Postscripts From The Catholic Spitfire Grill

UPDATE: If an internet search has brought you to this page and you are looking for a general idea about how to get started praying the Divine Office/Liturgy of the Hours, you might be interested in my post here. RNW

Imagine if you will that all of the members of your family stopped at roughly the same points in their day and took time to read the same passages of Sacred Scripture together. Imagine if they were using the same passages of Sacred Scripture to guide their prayers. Would it bind you together? Would you be blessed by being able to share together your insights for the day? Would it be comforting to know that even if your brother in San Francisco couldn't talk to you because you couldn't get your satellite phone to work in the Amazon you were literally on the same page of Sacred Scripture. Of course you wouldn't be limited to the schedule, you could always pray more and read more, but in the devotional life of your family there was always a common foundation what kind of spiritual life would that breathe into your family? That's what the Divine Office is. Only the family is the Body of Christ...the Church. I blogged about Unity the other day and the Divine Office (also called Liturgy of the Hours) is another expression of that unity. Praying together, across the world, in this "prayer of the Church" Catholics not only express this common bond but our common prayer also builds it.

I have heard it dismissed as man-made. Perhaps. In that readings are selected and organized by members of the Church, it is man-made. It is however, hard for me to call something with so much scripture merely man-made. The observance of the Divine Office consitutes a literal fulfillment of the Psalm 119:164 "Seven times a day will I praise you." Even the times of these seven prayers are set using scripture references and ancient Jewish culture as follows:

1. In Bible times Jewish people prayed upon rising every morning at about 6 am. The traditional name for this prayer is Lauds and is currently known as The Office of Morning Prayer.

2. In Act 1:14 and Acts 2:1-15 we read that the disciples came together for prayer at the third hour which is about 9 a.m. The traditional name for this time of prayer was Terce and is now called The Office of Midmorning Prayer.

3. In Acts 10:9 we read that Peter went to the housetop to pray at about the sixth hour (noon). Traditionally known as Sext this is now known as The Office of Midday Prayer.

4. In Acts 3:1 Peter and John were going up to the temple for prayer at the ninth hour (3 p.m.) The traditional name for this time of prayer is None and is now known as The Office of Midafternoon Prayer.

5. In Jewish culture prayers were said when the lamps were lit in the evening. Vespers is the traditional name for what is now known as The Office of Evening Prayer.

6. Compline is the prayers said at bedtime and is known Night Prayer.

7. Jesus prayed between 3 and 6 am before walking across the Sea of Galilee to rescue the Apostles from the storm. Traditionally known as Vigils or Matins which took place at midnight is now called Office of the Readings and can take place at any time during the day. Also Psalm 119:62 "At midnight I rise to praise you because your edicts are just." is a lovely exhortation to prayer at this hour.

My source for the above was The Divine Office for Dodos. You can read some more about the hours here. So if you were to pray the entire Divine Office for Thursday, April 26, 2007, what would it look like?

This is what one day’s worth of the Divine Office looks like. Remember this is what the Roman Catholic Church considers to be the MINIMUM daily requirement of Sacred Scripture and prayer for clergy and most religious. You are always free to add more.

If you must skim through what follows I do understand. I just wanted you to know I have just a couple more notes at the end.

First. Before praying the first office of the day you would make the sign of the cross and remind yourself of the Trinity, and the terrible price paid for your sins, and God's loving provision for you. Then you would pray an Invitatory Psalm which is one of the following: Psalm 95, Psalm 100, Psalm 67 or Psalm 24. Today I pick Psalm 100.

Invitatory: Psalm 100

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
worship the LORD with cries of gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
Know that the LORD is God,
our maker to whom we belong,
whose people we are, God's well-tended flock.
Enter the temple gates with praise,
its courts with thanksgiving.
Give thanks to God, bless his name
good indeed is the LORD,
Whose love endures forever,
whose faithfulness lasts through every age.

Office of the Readings

Sign of the Cross

Scriptural Prayer: If this is not the first office of the day and the invitatory Psalm has not been recited then the following scriptural prayer (Psalm 69:2; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 40:13) is said:

[God come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.]

Hymn: (may be substituted with another appropriate hymn, this one is the one that is printed in my breviary):

Eternal Father, through your Word
You gave new life to Adams’ race,
Transformed them into sons of light,
New creatures by your saving grace.
To you who stooped to sinful man
We render homage and all praise:
To Father, Son and Spirit blest
Whose gift to man is endless days.

