I have no fear of death as just an end;
    My life has not been something to prolong.
    For every moment when I feel a song
Spring to my throat, six more contend
With it for wails and tears. Why should I spend
    More time at this? But still, if I am wrong,
    And worse awaits perhaps, then come a throng
Of dreads against which I cannot defend.

If only I could know! Why does he keep
    Us in suspense like this? He told us, true,
       But that was centuries ago. Can we
       Be certain when there's nothing we can see?
    But isn't that the point? That's faith. The clue
Is trust; you'll wake in joy from this brief sleep.

Antiphon 1: Please let my prayer rise up before you like burning incense, Master.

Psalm 141

Of David Dear YHWH, I cry out to you;
    please hurry to me,
    and listen to my voice calling upon you.
Make my prayer into incense in your presence,
    and my uplifted hands into an evening sacrifice.
Please, YHWH, station watchmen at my mouth
    to guard the doorway of my lips;
and keep my heart from yearning toward any sin,
    from doing wrong in evil company,
    and eating the tasty cuisine they serve.
Let good men slap me; that is a favor,
    and if they scold me, it is rich perfume;
my head is ready for it,
    because my prayer rejects the others' sinful acts.
Their chiefs lie scattered at the foot of the cliff--
    I told them so. How sweet it is!--
their bones strewn round the entrance of the grave
    like clods a plowman turns aside.
But I keep my eyes upon you, YHWH my God,
    and find my safety with you;
    please do not leave my soul defenseless.
Keep me away from the snares sinners set for me
    and all the traps they put in front of me;
entangle them in the nets they made,
    and let me escape unscathed.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please let my prayer rise up before you like burning incense, Master.

Antiphon 2: You are my last resort, Master; all I have left.

Psalm 142

A maskil of David. A prayer when he was in the cave

I call YHWH at the top of my voice,
    and shout my plea to him,
pouring out my problems in his ears,
    and telling him my troubles.
When once my spirit was drowning there within me,
    you knew what path to bring me down;
But now a snare is hidden for me
    somewhere on the trail ahead--
and look beside me now, and you will see
    no one who takes my part.
Escape has been cut off,
    and no one cares about my life.
And that is why I called out to you, YHWH;
    I said, "You are my last resort,
    all I have left in the land of the living."
Please give my cry a hearing,
    because I have been disgraced, degraded;
rescue me from my oppressors,
    people so much stronger than I,
and let me sing my praises to your name
    surrounded by virtuous friends.
    --I know you will be generous to me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: You are my last resort, Master; all I have left.

Antiphon 3:The Master lowered himself, and God elevated him forever.

Song: Philippians2.6-11

When he possessed God's form,
    Jesus did not consider being equal to God
    something he had to keep hold of;
he emptied himself
    and took the form of a slave,
    and turned himself into what was the same as a human being;
and once he found himself in human shape,
    he lowered himself so far
as to submit obediently to death,
    and death upon a cross.
And that is why God elevated him
    above everyone else,
and gave him the name
    that is greater than every other name;
so that at the name "Jesus"
    every knee in heaven, on earth,
    and under the earth is to bend,
and everyone's tongue is to acknowledge for God's glory
    that he is the slave of Prince Jesus.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: The Master lowered himself, and God elevated him forever.

Reading: Romans 11.33-36
The depth of God's riches, wisdom, and knowledge! How undiscoverable are his ideas! How impossible to track his paths! "Does anyone know YHWH's mind? Has anyone ever told him what to do? Has anyone ever given him something that would force him to make a return?" Everything comes from him and through him and to him; he is to be given glory for ever. Amen.

Responsory

Our hearts are filled with awe as we ponder your works, Master.
Our hearts are filled with awe as we ponder your works, Master.
We praise the wisdom which produced them all as we ponder your works, Master.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
Our hearts are filled with awe as we ponder your works, Master.

Antiphon: When the sun rises in the morning sky, you will see the King of all Kings coming from the Father glowing like a bridegroom from the wedding chamber.

Magnificat

My soul is full of the Master's magnificence;
    my spirit is bursting with joy in God, my savior,
because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave,
    and now from this time on people will honor me
    through all the ages to come!
Yes. the God of Power has done tremendous things in me!
   How holy his name is!
His kindness reaches from age to age
   to those in awe of him.
He has flexed his strong right arm;
    and routed arrogance and conceit.
He has toppled powers from their thrones
    and elevated nobodies;
he has filled the hungry with the best cuisine
    and sent the rich away with nothing.
He has given support to his servant Israel,
    just as he told our ancestors,
remembering to shower his mercies
    on Abraham and his descendants for ever.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: When the sun rises in the morning sky, you will see the King of all Kings coming from the Father glowing like a bridegroom from the wedding chamber.

Petitions

We give glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, and pray in our weakness, Master, please be with your people.
Holy Master, Father possessed of total power, please make virtue germinate on the earth, and let your people live in the beauty of your peace. Master, please be with your people.
Please let every nation into your kingdom, so that all peoples will be saved. Master, please be with your people.
Please let married couples live in your peace, and grow in mutual love. Master, please be with your people.
Please reward everyone who has done me favors, Master, and bestow eternal life on them. Master, please be with your people.
Please look with pity on victims of hatred and war, and bestow heaven's peace upon them. Master, please be with your people.
Master, thank you for the special blessing you have given me today. Master, please be with your people.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Dear God, Our Father, every year we are overjoyed to look forward to this feast of our rescue from sin; please help us welcome our Prince as our redeemer and meet him with confidence when he comes to be our judge, as he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Compline

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

The world is still in Saturday--but not
    The Sabbath rest, that awful Saturday
    Without the Master, who had gone away
(Though promising a swift return)--which caught
His friends off guard and caused their hopes to rot
    Before they even ripened. We still stay
    Huddled in the darkened room and pray
That something may be true in what he taught.

Because we don't believe, not really. We
    Hope we believe, believe at least we hope
       That after all, we could be right; he might
       Have risen after that horrendous night.
    But we must trust his love, and try to grope
Our way. Be patient. One day, we will see.

Antiphon: Please be merciful, Master, and listen to my prayer.

Psalm 4

For the leader: with stringed instruments. A psalm of David

Please listen to me when I call, my God, my source of virtue.
    You gave me release from agony;
    and so please have mercy and listen to me.
Now you, mere men, how long
    will you keep speaking of my virtue as if it were my shame?
How long will you love what is worthless
    and keep running after lies?
YHWH sets apart the ones who care about him;
    and so he answers me whenever I call on him.
You are angry? Do not sin;
    ponder it on your bed, in silence;
then offer the proper sacrifice,
    and put your trust in YHWH.
There are so many people who say,
    "Can anyone show us anything good?
    Shine the light of your face upon us, YHWH."
And all the time, you have put more joy into my heart
    than when we had all the wheat and wine we wanted.
And I lie down in peace, and fall asleep at once,
    because you are all I need, YHWH, to keep my home free of fear.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Please be merciful, Master, and listen to my prayer.

Reading: Deuteronomy 6:4-7
Hear this, Israel: YHWH, our God YHWH, is the only god. You are to love your God YHWH with your whole heart, your whole soul, and all your strength. Take to heart all the commandments I have told you today; repeat them constantly to your children, speak of them at home and away from home, when you lie down to rest, and when you rise.

Responsory

I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
    because you have redeemed me, faithful Master, my God, I hand over my spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Nunc Dimittis

Now, my Lord and Master, you may dismiss your slave,
    as you promised, in peace;
because my eyes have seen the rescue you have prepared for us
    within the very sight of all the nations:
a light to disclose the truth to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Prayer

Dear Master, please be with us throughout the night tonight; and help us rise from sleep when day comes to find our happiness in the return to life of your Prince, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Omnipotent Master bestow on us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

We salute you, Mary, favorite of God; the Master is with you. You are the most remarkable woman in the world, for becoming the mother of such a remarkable child as Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, please pray for us sinners now and also at the moment of our death. Amen.

Matins

Please, Master open my lips,
    and my mouth will sing your praises.

Invitation Psalm
Psalm 95

Come, let us sing the Master a song; let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe. Hallelujah!
Come let us sing YHWH a song;
    let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe;
let us come to him with thanks,
    and sing loud happy psalms to him.
Come, let us sing the Master a song; let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe. Hallelujah!
Because YHWH is a great God,
    the great king over all the gods;
The deep abysses of the earth belong to him,
    and the mountain-tops are his as well.
The sea is his because he made it,
    and so is the land his hands have formed.
Come, let us sing the Master a song; let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe. Hallelujah!
So come, let us bow down in worship,
    kneeling before YHWH who made us too;
because he is our God,
    and we are the people in his pasture,
    the sheep his hand leads on.
Come, let us sing the Master a song; let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe. Hallelujah!
Today is the day for you to listen to his voice:
    "Do not dig in your heels as you did at Meribah,
    as you acted on that day at Massa in the desert,
when your fathers provoked me
    and tormented me though they had seen what I had done.
Come, let us sing the Master a song; let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe. Hallelujah!
For forty years I put up with that crowd,
    saying, 'they are a people with wandering hearts,
    with no idea of what I expect of them.'
And so I swore in my exasperation,
    'They will not enter my rest.'"
Come, let us sing the Master a song; let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe. Hallelujah!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us sing the Master a song; let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe. Hallelujah!

We once again begin existing, now
    That night has died, and death's reflection, sleep.
    I was not, yet I was. How could I keep
My self if self did not know self? And how
Could that cicada's carapace endow
   Itself with thought once more? The leap
    To consciousness for body means to reap
What was not sown--and here my mind must bow.

Then is it so impossible that he
    Restored himself from slaughter, and re-clothed
       Himself in flesh--immortal, sealed?
      He who designed the universe revealed
    By simple sleep his gift to his betrothed:
That death is dead. His death has set us free.

First Nocturne

Antiphon 1: See how the Master's cross is revealed as as the Tree of Life.

Psalm 1

A man is well advised
not to take directions from atheists,
and to keep his feet from paths that sinners walk,
    and never sit down with sneering friends.
His pleasure is to come from YHWH's commandments,
    and from contemplating his law both day and night.
He is like a tree
    planted beside a stream,
laden with fruit at harvest-time,
    with leaves that never wither;
    everything he does succeeds.
But atheists are not like this;
    They are like chaff blown away by the wind;
atheists will not stand up to the test,
    and sinners will not be found where honest folk gather,
because YHWH has care for where the virtuous walk,
    but the path that atheists follow leads nowhere.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: See how the Master's cross is revealed as as the Tree of Life.

Antiphon 2: Here is the King I chose to rule from Mount Zion.

Psalm 2

Why are the Gentiles ranting,
    with their people hatching useless plots?
Kings over all the earth draw up their forces--
    heads of state conspire together--
against YHWH and the Prince he anointed:
    "Let us break out of their fetters
    and cut their chains from us."
YHWH laughs from his throne in heaven,
    and sneers at all of them;
and then his angry voice booms down at them
    and terrifies them with its displeasure:
"I am the one who set this king of mine
    upon my holy mountain Zion."
I will reveal the edict
    YHWH issued to me:
"You are my son;
    today I have become your sire.
You have but to ask me, and I will give you
    nations as inheritance,
    the farthest reaches of the earth as yours to own.
You are to hold an iron scepter over them
    and shatter them like jars of clay."
So then, kings, be wise
    and learn a lesson, leaders of the world:
Be subject to YHWH, with respect;
    tremble as you attend his festivals;
pay humble greetings to his son, or you will rouse his anger
   and you will die before your time,
because his wrath takes fire in an instant.
    You are well advised to put your trust in him.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Here is the King I chose to rule from Mount Zion.

Antiphon 3: Master, you are my shield, my grandeur, the one who holds my head up high.

Psalm 3

A psalm of David, when he fled from his son Absalom

YHWH, my enemies are growing;
    there are so many who have taken sides against me--
So many who keep saying,
    "He can expect no help from God."
Ah, but you are a shield before me, YHWH;
    you are my pride, the one who holds my head up high.
I used to voice my plea to you
    and you would listen from your holy mountain.
I would lie down at night and sleep
    and wake again, because YHWH kept me safe.
I have no fear of all these millions
    camped all around me everywhere I look.
Wake up, YHWH;
    Save me, my God!
There! You have hit my enemies in the face
    and knocked out their atheistic teeth!
Rescue is found in you, YHWH;
    your blessings fall upon your people.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Master, you are my shield, my grandeur, the one who holds my head up high.

May the Prince's words always fill your hearts, and may you share the wisdom you receive with others.

Reading 1

(From the Proper)

Second Nocturne

Antiphon 1: Who can go up the Master's mountain or stand in his holy place?

Psalm 24

A psalm of David

The earth belongs to YHWH, and everything within it,
    as does the world of men, and everyone who lives there,
because he is the one who laid its foundation in the sea
    and built it up above the waters.
Then who is fit to go up YHWH's mountain
    and stand within his holy place?
One whose hands are clean, whose heart is pure,
    who has never given his soul to any idol,
    and never taken a lying oath.
That man will receive a blessing from YHWH,
    his virtue will come from the God who keeps him safe.
Jacob is the model for those who look for him--
    who look for you, to gaze upon your face.
Raise up your heads, gates!
    Grow taller, everlasting doors,
    so that the King of glory can come in!
Who is this "King of glory"?
    YHWH, strong and powerful;
    YHWH, powerful in war!
Raise up your heads, gates!
    Grow taller, everlasting doors,
    so that the King of glory can come in!
Who is this King of glory?
    YHWH, commander of our army;
he is the King of glory!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Who can go up the Master's mountain or stand in his holy place?

Antiphon 2: I will bless you day after day, Master. Hallelujah!

Psalm 145

Praise. Of David

I

Ah, my God, my King, I will glorify you
    and bless your name from now to eternity.
Blessings will be yours from me every day,
    and praises to your name for ever.
Call YHWH great, deserving the highest praise,
    his magnificence is beyond any limit.
Down from one generation to the next your deeds will pass,
   and everyone will tell what you have done.
Every day I ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and the wonders you perform.
From every man you will hear about your mighty deeds,
    and I will declare how great you are.
Gladly they will recall your immense goodness
    and sing of your virtue--
how gracious YHWH is, how full of kindness,
    how slow to be angered, and great in mercy.
I see that YHWH is good to everyone,
    and his tender mercy extends to all his creatures.
Justly will you be praised by all your creatures, YHWH,
    and all your sacred people will bless you,
keep speaking of the glory of your Kingdom,
    and constantly praise your power,
letting every human being know your mighty deeds,
    and the glorious majesty of your Kingdom.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: I will bless you day after day, Master. Hallelujah!

Antiphon 3: Your rule over everything lasts forever, Master. Hallelujah!

II

May your Kingdom last forever!
    Yes, your authority endures through all generations.
Notice how YHWH supports everyone who is about to fall,
    and picks up everyone who has lost his footing.
Only you are the one every creature looks toward,
    and you give them their food at the proper time.
Please put out your open hand,
    and satisfy all the wants of every living thing.
Quintessentially virtuous is YHWH in everything he does;
    tender in all his actions;
right beside everyone who calls on him--
    to those who call out from their hearts.
So he will satisfy the desires of those who respect him;
    he will listen to their cry and save them,
to preserve everyone who loves YHWH;
    but he will destroy every immoral person.
Untiringly my mouth will speak praise of YHWH
    and everything material will bless his holy name
    through all the ages of ages.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Your rule over everything lasts forever, Master. Hallelujah!

