TODAY’S OFFICE OF READINGS Saturday, 20 December 2014 Lord, + open my lips. – And my mouth will proclaim your praise. INVITATORY (The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.) Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him. 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 Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him. Let the peoples praise you, O God; * let all the peoples praise you. Ant. The Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him. 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 Lord is close at hand; come, let us worship him. (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 forever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN Watchman, tell us of the night, What its signs of promise are. Trav’ler, o’er yon mountain’s height, See that glory beaming star. Watchman, does its beauteous ray Aught of joy or hope foretell? Trav’ler, yes; it brings the day, Promised day of Israel. Watchman, tell us of the night; Higher yet that star ascends. Trav’ler, blessedness and light, Peace and truth its course portends. Watchman, will its beams alone Gild the spot that gave them birth? Trav’ler, ages are its own; See, it bursts o’er all the earth. Watchman, tell us of the night, For the morning seems to dawn. Trav’ler, darkness takes its flight, Doubt and terror are withdrawn. Watchman, let thy wand’rings cease; Hie thee to thy quiet home. Trav’ler, lo! the Prince of Peace, Lo! the Son of God is come! PSALMODY Ant. 1 Let us praise the Lord for his mercy and for the wonderful things he has done for men. Psalm 107 Thanksgiving for deliverance This is God’s message to the sons of Israel; the good news of peace proclaimed through Jesus Christ (Acts 10:36). I “O give thanks to the Lord for he is good; * for his love endures for ever.” Let them say this, the Lord’s redeemed, * whom he redeemed from the hand of the foe and gathered from far-off lands, * from east and west, north and south. Some wandered in the desert, in the wilderness, * finding no way to a city they could dwell in. Hungry they were and thirsty; * their soul was fainting within them. Then they cried to the Lord in their need * and he rescued them from their distress and he led them along the right way * to reach a city they could dwell in. Let them thank the Lord for his love, * for the wonders he does for men. For he satisfies the thirsty soul; * he fills the hungry with good things. Some lay in darkness and in gloom, * prisoners in misery and chains, Having defied the words of God * and spurned the counsels of the Most High. He crushed their spirit with toil; * they stumbled; there was no one to help. Then they cried to the Lord in their need * and he rescued them from their distress. He led them forth from darkness and gloom * and broke their chains to pieces. Let them thank the Lord for his goodness, * for the wonders he does for men: for he bursts the gates of bronze * and shatters the iron bars. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Ant. Let us praise the Lord for his mercy and for the wonderful things he has done for men. Ant. 2 Men have seen the works of God, the marvels he has done. II Some were sick on account of their sins * and afflicted on account of their guilt. They had a loathing for every food; * they came close to the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their need * and he rescued them from their distress. He sent forth his word to heal them * and saved their life from the grave. Let them thank the Lord for his love, * for the wonders he does for men. Let them offer a sacrifice of thanks * and tell of his deeds with rejoicing. Some sailed to the sea in ships * to trade on the mighty waters. These men have seen the Lord’s deeds, * the wonders he does in the deep. For he spoke; he summoned the gale, * raising up the waves of the sea. Tossed up to heaven, then into the deep; * their soul melted away in their distress. They staggered, reeled like drunken men, * for all their skill was gone. Then they cried to the Lord in their need * and he rescued them from their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper: * all the waves of the sea were hushed. They rejoiced because of the calm * and he led them to the haven they desired. Let them thank the Lord for his love, * the wonders he does for men. Let them exalt him in the gathering of the people * and praise him in the meeting of all the elders. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Ant. Men have seen the works of God, the marvels he has done. Ant. 3 Those who love the Lord will see and rejoice; they will understand his loving kindness. III He changes streams into a desert, * springs of water into thirsty ground, fruitful land into a salty waste, * for the wickedness of those who live there. But he changes desert into streams, * thirsty ground into springs of water. There he settles the hungry * and they build a city to dwell in. They sow fields and plant their vines; * these yield crops for the harvest. He blesses them; they grow in numbers. * He does not let their herds decrease. He pours contempt upon princes, * makes them wander in trackless wastes. They diminish, are reduced to nothing * by oppression, evil and sorrow. But he raises the needy from distress; * makes families numerous as a flock. The upright see it and rejoice * but all who do wrong are silenced. Whoever is wise, let him heed these things * and consider the love of the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Psalm Prayer You fill the hungry with good things, Lord God, and break the sinner’s chains. Hear your people who call to you in their need, and lead your Church from the