Antiphon: Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised (alleluia)

Psalm 88:39-46

But now you have rejected and spurned,
been enraged at your anointed.
You renounced the covenant with your servant,
defiled his crown in the dust.
You broke down all his defenses,
left his strongholds in ruins.
All who pass through seize plunder;
his neighbors deride him.
You have exalted the right hand of his foes,
have gladdened all his enemies.
You turned back his sharp sword,
did not support him in battle.
You brought to an end his splendor,
hurled his throne to the ground.
You cut short the days of his youth,
covered him with shame.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen

Antiphon: Look on us, Lord, and see how we are despised (alleluia)

Antiphon 2: I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star (alleluia)

Psalm 88: 47-53 But now you have rejected and spurned,
been enraged at your anointed.
You renounced the covenant with your servant,
defiled his crown in the dust.
You broke down all his defenses,
left his strongholds in ruins.
All who pass through seize plunder;
his neighbors deride him.
You have exalted the right hand of his foes,
have gladdened all his enemies.
You turned back his sharp sword,
did not support him in battle.
You brought to an end his splendor, hurled his throne to the ground.
You cut short the days of his youth,
covered him with shame. Selah
How long, LORD?
Will you stay hidden forever?
Must your wrath smolder like fire?
Remember how brief is my life,
how frail the race you created!
What mortal can live and not see death?
Who can escape the power of Sheol? Selah
Where are your promises of old, Lord,
the loyalty sworn to David?
Remember, Lord, the insults to your servants,
how I bear all the slanders of the nations.
Your enemies, LORD, insult your anointed;
they insult my every endeavor.
Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and amen!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen

Antiphon 2: I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star (alleluia)

Psalm Prayer:

Lord, God of mercy and fidelity, you made a new and lasting pact with men and sealed it in the blood of your Son. Forgive the folly of our disloyalty and make us keep your commandments, so that in our new covenant we may be witnesses and heralds of your faithfulness and love on earth, and sharers of your glory in heaven.

Antiphon 2: I am the root and stock of David; I am the morning star (alleluia)

Antiphon 3: Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal (alleluia)

Psalm 90

There is not with God: a thousand years, a single day: it is all one. 2 Peter 3:8

A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
I Lord, you have been our refuge
through all generations.
Before the mountains were born,
the earth and the world brought forth,
from eternity to eternity you are God.
A thousand years in your eyes
are merely a yesterday,
But humans you return to dust,
saying, "Return, you mortals!"
Before a watch passes in the night,
you have brought them to their end;
They disappear like sleep at dawn;
they are like grass that dies.
It sprouts green in the morning;
by evening it is dry and withered.
Truly we are consumed by your anger,
filled with terror by your wrath.
You have kept our faults before you,
our hidden sins exposed to your sight.
Our life ebbs away under your wrath;
our years end like a sigh.
Seventy is the sum of our years,
or eighty, if we are strong;
Most of them are sorrow and toil;
they pass quickly, we are all but gone.
Who comprehends your terrible anger?
Your wrath matches the fear it inspires.
Teach us to count our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Relent, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
Fill us at daybreak with your love,
that all our days we may sing for joy.
Make us glad as many days as you humbled us,
for as many years as we have seen trouble.
Show your deeds to your servants,
your glory to their children.
May the favor of the Lord our God be ours.
Prosper the work of our hands!
Prosper the work of our hands!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen

Psalm-prayer:

Eternal Father, you give us life despite our guilt and even add days and years to our lives in order to bring us wisdom. Make us love and obey you, that the work of our hands may always display what your hands have done, until the day we gaze upon the beauty of your face.

Antiphon 3: Our years wither away like grass, but you, Lord God, are eternal (alleluia) God has raised the Lord to life, alleluia.

--Through his power he will also raise us up, alleluia.