May the Prince's words always fill your hearts, and may you share the wisdom you receive with others.

Reading

(From the Proper)

Te Deum

We sing your praise as God;
we humbly call you Master.
The whole world honors you
as its eternal Father.
all the angels too,
the heavens and the Powers of the universe,
the cherubim and seraphim
cry out in chorus,
"Holy! Holy! Holy Master! God of power and might--
Heaven and earth are filled with the majesty of your glory!"
The glorious college of Apostles,
the venerable guild of Prophets,
the white-robed army of Martyrs chant their praise to you;
the holy Church throughout the world acclaims you
as Father of unfathomable majesty,
your true and only Son as worthy of our adoration,
and the Holy Spirit as our Patron.
You, our Prince, are the King of Glory,
the ever-eternal Son of the Father.
And as you undertook to set man free,
you did not recoil at the virgin's womb;
and when you overcame the sting of death,
you opened the Kingdom of Heaven to us believers;
and now you are enthroned beside God in the glory of the Father;
And we believe you will return to be our judge.
And so we beg you, please come to the aid of your family,
whom you have bought with your priceless blood.
Record them with the Sacred People in glory.
Please save your people, Master, and bless your inheritance,
And be their King and support from now for ever.
We sing your praises each and every day,
and sanctify your name for ages and for ages upon ages.
Grant us the blessing, Master, for this day,
to keep us free of sin.
Have your mercy, Master, descend upon us,
since we have put our trust in you.
I have placed my trust in you, my Master;
never let my hopes be shattered.

Lauds

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Reversing sunset, now the dawn reveals
    The truth about the sun, that it returns
   In promised peace and beauty; that it burns
Away night's fog and gloom; its brilliance heals
Our baseless fears; its climb brings hope, and seals
    Our confidence that goals ambition yearns
    To reach can come with effort. Faith discerns
The Resurrection hinted at, and kneels.

We say "the sun returns," but when we see
    It rise, we know it did not come again.
       It shone all night, but earth had turned its back
       And then came round once more. So when we lack
    And later welcome back our Savior, then
It is not God who turns again, but we.

Antiphon 1: As morning breaks, I look to you, my God, to be my strength today. Hallelujah!

Psalm 63

A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah

Dear God, you are my God;
    I look for you as morning breaks.
My soul is thirsty to drink you,
    my body yearns after you
like a parched, dry land
    yearning for water.
I have gone into the holy place looking for you
    with the hope of glimpsing your power and glory.
And because your tender kindness is a greater good than life itself
    my lips will sing your praises.
I will shower these blessings on you all my life,
    lifting up my hands in your name,
and my soul will be sated as if I had eaten
    all the tenderest cuts of meat--
    and my mouth will open lips of joy to praise you.
When I think of you as I lie in bed,
    I ponder what you are all through the night.
There, in the shade of your wings, I find my joy,
    and my soul runs after you,
    while your strong hand grasps and raises me.
And so the ones after my life, to destroy it,
    will find themselves in the abyss below the earth.
They will fall, cut down by swords,
    and be food for jackals.
But the king will find his happiness in God,
    and everyone who swears allegiance to him will triumph;
    it is the mouths of liars which will be silenced.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: As morning breaks, I look to you, my God, to be my strength today. Hallelujah!

Antiphon 2: From the depths of the flames, the three young men called out in unison, "God be blessed!" Hallelujah!

Song: Daniel 3.57-88, 56

Bless YHWH, everything that YHWH made;
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
YHWH's angels, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Spheres of heaven, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Water above the heavens, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Every member of YHWH's army, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Sun and moon, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Stars in the sky, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Every rainfall and dew, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Every wind, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Fire and heat, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Frost and chill, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Ice and snow, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Nights and days, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Light and darkness, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Lightning and clouds, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Bless YHWH, earth,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Mountains and hills, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Everything that grows on the earth, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Brooks, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Oceans and rivers, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Porpoises and every water creature, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Every bird in the sky, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Every animal, wild and tame, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Children of men, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Israel, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
YHWH's priests, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
YHWH's attendants, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Spirits and souls of honest folk, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Holy men whose hearts are humble, bless YHWH,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Bless YHWH, Hananaiah, Azariah, Mishael,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
    sing his praise and raise him high above everything forever!
You are awesome, YHWH, in the dome of heaven;
    you richly deserve our praise and glory
    and our elevation of you above everything forever.

Antiphon 2: From the depths of the flames, the three young men called out in unison, "God be blessed!" Hallelujah!

Antiphon 3: Zion's people should celebrate their King, Hallelujah!

Psalm 149

Hallelujah!

Sing a new song to YHWH,
    and praise him where the sacred people meet.
Israel should celebrate the one who made them
    and Zion's children hold a festival to their King,
praising his name by their dancing
    with harps and tambourines adding their cheerful voices.
Because YHWH enjoys his people,
    and he will make them splendid with his rescue.
So let the sacred people express their joy in YHWH;
    have them sing full-throated before they rest.
And then they should have praise for YHWH in their mouths
    when they take their sabers in their hands
to wreak vengeance upon the Gentiles,
    and punishment upon their people--
to clap their kings in chains
    and their nobility in iron fetters;
to carry out the sentence written down for them.
This is the glorious task of all his sacred people!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Zion's people should celebrate their King, Hallelujah!

Reading: Revelation 7.10, 12

Rescue belongs to our God, seated on the throne, and to the Lamb. Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength to our God for ages upon ages. Amen.

Responsory

Our Prince, Son of the living God, please have mercy on us.
Our Prince, Son of the living God, please have mercy on us.
    You are enthroned beside the Father; please have mercy on us.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Our Prince, Son of the living God, please have mercy on us.

Antiphon: The Bridegroom claims his bride, the Church, since the Prince has washed her sins away in Jordan's water; the Wise Men are hurrying with their gifts to the royal wedding; and the wedding guests are celebrating, because the Prince has turned the water into wine. Hallelujah!

Benedictus

Praises to the God of Israel,
    because he has turned his eyes toward his people and set them free,
and to rescue us has fashioned for our head a horn
    in the house of his servant David--
just as he promised
    through the mouths of his holy prophets in olden times--
bringing rescue from our enemies
    and escape from the hands of everyone who hates us.
A work of kindness to our fathers,
    recalling his sacred Treaty,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham
    to grant us freedom from the grasp of our enemies
to worship him without fear
    in holiness and virtue every day of our lives.
And you, my child, will be called the prophet of God Supreme;
   you will precede his coming< br /> to prepare the roads for the Master;
   to make his people aware of their liberation
as their sins are removed from them
   because of the tender kindness of our God,
   by the new dawn from heaven that will rise on us
to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow ofdeath,
   and to place our feet upon the path of peace.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: The Bridegroom claims his bride, the Church, since the Prince has washed her sins away in Jordan's water; the Wise Men are hurrying with their gifts to the royal wedding; and the wedding guests are celebrating, because the Prince has turned the water into wine. Hallelujah!

Petitions

Our Prince is the sun that never sets, the real light that shines on every human being. Let us voice our praise to him: Master, you are our life and our rescue.
Creator of the stars, thank you for your gift of the first rays of dawn, in which we recall your resurrection. Master, you are our life and our rescue.
May your Holy Spirit please teach us to do your will today, and may your wisdom always guide us. Master, you are our life and our rescue.
Each Sunday, you give us the privilege of gathering as your people around the table where your word and body are served to us. Master, you are our life and our rescue.
We thank you from the depths of our hearts for blessings too numerous to count. Master, you are our life and our rescue.
Master, please bestow on me the special favor I ask you today. Master, you are our life and our rescue.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Father, since you revealed your Son to the nations by the guidance of a star, please lead us to your glory in heaven by the light of faith. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Terce

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Warmth, and youth, and vigor, strength, and joy
    Climb through the early struggles of the day;
    As yet unwearied, thinking we know the way,
We face the future, hopeful as a boy
That effort wins; there's nothing to alloy
   Our golden confidence in self as yet. We say
   "Of course I can," and do, and find a way,
We think, to make the universe our toy.

Yes, so we think; But still we know the sun
   Climbs up the heavens only to decline.
      Our noon will come and evening follow all
      Too quickly; and will then our spirits fall
   Into dejection? Not if we resign
Our hopes and dreams to him who losing won.

Antiphon 1: What better thing can we do than put our trust in the Master? His love will never fail us. Hallelujah!

Psalm 118

Hallelujah!

I

Thank YHWH because he is so good,
   because his mercy is forever.
Israel should now be saying,
   "His mercy is forever."
Anyone who holds YHWH in awe should say,
   "His mercy is forever."
I called upon YHWH when I was in trouble,
   and YHWH answered, and brought me out into the open air;
and with YHWH beside me,
   what have I to be afraid of?
What can any mere human do to me?
YHWH is on my side, ready to help me,
   and so I can do what I please to people who hate me.
It is better to put your trust in YHWH
   than to rely on human beings--
It is better to put your trust in YHWH
   than to rely even on kings.
You see, all the Gentiles were surrounding me,
   but I demolished them in YHWH's name.
They had me surrounded, yes, they were around me everywhere,
   and in YHWH's name I demolished them.
They swarmed around me like bees,
   like a fire in a thicket of thorns; but I put it out;
   in YHWH's name I demolished them.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: What better thing can we do than put our trust in the Master? His love will never fail us. Hallelujah!

Antiphon 2: The Master is the one who makes me strong, and that is why I sing his praises. Hallelujah!

II

Yes, you tried to shove me down,
   but YHWH held me up;
YHWH is my strength, he is the song I sing;
   and he is the one who keeps me safe.
Shouts of joy and victory
   in the tents of honest folk:
"YHWH's right hand is the strong one!
   YHWH's right hand is raised to help us!
   YHWH's right hand has won the battle!"
I will not die; I will live
   to tell what YHWH has done:
True, YHWH punished me harshly,
   but he did not condemn me to death.
Open the gates of virtue for me
   and I will pass through them
   singing praise to YHWH.
This is YHWH's gate
   where honest folk go in.
And I will sing your praises
   because you answered me
   and have come to my rescue.
The stone the builders threw away
   has become the cornerstone;
and this was YHWH's doing,
   something our eyes found astounding.
Today is a day made by YHWH,
   and so we should celebrate it and enjoy ourselves in it.
Please, YHWH, save us now;
   Please, we beg you YHWH, now send us success.
Praise the one who comes here in YHWH's name!
   See, we have blessed you from YHWH's house!
YHWH is God;
it is he who has given us light;
   so tie the sacrifice to the altar's horns.
You are my God, and you are the one I am to praise;
   You are my God, and I raise you high over everything.
Thank YHWH, because he is good,
   because his mercy is forever!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: The Master is the one who makes me strong, and that is why I sing his praises. Hallelujah!

Reading: 1 John 4.16

We have recognized and believed in the love God has for us. God is love; and one who has his home in love has his home in God, and God has his home in him.

Please make my heart desire to do your will, my God; make my steps run along your path.

Prayer

Dear God, Our Father, by bringing your Son our Prince back to life, you conquered the power of death and opened for us the way to eternal life; may our celebration today raise us from our torpor and renew our lives by the Spirit who lives within us. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Sext

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

The shadows cringe and hide beneath the light
   That blazes in its fullest glory. Noon
   Means respite from our labors, since the boon
Of radiance brings with it heat, whose might
Is enervating, and we feel it right
   To pause and contemplate--to read the rune
   Of nature, and to try to hear the tune
God sings in his creation: All is right.

The tide of day is at its flood, while we
   Sit quiet, feeling guilt when so much work
      Still beckons to be done. But we are wrong;
      He does the work; we simply go along
   And tinker; and when we pause, we do not shirk
Our duty, since our task here is to see.

Antiphon 1: Please have mercy on us from your home in heaven.

Psalm 123

A song of ascents

I keep my eyes raised up to you
   living there in the heavens.
Yes, in the way servants fix their eyes upon their masters' hands,
   maids on the hands of their mistresses,
Our eyes are on our God YHWH
   until he shows his mercy toward us.
Please, have mercy on us, YHWH! Have mercy on us!
   We have had our fill of contempt;
our souls are ready to burst
   with scorn from plutocrats,
   with disdain from snobs.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please have mercy on us from your home in heaven.

Antiphon 2: Our help is in the Master's name.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David

"If YHWH had not been fighting on our side,"
   Israel should be saying now,
"If YHWH had not been fighting on our side
   when our enemies attacked us,
   they would have swallowed us alive.
When their fury took fire against us
   we would have drowned in that great sea of flame;
its torrent would have swept our lives into it;
   its flood would have risen over us
   and overwhelmed our souls."
Praises to YHWH,
   who did not leave us prey to their teeth;
our lives escaped like birds out of snares
   the fowlers set for them.
   The cords were snapped, and we ran out.
Our help is in the name of YHWH,
   the one who made heaven and earth.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Our help is in the Master's name.

Reading Galatians 6.7-8

A person harvests what he plants. So if your body is the ground you plant in, you will reap decay from the body; and if you plant in what is spirit, you will harvest from the Spirit eternal life.

Your promise, Master, will be valid for ever; in every age what you say is true.

Prayer

Dear God, Our Father, may the Spirit you sent upon your Church to begin the teaching of the Good News continue to work in the world through the hearts of everyone who believes it. We make this request through our Master, Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

None

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Fatigue sets in. It is too much; we plod
   Our way through heat and cold, and all for what?
   We do because we do, it seems; the rut
Grows deeper, and the plow won't break the sod;
The seed is sterile, the harvest just a clod
   Of thirsty earth that knows no water but
   Our sweat, its salt destroying life. We cut
Our losses, lifting hopeless hands to God.

Why have we been abandoned? Where is he?
   It is his work; then why are we alone?
      Why not admit our failure? Why go on?
      Because to fail succeeds. We have but gone
   The cross-road, that is all; we must atone
Our sins with him before we can be free.

Antiphon 1: The Master has done marvels for us; he is the source of all our joy.

Psalm 126

A song of ascents

When YHWH brought back Zion's captives,
   we thought it was a dream;
and then our mouths filled up with laughter
   and our tongues began to sing.
Then the Gentiles said,
   "YHWH has done marvels for them."
Yes, YHWH has done marvels for us,
   and we are bursting with joy!
Please return the captives, YHWH,
   the way streams in the southern desert fill with water.
Those who plant in tears
   will harvest with delight.
A man who goes out every day weeping
   carrying the seed to be planted,
Will be sure to come back full of joy
   as he brings back his sheaves.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: The Master has done marvels for us; he is the source of all our joy.

Antiphon 2: May the Master build our house and guard our country.

