Daytime Prayers
INTRODUCTION
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
At Midmorning [Terce]
Behold, the third hour rises now,
when Christ ascends the saving Cross;
our minds should think no thoughts of pride,
intent on fervor in our prayer.
The heart that truly welcomes Christ
brings forth a conscience free from sin;
by faithful prayer it seeks to gain,
the Holy Spirit, Paraclete.
This is the hour that brought an end
to dire, deep-rooted, ancient sin,
and from this hour, by grace of Christ,
the time of blessing has begun.
To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
who shine in vict’ry over death,
with God the Father, ever blest,
and loving Spirit, ever one. Amen.
Tune: MELCOMBE, 8 8 8 8
Music: Samel Webbe the elder, 1740-1816
or Mode I, melody 2; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Iam surgit hora tertia, Saint Ambrose, 340-397, © 2023 ICEL
At Midday [Sext]
Come, servants, join in humble prayer
with psalms and hymns of worthy praise;
let mind and heart and lips extol
the blest and holy name of God.
For this is that dread time and hour,
in which the Judge of ages stood
condemned to death by false decree,
unjustly judged by mortal foes.
And we with all the love we owe,
compelled by just and humble fear,
seek help against our wicked foe
and all his sly and fierce assaults.
Let us implore the one true God,
the Father and the Son, our King,
the Holy Spirit, Paraclete,
in Trinity, our God and Lord. Amen.
Tune: DEUS TUORUM MILITUM, 8 8 8 8
Music: from the Grenoble Antiphoner, 1753
or Mode I, melody 2; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Venite, servi, supplices, 5-6th c., © 2023 ICEL
At Midafternoon [None]
This is the hour that brightly shone
and rent the clouds that veiled the Cross,
divesting earth of dark and gloom,
restoring pure, unclouded light.
This is the hour when Jesus raised
the holy bodies from their tombs;
at his command they issue forth,
with breath of life, now freed from death.
Believing in a world renewed
where laws of death have been dissolved,
we know that gifts of blessed life
shall run an everlasting course.
To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
who shine in vict’ry over death,
with God the Father, ever blest,
and loving Spirit, ever one. Amen.
Tune: MELCOMBE, 8 8 8 8
Music: Samel Webbe the elder, 1740-1816
or Mode I, melody 2; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Hæc hora, quæ resplenduit, 5̀-6th c., © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
Complementary Psalmody
Psalm 119:145-152
XIX (Koph)
A meditation on God’s law
Loving God means keeping his commandments (1 John 5:3).
I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me, *
I will keep your commands.
I call upon you, save me *
and I will do your will.
I rise before dawn and cry for help, *
I hope in your word.
My eyes watch through the night *
to ponder your promise.
In your love hear my voice, O Lord; *
give me life by your decrees.
Those who harm me unjustly draw near; *
they are far from your law.
But you, O Lord, are close; *
your commands are truth.
Long have I known that your will *
is established 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.
Psalm Prayer
Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.
Psalm 94
The Lord will avenge the just
God punishes wicked conduct; he has called you to share his holiness. You must have nothing to do with impurity (1 Thessalonians 4:6-7).
I
O Lord, avenging God, *
avenging God, appear!
Judge of the earth, arise, *
give the proud what they deserve!
How long, O Lord, shall the wicked, *
how long shall the wicked triumph?
They bluster with arrogant speech; *
the evil-doers boast to each other.
They crush your people, Lord, *
they afflict the ones you have chosen
They kill the widow and the stranger *
and murder the fatherless child.
And they say: “The Lord does not see; *
the God of Jacob pays no heed.”
Mark this, most senseless of people; *
fools, when will you understand?
Can he who made the ear, not hear? *
Can he who formed the eye, not see?
Will he who corrects nations, not punish? *
Will he who teaches men, not have knowledge?
The Lord knows the thoughts of men. *
He knows they are no more than a breath.
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.
II
Happy the man whom you teach, O Lord, *
whom you train by means of your law:
to him you give peace in evil days *
while the pit is being dug for the wicked.
The Lord will not abandon his people *
nor forsake those who are his own:
for judgment shall again be just *
and all true hearts shall uphold it.
Who will stand up for me against the wicked? *
Who will defend me from those who do evil?
If the Lord were not to help me, *
I would soon go down into the silence.
When I think: “I have lost my foothold,” *
your mercy, Lord, holds me up.
When cares increase in my heart *
your consolation calms my soul.
Can judges who do evil be your friends? *
They do injustice under cover of law;
they attack the life of the just *
and condemn innocent blood.
As for me, the Lord will be a stronghold; *
my God will be the rock where I take refuge.
He will repay them for their wickedness, †
destroy them for their evil deeds. *
The Lord, our God, will destroy 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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus, you taught your disciples not to fear the world. Do not abandon your inheritance to sinners, nor ignore the power of the enemy against the Church. Grant us always to seek the wisdom of the cross and the blessing of those who suffer for the sake of justice. May we always be filled with your happiness.
Ant. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
MIDMORNING [Terce]
READING
See Romans 4:24-25
We believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, the Jesus who was handed over for our transgressions and was raised for our justification.
The Lord is risen, alleluia.
— He has appeared to Simon, alleluia.
Conclusion
MIDDAY [Sext]
READING
1 John 5:5-6a
Who is conqueror of the world?
The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus Christ it is who came through water and blood—
not in water only,
but in water and in blood.
The disciples rejoiced, alleluia.
— When they saw the risen Lord, alleluia.