First Reading: Revelation 9:13 - 21

The sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice come out of the four horns of the golden altar in front of God. It spoke to the sixth angel with the trumpet, and said, ‘Release the four angels that are chained up at the great river Euphrates’. These four angels had been put there ready for this hour of this day of this month of this year, and now they were released to destroy a third of the human race. I learnt how many there were in their army: twice ten thousand times ten thousand mounted men. In my vision I saw the horses, and the riders with their breastplates of flame color, hyacinth-blue and sulphur-yellow; the horses had lions’ heads, and fire, smoke and sulphur were coming out of their mouths. It was by these three plagues, the fire, the smoke and the sulphur coming out of their mouths, that the one third of the human race was killed. All the horses’ power was in their mouths and their tails: their tails were like snakes, and had heads that were able to wound. But the rest of the human race, who escaped these plagues, refused either to abandon the things they had made with their own hands – the idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood that can neither see nor hear nor move – or to stop worshipping devils. Nor did they give up their murdering, or witchcraft, or fornication or stealing.

Responsory: Acts 17:30, 31; Joel 1:13, 14

God calls upon all men to repent,
--for he has fixed the day on which he will judge the world with justice, alleluia.

Ministers of God, gather together all the inhabitants of the land and cry out to the Lord.
--for he has fixed the day on which he will judge the world with justice, alleluia.

Second Reading: Treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop

The Eucharist, pledge of our resurrection

If our flesh is not saved, then the Lord has not redeemed us with his blood, the eucharistic chalice does not make us sharers in his blood, and the bread we break does not make us sharers in his body. There can be no blood without veins, flesh and the rest of the human substance, and this the Word of God actually became: it was with his own blood that he redeemed us. As the Apostle says: In him, through his blood, we have been redeemed, our sins have been forgiven. We are his members and we are nourished by creatures, which is his gift to us, for it is he who causes the sun to rise and the rain to fall. He declared that the chalice, which comes from his creation, was his blood, and he makes it the nourishment of our blood. He affirmed that the bread, which comes from his creation, was his body, and he makes it the nourishment of our body. When the chalice we mix and the bread we bake receive the word of God, the eucharistic elements become the body and blood of Christ, by which our bodies live and grow. How then can it be said that flesh belonging to the Lord’s own body and nourished by his body and blood is incapable of receiving God’s gift of eternal life? Saint Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians that we are members of his body, of his flesh and bones. He is not speaking of some spiritual and incorporeal kind of man, for spirits do not have flesh and bones. He is speaking of a real human body composed of flesh, sinews and bones, nourished by the chalice of Christ’s blood and receiving growth from the bread which is his body.

The slip of a vine planted in the ground bears fruit at the proper time. The grain of wheat falls into the ground and decays only to be raised up again and multiplied by the Spirit of God who sustains all things. The Wisdom of God places these things at the service of man and when they receive God’s word they become the eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, which have been nourished by the eucharist, will be buried in the earth and will decay, but they will rise again at the appointed time, for the Word of God will raise them up to the glory of God the Father. Then the Father will clothe our mortal nature in immortality and freely endow our corruptible nature with incorruptibility, for God’s power is shown most perfectly in weakness. Concluding Prayer Almighty and ever-living God, make us more readily receive your kindness at this time when you have given us deeper knowledge of you. You have rescued us from the murk of error and falsehood: make us stick more closely to the teachings of your truth. 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.

Responsory: John 6:48-52

I am the bread of life. Your forefathers ate manna in the desert, and they died.
--This is the bread that comes down from heaven; anyone who eats this bread will never die, alleluia.

I am the living bread come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever.
--This is the bread that comes down from heaven; anyone who eats this bread will never die, alleluia.

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 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.

Concluding Prayers: (Intercessions and Lord’s Prayer as desired)

Prayer: Father, in this holy season we come to know the full depth of your love.
You have free us from the darkness of error and sin.
Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, on God, for ever and ever.

Let us pray to the Lord and give him thanks.

Sign of the cross

Office of Morning Prayer

Sign of the Cross

Scriptural Prayer: If this is not the first office of the day and the invitatory Psalm has not been recited then the following scriptural prayer (Psalm 69:2; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 40:13) is said:

[God come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.]

Hymn (may be substituted with another appropriate hymn)

When morning fills the sky,
Our hearts awaking cry:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
In all our works and prayer
His Sacrifice we share:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
The night becomes as day,
When from our hearts we say:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
The powers of darkness fear
When this glad song they hear:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
In heav’n our joy will be
To sing eternally:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Let earth and sea and sky
From depth to height reply:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
Let all the earth now sing
To our eternal King:
May Jesus Christ be praised.
By this the eternal song,
Through ages all along:
May Jesus Christ be praised.