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon

If YHWH does not build the house,
   the builders are wasting their labor;
if YHWH does not guard the country,
   the watchmen stay awake for nothing.
It is useless for you to rise so early
   and go to bed so late,
to eat suffering instead of food,
   when he gives those he loves his gifts in sleep.
One of YHWH's gifts is children,
   he rewards us with a harvest from the womb.
Arrows in a warriors hands
   are what a young man's children are;
   it is a blessing to have one's quiver full of them.
That man will not be humiliated
   when he confronts his enemies at the gate.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: May the Master build our house and guard our country.

Reading: Galatians 6.9-10

So we mustn't grow tired of doing good; if we don't lie down at the work, we will reap our harvest when the time is right. And so whenever we find the occasion, we should do good to everyone, especially to the members of the family of faith.

I call out to you from the abyss within my heart, my Master; I will always do your will.

Prayer

Father, since you sent your Word to bring us the truth and your Spirit to make us holy, and since through them we come to know the secret of your life, please help us to worship you as one God in three Persons by proclaiming and living our faith in you. We make this request through our Master, Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Second Vespers

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

The day expires in orange light, which makes
   The sky green. Peace descends. Why should its throes
   Screamed by the clouds in yellow, mauve, and rose
So still our souls? It is the silence. Flakes
From heaven's agony bring rest that slakes
   Our own day's thirst. So failing autumn shows
   Its gasp of golden peace, as if it knows
The efflorescent spring that later wakes.

And that is why their dying soothes. God speaks
   Through nature, and we see night herald day
      And winter spring--and so will aging's end
      be all? Or does our autumn eve portend
   The morning spring? Of course. It is his way
To tell the heart it will have what it seeks.

Antiphon 1: The Master will hand you his mighty scepter from Zion, and you will be king for ever. Hallelujah!

Psalm 110

A psalm of David

YHWH said to my master,
   "Sit enthroned beside me
   until I make your enemies a footstool for you."
YHWH will hand you his mighty scepter from Zion,
   and you will be king though enemies surround you.
Your people will be glad to serve you
   the day you assume your power;
because the beauty of your holiness comes from the morning's womb;
   you still have the dew of youth upon you.
And YHWH has sworn an oath he will not take back,
   "You are a priest for ever
   in the line of Melchisedech."
YHWH is there beside you,
   to smash kings on the day his rage is kindled.
He will pass sentence on the Gentiles,
   filling the land with corpses,
   leaving country after country without their heads.
He drinks from the stream beside the path,
   and that is why he holds his head up high.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: The Master will hand you his mighty scepter from Zion, and you will be king for ever. Hallelujah!

Antiphon 2: The earth is shaken to its foundation before the glory of your face.

Psalm 114

Hallelujah!

When Israel came out of Egypt,
   Jacob's family from a people who spoke strange words,
Judah became his holy refuge,
   Israel became his kingdom.
The sea ran away when it saw it,
   and the Jordan flowed back on itself;
Mountains skipped like rams
   and the hills leaped about like little sheep.
What was the matter, sea? Why did you run away?
   Why, Jordan, did you turn back on yourself?
Why did you mountains skip like rams?
   Why did you hills leap about like little sheep?
Shake, earth, in the presence of YHWH,
   who turns rock into a pool
   and flint into a fountain.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: The earth is shaken to its foundation before the glory of your face.

Antiphon 3: Total power is yours, Master God, our mighty king. Hallelujah!

Song: See Revelation 19.1-7

Hallelujah!
Rescue, glory and power are our God's
   because his verdicts are truthful and just! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Sing praises to God, servants of his,
   and everyone who worships him, great and small. Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! The Master, the Ruler of All, is king,
   so let us celebrate and give him glory. Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! The wedding-banquet of the Lamb has started,
   and his bride has prepared herself to greet him. Hallelujah!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Total power is yours, Master God, our mighty king. Hallelujah!

Reading: 2 Corinthians 1.3-4

We have to give praise to the God and Father of our Master, Prince Jesus--the Father of sympathy and tender-heartedness and the God of every kind of support--the one who has encouraged us in every hardship we have had so we can support others in all their hardships with the support we received from God.

Responsory

The whole of creation declares the greatness of your glory.
The whole of creation declares the greatness of your glory.
Eternal ages praise the greatness of your glory.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
The whole of creation declares the greatness of your glory.

Antiphon: Complete authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, says the Master.

Magnificat

My soul is full of the Master's magnificence;
    my spirit is bursting with joy in God, my savior,
because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave,
    and now from this time on people will honor me
    through all the ages to come!
Yes. the God of Power has done tremendous things in me!
   How holy his name is!
His kindness reaches from age to age
   to those in awe of him.
He has flexed his strong right arm;
    and routed arrogance and conceit.
He has toppled powers from their thrones
    and elevated nobodies;
he has filled the hungry with the best cuisine
    and sent the rich away with nothing.
He has given support to his servant Israel,
    just as he told our ancestors,
remembering to shower his mercies
    on Abraham and his descendants for ever.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Complete authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me, says the Master.

Petitions

Our Master the Prince is our head; we are cells in his body. Let us call out to him in joy, Master, Please come to us and rule over us.
Our Prince and savior, please make your Church a stronger symbol of the unity of all mankind, and make it more effective in being the sacrament of rescue for every people. Master, Please come to us and rule over us.
Through your presence, please guide the college of bishops in union with the Pope, and give them the gifts of unity, love, and peace. Master, Please come to us and rule over us.
Please bind all Christians more closely to yourself, their divine head, and lead them to proclaim your kingdom by the witness of their lives. Master, Please come to us and rule over us.
Please grant peace to the world, and let every land flourish in justice and security. Master, Please come to us and rule over us.
Please bestow on the dead the glory of resurrection, and give us a share in their happiness. Master, Please come to us and rule over us.
Master, thank you for the special blessing you have given me today. Master, please come to us and rule over us.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

PrayerOmnipotent, merciful God, since you have broken the power of evil and made everything new in your Son Prince Jesus, the King of the Universe, may everyone in heaven and earth acknowledge your glory and never cease to praise you. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Compline

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

The day, born but a breath ago, is now
   About to sigh its last; and looking back,
   Sees only folly. Everything is black:
The morning's dreams and sweat from noontime's brow
Have burnt to charcoal ash. I wonder how
   I ever called a "talent" this great lack
    Of anything more than mediocre knack--
And night no longer lets me guide the plow.

Now think, for once; you cannot find the way
   By looking back or to the dark ahead;
      No, look beyond, to Me. You are redeemed;
      I threw my life away for yours; what seemed
   My waste is your success. What do you dread?
My rising has transformed your future day.

Antiphon: Night holds no terrors for me as I sleep beneath God's wings.

Psalm 91

One whose home is in the Supreme Being's secret nook,
   who lives beneath the shade of the Omnipotent,
says to YHWH, "You are my sanctuary,
   my strong rampart, my God, the one I trust";
and he will be certain to cut off the fowler's snare
   and keep you from the dangers of the plague.
he will hide you among his feathers,
   and you will find refuge underneath his wings.
You will have no fear of monsters in the night
   or arrows flying through the day;
or of diseases creeping in the dark
   or epidemics ravaging the noon.
A thousand may fall near by you,
   a million just at your right hand,
but you will not be touched;
   but you will feast your eyes
   on how he settles his accounts with evil people.
No harm will fall upon you,
   no calamity come near your home,
because he has given his angels orders about you,
   to preserve you everywhere you go.
They will hold you in their hands
   to keep you from tripping over a stone.
You will stomp on lions and on cobras--
   trample to death the lions' cubs and snakes.
"Since he fixed his love on me, then I will rescue him;
   I will lift him out of reach, because he knows my name.
When he calls me, I will answer him,
   be with him in his troubles, and bring him honor.
   I will bestow on him a long and happy life,
and let him see my power to save my friends."
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Night holds no terrors for me as I sleep beneath God's wings.

Reading: Rev. 22: 4-5

They will see the Master's face, and his name will be on their foreheads. And there will be night no longer; and they will have no need of the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because God the Master will shine on them, and they will be kings for ages upon ages.

Responsory

I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
because you have redeemed me, faithful Master, my God, I hand over my spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Nunc Dimittis

Now, my Lord and Master, you may dismiss your slave,
   as you promised, in peace;
because my eyes have seen the rescue you have prepared for us
   within the very sight of all the nations:
a light to disclose the truth to the Gentiles,
   and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Prayer

Master, today we have celebrated the mystery of our Prince's coming back to new life. May we now rest in your peace, safe from everything that could harm us, and rise again, refreshed and happy, to praise you through another day. We ask this favor through our Master, the Prince.

May the Omnipotent Master bestow on us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

Queen of heaven, be glad, Hallelujah!
    Because the one it was your privilege to bear, Hallelujah!
Has come back to life as he promised, Hallelujah!
    Please pray for us to God, Hallelujah!

Monday

Matins

Please, Master open my lips,
    and my mouth will sing your praises.

Invitation Psalm
Psalm 95

Let us approach the Master with praise and gratitude.
Come let us sing YHWH a song;
    let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe;
let us come to him with thanks,
    and sing loud happy psalms to him.
Let us approach the Master with praise and gratitude.
Because YHWH is a great God,
    the great king over all the gods;
The deep abysses of the earth belong to him,
    and the mountain-tops are his as well.
The sea is his because he made it,
    and so is the land his hands have formed.
Let us approach the Master with praise and gratitude.
So come, let us bow down in worship,
    kneeling before YHWH who made us too;
because he is our God,
    and we are the people in his pasture,
    the sheep his hand leads on.
Let us approach the Master with praise and gratitude.
Today is the day for you to listen to his voice:
    "Do not dig in your heels as you did at Meribah,
    as you acted on that day at Massa in the desert,
when your fathers provoked me
    and tormented me though they had seen what I had done.
Let us approach the Master with praise and gratitude.
For forty years I put up with that crowd,
    saying, 'they are a people with wandering hearts,
    with no idea of what I expect of them.'
And so I swore in my exasperation,
    'They will not enter my rest.'"
Let us approach the Master with praise and gratitude.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.
Let us approach the Master with praise and gratitude.

Again my life begins, although it had
   Not ceased; the past is dead, but still it's there;
   My waking births a thousand births; my hair
Is gray with them; yet I am still the lad
I am no more; and every day I add
   Onto this self I drag through time. I wear
   My years like clothes--except I cannot tear
Them off; the eyesore of it drives me mad.

How to escape this self-made wreck? I fear
   There is no hope; it is beyond my strength.
      But there's a different birth outside of time
      Where Presence swallows past; and in sublime
   Totality my soul will learn at length
That He knows how to wipe off every tear.

First Nocturne

Antiphon 1: Please show me your mercy, Master, and keep me safe.

Psalm 6

For the leader: On stringed instruments "upon the eighth" A psalm of David

YHWH, please do not shout at me in your anger
    or slap me in the heat of your annoyance.
Please have mercy on me, YHWH; it is that I am weak;
    so please cure me, YHWH; my bones are trembling
and my very soul is quaking.
    And you, YHWH? How long will it be?
Come back, YHWH, rescue me, please!
    Save me, if only because of your mercy!
Because no one remembers you in death,
    and who is there to praise you out of a grave?
I have exhausted myself with wailing;
    all night long I make my bed swim
    by drowning my pillow in tears,
and my eyes are worn away with grief;
    they have grown old because of my enemies.
--But now, get away from me, you good-for-nothings,
    because YHWH has heard the sound of my sobs!
YHWH listened to my pleas
    and YHWH will answer my prayers!
All my enemies are to be routed
    and run away, not knowing where to turn!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please show me your mercy, Master, and keep me safe.

Antiphon 2: The poor are not alone in their misery; God is here to help them.

Psalm 9

For the leader: To the tune of Muth labbenA psalm of David

I

All your praises, YHWH, will be sung with my whole heart,
    as I tell of all the marvels you have done.
Better: I will celebrate you and make you my joy
    as I sing my praise to you, Supreme Being.
Come look at my enemies retreating,
    how they stumble and die before your face;
because you are the one who upholds my rights and my defense;
    you sat on the bench and judged me fairly.
You condemned the Gentiles
    and doomed the outlaws,
and wiped out their names for all eternity.
    --So, my enemies! Destruction is destroyed forever!
And you have demolished their cities,
    and even the memory of them has vanished.
But YHWH will remain for all eternity,
    there on the bench he has set up to judge us;
he will provide honest decisions for the world,
    and hand down a just verdict upon its people.
And YHWH will be a haven for the oppressed,
    a safe harbor in their times of trouble.
Those who know your name will be able to trust you,
    because you, YHWH, never abandon anyone who looks for you.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: The poor are not alone in their misery; God is here to help them.

Antiphon 3: I will be the herald of your praises, Master, wherever Zion's people gather.

II

Sing praises to YHWH, whose home is on Zion;
    proclaim what he has done among his own.
As he takes vengeance for their blood, he remembers them;
    he has not forgotten the cries of the little people.
But please pity me too, YHWH,
    and see the trouble I am in from those who hate me,
since you are the one who pulls me out of death's doorway
    so that I can give voice to all your praises
in the gates of your daughter Zion,
    full of joy in your rescue of me.
Because the Gentiles fell into the pit they dug,
    they caught their own feet in the net they laid;
and YHWH revealed himself in the sentence he issued
    as these corrupt men were snared in the traps they set themselves.
Evil people are to go down beneath the earth
    with all the nations that forget God.
No, those in need will not forever be unnoticed,
    and the hopes of the poor will not always die.
Wake up, YHWH; do not let men win!
    Bring the Gentiles to trial in your court.
Strike terror into them, YHWH,
    and then the Gentiles will know they are only human.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: I will be the herald of your praises, Master, wherever Zion's people gather.

Please give me insight to know your will, and then I will cherish it in my heart.

Reading 1 (from the Proper)

Second Nocturne

Antiphon 1: Our God will reveal himself, and will not be silent when he comes.

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph

I

The God of Power, God YHWH
    spoke, and summoned the earth
    from farthest east to farthest west.
His radiance shines
    out of Zion's perfect beauty;
he is coming, and will not be silent;
    fire eats up everything in front of him
    and rages round him like a tornado.
He calls upon heaven and earth
    to be witnesses as he passes sentence on his people.
"Summon my sacred people to appear before me,
    the ones who agreed by their sacrifices to their treaty with me."
And the verdict of the heavens will be that he is just,
    because God himself is on the bench.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Our God will reveal himself, and will not be silent when he comes.

Antiphon 2: Offer praise as your sacrifice to God.

II

"Listen, my people, because I am about to speak,
    Israel, I am going to bring my charge against you.
    I am God; I am your God.
I have no complaint about your sacrifices
    or the animals you burn upon the altar for me;
    they are there before me all the time.
I do not ask for another bull from your farm
    or another goat from your herd;
because every animal in the forest is mine
    and all the cattle grazing on hills in their thousands;
I know every bird upon the mountains
    and all the beasts on the land belong to me.
No, if I were hungry, you would not be the ones I tell,
    because I own the world and everything within it.
Am I to eat the meat of those bulls
    or drink the blood of the goats?
No. Your offering to God is to be gratitude;
    you are paying your own vows to the Supreme Being.
You call on me when you are in trouble
    and I will rescue you, and then you are to give me praise."
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Offer praise as your sacrifice to God.

