymn
Lord, + open my lips.
– And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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.
Go to Psalm 24
Go to Psalm 67
Go to 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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Go to the Hymn
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Go to 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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Go to 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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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, worship the Lord, for we are his people, the flock he shepherds, alleluia.
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
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee:
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
Though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see;
Only thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Which were, and are, and ever more shall be.
Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name, in earth, and sky, and sea;
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity.
Tune: Nicaea 11.12.12.10
Music: John B. Dykes, 1823-1876
Text: Reginald Heber, 1783-1826
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?
When Psalm 24 is used as the invitatory psalm, psalm 95, above, is used as the first psalm of the Office of Readings.
Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
When your Son was unjustly condemned, Lord God, and surrounded by the impious, he cried to you, and you set him free. Watch over your people as the treasure of your heart and guide their steps along safe paths that they may see your face.
Ant. Who can climb the Lord’s mountain, or stand in his holy place?
Ant. 2 Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.
Psalm 66
Eucharistic hymn
The Lord is risen and all people have been brought by him to the Father (Hesychius).
I
Cry out with joy to God, all the earth, *
O sing to the glory of his name.
O render him glorious praise. *
Say to God: “How tremendous your deeds!
Because of the greatness of your strength *
your enemies cringe before you.
Before you all the earth shall bow; *
shall sing to you, sing to your name!”
Come and see the works of God, *
tremendous his deeds among men.
He turned the sea into dry land, *
they passed through the river dry-shod.
Let our joy then be in him; *
he rules for ever by his might.
His eyes keep watch over the nations; *
let rebels not rise against him.
O peoples, bless our God, *
let the voice of his praise resound,
of the God who gave life to our souls *
and kept our feet from stumbling.
For you, O God, have tested us, *
you have tried us as silver is tried:
you led us, God, into the snare; *
you laid a heavy burden on our backs.
You let men ride over our heads; †
we went through fire and through water *
but then you brought us relief.
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. Bless our God, you nations of the world; he has given us life, alleluia.
Ant. 3 Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.
II
Burnt offering I bring to your house; *
to you I will pay my vows,
the vows which my lips have uttered, *
which my mouth spoke in my distress.
I will offer burnt offerings of fatlings †
with the smoke of burning rams. *
I will offer bullocks and goats.
Come and hear, all who fear God. *
I will tell what he did for my soul:
to him I cried aloud, *
with high praise ready on my tongue.
If there had been evil in my heart, *
the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened; *
he has heeded the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God who did not reject my prayer *
nor withhold his love from 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.
Psalm Prayer
Almighty Father, in the death and resurrection of your own Son you brought us through the waters of baptism to the shores of new life. By those waters and the fire of the Holy Spirit you have given each of us consolation. Accept our sacrifice of praise; may our lives be a total offering to you, and may we deserve to enter your house and there with Christ praise your unfailing power.
Ant. Listen to me, all you who revere God, let me tell you what great things he has done for me, alleluia.
God’s word is alive; it strikes to the heart.
– It pierces more surely than a two-edged sword.
READINGS
FIRST READING
[In view of the omission of yesterday’s continuous reading on account of the Solemnity of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, the following reading may precede today’s, in accordance with the GILH ¶249:
From the book of Judges
16:4-6, 16-31
The treachery of Delilah and the death of Samson
Samson fell in love with a woman in the Wadi Sorek whose name was Delilah. The lords of the Philistines came to her and said, “Beguile him and find out the secret of his great strength, and how we may overcome and bind him so as to keep him helpless. We will each give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”
So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you may be bound so as to be kept helpless.” She importuned him continually and vexed him with her complaints till he was deathly weary of them. So he took her completely into his confidence and told her, “No razor has touched my head, for I have been consecrated to God from my mother’s womb. If I am shaved, my strength will leave me, and I shall be as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had taken her completely into his confidence, she summoned the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up this time, for he has opened his heart to me.”
So the lords of the Philistines came and brought up the money with them. She had him sleep on her lap, and called for a man who shaved off his seven locks of hair. Then she began to mistreat him, for his strength had left him. When she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!”, and he woke from his sleep, he thought he could make good his escape as he had done time and again, for he did not realize that the Lord had left him. But the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes. Then they brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze fetters, and he was put to grinding in the prison. But the hair of his head began to grow as soon as it was shaved off.
The lords of the Philistines assembled to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon and to make merry. They said,
“Our god has delivered into our power
Samson our enemy.”
When their spirits were high, they said, “Call Samson that he may amuse us.” So they called Samson from the prison, and he played the buffoon before them. When the people saw him, they praised their god. For they said,
“Our god has delivered into our power
our enemy, the ravager of our land,
the one who has multiplied our slain.”