Antiphon (Easter): City of God, you are the source of our life; with music and dance we shall rejoice in you, alleluia. The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman; she is our mother.

Psalm 87

Jerusalem, mother of all nations. Galatians 4:26

Its foundations are set on the sacred mountains –
the Lord loves the gates of Sion
more than all the tents of Jacob.
Glorious things are said of you, city of God!
I shall count Rahab and Babylon among those who acknowledge me.
The Philistines, Tyrians, Ethiopians –
all have their birthplace here.
Of Sion it will be said “Here is the birthplace of all people:
the Most High himself has set it firm”.
The Lord shall write in the book of the nations:
“Here is their birthplace”.
They will sing as in joyful processions:
“All my being springs from you”.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord God, your only Son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon the rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church, and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit.

Antiphon (Easter): City of God, you are the source of our life; with music and dance we shall rejoice in you, alleluia.

Antiphon 2 (Easter): Like a shepherd he will gather the lambs in his arms and carry them to his heart, alleluia.

Canticle: Isaiah 40:10-17

See, I come quickly; I have my reward in hand. Revelation 22:12

The good shepherd is God, the Most High
Behold, the Lord God comes in strength, and his right arm triumphs.
Behold, his reward is with him, his prize is before him.
Like a shepherd he feeds his flock,
he gathers the lambs in his arms and lifts them to his breast;
he carries the pregnant ewes.
Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand
and arranged the heavens with his palms?
Who has measured the dust of the earth,
weighed out the mountains,
weighed the hills on the balance?
Who directed the spirit of the Lord?
Who gave him advice in his task?
With whom did he consult? Who taught him?
Who led him in the paths of justice,
gave him knowledge,
showed him the way of understanding?
Behold, the Gentiles are like a drop in a bucket,
a piece of fluff on the scales.
All the islands are a handful of dust.
What burnt-offering could be worthy of the Lord?
The forests of Lebanon could not feed that fire;
all the animals of Lebanon would not be enough for that sacrifice.
All the nations count for nothing before him:
for him, they are nothingness and emptiness.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon 2 (Easter): City of God, you are the source of our life; with music and dance we shall rejoice in you, alleluia.

Antiphon 3 (Easter): Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted above all the peoples, alleluia.

Psalm 99

Christ, higher than the Cherubim, when you took our lowly nature you transformed our sinful world. St. Athanasius

The Lord our God is holy
The Lord reigns! let the peoples tremble.
He is enthroned on the cherubim: let the earth shake.
The Lord is great in Sion,
he is high above all the peoples.
Let them proclaim his name – great and terrible it is,
let them proclaim his holy name,
the powerful king, who loves justice.
The laws you establish are just:
you have given Jacob uprightness and right judgement.
Praise the Lord, our God,
worship at his footstool,
for he is holy.
Moses and Aaron were among his prophets,
Samuel one of those who called on him.
They called on the Lord and he listened,
and from the pillar of cloud he spoke to them.
They kept his decrees
and the commands he gave them.
Lord our God, you listened to them;
O God, you were gracious to them,
but you punished their wrongdoing.
Praise the Lord, our God,
worship on his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm-prayer

God, you are the source of all holiness. Through no one can see you and live, you give life most generously, and in an even greater way restore it. Sanctify your priests through your life-giving Word, and consecrate your people in his blood until our eyes see your face.

Antiphon 3 (Easter): Great is the Lord in Zion; he is exalted above all the peoples, alleluia.

Short reading: Romans 8:10 - 11

Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

Responsory:

The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
--The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.

He hung on the cross for us,
--Alleluia, alleluia

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.

-- The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.

Canticle of Zechariah: Luke 1:68-79 (said every Morning Prayer)

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
He has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
Born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
That he would save us from out enemies,
From the hand of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers
And to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
To set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
Holy and righteous in his sight
All the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet
Of the Most High;
For you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
By forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
The dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness
And the shadow of death,
And to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, it is now
And ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon: Amen, Amen, I say to you, Whoever believes in me will live for ever, alleluia.