Antiphon 3: I want a loving heart more than sacrifice, knowledge of my ways more than burnt offerings.

III

But this is what God says to those who do wrong:
"But how is it you recite my commandments
    and mouth the provisions of my Treaty
since you hate learning anything from them
    and throw aside what I have said?
You see a thief, and join in with him,
    you make adulterers your companions;
evil comes out of your mouth,
    because your tongue keeps plotting schemes;
you sit there and gossip about your brother
    slandering your own mother's son.
You do this, and I should keep silent?
    Do you think I am like you?
No, I have my charges to bring against you;
    I have a list of all of it to present at your trial.
So think about this, those of you who pay no attention to God,
    or I will tear you to shreds,
    and there will be no one to save you!
Those who offer praises are the ones who honor me
    and I will show what God's rescue is
    to those who conduct themselves properly."
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: I want a loving heart more than sacrifice, knowledge of my ways more than burnt offerings.

Listen, my people, and I will speak; I am the Master, your God.

Reading 2 (from the Proper)

[If this ends the session, say, "Let us praise the Master and thank him."]

Lauds

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Again we see arise the Lamp of God
   Who takes away the darkness of the world.
   He visits all the things that have been curled
In quiet sleep, and with a gentle prod
Of light revives them. Rising from the sod,
   They start their work of praise to him; now hurled
   Into survival's battleground, or whirled
About in play beneath his holy rod.

He moves us, true; and yet we move ourselves.
   Directed directors; but can this be so?
      Aren't we just puppets, hanging on his whim,
      With all our psyches simply asking him
   What we must do? Sin gives the answer "No";
So faith unearths that for which reason delves.

Antiphon 1: I raise my heart to you, Master, and you will listen to my morning prayer.

Psalm 5

For the leader: with wind instruments. A psalm of David

Please give a hearing to what I say, YHWH,
    please consider what I have pondered;
Please pay attention to the sound of my cry,
    my King and my God.
Yes, you will hear my voice in the morning, YHWH,
    because it is in the morning I will call out to you
    and look up toward you.
You are not a God who enjoys immorality,
    and you will not tolerate evil.
People who advertise themselves find no place in your presence;
    you hate everyone who does wrong.
You will destroy everyone who lies,
    because you cannot stand bloodthirsty schemers.
But I will be able to enter your house
    because of the abundance of your mercy;
I will give you worship in front of your holy temple
    filled with awe.
Lead me, YHWH, in your kind of honesty,
    because of the enemies around me;
    make your path straight before my feet.
No one can trust what these people say;
    their hearts are full of treachery.
Their throats are open graves,
    even though their tongues spout flattery.
Please, pronounce them guilty, my God!
    Have them fail by taking their own advice;
throw them out, with all their sins,
    because their plots have been against you.
And send happiness upon everyone who puts his trust in you;
    have them shout with joy because you defend them.
Those who love your name
    should find their pleasure in you,
because you, YHWH, shower blessings on the virtuous,
    and wrap the shield of your favor around them.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: I raise my heart to you, Master, and you will listen to my morning prayer.

Antiphon 3: We praise your name, Master, our God.

Song: 1 Chronicles 29. 10-13>

You are admirable, YHWH,
    God of Israel, our Father, for ever and ever.
Grandeur is yours, YHWH,
    power, and glory,
    victory, and majesty,
because everything in heaven and earth belongs to you;
    you are the one who rules everything, YHWH,
    and you are higher than everything, the head of everything.
Riches and honor come from you
    and you control everyone;
power and might are in your hands;
    your hand is what bestows greatness
    and gives strength to everyone.
And that is why, our God,
    we thank you
    and praise the majesty of your name.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: We praise your name, Master, our God.

Antiphon 3: Worship the Master in his holy courtyard.

Psalm 29

A psalm of David

Give YHWH, mighty people,
    give YHWH the glory and strength.
Give YHWH the glory his name deserves;
    worship YHWH in the beauty of his holiness.
It is YHWH's voice which echoes over the water;
    it is the God of glory who makes thunder.
    YHWH is higher than all the waters.
YHWH's voice speaks power;
    the voice of YHWH is full of majesty.
YHWH's voice breaks cedars,
    yes, it is YHWH's voice that splinters the cedars on Lebanon;
he makes them skip about like calves,
    and Lebanon and Sirion jump like yearling bulls.
And YHWH's voice breaks out in flames
    and shakes the wastelands.
    Yes, YHWH makes the Wilderness of Kadesh quake.
YHWH's voice makes deer calve early
    and strips the forests bare;
    and everyone in his temple cries "Glory to you!"
YHWH has his throne above the flood in the sky,
    and is seated there for ever.
YHWH will give strength to his people;
    YHWH will bless his people with peace.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Worship the Master in his holy courtyard.

Reading: 2 Thessalonians 3: 10-13

If a person does not want to work, he is not to be fed. We have heard that there are some people among you who are going around idle and not working--except for prying into others' business. This message is for them: We appeal to them in the Master Prince Jesus to find some work to earn their own food, and to keep themselves to themselves. And the rest of you, brothers and sisters, should not grow tired of doing what is right.

Responsory

Praises to the Master, our God; praises from age to age.
Praises to the Master, our God; praises from age to age.
His marvelous deeds are beyond compare; praises from age to age.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Praises to the Master, our God; praises from age to age.

Antiphon Praises to the Master, our God.

Benedictus

Praises to the God of Israel,
    because he has turned his eyes toward his people and set them free,
and to rescue us has fashioned for our head a horn
    in the house of his servant David--
just as he promised
    through the mouths of his holy prophets in olden times--
bringing rescue from our enemies
    and escape from the hands of everyone who hates us.
A work of kindness to our fathers,
    recalling his sacred Treaty,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham
    to grant us freedom from the grasp of our enemies
to worship him without fear
    in holiness and virtue every day of our lives.
And you, my child, will be called the prophet of God Supreme;
   you will precede his coming< br /> to prepare the roads for the Master;
   to make his people aware of their liberation
as their sins are removed from them
   because of the tender kindness of our God,
   by the new dawn from heaven that will rise on us
to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
   and to place our feet upon the path of peace.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Praises to the Master, our God.

Petitions

We honor the Prince beyond every man, because he was filled with God's blessing and the Holy Spirit. In faith, let us beg him, Please give us your Spirit, Master.
Please bestow a peaceful day upon us, and when evening comes we will praise you with pure hearts. Please give us your Spirit, Master.
Please let your splendor rest upon us today, and direct the work our hands perform. Please give us your Spirit, Master.
Please let your face shine upon us and keep us in peace, and have your strong arm protect us. Please give us your Spirit, Master.
Please look kindly on everyone who relies on our prayers, and fill all of them with every physical and spiritual gift. Please give us your Spirit, Master.
Master, please bestow on me the favor I ask you today. Please give us your Spirit, Master.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Please, our Father, may everything we do begin from your inspiration and continue with your protective help; may our work find its beginning in you and reach completion through your assistance. We request this favor through our Master Prince Jesus, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Terce

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

At times, the face of life is smiling, clean,
   Transfigured from the customary round
   Of boring toil distracted by the sound
Of rain and hail from leaden skies: the lean
And hungry look of heaven. Now the sheen
   Of blue above, the crisp spring air, the mound
   Of sand from busy ants, the baying hound
Off in the distance, is what life should mean--

We think. But just as once on Tabor, they
   Were lost in ecstasy, and then came down
      To hear about the cross, we need the strength
      Of sapphire moments, or the plodding length
   And sometimes agony of life will drown
Our souls before we reach eternal day.

Antiphon 1: All those who live by God's law have received a blessing.

Psalm 119

All those who live blameless lives have received a blessing;
    everyone who follows God's law is privileged.
It is a privilege for them to do what he has spelled out for us
    and look with all their hearts to follow him.
These people do no harm,
    because they walk along his paths.
You have commanded us
    to pay careful attention to your regulations;
I hope my conduct is aimed
    at keeping all your rules,
because then I will feel no shame
    in looking into your commands.
I will give you praise from an innocent heart
    when I learn your virtuous orders;
I intend to keep your regulations,
    and so please do not leave me on my own.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: All those who live by God's law have received a blessing.

Antiphon 2: Master, always to be blessed, please teach me the ways of holiness.

Psalm 119

But how can a young man keep his pathway clean?
    By paying attention to what you say.
I have been looking for you with all my heart,
    so please do not let me stray from your commands.
I have hidden what you say within my breast
    to keep from sinning against you.
You are so admirable, YHWH!
    Please teach me your regulations.
My lips have recited
    every one of the orders from your mouth.
My happiness has been to follow what you spelled out for us;
    more happiness than to own vast riches.
I meditate upon your regulations
    and contemplate your way;
I find my pleasure in your rules
    and will not forget what you say.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Master, always to be blessed, please teach me the ways of holiness.

Reading: Romans 13.8, 10 1:

Don't owe any debts to others except the debt of love toward each other; if you love others, you have fulfilled the law. Love does not do any harm to your neighbor, and so love fulfills the law.

Prayer

Dear God, Our Father, work is your gift to us; a call to reach new heights by using our talents for the good of everyone. Please guide us as we work and teach us how to live in the spirit that has made us your sons and daughters, and in the love that has made us brothers and sisters. We make this request through our Master, the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Sext

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Why such a stilted verse-form? Don't ask me.
   I'm no Walt Whitman; my ideas arise
   Out of the limits of the rhymes. The size
And shape of what I do just seems to be
What's there in these seeds' possibility.
   I'm just the dirt; they grow before my eyes;
   And what I see sometimes, to my surprise,
Is that the limits are what sets them free.

But isn't that the way with all we seek?
   To ride in all directions is absurd.
      With too much freedom, we become all thumbs,
      And nothing good gets done--and when it comes
   To that, why even God's almighty Word
Himself became a sonnet, so to speak.

Antiphon 1: God comes with power to give his people their rights.

Psalm 7

A plaintive song of David, which he sang to YHWH because of Cush the Benjaminite

I

YHWH, my God, you are the one I trust;
    please save me from everyone who is after me,
    and rescue me,
or they will tear me apart like a lion,
    and leave me there in pieces, if no one sets me free.
YHWH, my God, if this is what I have done:
    if my hands have done evil,
if I paid back with harm someone who was at peace with me,
    or looted my enemy when I had no provocation,
then have my opponents come after me and catch me
    and trample my life into the ground
    and bury my honor in the dirt.
Please, YHWH, take action on your anger,
    and wake up against my enemies' fury.
Please come forward
    and hand down the sentence you have commanded,
    so that many, many peoples will gather round you,
and you will once again take your place over them.
    YHWH is the one to be judge over every people.
So give me the verdict, YHWH, my virtue deserves,
    one that fits my honesty.
Please, let there be an end to the wrong these evil people do
    and be the support of decent folk;
    The God of virtue is the one to evaluate hearts and minds.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: God comes with power to give his people their rights.

Antiphon 2: God is our judge, and is strong and just; he saves people whose hearts are honest.

II

And God is my attorney for the defense,
    because he saves people whose hearts are honest.
He is a just judge
    and every day becomes enraged at those who do wrong,
    unless they turn back to him.
He sharpens his sword,
    bends the bow to the string and tests it;
he gets all his deadly weapons ready
    and tips his arrows with fire.
And here is a man who is pregnant with evil,
    has conceived malice and given birth to lies;
he made a pit and hollowed it out--
    and now falls into the hole he dug.
Yes, his mischief recoils upon himself,
    and his violence comes down upon his own head.
And I will praise YHWH for his justice,
    singing my songs to the honor of YHWH, the Supreme.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Reading: James 1.19-20, 26 1:

Every person ought to be quick to listen and slow to speak, and slow to become angry; a man's anger does not perform acts of God's virtue. Anyone who thinks he is devout without reining in his tongue and by not doing so letting his heart be blinded has a devoutness that is a sham.

I will bless the Master my whole life long, with a song of praise always on my lips.

Prayer

Dear Father, the harvest belongs to you, just as the vineyard is yours; you assign the tasks and pay a salary that is just. Please help us to meet the day's responsibilities, and do not let anything separate us from your love. We make this request through our Master the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

None

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Four hundred ninety must have passed long, long
   Ago, and still I beg forgiveness for the same
   Sad, dreary, sordid sins. It's not a game,
I swear. I'm really sorry. I'm not strong,
That's all it is; whenever I do wrong
   I hate myself--still more when I'm to blame
   For what I gave up yesterday. I came
Into a world in which I don't belong.

My child I know. How can you ask me why
   I love you if in fact there's nothing there
      To love? I love because I love; I make
      You lovable by loving you; I take
   No umbrage at your sins; I just don't care.
I don't ask for success, but that you try.

Antiphon 1: I have put my trust in you, Master, since the time when I was young.

Psalm 71

I

You are the one I trust, YHWH;
    please do not disappoint me.
Set me free because of your justice; help me escape.
    Please listen and come to my rescue.
And then be a strong fortress for me to hide in,
    somewhere to go whenever I need;
once you give the command to save me,
    then be the rock to cover me and the fort to enclose me.
Please free me from the grasp of these evil people;
    I am in the grip of unscrupulous, cruel men,
and you, my God YHWH, are my hope,
    the one I put my trust in from the time when I was young.
In fact, you have been my support from birth,
    and you are always the one I give my praises to.
Even though everyone is astounded at seeing me,
    you are my impregnable citadel,
and my mouth is full of praise for you;
    it sings of your glory all day long.
So please do not throw me aside now that I am old,
    and do not abandon me when my strength is gone--
because my enemies are starting to slander me
    and those waiting for me to die are hatching plots.
"God has left him," they are saying,
    "Go after him now and he is yours; there is no one to rescue him."
My God, please do not go away!
    My dear God, please hurry to help me!
Baffle and smash to pieces
    those who are after my life!
Frustrate, disgrace, and humiliate
    the ones who are trying to ruin me!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: I have put my trust in you, Master, since the time when I was young.

Antiphon 2: Please do not abandon me when I am old.

II

Yes, I will keep hoping
    and sing more and more my praises to you.
My mouth will be full of your justice,
    and the way you keep me safe day after day;
    I cannot come to the end of what I would say.
I will go on in the strength of my God YHWH;
    I will tell of your virtue, virtue that is yours alone.
My God, you have been my teacher from the time I was young,
    and to this day I have been reporting your wonders.
And now, my God, when I am old and my hair is gray
    please do not leave me--
not before I inform this generation of your power
    and praise your strength to everyone to come after it.
Your justice and virtue, my God, are higher than anything;
    you have done such marvelous things.
Who is like you, my God?
    You brought me into huge, bitter trouble
    only to bring me back to life again;
and you will bring me out of the depths of the earth
    and make me greater than ever,
    with consolation everywhere I look.
So I will take up my lyre and sing your praise,
    and chant how faithful you are, my God.
I will sing to you to the sound of the harp,
    holy God of Israel.
And my lips will be happy as they sing of you,
    and so will my soul, because you have ransomed it.
My tongue will spend the whole of the day
    telling how virtuous you are;
because the ones who tried to ruin me
    have been foiled and humiliated.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Please do not abandon me when I am old.