Then they stationed him between the columns. Samson said to the attendant who was holding his hand, “Put me where I may touch the columns that support the temple and may rest against them.” The temple was full of men and women: all the lords of the Philistines were there, and from the roof about three thousand men and women looked on as Samson provided amusement.
Samson cried out to the LORD and said, “O Lord GOD, remember me! Strengthen me, O God, this last time that for my two eyes I may avenge myself once and for all on the Philistines.” Samson grasped the two middle columns on which the temple rested and braced himself against them, one at his right hand, the other at his left. And Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines!” He pushed hard, and the temple fell upon the lords and all the people who were in it. Those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his lifetime.
All his family and kinsmen went down and bore him up for burial in the grave of his father Manoah between Zorah and Eshtaol. He had judged Israel for twenty years.]
From the first book of Samuel
16:1-13
David is anointed king
The Lord said to Samuel: “How long will you grieve for Saul, whom I have rejected as king of Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and be on your way. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have chosen my king from among his sons.” But Samuel replied: “How can I go? Saul will hear of it and kill me.” To this the Lord answered: “Take a heifer along and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I myself will tell you what to do; you are to anoint for me the one I point out to you.”
Samuel did as the Lord had commanded him. When he entered Bethlehem, the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and inquired, “Is your visit peaceful, O seer?” He replied: “Yes! I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. So cleanse yourselves and join me today for the banquet.” He also had Jesse and his sons cleanse themselves and invited them to the sacrifice. As they came, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed is here before him.” But the Lord said to Samuel: “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.”
Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him before Samuel, who said, “The Lord has not chosen him.” Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” In the same way Jesse presented seven sons before Samuel, but Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any one of these.” Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, who is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not begin the sacrificial banquet until he arrives here.”
Jesse sent and had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth handsome to behold and making a splendid appearance. The Lord said, “There—anoint him, for this is he!” Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. When Samuel took his leave, he went to Ramah.
RESPONSORY
Psalm 89:20, 22, 21
I have placed a crown on my warrior,
and have exalted the one chosen from among the people.
– My strong right hand will be with him always.
I have found David, my servant;
with my holy oil I have anointed him.
– My strong right hand will be with him always.
SECOND READING
From a treatise on the Trinity by Faustus Luciferanus, priest
(No. 39-40: CCL 69, 30-341)
Christ, king and priest for ever
Our Savior received a bodily anointing and so became a true king and a true priest. Both king and priest he was of his very self; a savior could be nothing less. Hear in his own words how he himself became a king: I have been appointed king by God on Zion his holy mountain. Hear in the Father’s words that he was a priest: You are a priest for ever in the line of Melchizedek. Aaron was the first under the law to be made a priest by being anointed with chrism, yet the Father does not say, “in the line of Aaron,” lest it be believed that the Savior’s priesthood could be passed on by inheritance, for at that time Aaron’s priesthood was transmitted by lineal descent. But the Savior’s priesthood is not inherited because this priest lives on for ever. Therefore Scripture says: You are a priest for ever in the line of Melchizedek.
There is, therefore, a savior in the flesh who is both a king and a priest, though his anointing was not physical but spiritual. Among the Israelites, those kings and priests who were actually anointed with oil were either kings or priests. No man could be both king and priest; he had to be one or the other. Only Christ was both king and priest; because he had come to fulfill the law, he alone possessed the twofold perfection of kingship and priesthood.
Those who had been anointed with the oil of kingship or priesthood, although they received only one of these anointings, were called messiahs. Our Savior, however, who is the Christ, was anointed by the Holy Spirit so that the passage in Scripture might be fulfilled: God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness and raised you above your companions. The difference, then, between the one Christ and the many christs is in the anointing, since he was anointed with the oil of gladness, which signifies nothing other than the Holy Spirit.
This we know to be true from the Savior himself. When he took the book of Isaiah, he opened it and read: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me. He then said that the prophecy was fulfilled in the hearing of those listening.
Peter, the prince of the apostles, also taught that the chrism which made the Savior a christ was the Holy Spirit; that is to say, the power of God. When in the Acts of the Apostles Peter spoke to that faithful and merciful man, the centurion, he said among other things: After the baptism which John preached, Jesus of Nazareth, whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, started out in Galilee and traveled about performing powerful miracles, and freeing all who were possessed by the devil.
So you see that Peter too said that Jesus in his humanity was anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power. Thus Jesus in his humanity truly became the Christ. By the anointing of the Holy Spirit, he was made both king and priest for ever.
RESPONSORY
See how great is the one who comes to save the nations:
– He is the king of justice, whose reign will never end.
For our sake,
Jesus went before us into heaven
and he has become a high priest for ever
in the line of Melchizedek.
– He is the king of justice, whose reign will never end.
If the Optional Vigil is not celebrated, the Office continues with the Te Deum.