Prayers and Intercessions (additional prayers and intercessions are always appropriate remember this is the bare minimum)

Christ has risen from the dead and is always present in his Church.
Let us adore him, and say:
-Stay with us Lord.
Lord, Jesus, triumphant victor over sin and death,
glorious and immortal,
-Be always in our midst.
Come to us in the power of your victory,
-And show our hearts the loving kindness of your Father.
Come to heal a world wounded by division,
-For you alone can transform our hearts and make them one.
Strengthen our faith in final victory,
-And renew our hope in your second coming.

Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer: Father, in this holy season we come to know the full depth of your love. You have freed us from the darkness of error and sin. Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Sign of the Cross

RNW’s note: There is some flexibility in the recitation of the Psalms associated with midday prayers. I have broken the Psalms from the Psalmody and assigned them to particular middays prayers for the sake of this presentation.

Office of Midmorning Prayer

Sign of the Cross

Scriptural Prayer (Psalm 69:2; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 40:13):

God come to my assistance. Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Hymn

Antiphon (Easter): Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 119:113-120

I hate every hypocrite;
your teaching I love.
You are my refuge and shield;
in your word I hope.
Depart from me, you wicked,
that I may observe the commands of my God.
Sustain me by your promise that I may live;
do not disappoint me in my hope.
Strengthen me that I may be safe,
ever to contemplate your laws.
You reject all who stray from your laws,
for vain is their deceit.
Like dross you regard all the wicked on earth;
therefore I love your decrees.
My flesh shudders with dread of you;
I hold your edicts in awe.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Help us and we shall be saved, Lord God; leave us and we are doomed. May you remain with us always so that the fullness of life may be ours.

Antiphon (Easter): Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Reading (1 Corinthians 12:13)

It was in one Spirit that all of us, whether Jew of Greek, slave or free, were baptized into one Body. All of us have been given to drink of the one Spirit.

The Lord is risen, alleluia --He has appeared to Simon, alleluia.

Prayers and Intercessions (additional prayers and intercessions are always appropriate)

Christ has risen from the dead and is always present in his Church.
Let us adore him, and say:
-Stay with us Lord.
Lord, Jesus, triumphant victor over sin and death,
glorious and immortal,
-Be always in our midst.
Come to us in the power of your victory,
-And show our hearts the loving kindness of your Father.
Come to heal a world wounded by division,
-For you alone can transform our hearts and make them one.
Strengthen our faith in final victory,
-And renew our hope in your second coming.

Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer:

Father, in this holy season we come to know the full depth of your love. You have freed us from the darkness of error and sin. Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Let us praise the Lord. And give him thanks.

Sign of the Cross

Office of Midday Prayer

Sign of the Cross

Scriptural Prayer (Psalm 69:2; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 40:13):

God come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Hymn

Antiphon: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 79:1-5, 8-11, 13 (Lament for Jerusalem)

If only you had known what would bring you peace. (Luke 19:42) 

O God, the nations have invaded your heritage;
they have defiled your holy temple,
have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
They have left the corpses of your servants
as food for the birds of the heavens,
the flesh of your faithful for the beasts of the earth.
They have spilled their blood like water
all around Jerusalem,
and no one is left to bury them.
We have become the reproach of our neighbors,
the scorn and derision of those around us.
How long, LORD? Will you be angry forever?
Will your rage keep burning like fire?
Do not hold past iniquities against us;
may your compassion come quickly,
for we have been brought very low.
Help us, God our savior,
for the glory of your name.
Deliver us, pardon our sins
for your name's sake.
Why should the nations say,
"Where is their God?"
Before our eyes make clear to the nations
that you avenge the blood of your servants.
Let the groans of prisoners come before you;
by your great power free those doomed to death.
Then we, your people, the sheep of your pasture,
will give thanks to you forever;
through all ages we will declare your praise.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.
Amen.

Psalm-Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, shepherd of your Church, in order to strengthen our faith and lead us to the kingdom, you renewed and far surpassed the marvels of the old law. Through the uncertainties of this earthly journey, lead us home to the everlasting pastures.

Antiphon: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Reading (Titus 3:5-7)

God Saved us through the baptism of the new birth and renewal by the holy Spirit. This Spirit he lavished on us through Jesus Christ our Savior, that we might be justified by his grace and become heris, in hope, of eternal life.

The Disciples rejoice, alleluia.
--When they saw the risen Lord, alleluia.