Reading: 1 Peter 1.17-19

You should spend this time of your life away from your home in trepidation, in the realization that you were not ransomed from the impotent gropings you inherited from your ancestors by ephemeral gold or silver, but by the inestimable blood of the Prince, sacrificed like an unblemished, unspotted lamb.

Claim me as your own once again, my Master, and please have mercy on me, and I will thank you publicly as your people gather in prayer.

Prayer

Master, you call us to worship you at the hour when your Emissaries went to pray in the Temple; and so we offer you our prayer in the name of Jesus; may his saving power come to everyone who calls on his name. We make this request through our Master, the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Vespers

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

How can I pray? I don't know you exist
   Half of the time. I pray to empty space
   And have no words, and sometimes not a trace
Of thought, except distractions. Then I try to twist
My mind to--what? Yet something does insist
   That it's all right; this blank is not a waste
   Of time, and it's not wrong to have me placed
Just here, without strength even to resist.

Come now; what is it you expect of me?
   I don't speak words; I spoke a Word, who said
      All that there ever was to say. A friend
      Who really loves brings language to an end.
   Don't be afraid that our embrace is dead;
"Just here" is where you are supposed to be.

Antiphon 1: The Master looks kindly on the poor.

Psalm 11

For the leader. Of David

YHWH is the one I trust,
    so how can you say to my soul,
"Fly away like a bird to the mountain-top!
    Look, immoral men are stringing their bows
and fitting the arrows on the string
    to shoot virtuous people from ambush!
If the foundations are undermined,
    what can decent people do?"
Yet YHWH is there in his holy Temple,
    and YHWH has his throne still in heaven.
His eyes can spot what is happening,
    and his vision sees through mere human beings.
YHWH may test the virtuous,
    but his soul hates immoral, violent men.
He will rain burning coals down on evil people;
    fire and sulfur and a scorching wind
    will be what is served up to them--
because YHWH is virtuous
    and loves virtue,
    and looks kindly on those who are decent.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: The Master looks kindly on the poor.

Antiphon 2: It is a blessing to have a pure heart, because then you will see God.

Psalm 15

A psalm of David

YHWH, who has his home within your tent?
    Who lives on your holy mountain?
Someone whose behavior is honorable
    and who does what is virtuous,
    speaking the truth that is in his heart;
someone who does not use his tongue to run others down,
    who does no harm to his neighbor,
    and will not destroy a friend's reputation;
someone who has no use for immoral people,
    while he respects those who respect YHWH;
a person who keeps his oath, even to his disadvantage,
    who does not demand interest from money he lends,
and takes no bribes against the innocent.
    That is the kind of man who will never be uprooted.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: It is a blessing to have a pure heart, because then you will see God.

Antiphon 3: God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.

Song: Ephesians 1. 3-10

God, the Father of our Master Prince Jesus
    is to be blessed,
because he has blessed us in the Prince
    with every spiritual blessing in the heights of heaven--
in that he chose us in him
    before the world began to exist,
for us to be sacred and without guilt
    before him in love;
and when he had adoption into sonship to himself
    as the satisfaction of his intention for us
from the beginning, through Prince Jesus,
    for the praise and glory
    of the gift he gave us in his Beloved--
in whom we find release from captivity
    because of his blood,
and forgiveness of our immorality
    by the riches of his gift,
which has also overflowed into us
    with complete wisdom and understanding;
because it has informed us
    of the secret of his will:
that it was his pleasure,
    which he determined beforehand in the Prince,
that when the time reached completion,
    everything in heaven and on earth
would be brought together under one head
    in the Prince.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.

Reading: Colossians 1. 9-11

We have kept praying for you, and asking to have you filled with the knowledge of the Prince's will for you in all your wisdom and spiritual insight as to how to behave as the Master has a right to expect, to make you pleasing to him in every way: flourishing in every good deed you do, and increasing in knowledge of God, and growing strong in every sort of power by the might of his glory, so that you will be able to stand every kind of hardship and tolerate everything gladly.

Responsory

Master, only you can heal me, because you are the one I offended with my sins.
Master, only you can heal me, because you are the one I offended with my sins.
    Please, then, Master, have mercy on me, because you are the one I offended with my sins.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Master, only you can heal me, because you are the one I offended with my sins.

Antiphon: My soul declares the greatness of the Master, because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave.

Magnificat

My soul is full of the Master's magnificence;
    my spirit is bursting with joy in God, my savior,
because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave,
    and now from this time on people will honor me
    through all the ages to come!
Yes. the God of Power has done tremendous things in me!
   How holy his name is!
His kindness reaches from age to age
   to those in awe of him.
He has flexed his strong right arm;
    and routed arrogance and conceit.
He has toppled powers from their thrones
    and elevated nobodies;
he has filled the hungry with the best cuisine
    and sent the rich away with nothing.
He has given support to his servant Israel,
    just as he told our ancestors,
remembering to shower his mercies
    on Abraham and his descendants for ever.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: My soul declares the greatness of the Master, because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave.

Petitions

God made an eternal Treaty with his people, and he never stops showering his blessings on them. Grateful for these gifts, we confidently direct our prayer to him: Master, please give these blessings to your people.
Please save your people, Master, and bless your inheritance. Master, please give these blessings to your people.
Please gather into one body everyone who bears the name "Christian," so that the world will believe in the Prince you sent. Master, please give these blessings to your people.
Please give our friends and loved ones a share in the divine life, and let them be symbols of the Prince before others. Master, please give these blessings to your people.
Please show your love to the suffering, and open their eyes to see your revelation. Master, please give these blessings to your people.
Please be kind to those who have died, and welcome them into the company of the faithful who have left us. Master, please give these blessings to your people.
Master, thank you for the special blessing you have given me today. Master, please give these blessings to your people.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Father, may this evening pledge of our service to you bring you glory and praise. For our rescue, you looked with kindness on the insignificance of the Virgin Mary; and so please lead these far more insignificant people to the fullness of the rescue you prepared for us. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, throughout all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Compline

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

You say that one day I will lose this shell
   And not be brown, but soft and tall and green.
   You say I yearn for what no seed has seen.
How can I yearn that all I know so well
Will die, rot in the ground? No, no, don't tell
   Me tales, that what it is to be a bean
   Has roots and leaves and fruit; you cannot mean
I'm not myself. Such stories do not sell.

And yet I feel it. Does the butterfly
   Recall the caterpillar's ache, and say,
      "It was worth while. How ignorant I was!"?
      Will I look back, as wisdom always does
   At fears unfounded, thinking of this day,
And ponder, "Yes, that once was I."?

Antiphon: Master, our God, how untiring is your love for us.

Psalm 86

A prayer of David

Please, YHWH, turn your ear to me and answer,
    because I am downtrodden and poor.
Preserve my life, because I am faithful,
    and you are my God;
    rescue the slave who puts his trust in you.
Have mercy on me, YHWH;
    I call to you all day long.
Fill your slave's heart with joy, YHWH,
    because I raise my soul toward you.
YHWH, you are good and forgiving,
    full of mercy for everyone who calls on you.
Then please, YHWH, listen to my prayer
    and take notice of the sound of my plea.
I call on you on this day full of my anguish,
    and you will be sure to answer.
Not one of the gods is like you, YHWH;
    they do nothing at all to compare with what you do.
All the nations you have made
    will come and worship you, YHWH,
    and honor your name;
because you are great, and your deeds are astounding,
    and you are the only God.
Show me your way, YHWH,
    so I can walk faithfully after you;
guide my heart toward reverence of your name,
    and I will praise you, God YHWH, with all my heart
    and honor your name for ever,
because your love to me has been immense,
    and you have pulled me out of the abyss of death.
But arrogant upstarts are attacking me;
    savages are trying to kill me
    without a thought for you.
So please, God of mercy and pity,
    patient and indulgent,
full of love and truth,
    turn toward me and have mercy on me.
Bestow your strength on your slave,
    and rescue your servant's son.
Give me a sign of your kindness
    for my enemies to see to their shame
    that you are the one who comforts me and stands behind me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Master, our God, how untiring your love for us is.
   

Reading: 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 1:
   

God has made us able to buy our rescue through our Master Prince Jesus, so that we can live together with him--whether we are awake or asleep.
   

Responsory

I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
    because you have redeemed me, faithful Master, my God, I hand over my spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Nunc Dimittis

Now, my Lord and Master, you may dismiss your slave,
    as you promised, in peace;
because my eyes have seen the rescue you have prepared for us
    within the very sight of all the nations:
a light to disclose the truth to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Prayer

Master, please give our bodies restful sleep, and let the work we have done today come to fruition in eternal life. We make this request through our Master, Prince Jesus. Amen.

May the Omnipotent Master bestow on us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

Loving mother of the Redeemer, you are forever
the open gate of heaven and star of the sea;
please come to help the falling people trying so hard to stand.
Since you are the one who gave birth, as nature gaped,
to your own holy Sire--and still, before and after
remained a virgin!--then accept from us too Gabriel's greeting,
and have mercy on these poor sinners.

Tuesday

Matins

Please, Master open my lips,
    and my mouth will sing your praises.

Invitation Psalm
Psalm 95

Come, let us worship our mighty King and Master.
Come let us sing YHWH a song;
    let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe;
let us come to him with thanks,
    and sing loud happy psalms to him.
Come, let us worship our mighty King and Master.
Because YHWH is a great God,
    the great king over all the gods;
The deep abysses of the earth belong to him,
    and the mountain-tops are his as well.
The sea is his because he made it,
    and so is the land his hands have formed.
Come, let us worship our mighty King and Master.
So come, let us bow down in worship,
    kneeling before YHWH who made us too;
because he is our God,
    and we are the people in his pasture,
    the sheep his hand leads on.
Come, let us worship our mighty King and Master.
Today is the day for you to listen to his voice:
    "Do not dig in your heels as you did at Meribah,
    as you acted on that day at Massa in the desert,
when your fathers provoked me
    and tormented me though they had seen what I had done.
Come, let us worship our mighty King and Master.
For forty years I put up with that crowd,
    saying, 'they are a people with wandering hearts,
    with no idea of what I expect of them.'
And so I swore in my exasperation,
    'They will not enter my rest.'"
Come, let us worship our mighty King and Master.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship our mighty King and Master.

I woke just now, a tear still in my eye
   From some forgotten dream of fear and pain.
   The matter vanished--but it left a stain
Of dread so great it swallows up the sky
In absolute despair. "No! Stop!" I cry.
   "It's just a dream! A Dream!" And to stay sane
   I put aside my thoughts, but they remain
In spite of me, and give my mind the lie.

Because it seems as if I'd been in hell
   And clawed my way back. But is it my fate
      To live what I was then? If up to me,
      Perhaps. But it is not. Because, you see,
   He guides my life, and I must trust and wait.
All will be well; all manner of thing, well.

First Nocturne

Antiphon 1: The Master is just; he will defend the poor.

Psalm 10

I

YHWH, why are you standing so far away from me?
    Why do you hide when I am in trouble?
Immoral people in their pride are after the poor;
    have them be caught in the schemes they plot.
But no; evil people flaunt their heart's desires;
    they show how they admire greed and reject YHWH.
In their arrogant faces you see no hint of God,
    he never enters their minds.
And yet, what they do always succeeds,
    and your condemnation is high in the sky, out of their sight,
and they sneer at all their enemies,
    and say in their hearts, "I can't be dislodged;
    No disaster will ever reach me."
Their mouths are full of curses, lies, and slander;
    under their tongues you find nothing but mischief and deceit.
And they lurk there in the dark corners of the villages
    murdering the innocent from ambush;
They spy on helpless people
    as they duck down in hiding, like lions in their dens,
waiting under cover for the poor to enter the trap,
    when they jump out and throw their nets over them.
There they are, crouched down, ready to spring
    and overpower helpless souls.
And all the time, their hearts tell them,
    "God has forgotten me;
he has turned his face away,
    and can't see me."
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: The Master is just; he will defend the poor.

Antiphon 2: Master, you are aware of our trouble and sorrow.

II

Wake up, YHWH, please!
    My God, double up your fist!
    Do not forget the little people!
Why should immoral men be able to reject God?
    How can you let them say in their hearts,
    "You will not make me pay for this"?
I know that you have seen it;
    you are aware of our trouble and sorrow,
    and you avenge it by your own hand.
Helpless people have only you to turn to,
    because you are all that is left for the fatherless.
So break the arms of corrupt and evil people;
    track evil down until there is nothing left of it!
Because YHWH is king forever and ever,
    and Gentiles have no place in the lands he rules.
YHWH, you have heard the prayer of the little ones;
    you make their hearts ready for you,
    you open your ears to listen to them,
and so you will protect the rights of the fatherless and oppressed,
    and keep mere mortals from terrorizing us any longer.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Master, you are aware of our trouble and sorrow.

Antiphon 3: The Master's words are true, like silver from a furnace.

Psalm 12

For the leader "upon the eighth." A psalm of David

YHWH, help! The good have all died out!
    All your faithful have vanished out of the human race!
Everyone gossips with everyone else,
    they know how to flatter, but their hearts are two-faced.
YHWH, you should cut those flattering lips off their faces,
    and pull out the tongues that speak so highly of themselves!
After all, they said,
    "Our strength is in our tongue,
and our lips belong to us,
    so can anyone be our master?"
"I will now come forward," says YHWH,
    "for the downtrodden poor, and the groaning of the destitute.
    I will put them down into the safety they long for."
And YHWH's words are pure words,
    like silver melted in an earthly furnace,
    and purified seven times over.
So you will preserve them, YHWH;
    you will keep them safe from now until eternity,
in spite of the immoral people prowling all around them,
    and in spite of evil's being prized by mortal men.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: The Master's words are true, like silver from a furnace.

The Master teaches little people his way, and guides the meek along the right path.

Reading 1 (from the Proper)

Second Nocturne

Antiphon 1: May God come forward and his enemies flee from him.

Psalm 68

For the leader: a psalm of David. A song

I

May God come forward,
    and scatter his enemies;
    may those who hate him flee from him!
Have them be driven off
    like smoke drifting away;
When God appears, have immoral people die out
    like wax before a fire.
Then virtuous people will be overjoyed;
    they will hold a celebration before God.
Yes, they should enjoy themselves to the full,
    and sing to God, with psalms to his name;
they should glorify the one who rides upon the clouds,
    shout out his name YAH,
    and show their delight in him.
God in his holy place
    is father of the fatherless, defender of widows;
he finds families for those with no one,
    he brings captives out into freedom,
    while he exiles rebels to the desert.
When you left at the head of your people, my God,
    when you marched out through the wasteland,
The ground shook under you,
    and the sky melted at the presence of God--Israel's God--
    and you sent abundant rain on us, my God.
And that was how you strengthened
    your people when they grew weary.
Your people found a land to live in;
    a land your goodness gave to the poor.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: May God come forward and his enemies flee from him.

Antiphon 2: Our God is a God who saves us; it is he, the Master, who holds the keys of death.

