Office of Readings
In those places where this Memorial is observed as a Feast or Solemnity, please use the texts found in the Common of Holy Men: For a Religious 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. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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
This is the feast day of the Lord’s true witness,
Whom through the ages all have held in honor;
Now let us praise him and his deeds of glory
With exultation.
So now in chorus, giving God the glory,
We sing his praises and his mighty triumph,
That in his glory we may all be sharers
Here and hereafter.
Praise to the Father and the Son most holy,
Praise to the Spirit, with them coeternal,
Who give examples in the lives of all saints,
That we may follow.
Tune: Herr, Deinen Zorn 11.11.11.5
Music: Johann Crüger, 1653
Text: Iste Confessor, eighth century
Translation: Composite
Go to the Psalmody
Or:
Blest are the pure in heart,
For they shall see our God:
The secret of the Lord is theirs,
Their soul is Christ’s abode.
The Lord, who left the heavens
Our life and peace to bring,
To dwell in lowliness with men,
Their pattern and their King:
Still to the lowly soul
He doth himself impart,
And for his dwelling and his throne
Chooseth the pure in heart.
Lord, we thy presence seek;
May ours this blessing be;
Give us a pure and lowly heart,
A temple fit for thee.
Tune: Franconia S.M.
Music: W. H. Havergal, 1793-1870
Text: J. Keble, 1792-1866
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies.
Psalm 39
Urgent prayer of a sick person
Creation is made subject to futility . . . by him who subjected it, but it is not without hope (Romans 8:20).
I
I said: “I will be watchful of my ways *
for fear I should sin with my tongue.
I will put a curb on my lips *
when the wicked man stands before me.”
I was dumb, silent and still. *
His prosperity stirred my grief.
My heart was burning within me. *
At the thought of it, the fire blazed up
and my tongue burst into speech: *
“O Lord, you have shown me my end,
how short is the length of my days. *
Now I know how fleeting is my life.
You have given me a short span of days; *
my life is as nothing in your sight.
A mere breath, the man who stood so firm, *
a mere shadow, the man passing by,
a mere breath the riches he hoards, *
not knowing who will have 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.
Ant. We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies.
Ant. 2 Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord; let me not weep in vain.
II
And now, Lord, what is there to wait for? *
In you rests all my hope.
Set me free from all my sins, *
do not make me the taunt of the fool.
I was silent, not opening my lips, *
because this was all your doing.
Take away your scourge from me. *
I am crushed by the blows of your hand.
You punish man’s sins and correct him; *
like the moth you devour all he treasures.
Mortal man is no more than a breath; *
O Lord, hear my prayer.
O Lord, turn your ear to my cry. *
Do not be deaf to my tears.
In your house I am a passing guest, *
a pilgrim, like all my fathers.
Look away that I may breathe again *
before I depart to be no more.
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
Through your Son you taught us, Father, not to be fearful of tomorrow but to commit our lives to your care. Do not withhold your Spirit from us but help us find a life of peace after these days of trouble.
Ant. Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord; let me not weep in vain.
Ant. 3 I have put all my trust in God’s never-failing mercy.
Psalm 52
Against a calumniator
If anyone would boast, let him boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31).
Why do you boast of your wickedness, *
you champion of evil,
planning ruin all day long, †
your tongue like a sharpened razor, *
you master of deceit?
You love evil more than good; *
lies more than truth.
You love the destructive word, *
you tongue of deceit.
For this God will destroy you *
and remove you for ever.
He will snatch you from your tent and uproot you *
from the land of the living.
The just shall see and fear. *
They shall laugh and say:
“So this is the man who refused *
to take God as a stronghold,
but trusted in the greatness of his wealth *
and grew powerful by his crimes.”
But I am like a growing olive tree *
in the house of God.
I trust in the goodness of God *
for ever and ever.
I will thank you for evermore; *
for this is your doing.
I will proclaim that your name is good, *
in the presence of your friends.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Father, you cut down the unfruitful branch for burning and prune the fertile to make it bear more fruit. Make us grow like laden olive trees in your domain, firmly rooted in the power and mercy of your Son, so that you may gather from us fruit worthy of eternal life.
Ant. I have put all my trust in God’s never-failing mercy.
I put my trust in the word of the Lord.
– All my hope is in him.
READINGS
FIRST READING
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Philippians
2:12-30
Work out your salvation
My dearly beloved, obedient as always to my urging, work with anxious concern to achieve your salvation, not only when I happen to be with you but all the more now that I am absent. It is God who, in his good will toward you, begets in you any measure of desire or achievement.