Prayers and Intercessions (additional prayers and intercessions are always appropriate)

Christ has risen from the dead and is always present in his Church.
Let us adore him, and say:
-Stay with us Lord.
Lord, Jesus, triumphant victor over sin and death,
glorious and immortal,
-Be always in our midst.
Come to us in the power of your victory,
-And show our hearts the loving kindness of your Father.
Come to heal a world wounded by division,
-For you alone can transform our hearts and make them one.
Strengthen our faith in final victory,
-And renew our hope in your second coming.

Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer: Father, in this holy season we come to know the full depth of your love. You have freed us from the darkness of error and sin. Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Let us praise the Lord. And give him thanks.

Sign of the Cross

Office of Midafternoon Prayer

Sign of the Cross

Scriptural Prayer (Psalm 69:2; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 40:13):

God come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Hymn

Antiphon: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 80

Come Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:20

Shepherd of Israel, listen,
guide of the flock of Joseph!
From your throne upon the cherubim reveal yourself
to Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh.
Stir up your power, come to save us.
O LORD of hosts, restore us;
Let your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.
LORD of hosts,
how long will you burn with anger
while your people pray?
You have fed them the bread of tears,
made them drink tears in abundance.
You have left us to be fought over by our neighbors;
our enemies deride us.
O LORD of hosts, restore us;
let your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.
You brought a vine out of Egypt;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
You cleared the ground;
it took root and filled the land.
The mountains were covered by its shadow,
the cedars of God by its branches.
It sent out boughs as far as the sea,
shoots as far as the river.
Why have you broken down the walls,
so that all who pass by pluck its fruit?
The boar from the forest strips the vine;
the beast of the field feeds upon it.
Turn again, LORD of hosts;
look down from heaven and see;
Attend to this vine,
the shoot your right hand has planted.
Those who would burn or cut it down--
may they perish at your rebuke.
May your help be with the man at your right hand,
with the one whom you once made strong.
Then we will not withdraw from you;
revive us, and we will call on your name.
LORD of hosts, restore us;
let your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, eternal Shepherd, you so then the vineyard you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest coast. Look down on your Church and come to us. Help us to remain in your Son as branches on the vine that, planted firmly in you love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere.

Antiphon: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Reading (Colossians 1:12-14)

We Give thanks to the Father, who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Stay with us, Lord, alleluia.
--For evening draws near, alleluia.

Prayers and Intercessions (additional prayers and intercessions)

Christ has risen from the dead and is always present in his Church.
Let us adore him, and say:
-Stay with us Lord.
Lord, Jesus, triumphant victor over sin and death,
glorious and immortal,
-Be always in our midst.
Come to us in the power of your victory,
-And show our hearts the loving kindness of your Father.
Come to heal a world wounded by division,
-For you alone can transform our hearts and make them one.
Strengthen our faith in final victory,
-And renew our hope in your second coming.

Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13; or Luke 11:2-4)

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer:

Father, in this holy season we come to know the full depth of your love. You have freed us from the darkness of error and sin. Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Let us praise the Lord. And give him thanks.

Sign of the Cross

Sacred Scripture Readings from Mass for April 26, 2007

Reading (Acts of the Apostles 8:26-40)

The angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, “Get up and head south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza, the desert route.” So he got up and set out. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, that is, the queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury, who had come to Jerusalem to worship, and was returning home. Seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go and join up with that chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” He replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” So he invited Philip to get in and sit with him. This was the Scripture passage he was reading:

Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will tell of his posterity?
For his life is taken from the earth.

Then the eunuch said to Philip in reply, “I beg you, about whom is the prophet saying this? About himself, or about someone else?” Then Philip opened his mouth and, beginning with this scripture passage, he proclaimed Jesus to him. As they traveled along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water. What is to prevent my being baptized?” Then he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and he baptized him. When they came out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but continued on his way rejoicing. Philip came to Azotus, and went about proclaiming the good news to all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 66:8-9, 16-17, 20)

R. (1) Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.
or: R. Alleluia.

Bless our God, you peoples,
loudly sound his praise;
He has given life to our souls,
and has not let our feet slip.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Hear now, all you who fear God,
while I declare
what he has done for me.
When I appealed to him in words,
praise was on the tip of my tongue.

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Blessed be God who refused me not
my prayer or his kindness!

R. Let all the earth cry out to God with joy.

Gospel (John 6:44-51)

Jesus said to the crowds: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draw him, and I will raise him on the last day. It is written in the prophets: They shall all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to my Father and learns from him comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the desert, but they died; this is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my Flesh for the life of the world.”