shadows of death. Gather us from sunrise to sunset, that we may grow together in faith and love and give lasting thanks for your kindness. Ant. Those who love the Lord will see and rejoice; they will understand his loving kindness. A voice is heard, crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord. – Make straight the path of our God. READINGS FIRST READING From the book of the prophet Isaiah 48:1-11 God alone is the Lord of the future Hear this, O house of Jacob called by the name Israel, sprung from the stock of Judah, You who swear by the name of the Lord and invoke the God of Israel without sincerity or justice, Though you are named after the holy city and rely on the God of Israel, whose name is the Lord of hosts. Things of the past I foretold long ago, they went forth from my mouth, I let you hear of them; then suddenly I took action and they came to be. Because I know that you are stubborn and that your neck is an iron sinew and your forehead bronze, I foretold them to you of old; before they took place I let you hear of them, That you might not say, “My idol did them, my statue, my molten image commanded them.” Now that you have heard, look at all this; must you not admit it? From now on I announce new things to you, hidden events of which you knew not. Now, not long ago, they are brought into being, and beforetime you did not hear of them, so that you cannot claim to have known them; You neither heard nor knew, they did not reach your ears beforehand. Yes, I know you are utterly treacherous, a rebel you were called from birth. For the sake of my name I restrain my anger, for the sake of my renown I hold it back from you, lest I should destroy you. See, I have refined you like silver, tested you in the furnace of affliction. For my sake, for my own sake, I do this; why should I suffer profanation? My glory I will not give to another. RESPONSORY Isaiah 48:10, 11; 54:8 I have tried you in the furnace of distress. For me, for my own sake, I do this, that I be not blasphemed. – I will not give my glory to another. In a moment of indignation I hid my face from you for a little while, then suddenly I took action and they came to be; but in my everlasting mercy I had compassion on you. – I will not give my glory to another. SECOND READING From a homily In Praise of the Virgin Mother by Saint Bernard, abbot (Hom. 4:8-9; Opera omnia, Edit Cisterc 4. [1966], 53-54) The whole world awaits Mary’s reply You have heard, O Virgin, that you will conceive and bear a son; you have heard that it will not be by man but by the Holy Spirit. The angel awaits an answer; it is time for him to return to God who sent him. We too are waiting, O Lady, for your word of compassion; the sentence of condemnation weighs heavily upon us. The price of our salvation is offered to you. We shall be set free at once if you consent. In the eternal Word of God we all came to be, and behold, we die. In your brief response we are to be remade in order to be recalled to life. Tearful Adam with his sorrowing family begs this of you, O loving Virgin, in their exile from Paradise. Abraham begs it, David begs it. All the other holy patriarchs, your ancestors, ask it of you, as they dwell in the country of the shadow of death. This is what the whole earth waits for, prostrate at your feet. It is right in doing so, for on your word depends comfort for the wretched, ransom for the captive, freedom for the condemned, indeed, salvation for all the sons of Adam, the whole of your race. Answer quickly, O Virgin. Reply in haste to the angel, or rather through the angel to the Lord. Answer with a word, receive the Word of God. Speak your own word, conceive the divine Word. Breathe a passing word, embrace the eternal Word. Why do you delay, why are you afraid? Believe, give praise, and receive. Let humility be bold, let modesty be confident. This is no time for virginal simplicity to forget prudence. In this matter alone, O prudent Virgin, do not fear to be presumptuous. Though modest silence is pleasing, dutiful speech is now more necessary. Open your heart to faith, O blessed Virgin, your lips to praise, your womb to the Creator. See, the desired of all nations is at your door, knocking to enter. If he should pass by because of your delay, in sorrow you would begin to seek him afresh, the One whom your soul loves. Arise, hasten, open. Arise in faith, hasten in devotion, open in praise and thanksgiving. Behold the handmaid of the Lord, she says, be it done to me according to your word. RESPONSORY See Luke 1:31, 42 Receive, O Virgin Mary, the word which the Lord has made known to you by the message of the angel: You will conceive and give birth to a son, both God and man, – and you will be called blessed among women. A virgin, you will indeed bear a son; ever chaste and holy, you will be the mother of our Savior. – And you will be called blessed among women. CONCLUDING PRAYER Let us pray. God of love and mercy, help us to follow the example of Mary, always ready to do your will. At the message of an angel she welcomed your eternal Son and, filled with the light of your Spirit, she became the temple of your Word, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. – Amen. Or: O God, eternal majesty, whose ineffable Word the immaculate Virgin received through the message of an Angel and so became the dwelling-place of divinity, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, grant, we pray, that by her example we may in humility hold fast to your will. 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.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Dec 2014 10:47:47 +0000
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