In everything you do, act without grumbling or arguing; prove yourselves innocent and straightforward, children of God beyond reproach in the midst of a twisted and depraved generation—among whom you shine like the stars in the sky while holding fast to the word of life. As I look to the Day of Christ, you give me cause to boast that I did not run the race in vain or work to no purpose. Even if my life is to be poured out as a libation over the sacrificial service of your faith, I am glad of it and rejoice with all of you. May you be glad on the same score, and rejoice with me!
I hope, in the Lord Jesus, to send Timothy to you very soon, that I may derive courage from learning how things go with you. I have no one quite like him for genuine interest in whatever concerns you. Everyone is busy seeking his own interests rather than those of Christ Jesus.
You know from experience what Timothy’s qualities are, how he was like a son at his father’s side serving the gospel along with me. I hope to send him as soon as I see how things go with me. In fact, I am confident in the Lord that I myself will be coming soon.
I have decided, too, that I must send you Epaphroditus, my brother, co-worker, and comrade in arms, whom you sent to take care of my needs. He has been longing for all of you, and was distressed that you heard about his illness. He was, in fact, sick to the point of death, but God took pity on him; not just on him, I should say, but on me, too, so as to spare me one sorrow after another. I have been especially eager to send him so that you may renew your joy on seeing him, and my own anxieties may be lessened. Welcome him joyously in the Lord and hold men like him in esteem, for he came near to death for the sake of Christ’s work. He risked his life in an effort to render me those services you could not render.
RESPONSORY
2 Peter 1:10, 11; Ephesians 5:8, 11
Strive all the more to confirm God’s choice and calling of you.
– Then you will generously be granted entrance
into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Live as children of light
and take no part in the empty works of darkness.
– Then you will generously be granted entrance
into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
SECOND READING
From a letter written to all the faithful by Saint Francis of Assisi
(Opuscula, edit. Quaracchi 1949, 87-94)
We must be simple, humble and pure
It was through his archangel, Saint Gabriel, that the Father above made known to the holy and glorious Virgin Mary that the worthy, holy and glorious Word of the Father would come from heaven and take from her womb the real flesh of our human frailty. Though he was wealthy beyond reckoning, he still willingly chose to be poor with his blessed mother. And shortly before his passion he celebrated the Passover with his disciples. Then he prayed to his Father saying: Father, if it be possible, let this cup be taken from me.
Nevertheless, he reposed his will in the will of his Father. The Father willed that his blessed and glorious Son, whom he gave to us and who was born for us, should through his own blood offer himself as a sacrificial victim on the altar of the cross. This was to be done not for himself through whom all things were made, but for our sins. It was intended to leave us an example of how to follow in his footsteps. And he desires all of us to be saved through him, and to receive him with pure heart and chaste body.
O how happy and blessed are those who love the Lord and do as the Lord himself said in the gospel: You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart and your whole soul; and your neighbor as yourself. Therefore, let us love God and adore him with pure heart and mind. This is his particular desire when he says: True worshippers adore the Father in spirit and truth. For all who adore him must do so in the spirit of truth. Let us also direct to him our praises and prayers saying: Our Father, who art in heaven, since we must always pray and never grow slack.
Furthermore, let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin. Men lose all the material things they leave behind them in this world, but they carry with them the reward of their charity and the alms they give. For these they will receive from the Lord the reward and recompense they deserve. We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God’s sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be the Father’s children who do his work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of our Lord Jesus Christ.
RESPONSORY
Matthew 5:3-4, 6
Blessed are you who are poor,
for the kingdom of God is yours.
– Blessed are those of gentle spirit;
they shall inherit the land.
Blessed are you who hunger now;
you shall be satisfied.
– Blessed are those of gentle spirit;
they shall inherit the land.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father,
you helped Saint Francis to reflect the image of Christ
through a life of poverty and humility.
May we follow your Son
by walking in the footsteps of Francis of Assisi,
and by imitating his joyful love.
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, by whose gift Saint Francis
was conformed to Christ in poverty and humility,
grant that, by walking in Francis’ footsteps,
we may follow your Son,
and, through joyful charity,
come to be united with you.
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 priase 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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Come, let us worship God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
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 God, wonderful in his saints.
Or: Let us sing praise to God, as we acclaim Saint Francis.
Go to the Hymn