Office of Evening Prayer

Sign of the Cross

Scriptural Prayer (Psalm 69:2; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 40:13):

God come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Hymn

For the fruits of his creation,
Thanks be to God;
For the gifts to every nation,
Thanks be to God;
For the ploughing, sowing, reaping,
Silent growth while men are sleeping,
Future needs in earth’s safekeeping,
Thanks be to God.

In the just reward of labor,
God’s will is done;
In the help we give our neighbor,
God’s will is done;
In our world-wide task of caring
For the hungry and despairing,
In the harvests men are sharing,
God’s will is done.

For the harvest of his spirit,
Thanks be to God;
For the good all men inherit,
Thanks be to God;
For the wonders that astound us,
For the truths that still confound us,
Most of all, that love has found us,
Thanks be to God.

Antiphon (Easter): The Lord God has given him the throne of David his father, alleluia

Psalm 132

The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. (Luke 1:32)

LORD, remember David
and all his anxious care; How he swore an oath to the LORD,
vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
"I will not enter the house where I live,
nor lie on the couch where I sleep;
I will give my eyes no sleep,
my eyelids no rest,
Till I find a home for the LORD,
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
"We have heard of it in Ephrathah;
we have found it in the fields of Jaar.
Let us enter God's dwelling;
let us worship at God's footstool."
"Arise, LORD, come to your resting place,
you and your majestic ark.
Your priests will be clothed with justice;
your faithful will shout for joy."
For the sake of David your servant,
do not reject your anointed.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon (Easter): The Lord God has given him the throne of David his father, alleluia

Antiphon 2 (Easter): Jesus Christ is supreme in his power. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, alleluia.

The LORD swore an oath to David,
a pledge never to be broken:
"Your own offspring I will set upon your throne.

If your sons observe my covenant,
the laws I shall teach them,
Their sons, in turn,
shall sit forever on your throne."

Yes, the LORD has chosen Zion,
desired it for a dwelling:

"This is my resting place forever;
here I will dwell, for I desire it.

I will bless Zion with meat;
its poor I will fill with bread.
I will clothe its priests with blessing;
its faithful shall shout for joy.

There I will make a horn sprout for David's line;
I will set a lamp for my anointed.
His foes I will clothe with shame,
but on him my crown shall gleam."

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you chose to suffer and be overwhelmed by death in order to open the gates of death in triumph. Stay with us to help us on our pilgrimage; free us from all evil by the power of your resurrection. In the company of saints, and constantly remembering our love for us, may we sing of your wonders in our Father’s house

Antiphon 2 (Easter): Jesus Christ is supreme in his power. He is King of kings and Lord of lords, alleluia.

Antiphon 3 (Easter): Lord, who is your equal in power? Who is like you, majestic in holiness? Alleluia.

Canticle (Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a):

The Judgment of God

We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
Who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
You have begun your reign.
The nations have raged in anger,
But then came your day of wrath
And the moment to judge the dead:
The time to reward your servants the prophets
And the holy one who revere you,
The great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
The reign of our God and the authority
Of his Anointed One,
For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
Who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
And by the word of their testimony;
Love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
And you that dwell therein!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon 3 (Easter): Lord, who is your equal in power? Who is like you, majestic in holiness? Alleluia.

Reading (1Peter 3:18, 22)

The reason why Christ died for sins once for all, the just man for the sake of the unjust, was that he might lead to God. He was put to death insofar as fleshly existence goes, but was given life in the realm of the spirit. He went to heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angelic rulers and powers subjected to him.

Responsory

The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
--The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
When they saw they risen Lord,
--alleluia, alleluia.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
--The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.

Canticle of Mary (Luke 1:46-55)

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
My spirit rejoices in God my Savior
For he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this all generations will call me blessed:
The Almighty has done great things for me,
And holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
In every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
He has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty for their thrones,
And has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,
And the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel
For he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers,
To Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Antiphon: I am the living bread come down from heaven; anyone who eats this bread will live for ever; the bread that I will give is my flesh, for the life of the world, alleluia.