II

This was God's message,
    and a huge throng delivered it:
"Kings at the head of armies are fleeing; they are running away,
    and the wives at home divide the plunder.
Though you lie down among the sheepfolds,
    they will look like doves with silver wings,
    like birds whose feathers are gleaming gold."
When the Omnipotent scattered its kings,
    it was white as snow in Zalmon.
The mountains of Bashan are mountains of God,
    the mountains of Bashan are full of high peaks.
Why are you filled with envy, mountains, for all your peaks?
    These are the mountains where God chose to live,
    and YHWH will make them his home forever.
God has twenty thousand chariots--
    no, God's chariots are thousands upon thousands,
    and YHWH moves among them, as on Sinai in the sacred region.
You have gone up to your lofty throne,
    you have captured captivity;
you have received your tribute from mankind,
    even from the ones who rebelled,
    so that our God YHWH could live there.
May YHWH be blessed,
    since he gives us his gifts every day,
    and is the God who rescued us.
Our God is a God who rescues;
    and the keys to unlock death belong to our God YHWH.
And God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    and split the hairy scalps of those who keep defying him.
YHWH said, "I will bring them back from Bashan,
    return them from the depths of the sea,
so that your feet can trample them in their own blood
    and the tongues of dogs make a feast on your enemies."
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Our God is a God who saves us; it is he, the Master, who holds the keys of death.

Antiphon 3: Sing praise to God, kingdoms on earth; make music in the Master's honor.

III

They will see the procession in your honor, my God;
    the procession of my God, my King, into the holy place:
The singers first, the musicians last,
    and between them, maidens with tambourines.
Bless God in your festival meetings;
    bless YHWH, sources of the people Israel:
There is the little tribe of Benjamin at the head,
    the princes of Judah with the throng of them;
there are the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali;
    your God has been at the command of your might;
    and so please, my God, make secure what you have done for us.
Because of your Temple in Jerusalem,
    kings will bring you tribute.
Menace the animals living among the reeds;
    the herd of bulls, whose calves are people,
till they submit their tribute of silver;
    and then scatter those whose pleasure is war.
Emissaries will appear from Egypt,
    and even Ethiopia will lift up its hands to God.
Sing to God, kingdoms on earth,
    sing praises to YHWH,
to the one who rides upon the spheres,
    the ancient spheres of the sky.
He thunders out his voice, his voice of power;
    and so recognize the might of God.
His supremacy hovers over Israel,
    and his strength is found in the clouds.
My God, you are more awesome than your sacred places;
    Israel's God is the one who gives his people strength and might.
    May God be blessed!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Sing praise to God, kingdoms on earth; make music in the Master's honor.

Listen, my people, and I will speak; I am the Master, your God.

Reading 2 (from the Proper)

[If this ends the session, say, "Let us praise the Master and thank him."]

Lauds

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

"Begin again!" The call comes from the sky
   When light returns, as if another day
   Will not see one more failure. "Find a way
To climb back to the road; another try
At seeking Archimedes' footing high
   Above to move the world." What can I say
   To folly vast as this? How can it pay
To sweat and swink for nothing till I die?

Do you suppose he asked this at his fall
   When soldiers whipped him to his feet again?
      What did it profit him to toss his life
      Aside like that? His journey is the knife
   That cuts the fat that makes us think like men;
His failure saved us humans; that is all.

Antiphon 1: Master, you have showered blessings on your land; you have forgiven the sins of your people.

Psalm 85

For the leader: a psalm of the sons of Korah

YHWH, you have favored your land;
    you brought back Jacob from captivity.
You forgave the wrong your people had done,
    and buried all their sins;
you sent away all your anger
    and turned from the fury of your rage.
Then please restore us now, God of our rescue,
    and let your anger come to a final end.
Would you be angry for ever?
    Would you continue your wrath down to every generation?
No, would you not bring us back to life again
    and let your people find their happiness in you?
Please, YHWH, show us your mercy
    and bestow your protection upon us.
I will listen to what my God YHWH says,
    because he will speak of peace
for his people, his sacred ones--
    but they must not turn back to their foolishness.
Yes, his protection is there for those who hold him in awe,
    so that his glory will have its home in our land.
Mercy and truth have become friends;
    virtue and peace have kissed.
Truth will spring out of the earth,
    and honesty look down from the sky.
Yes, YHWH will do good for us
    and our land will yield its harvests.
Virtue will go before him,
    and will make his footsteps our path.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Master, you have showered blessings on your land; you have forgiven the sins of your people.

Antiphon 2: Praise the eternal King in everything you do.

Song: Tobit 13.1-8

Blessed be God, who lives for ever,
    as does his kingdom,
because he whips us and then has mercy;
    he drags us down to death and leads us back,
    and no one can escape from his hand.
Acknowledge him, children of Israel, before the Gentiles,
    because he has scattered us among them.
Show there his greatness;
    lift him up to the skies before every living thing,
because he is our Master, our God,
    and our Father through all the ages of ages.
He whips us for the wrongs we do,
    but then has mercy again,
and will gather us back from among the Gentiles,
    where he has scattered us.
And if you turn to him with your whole heart
    and with all your soul,
    to do in his presence what is right,
then he will turn back to you
    and not hide his face from you;
and you will see what he does with you,
    and will bless the Master of virtue,
    and show how high is the kingdom that rules the ages.
And I in the land of my shame will acknowledge him,
    and will reveal his strength and his magnificence
    to a sinful nation.
Turn back, sinners, and act virtuously in his presence,
    and who knows? He may accept you
    and have mercy upon you.
I will tell how high my God is,
    and my soul will declare the greatness of his kingdom;
    and I will find my joy in his magnificence.
Everyone should speak of this,
    and acknowledge him in Jerusalem.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Praise the eternal King in everything you do.

Antiphon 3: Loyal hearts are to praise the Master.

Psalm 33
Find your happiness in YHWH, virtuous people,
    because praise from honest mouths is beautiful.
Take a harp and sing to YHWH's glory,
    accompany yourself on a ten-stringed lyre,
and compose a brand-new song to him,
    playing a loud and joyous tune.
Because what God says is right,
    and everything he does is true;
he loves virtue and honesty,
    and the earth is full of YHWH's goodness.
At a word from him, the heavens came to be,
    and all the vast army of stars by the breath from his mouth;
he collected the oceans into one mass,
    and dug its deep bed to store it.
The whole earth should hold YHWH in awe,
    and everyone who lives there fear and respect him,
because he did nothing but speak, and it all came to be;
    at his command, there it was, fixed and solid.
YHWH thwarts the schemes of the Gentiles,
    and brings plans to nothing;
but YHWH's designs stand forever,
    and the plans in his heart last through all the generations.
It is a blessing for a nation to have YHWH as its God,
    to be the people he chose for his heirs.
Because YHWH looks down from heaven
    and sees all the human beings below him;
he gazes down from where he lives
    upon all the earth's inhabitants,
and shapes their hearts, one by one,
    as he ponders everything they do.
Kings are not saved by the size of their armies,
    and warriors' strength does not set them free;
horses are worthless to trust for protection;
    they will not save anyone despite their power.
No, YHWH's eyes are on those who respect him,
    on those whose hope is in his mercy
to keep them free from death,
    and to preserve their lives from famine.
Our souls are waiting for YHWH;
    who is our help and our shield.
And it is in him our hearts find their joy,
    because we have put our trust in his holy name.
Please, YHWH, shower your mercy upon us
    to the degree we place our hopes in you.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Loyal hearts are to praise the Master.

Reading: Romans 13.11-13

Now is the time for you to wake up out of your sleep, because our rescue is closer now than when we began to believe. The night is practically gone, and day is about to dawn; and so we should get rid of what is done in darkness and dress ourselves in the armor of light. We ought to behave decently, as we would during the day.

My God is at my side; all my trust is in him. My God is at my side; all my trust is in him.
    I find refuge in him, and I am completely free; all my trust is in him.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit

My God is at my side; all my trust is in him.

Antiphon: God has produced a mighty Savior for us, as he promised through the words of his holy prophets.

Responsory

My God is at my side; all my trust is in him.
My God is at my side; all my trust is in him
I find refuge in him, and I am completely free; all my trust is in him.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
My God is at my side; all my trust is in him.

Antiphon: God has produced a mighty Savior for us, as he promised through the words of his holy prophets

Benedictus

Praises to the God of Israel,
    because he has turned his eyes toward his people and set them free,
and to rescue us has fashioned for our head a horn
    in the house of his servant David--
just as he promised
    through the mouths of his holy prophets in olden times--
bringing rescue from our enemies
    and escape from the hands of everyone who hates us.
A work of kindness to our fathers,
    recalling his sacred Treaty,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham
    to grant us freedom from the grasp of our enemies
to worship him without fear
    in holiness and virtue every day of our lives.
And you, my child, will be called the prophet of God Supreme;
   you will precede his coming< br /> to prepare the roads for the Master;
   to make his people aware of their liberation
as their sins are removed from them
   because of the tender kindness of our God,
   by the new dawn from heaven that will rise on us
to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
   and to place our feet upon the path of peace.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: God has produced a mighty Savior for us, as he promised through the words of his holy prophets.

Petitions

We all have a calling from heaven under our Prince and high priest; and so let us praise him with shouts of joy: Master, our King and our savior.
Omnipotent King, since through our baptismal bath you bestowed on us a royal priesthood, please inspire us to offer you a continual sacrifice of praise, Master, our King and our savior.
Please help us keep your commandments, so that through the power of the Holy Spirit we will live in you as you live in us, Master, our King and our savior.
Please give us your eternal wisdom to be with us today and guide us, Master, our King and our savior.
May our companions be freed from suffering and filled with joy, Master, our King and our savior.
Master, please bestow on me this special favor I ask today, Master, our King and our savior.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Dear God, Our Father, please listen to our morning prayer, and let the radiance of your love scatter the darkness in our hearts. Since the light of heaven's love has restored us to life, please free us from the desires that belong to darkness. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Terce

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

How strange that every day I feel so young
   When all these years have passed; the morning makes
   A mockery of yesterday, and takes
Its cue from now, from power. One more rung
I surely still can scale; I will give tongue
   To one more rhyme; my eager body slakes
   Its thirst on hope; some day the breaks
Will fall my way; the song will yet be sung.

Not here, perhaps; and where, I could not say,
   Or when. But that my dreams will somehow come
      To pass I have been told, and must believe.
      I need not fret; his love could never leave
   My soul in hell or let my voice grow dumb
When time collapses in eternal day.

Antiphon 1: Please open my eyes, Master, for me to see the wonders of your Law.

Psalm 119

Come, please, and bestow your favors on your slave
    so that I can keep what you say;
Open my eyes for me to see
    the wonders in your Law;
I am a foreigner on this earth,
    and so do not hide your commandments from me;
my soul is shattered with yearning
    at every moment for your orders.
You reject the proud and curse them
    because they stray from your commandments.
Please keep rejection and contempt away from me,
    because I have kept what you decreed.
Even though kings may pass judgments against me from their thrones,
    I find pleasure in your decrees,
    and my guide to life in them.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please open my eyes, Master, for me to see the wonders of your Law.

Antiphon 2: I run easily in the way you have shown, because you have opened my heart to accept your Law.

Psalm 119

Down in the dirt is where you find my soul,
    but please revive me, as you have said.
I have vowed my way of life to you, and you have answered;
    and so please teach me your regulations.
Make me understand the path your rules point down,
    so that I can ponder all your marvelous works.
My soul is melting from its own sheer weight;
    so please strengthen me, as you have said.
Keep me off the path of lies,
    and kindly bestow your Law upon me,
because I have chosen the path to truth,
    and have placed your orders before me.
I cling to what you have decreed,
    so please, YHWH, do not disappoint me.
I will run along the path your commandments built,
    because you will enlarge my heart.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: I run easily in the way you have shown, because you have opened my heart to accept your Law.

Reading: Jeremiah 17. 7-8

It is a blessing for a man to trust YHWH,
    for him to have hope in YHWH;
he will be like a tree planted beside a stream
    which sends its roots toward the water,
    and has no fear of the coming heat;
its leaves will stay green,
    and will not worry about the times of drought;
    and it will keep bearing fruit.

God cares for all the needs of those who follow him. Master God, commander of armies, it is a blessing that we can put our trust in you.

Prayer

Omnipotent and eternally living God, in the middle of the morning you poured the Holy Spirit over your Emissaries as a constant friend and guide. Please send that same Spirit of love to us, to make us faithful witnesses to you in the sight of all mankind. We make this request through our Master, the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Sext

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

No longer young, but not yet old and weak,
   The day confronts the problems of the hour
   With poise, convinced that no reverse can sour
The taste of noon upon the tongue, or speak
A cloudy word to shadow the mystique
   Of joy that comes from consciousness of power
   To do it all. Now life is at full-flower
With muscles bulging, flesh that's firm and sleek.

Well yes; but evening comes, we know, too soon,
   And with it sickness, weakness, and the rest,
      Whose prospect frightens, even when we seem
      So certain of ourselves. But still the gleam
   Of hope in him beyond this gives life zest,
Since after all, eternity is noon.

Antiphon 1: God sees everyone as sinners, so that he can show them his mercy.

Psalm 14

For the leader: of David

Fools say in their hearts,
    "There is no God."
They are corrupt,
    and what they do is depraved;
    none of them does anything good.
YHWH looks down from heaven on us human beings
    to see if there is anyone who understands and looks for God.
But they have all turned away;
    all of them have been perverted;
there is not one who does anything good,
    not even one.
Don't they know anything, these reprobates?
    These men who eat my people as easily as bread,
    and who never bother to pray to YHWH?
Ah, but terror will fall upon them,
    because God is on the side of the virtuous folk.
You may make fun of the poor man's confidence,
    but God is his security.
And now, if only Israel's rescue would come out of Zion!
    Then Jacob would be happy; Israel would leap with joy.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: God sees everyone as sinners, so that he can show them his mercy.

Antiphon 2: I called out to the Master, and he listened to me.

Psalm 120

A song of ascents

In my agony, I called out to YHWH
    and he listened to me.
"Free my soul, YHWH, from lying lips,
    from cheating tongues."
What will you be given,
    what will be done to you,
    you cheating tongue?
A warrior's sharp arrows,
    tipped with white-hot coals!
It is so horrible for me to live in Meshech,
    and to have to make my home among the Kedar tents!
My soul has been living too long
    with people who hate peace.
I am for peace,
    but as soon as I speak, they want war.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: I called out to the Master, and he listened to me.

Reading Proverbs 3.13-15

It is a blessing for a man to find wisdom,
    for him to gain understanding;
because its returns are better than the return on silver,
    and it makes more profit than gold.
It is more precious than rubies,
    and nothing you desire can compare with it.

Master, all you ask of me is truth; in the depths of my heart you have taught me wisdom.

Prayer

Dear Master God, you revealed to Peter your desire to bring every nation to salvation. Please let all our work give you praise and carry out your loving plan. We make this request through our Master the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

None

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

How can a desert be without the sun?
   Nothing grows here; nothing penetrates
    The cracking earth, whose wind-blown fine grit grates
Against my peeling skin; and I can't run
For shelter on these scorching feet. No one
   Can long endure this; and yet heaven waits
   Beyond the vast horizon somewhere--states
The legend. It's no use; I am undone.