Go to the Te Deum
OPTIONAL VIGIL
CANTICLES
Ant. We hope in you, Lord; be a source of strength for us today and our salvation in times of trial.
Canticle I: Isaiah 33:2-10
Prayer of trust in need
In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3).
O Lord, have pity on us, for you we wait. †
Be our strength every morning, *
our salvation in time of trouble!
At the roaring sound, peoples flee; *
when you rise in your majesty, nations are scattered.
Men gather spoil as caterpillars are gathered up; *
they rush upon it like the onrush of locusts.
The Lord is exalted, enthroned on high; *
he fills Zion with right and justice.
That which makes her seasons lasting, †
the riches that save her, are wisdom and knowledge; *
the fear of the Lord is her treasure.
See, the men of Ariel cry out in the streets, *
the messengers of Shalem weep bitterly.
The highways are desolate, *
travelers have quit the paths,
covenants are broken, their terms are spurned; *
yet no man gives it a thought.
The country languishes in mourning, *
Lebanon withers with shame;
Sharon is like the steppe, *
Bashan and Carmel are stripped bare.
Now will I rise up, says the Lord, *
now will I be exalted, now be lifted up.
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 33:13-16
God will judge with justice
It is promised to you and your children and to all who are far away (Acts 2:39).
Hear, you who are far off, *
what I have done;
you who are near, *
acknowledge my might.
On Zion sinners are in dread, *
trembling grips the impious:
“Who of us can live with the consuming fire? *
Who of us can live with the everlasting flames?”
He who practices virtue and speaks honestly, *
who spurns what is gained by oppression,
brushing his hands *
free of contact with a bribe,
stopping his ears lest he hear of bloodshed, *
closing his eyes lest he look on evil.
He shall dwell on the heights, *
his stronghold shall be the rocky fastness,
his food and drink *
in steady supply.
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: Sirach 36:11-17
Prayer for the people of God
This is eternal life: to know you, the one true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).
Show mercy to the people called by your name; *
Israel, whom you named your first-born.
Take pity on your holy city, *
Jerusalem, your dwelling place.
Fill Zion with your majesty, *
your temple with your glory.
Give evidence of your deeds of old; *
fulfill the prophecies spoken in your name,
Reward those who have hoped in you, *
and let your prophets be proved true.
Hear the prayer of your servants, *
for you are ever gracious to your people;
Thus it will be known to the very ends of the earth *
that you are the eternal 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. We hope in you, Lord; be a source of strength for us today and our salvation in times of trial.
THE HOLY GOSPEL
+ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
24:13-35
Stay with us, for evening is near
Two disciples of Jesus that same day [the first day of the sabbath] were making their way to a village named Emmaus seven miles distant from Jerusalem, discussing as they went all that had happened. In the course of their lively exchange, Jesus approached and began to walk along with them. However, they were restrained from recognizing him.
He said to them, “What were you discussing as you go your way?” They halted, in distress, and one of them, Cleopas by name, asked him, “Are you the only resident of Jerusalem who does not know the things that went on there these past few days?” He said to them, “What things?”
They said: “All those that had to do with Jesus of Nazareth, a prophet powerful in word and deed in the eyes of God and all the people; how our chief priests and leaders delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him, We were hooping that he was the one who would set Israel free. Besides all this, today, the third day since these things happened, some women of our group have just brought us some astonishing news. They were at the tomb before dawn and failed to find his body, but returned with the tale that they had seen a vision of angels who had declared he was alive. Some of our number went to the tomb and found it to be just as the women said, but him they did not see.”
Then he said to them, “What little sense you have! How slow you are to believe all that the prophets have announced! Did not the Messiah have to undergo all this so as to enter into his glory?” Beginning, then, with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted for them every passage of Scripture which referred to him.
By now they were near the village to which they were going, and he acted as if he were going farther. But they pressed him: “Stay with us. It is nearly evening—the day is practically over.” So he went in to stay with them.
When he had seated himself with them to eat, he took bread, pronounced the blessing, then broke the bread and began to distribute it to them. With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him; whereupon he vanished from their sight. They said to one another, “Were not our heats burning inside us as he talked to us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?”
They got up immediately and returned to Jerusalem, where they found the Eleven and the rest of the company assembled. They were greeted with, “The Lord has been raised! It is true! He has appeared to Simon.” Then they recounted what had happened on the road and how they had come to know him in the breaking of bread.
A homily on the Gospel may be given.
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.
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
R. Govern and uphold them now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you.
R. We praise your name for ever.
V. Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. for we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope:
R. and we shall never hope in vain.
The concluding part of the hymn may be omitted.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father,
guide and protector of your people,
grant us an unfailing respect for your name,
and keep us always in your love.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
Or:
Grant, O Lord,
that we may always revere and love your holy name,
for you never deprive of your guidance
those you set firm on the foundation of your love.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
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