Conclusion
MIDAFTERNOON [None]
READING
Ephesians 4:23-24
Acquire a fresh, spiritual way of thinking. You must put on that new man created in God’s image, whose justice and holiness are born of truth.
Stay with us, Lord, alleluia.
— For evening draws near, alleluia.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
God our Father,
life of the faithful,
glory of the humble,
happiness of the just,
hear our prayer.
Fill our emptiness
with the blessing of the eucharist,
the foretaste of eternal joy.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
— Amen.
Or:
O God, life of the faithful,
glory of the humble, blessedness of the just,
listen kindly to the prayers
of those who call on you,
that they who thirst for what you generously promise
may always have their fill of your plenty.
Through Christ our Lord.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.
******
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Go to Series III (Midafternoon)
Series I (Midmorning) [Terce]
Psalm 120
Longing for peace
Be patient in suffering, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).
To the Lord in the hour of my distress *
I call and he answers me.
“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, *
from the tongue of the deceitful.”
What shall he pay you in return, *
O treacherous tongue?
The warrior’s arrows sharpened *
and coals, red-hot, blazing.
Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, *
dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Long enough have I been dwelling *
with those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak, *
they are for fighting.
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 declared peacemakers happy, Lord Jesus, since they will be called sons of God. Give us that peace which the world cannot give so that your Church may be freed from the schemes of arrogant men, and, devoted to works of peace, go forward joyfully to meet you, the King of Peace.
Psalm 121
Guardian of his people
Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16).
I lift up my eyes to the mountains: *
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord *
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble! *
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, *
Israel’s guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade; *
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you *
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil, *
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming *
both now and 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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you have prepared a quiet place for us in your Father’s eternal home. Watch over our welfare on this perilous journey, shade us from the burning heat of day, and keep our lives free of evil until the end.
Psalm 122
The holy city, Jerusalem
You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22).
I rejoiced when I heard them say: *
“Let us go to God’s house.”
And now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city *
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up, *
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is, *
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement *
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: *
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls, *
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends *
I say: “Peace upon you!”
For love of the house of the Lord *
I will ask for your good.
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 you rose from the dead, Lord Jesus, you formed the Church into your new body, and made of it the new Jerusalem, united in your Spirit. Give us peace in our day. Make all nations come to your Church to share in your gifts in fellowship, that they may render you thanks without end and come to your eternal city.
Continue with Daytime Prayer
Psalm 123
The Lord is the hope of his people
Two blind men cried out: “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us” (Matthew 20:30).
To you have I lifted up my eyes, *
you who dwell in the heavens:
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves *
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant *
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God *
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. *
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul †
with the scorn of the rich, *
with the proud man’s disdain.
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 in heaven, we lift our eyes to you and pray: confound the scorn of the proud and graciously show us your mercy.
Psalm 124
Our help is in the name of the Lord
The Lord said to Paul: “Fear not. . . . I am with you” (Acts 18:9-10).
“If the Lord had not been on our side,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“If the Lord had not been on our side *
when men rose against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive *
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us, *
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept *
the raging waters.”
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us *
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped *
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken *
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, *
who made heaven and earth.
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 Jesus, you foretold that your disciples would be despised on account of your name, but that not a hair of their heads is ever forgotten. In times of persecution, defend and revive us by the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit, so that we can be freed from our enemies and praise your saving help.
Psalm 125
The Lord, the guardian of his people
Peace to God’s true Israel (Galatians 6:16).
Those who put their trust in the Lord †
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken, *
that stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains surround her, †
so the Lord surrounds his people *
both now and for ever.
For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest *
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just *
should turn to evil.
Do good, Lord, to those who are good, *
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil, *
drive them away!
On Israel, 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.
Psalm Prayer
Surround your people, Lord, within the safety of your Church, which you preserve on its rock foundation. Do not let us stretch out our hands to evil deeds, nor be destroyed by the insidious snares of the enemy, but bring us to share the lot of the saints in light.
Continue with Daytime Prayer
Series III (Midafternoon) [None]
Psalm 126
Joyful hope in God
Companions with him in suffering, you will share his overflowing happiness (2 Corinthians 1:7).
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, *
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
on our lips there were songs.
The heathens themselves said: “What marvels *
the Lord worked for them!”
What marvels the Lord worked for us! *
Indeed we were glad.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage *
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears *
will sing when they reap.
They go out, they go out, full of tears, *
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song, *
carrying their sheaves.
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 have raised us from the earth; may you let the seeds of justice, which we have sown in tears, grow and increase in your sight. May we reap in joy the harvest we hope for patiently.
Psalm 127
Apart from God our labors are worthless
You are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9).
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat: *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
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 command the seed to rise, Lord God, though the farmer is unaware. Grant that those who labor for you may trust not in their own work but in your help. Remembering that the land is brought to flower not with human tears but with those of your Son, may the Church rely only upon your gifts.
Psalm 128
Happiness of family life rooted in God
“May the Lord bless you from Zion,” that is, from the Church (Arnobius).
O blessed are those who fear the Lord *
and walk in his ways!
By the labor of your hands you shall eat. *
You will be happy and prosper;
your wife like a fruitful vine *
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive, *
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed *
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion *
all the days of your life!
May you see your children’s children *
in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, 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.
Psalm Prayer
Give lasting happiness, Lord, to those who reverence your name, so that our life and work may be such as to deserve your commendation, and bring us, laden with good fruit, to our everlasting home.
Continue with Daytime Prayer