True, the sun is nothing you can see
   In this bleak land; and yet your skin is red,
      From what? It's there. You chose to give him all,
      And so he took. Are you surprised? You call
   Yourself a student of the one who said,
"O Father, why have you abandoned me?"

Antiphon 1: Master, remember your people, the ones you chose from the beginning.

Psalm 74

A maskil of Asaph

I

My God, why have you thrown us away forever?
    Why is your anger smoldering against the sheep in your pasture?
Please remember your community, those you bought in olden times,
    the tribe that was to be your heirs, the ones you ransomed;
    remember Mount Zion, where you used to live.
Turn your steps back to this total devastation;
    your enemy has wrecked everything in the sanctuary.
Your antagonists have been roaring all over your house of prayer,
    and even set up their emblems there, their foreign banners!
They took up axes as if they were woodsmen
    felling enormous trees,
and chopped down its carved work,
    all in a moment, with their axes and hammers.
They set fire to your sanctuary
    and burned to the ground the place where you once lived.
They said in their hearts,
    "We must totally crush them!"
    and have set fire to every shrine of God in the land.
And we can see no sign from you;
    there are no more prophets--
    no one who knows how long this will last.
My God, how long are our enemies to sneer at us?
    Will those who hate you blaspheme your name for ever?
Why do you hold your hand back, your strong right hand?
    Please, make a fist of it and smash them!
Because God is my King from ancient times,
    and used to bring rescue to the land.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Master, remember your people, the ones you chose from the beginning.

Antiphon 2: Please come forward, Master, and defend what you stand for.

II

You split the sea in two by your power,
    you smashed open the sea-serpents' heads in the water--
you shattered Leviathan's head into pieces
    and gave him as food to the savages.
You opened up springs and gushing water,
    and dried up mighty rivers.
The day belongs to you, and so does the night,
    because you made light and the sun;
you fixed where the edges of earth will be;
    you created summer and winter.
Please remember all this, YHWH, and the enemy's insults;
    idiots are making fun of your name!
Please do not hand over your dove to be killed by these hawks!
    Do not forget forever the life of your poor!
Please, think of your Treaty,
    because every dark cave in the earth is a den of torture.
Do not let your oppressed people come back with shattered hope;
    let the poor and needy bless your name.
Please, come forward, my God; defend what you stand for;
    remember how these fools sneer at you every day!
Do not forget what your enemies are yelling,
    the ever-increasing uproar of those who are fighting against you!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Please come forward, Master, and defend what you stand for.

Reading: Job 5.17-18

It is a privilege for a man to be corrected by God,
    and so do not sneer at chastisement from the Omnipotent;
because he bruises people and then bandages them;
    he wounds them and his hands heal them.
Please deal mercifully with your slave, Master, and teach me what you would have me do.

Prayer

Father, just as you sent your angel to Cornelius to show him the way to rescue, please help us work generously for the rescue of the world, so that your Church will bring us and all mankind into your presence. We make this request through our Master, the Prince. Amen.
Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Vespers

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

My Master, please! This collar is too tight.
   And do unclip that leash; I'm now too old
   To run away. Besides, I do what I am told--
Most of the time, at least. Then too, my sight
Is hardly of the best. Where would I go? It might
   Be easier on you to let your hold
   Relax a bit; your hands are getting cold,
And there's nobody here for me to bite.

I might let go if you'd protested less.
   But clearly, you would like just one last fling
      Before you sleep. You think I'll call you back
      And stop your romp before you go to rack
   And ruin and abandon everything.
That's not my way. I curb all those I bless.

Antiphon 1: God has crowned his Prince with victory.

Psalm 20

For the leader: a psalm of David

May YHWH answer you on the day you have trouble;
    may the name of Jacob's God be your protection.
May he send you help from his sanctuary
    and strength from Zion.
May he remember all the offerings you gave him
    and accept the sacrifices you burnt to him.
May he give you whatever your heart desires
    and bring to completion all your plans.
And then we will celebrate your rescue
    and hang out our banners in the name of our God!
    May YHWH grant all your prayers!
And now I know that YHWH stands behind his Prince;
    he will answer him from his holy place in heaven
    with the strength his right hand has to rescue him.
Some put their trust in horses, others in chariots;
    but we remember the name of our God YHWH--
and they have collapsed and fallen,
    while we stand tall and straight.
Please, save us, YHWH!
    Have the King answer our call!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: God has crowned his Prince with victory.

Antiphon 2: We celebrate your mighty deeds with songs of praise, Master.

Psalm 21

For the leader: a psalm of David

The King finds his joy in your strength, YHWH,
    and your rescue transports him with glee.
You granted his heart's desire
    and did not reject the prayers that rose from his lips.
You went out to meet him with the blessing of success;
    You set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life, and you gave it to him;
    days that go on for ever and ever.
And his glory is raised higher because of your rescue;
    you are the one who laid on him majesty and splendor.
You have showered your blessings on him forever;
    but simply being with you is his greatest happiness.
Yes, the King put his trust in YHWH,
    and because of the Supreme Mercy he is unshakeable.
Your hand, our King, will find out all your enemies,
    that right arm of yours will search out everyone who hates you;
your anger will be the oven they cook in,
    YHWH will swallow them whole in his rage,
    and burn them to a crisp in its fire.
You will root out their children from the earth
    and all their descendants from the family of man.
Because they had evil designs upon you,
    they plotted and plotted, but it all came to nothing.
And that is why you made them show you their backs
    when you had your arrows trained on their faces.
But YHWH, your strength, is the one to raise high;
    our song is a psalm of praise to his might.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: We celebrate your mighty deeds with songs of praise, Master.

Antiphon 3: Master, you have made us a kingdom of priests of our Father God.

Song: Revelation 4.11, 5.9,10,12

You have the right,
    Master and our God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
    because you created everything;
and by your will
    it all existed and was created.
You have the right to take the scroll of history
    and open its seals
because you were slain
    and bought for God by your blood
those from every tribe and tongue
    and people and nation.
You made them a kingdom
    and priests for God;
    and they will rule over the earth.
The lamb who was slain has the right
    to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength
    and honor and glory and praise.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Master, you have made us a kingdom of priests of our Father God.

Reading: 1 John 3.1-2

See how much love the Father has given us, that we would be called God's children! And that is what we are! This is why the world does not recognize us, because it did not recognize him. My friends, now we are God's children; what we will be has not yet become clear. We know that if it does become clear, we will be like him, because we will see him as he is. And everyone who has this hope in him makes himself pure in the sense in which he is pure.

Responsory

Through all eternity, Master, your promise stands unshaken.
Through all eternity, Master, your promise stands unshaken.
    Your loyalty will never fail; your promise stands unshaken.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Through all eternity, Master, your promise stands unshaken.

Antiphon: My spirit brims over with joy in God, my savior.

Magnificat

My soul is full of the Master's magnificence;
    my spirit is bursting with joy in God, my savior,
because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave,
    and now from this time on people will honor me
    through all the ages to come!
Yes. the God of Power has done tremendous things in me!
   How holy his name is!
His kindness reaches from age to age
   to those in awe of him.
He has flexed his strong right arm;
    and routed arrogance and conceit.
He has toppled powers from their thrones
    and elevated nobodies;
he has filled the hungry with the best cuisine
    and sent the rich away with nothing.
He has given support to his servant Israel,
    just as he told our ancestors,
remembering to shower his mercies
    on Abraham and his descendants for ever.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: My spirit brims over with joy in God, my savior.

Petitions

Let us praise the Master, who lives among the people he redeemed, and say, Master, please listen to our prayer.
Master, King and sovereign over all nations, please be with your people and their governments, and inspire them to pursue the true good of everyone, as your law requires. Master, please listen to our prayer.
You took captive our captivity, and so please bestow the freedom of the children of God upon our brothers and sisters who are in physical or spiritual chains. Master, please listen to our prayer.
May our young people concern themselves with remaining pure in your sight, and may they generously answer your call. Master, please listen to our prayer.
May our children imitate your example, and grow in wisdom and favor with God and men. Master, please listen to our prayer.
Please accept our dead brothers and sisters into your eternal Kingdom, where we hope to reign along with you. Master, please listen to our prayer.
Master, thank you for the special blessing you have bestowed on me today. Master, please listen to our prayer.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Omnipotent God, thank you for bringing us safely to this evening hour. May this lifting up of our minds in prayer be a sacrifice pleasing to your sight. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Compline

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Do grubs inside their chrysalis feel fear
   That they are lost forever? That their throes
   Are those of death? Those ghastly growths that rose
Upon their backs a shroud? That what is near
Is nothingness? Or do they think this queer
   Condition just a phase, and so each knows
   No coffined terror, and proceeds to doze
Its metamorphosis away with cheer?

And in our case, we either fuss at how
   To hold life's drop of mercury intact
      Or live the moment, unconcerned with what
      The moment means. We see our souls, but shut
   Our eyes to destiny's tremendous fact:
That heaven's kingdom works within us now.

Antiphon Please do not hide your face from me; I put my trust in you.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David

Please, YHWH, listen to my prayer;
    turn your ear to my plea,
and give me an answer,
    since you are faithful and just.
Please do not bring your slave into your court,
    because no one is virtuous in your eyes.
You see, an enemy is after my soul;
    he has trampled my life into the dirt,
and plunged me into darkness
    like a long-forgotten corpse;
and that is why my breath fails
    and my heart is numb inside me.
I cannot forget the days long past;
    I go over and over all you have done.
I ponder what your hands have fashioned
    and lift my outstretched arms to you.
    My soul yearns for you like drought-cracked ground.
Dear YHWH, please hurry to answer me,
    because my breath is growing weak.
Do not hide your face
    or it will be the same for me as falling into the pit.
In the morning, let me know your love,
    because I put my trust in you.
Show me the path to follow;
    I hold my soul up for you to take.
Please rescue me, YHWH, from my enemies,
    since I have run to you for refuge.
Teach me to do your will,
    because you are my God.
Have your good spirit guide me
    on roads level and smooth.
For the honor of your name, YHWH, save my life,
    and in your justice, rescue my soul from this trouble.
In your mercy, cut my enemies down,
    and destroy everyone who is after my life,
    because I am your slave.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon Please do not hide your face from me; I put my trust in you.

Reading: 1 Peter 5: 8-9a

Keep control of yourselves, and stay alert, because your opponent the devil is prowling around roaring like a lion looking for someone to devour. Stand up to him with firm faith.

Responsory

I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
    because you have redeemed me, faithful Master, my God, I hand over my spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Nunc Dimittis

Now, my Lord and Master, you may dismiss your slave,
    as you promised, in peace;
because my eyes have seen the rescue you have prepared for us
    within the very sight of all the nations:
a light to disclose the truth to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Prayer

Master, please fill this night with your radiance. May we sleep in peace and rise with joy to welcome the light of a new day in your name. We make this plea through our Master the Prince.

May the Omnipotent Master bestow on us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

We salute you, our Queen, mother of mercy; our life, our delight and our hope, we greet you. Eve's exiled children call out to you and sob your name, as we moan and weep in this valley of tears. Please, then, our patron, generous, kind, gentle virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes toward us, and after this exile, show us Jesus, the glorious harvest of your womb.
    Please pray, holy mother of God, for us to become fit to receive the Prince's promises.< br />

Wednesday

Matins

Please, Master open my lips,
    and my mouth will sing your praises.

Invitation Psalm
Psalm 95

Come, let us pay our worship to the Master who made us.
Come let us sing YHWH a song;
    let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe;
let us come to him with thanks,
    and sing loud happy psalms to him.
Come, let us pay our worship to the Master who made us.
Because YHWH is a great God,
    the great king over all the gods;
The deep abysses of the earth belong to him,
    and the mountain-tops are his as well.
The sea is his because he made it,
    and so is the land his hands have formed.
Come, let us pay our worship to the Master who made us.
So come, let us bow down in worship,
    kneeling before YHWH who made us too;
because he is our God,
    and we are the people in his pasture,
    the sheep his hand leads on.
Come, let us pay our worship to the Master who made us.
Today is the day for you to listen to his voice:
    "Do not dig in your heels as you did at Meribah,
    as you acted on that day at Massa in the desert,
when your fathers provoked me
    and tormented me though they had seen what I had done.
Come, let us pay our worship to the Master who made us.
For forty years I put up with that crowd,
    saying, 'they are a people with wandering hearts,
    with no idea of what I expect of them.'
And so I swore in my exasperation,
    'They will not enter my rest.'"
Come, let us pay our worship to the Master who made us.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us pay our worship to the Master who made us.

Whose is that face that looks back from the glass?
   Do I know him? It seems we never met,
   But still, he was there yesterday; I get
Confused and wonder, "Who am I?" I pass
Through life as other people--blades of grass
   That populate a field. Still, friends don't fret
   At who I am; they know me well--and yet,
Who do they know? Which member of this class?

Not one. You haven't been yourself since you
   Were born in spirit and in water. He
      Is you now; you are He; and what that means
      You'll learn among all those familiar scenes
   That follow death. For now, it's faith must see
That that's the self to which you must be true.

First Nocturne

Antiphon 1: I love you, Master, my strength.

Psalm 18 (beginning)

For the leader: Of David, YHWH's slave, who sang to YHWH the words of this song when YHWH had rescued him from the grasp of his enemies and from the hand of Saul

I

I love you, YHWH, my strength,
    my rock, my fortress, my rescue--
My God, my might, the one I put my trust in,
    my shield, the horn on my head that protects me, my citadel.
I call on YHWH (praise him!)
    and I am safe from my enemies.
I was in mortal agony;
    oceans of depravity struck terror into me;
I could see all round me the land below the earth;
    I was caught in the snares of death.
In my anguish I called on YHWH;
    I shouted to my God,
and he heard my voice from his Temple;
    my cry reached as far as his ears.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: I love you, Master, my strength.

Antiphon 2: The Master saved me; he wanted me for his own.

II

And then the earth shook and rocked;
    the mountains' bases quaked and reeled.
And in his fury
    smoke rose from his nostrils
and ravaging fire came out of his mouth,
    setting coals ablaze with its heat.
He bent the heavens and came down on them,
    with darkness under his feet.
He mounted a cherub and took off,
    flying on the wings of the wind.
He hid in the darkness,
    black water a canopy all round him,
    the thick dark clouds in the sky.
The brightness in front of him
    was covered with clouds spewing hailstones and blazing coals.
Then YHWH thundered from heaven,
    the Supreme God uttered his voice,
    amid the hailstones and blazing coals.
He shot out these arrows and scattered the enemy,
    lightning from everywhere demolished them.
You could even see the ocean-bed;
    the very foundations of the earth came into view
when you roared your menace, YHWH,
    and the blast of your furious breath.
And then from up there, you grasped me
    and pulled me out of the swirling ocean;
you rescued me from my mighty enemy,
    from the people who hated me
    and were far too strong for me.
They attacked me on the day I was down,
    but YHWH was my protection.
He pulled me out into freedom
    and saved me because I pleased him.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: The Master saved me; he wanted me for his own.