Intercessions

Christ rose from the dead as the firstfruits of those who sleep. In our joy let us praise him, and say:
--Firstborn from the dead, hear our prayer.
Lord Jesus, remember your holy Church, built on the apostles and reaching to the ends of the earth,
--and let your blessing rest on all who believe in you.
You are the healer of soul and body,
--come to our aid, and save us in your love.
Raise up the sick and give them strength,
--free them from their infirmities.
Help those in distress of mind and body,
--and in you compassion lift up those in need.
Through your cross and resurrection you opened for all they way to immortality,
--grant to our deceased brothers and sisters the joys of your kingdom.

Lord’s Prayer: Matthew 6:9-13; Luke 11:2-4.

Our Father, who art in Heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer:

Father in this holy season we come to know the full depth of your love. You have freed us from the darkness of error and sin. Help us to cling to your truths with fidelity. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son, who lives and reigns with you and the holy Spirit, oneGod, for ever and ever. May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

Night Prayer

Sign of the Cross

Scriptural Prayer (Psalm 69:2; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 40:13):

God come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Examination of Conscience (Or penitential rite if being recited in a group)

Hymn (may be substituted)

We praise you, Father, for your gifts
Of dusk and nightfall over earth,
Foreshadowing the mystery
Of death that leads to endless day.
Within your hands we rest secure;
In quiet sleep our strength renew;
Yet give your people hearts that wake
In love to you, unsleeping Lord.
Your glory may we ever seek
In rest, as in activity,
Until its fullness is revealed,
O source of life, O Trinity.

Antiphon (Easter): Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 16

The Father raised up Jesus from the dead and broke the bonds of death. (Acts 2:24)

Keep me safe, O God;
in you I take refuge
I say to the Lord,
you are my Lord,
you are my only good.
Worthless are all the false gods of the land.
Accursed are all who delight in them.
They multiply their sorrows
who court other gods.
Blood libations to them I will not pour out,
nor will I take their names upon my lips.
LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you have made my destiny secure.
Pleasant places were measured out for me;
fair to me indeed is my inheritance.
I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even at night my heart exhorts me.
I keep the LORD always before me;
with the Lord at my right, I shall never be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad, my soul rejoices;
my body also dwells secure,
For you will not abandon me to Sheol,
nor let your faithful servant see the pit.
You will show me the path to life,
abounding joy in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon (Easter): Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

Reading (1Thessalonians 5:23):

May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May he preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Responsory (Easter)

Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.
--Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.
You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth,
--alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
--Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit, alleluia, alleluia.

Antiphon: Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace. Alleluia.

Canticle of Simeon (Luke 2:29-32)

Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel
Lord, now you let your servant go in peace;
You word has been fulfilled:
My own eyes have seen the salvation
Which you have prepared in the sight of
Every people.

A light to reveal you to the nations
And the glory of you people Israel.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit, as it was
In the beginning, it is now and ever
Shall be, world without end. Amen.

Antiphon: Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace. Alleluia.

Prayer

Lord God
Send peaceful sleep
to refresh our tired bodies.
May your help always renew us
And keep us strong in your service.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen

Hail Mary, full of grace,
The Lord is with you!
Blessed are you among women,
And blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary Mother of God,
Pray for us sinners,
Now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

It's RNW again, if you are still with me I have just a few more things to say.

All this scripture and prayer is meant both to be savored and shared! The Divine Office is ideally sung in it's entireity with a group. Monks and nuns in monasteries have been doing this for centuries. Priests in rectories have been saying this together right along with them. Across time, across the world the Body of Christ prays together in AGREEMENT (remember that verse about praying in agreement?) for the Glory of the Lord. Husband and wife, parents and children, prayer groups...it's always best in a group. If it isn't sung, it is supposed to be spoken, and if you can't speak it aloud....you're supposed to move your lips!

Again, this is a minimum daily requirement for all Catholic clergy and it is highly recommend for all of the Catholic faithful to the maximum extent that they are able. This is not the only scripture a Catholic is allowed to read; nor are these the only prayers a Catholic is allowed to recite.  This represents the starting point you are welcome to do more.

The next time you hear someone claiming to be an ex-Catholic clergyman tell you that they  gave up that man-made Divine Office stuff and just started reading the Bible, please consider EXACTLY what giving up reciting the Divine Office means and discern accordingly.

Lastly, if some roaming Catholic clergyman or expert of some other sort should happen upon this and I have messed up important technical detail...please be gentle.