Antiphon 3: Please, Master, light a light to guide me, and scatter my darkness.

III

And YHWH rewarded me for my virtue,
    he gave me the payment
    that my clean hands earned.
Yes, I have kept YHWH's ways
    and have not in depravity strayed from my God.
Everything he pronounced was always before me;
    I did not turn aside from his regulations.
And so I had nothing to accuse myself of before him;
    I kept myself from corruption.
And that is why YHWH repaid me;
    he did it because of my virtue,
    because my hands were clean in his sight.
You show yourself merciful to those who show mercy;
    you deal sincerely with those who are sincere,
purely with those who are pure;
    but with the shifty you are shrewd--
because you will rescue the little people,
    but you deflate those who look down their noses.
And you are the one who lights my lamp;
    my God YHWH is the one who brightens my darkness.
With you I can attack an army;
    with my God I can leap over any wall.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Please, Master, light a light to guide me, and scatter my darkness.

Everyone was astonished at the words of beauty that came from the Master's mouth.

Reading 1 (from the Proper)

Second Nocturne

Antiphon 1: What God says is a strong shield for everyone who puts his trust in him.

Psalm 18 (continued)

IV

And as for God, his ways are perfect;
    what he said has stood up to the test;
    he is a shield for anyone who trusts him.
Who, after all, is God but YHWH?
    Who is a rock except our God?
God is the one who gives me strength for my weapon,
    and keeps the path safe in front of me.
He makes my feet like a deer's
    and sets me on the high ground;
he teaches my hands how to fight,
    and strengthens my arms to bend my bow of heavy bronze.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: What God says is a strong shield for everyone who puts his trust in him.

Antiphon 2: Your strong right hand has been my support, Master.

V

You gave me the shield of your protection,
    your strong right hand supported me.
Your kindness made me powerful,
    and you made the path wide beneath my feet
    to keep me from slipping.
So I ran after my enemies and caught up with them,
    and did not turn away till they were no more.
I slashed them down so they could not get up again,
    and they fell at my feet.
Because it is you who gave me the weapon of strength in the fight
    and crushed those who attacked me.
You bared their necks in front of me
    so I could slaughter those people who hated me.
They called for help, but there was no one to save them,
    they even called on YHWH, but he did not listen.
I ground them into dust in the wind
    and stomped them into dirt on the street.
You are the one who freed me from this feuding people
    and made me head of all these nations.
A people I did not know are now my slaves,
    and obey as soon as they hear me command.
Foreigners now submit to me,
    because the foreign nations are no more;
    they came to me in terror from their citadels.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Your strong right hand has been my support, Master.

Antiphon 3: The living God, my Master, is to be praised for ever.

VI

YHWH lives!
    Blessed be my Rock!
The God who saves me is to be praised,
    because he is the God who gives me vengeance
    and puts whole peoples under my feet.
He frees me from my enemies
    and raises me over those who come out against me.
You are the one who freed me from these savages,
    and for this I thank you, YHWH,
among the Gentiles,
    and sing praises to your name.
He gave a great victory to his King,
    and shows mercy to the one he anointed:
    to David and his descendants for ever and ever.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: The living God, my Master, is to be praised for ever.

Open my eyes, Master, for me to see the wonders of your Law.

Reading 2 (from the Proper)

[If this ends the session, say, "Let us praise the Master and thank him."]

Lauds

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

He said he would wipe every tear away.
   But how can he undo what has been done?
   The dawn undoes the night, true; still, the sun
Replaces, not erases, dark. Its sway
Still haunts us from the past, and though it's day,
   The night's right there, still part of us. What one
   Of us would not give everything to run
From harm we've done to others? That will stay!

The act will stay; the harm will not. You see,
   Redemption does not mean erasure, but
      A transformation. Think of when he rose;
      His wounds were glowing jewels, which he chose
   To show us how he tears a tear, and what
Our feeble evil will turn out to be.

Antiphon 1: Master, it is in your illumination that we see light.

Psalm 36

For the leader: Of David, YHWH's slave

Sin is like a prophet, speaking in a man's heart,
    to a person with no fear of God before his eyes;
what faces his eyes is self-flattery
    when he sees his corruption and hatred.
All the words from his mouth are depravity and deceit;
    because he has "gone beyond" wisdom and goodness.
What he dreams in his in bed are immoral schemes,
    and he sets his feet on the path to wrong,
    without any hatred of evil.
But your mercy YHWH, is high as the sky;
    your loyalty reaches to the clouds;
your virtue is like the mighty mountains,
    and your orders like the depths of the sea.
YHWH, you give protection to both man and beast;
    how priceless your love, YHWH!
And that is why the human race has put its trust
    beneath the shade of your wings.
They find all their satisfaction in the riches of your house,
    and their drink is the stream of your being with them--
because being with you is the source and spring of life,
    and in your illumination we see light.
Please keep loving those who know you,
    and preserving the rights of those whose hearts are virtuous.
Please do not let arrogant feet stomp me down,
    or evil hands drive me away.
There! Those good-for-nothings have fallen!
    He struck them down, and they will never get up!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Master, you have showered blessings on your land; you have forgiven the sins of your people.

Antiphon 2: My God, you are great and glorious; we stand in awe of your power.

Song: Judith 16.2-3,13-15

Tune the instruments!
    We will have a song to God with tambourines!
    we will sing to YHWH to the clash of cymbals,
singing to him a brand-new song
    to praise and glorify his name.
I am singing a new hymn to my God:
    YHWH, you are great and you are glorious,
    amazing in your power, beyond everything!
Every creature of yours should be your slave,
    because you simply spoke, and all of them were made;
You breathed your breath, and they came into being;
    no one can resist anything you say.
You shook the bases of the mountains and the depths of the sea;
    rocks melt like wax when you simply look at them;
but to those who hold you in awe,
    you show nothing but kindness.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: My God, you are great and glorious; we stand in awe of your power.

Antiphon 3: Leap for joy in God's presence as you sing your hymns of praise.

Psalm 47

For the leader: A psalm of the sons of Korah

A round of applause from every people!
    A triumphant shout to God!
Because God is supreme, awesome,
    the mighty King of all the earth!
He subjects other peoples to us,
    and puts the other nations under our feet;
he picks out our inheritance
    and gives this glory to his friend Jacob.
God rises through the uproar,
    YHWH ascends to the blare of trumpets!
Sing praise to God, sing praise!
    Sing praise to our King, sing praise!
Because God is the King over all the earth
    sing praise that shows your understanding!
Yes, God is King over every nation,
    seated up there on his holy throne.
And all the heads of state assemble
    with the people of the God of Abraham;
because the shield of all the earth is God's,
    and he is over everything.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Leap for joy in God's presence as you sing your hymns of praise.

Reading: Tobit 4.15a,16a,18a,19

Do not do to anyone else what you dislike; give some of your bread to the hungry, and some of your clothing to the naked; ask for advice from every wise man; and at every opportunity, praise God YHWH, and ask him to make your paths straight, and all your projects and plans succeed.

Responsory

Please attract my heart to do your will, my God.
Please attract my heart to do your will, my God.
    Please make my steps run along the path to do your will, my God.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

Please attract my heart to do your will, my God.

Antiphon: Please show us your mercy, Master, and remember your sacred Treaty.

Benedictus

Praises to the God of Israel,
    because he has turned his eyes toward his people and set them free,
and to rescue us has fashioned for our head a horn
    in the house of his servant David--
just as he promised
    through the mouths of his holy prophets in olden times--
bringing rescue from our enemies
    and escape from the hands of everyone who hates us.
A work of kindness to our fathers,
    recalling his sacred Treaty,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham
    to grant us freedom from the grasp of our enemies
to worship him without fear
    in holiness and virtue every day of our lives.
And you, my child, will be called the prophet of God Supreme;
   you will precede his coming< br /> to prepare the roads for the Master;
   to make his people aware of their liberation
as their sins are removed from them
   because of the tender kindness of our God,
   by the new dawn from heaven that will rise on us
to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
   and to place our feet upon the path of peace.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Please show us your mercy, Master, and remember your sacred Treaty.

Petitions

Let us thank our Prince and give him constant praises, because he makes us sacred and calls us his brothers. Master, please help your brothers and sisters grow in holiness.
I dedicate today to the honor of your resurrection, with the purest intention I can muster; may I make the whole day pleasing to you by holy deeds. Master, please help your brothers and sisters grow in holiness.
As a sign of your love, you make each day new so that we will be well and happy; please make us new also for your glory. Master, please help your brothers and sisters grow in holiness.
Please teach us all today to recognize your presence in every human being, especially the poor and suffering. Master, please help your brothers and sisters grow in holiness.
Please bestow on us the gift of living in peace with everyone, never paying back harm with harm. Master, please help your brothers and sisters grow in holiness.
Please bestow on me the favor that I specially ask you today. Master, please help your brothers and sisters grow in holiness.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Dear God, our Savior, please listen to our morning prayer, and help us to follow the light and live the truth, because we have been born again in you as children of light; and so please help us to be witnesses to this throughout the world. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Terce

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Why bother with this nonsense? Live the day!
   It's here and now; and even if it's true
   That acts resound beyond the grave, why stew
And fret about it? You'll have time to pray
And beg for mercy when you're old; and he will say,
   "My child, my friend, come in; you see, I knew
   How weak you were, and I still cherish you."
In love for you, he'll fling his wrath away.

Oh yes? It sounds good, just as sin feels fine
   While it proceeds to smash our lives. The act
      Is not condemned because he hates it, but
      Because he sees what's there, and he knows what
   We know ourselves, though we deny the fact.
So get behind! This branch stays on the vine.

Antiphon 1: Please, Master, lead me along the path of your commandments.

Psalm 119

Educate me, please, in the demands of your laws
    and I will keep them to the end;
give me understanding, and I will keep your Law;
    I will observe it with all my heart.
Lead me along the path of your commandments,
    because that is where my pleasure is.
Please, attract my heart to your orders
    and not to greed;
turn my eyes away from futile things
    and renew me in your way of life.
Please plant what you say into your slave,
    who has devoted his soul to respecting you;
and keep me from the humiliation I dread,
    because your orders are good.
You see, my longing is for the rules you have given,
    and so give me life in your virtue.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please, Master, lead me along the path of your commandments.

Antiphon 2: It is a privilege to hear what God says and preserve it in your heart.

Psalm 119

Follow me with your mercy, please, YHWH;
    bring me rescue, as you have said.
Then I will have an answer to the ones who insult me,
    because I trust in what you say.
Please do not take your words of truth from my mouth,
    because I have put my hope in the rules you give,
and I will keep your Law at every moment,
    from now until the end of time.
And I will walk about in freedom,
    because my goal is your laws;
I will keep speaking your orders to kings,
    and will hold my head high.
I will find my joy in your commandments,
    which I love,
    and I will meditate upon your regulations.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: It is a privilege to hear what God says and preserve it in your heart.

Reading: 1 Peter 1.13-14

"Roll up the sleeves" of your minds, and keep control of yourselves; you should put absolute hope in the blessing to be conferred on you when Prince Jesus comes out of concealment. Like docile children, you should not take as your pattern the desires you used to have in your ignorance.

Prayer

Dear God of truth, Father of everyone, since you sent your Spirit as promised to bring together in love all those sin has driven apart, please give us the strength to work for your blessings of unity and peace in the world. We make this request through our Master the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Sext

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

I see why it's a blessing to be poor.
   It's all too easy when you have enough
   To store it all in granaries, and slough
Off thoughts beyond the grave, assure
Yourself there will be time, and feel secure
   That matter matters--knowing that this stuff
   Is really nothing but a bit of fluff
That blows away, but blinded by its lure.

It's not the wealth, though, that is evil, but
   The loss of focus; it can still be used
      To garner friends, and open an account
      In heaven's bank, where money will amount
   To something that will never be refused.
The problem is to stay out of the rut.

Antiphon 1: Master, please help me persevere in your service.

Psalm 17

A prayer of David

I

Please, YHWH, give a hearing to a case that is just
    and pay attention to my plea.
Please listen to my prayer,
    coming from lips that are not devious,
and hand down a favorable verdict from your bench,
    because your eyes see through to the truth.
I know you have examined my heart,
    and have come to watch me in the night;
    you have scrutinized me and found nothing.
My goal has been never to let my mouth stray
    as it speaks of what others do,
and to keep away from destructive deeds,
    so that my feet will not slip off the path.
And so I call upon you, and I know you will hear me, my God;
    so please turn your ears to me, and listen to what I say.
Show how much you care for me by flexing that right arm
    by which you save all those who put their trust in you
    when others launch an attack on them.
Please, preserve me as carefully as the pupil in your eye,
    and hide me in the shade of your wings
from these evil people who are after me
    from my mortal enemies all around me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Master, please help me persevere in your service.

Antiphon 2: Please come forward, Master, and keep me safe.

II

They have shut up their fat hearts
    and their mouths do nothing but bluster;
but they have surrounded me as I walk along
    and fix me in their gaze as they crouch down
like lions, ready to tear apart their prey--
    like lion cubs about to spring out of hiding.
Please, come forward, YHWH,
    meet them head-on; knock them down,
and with your sword, rescue my life from these blackguards;
    raise your hand and save me from these men, YHWH,
from men who belong to this world, whose reward is in this life,
    men whose stomachs you fill with exotic delicacies,
who have the satisfaction of children,
    and leave their wealth to their descendants.
But I because of my virtue will see your face,
    and my satisfaction will be to wake up in your company.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Please come forward, Master, and keep me safe.

Reading: 1 Peter 1.13-16

You are to become holy in all of your conduct in the way in which the one who called you is holy; as Scripture has it, "Be holy, because I am holy."

May your priests have holiness as their robes and may your people dance for joy.

Prayer

Dear merciful God, this midday moment of rest is a welcome gift from you. Please bless the work we have begun, correct its defects, and let us finish it in a way that pleases you. We make this request through our Master the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

None

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

And still the day is with us, though the light
   Grows dimmer now, and muscles lose their tone.
   How long is left? If that could just be known
The terror from impending darkness might
Abate somewhat. We could prolong the fight
   To finish some of what had been our own
   Ambitious projects. We have not yet shown
What we can do; and now we face the night.

Relax. This shortened time that makes you curse
   Your impotence is given for your good.
      You have and had no power--none at all
      To move the world yourself. See that you call
   Upon the one who always helped you, as you should;
Rely on Him; He runs the universe.

Antiphon 1: Please help me, my God, because I am poor and destitute.

Psalm 70

For the leader: of David. For remembrance

Please, my God, hurry to set me free!
    Come quickly to help me, YHWH!
Humiliate and confuse
    the people who want my harm!
Turn back and baffle
    the ones who sneer at me!
And give joy and pleasure to those who look to you;
    may everyone who turns to you for rescue
    say always, "God be glorified!"
But at the moment, I am poor and destitute
    and so please hurry to help me, my God,
because you are my help and my rescue.
    YHWH, please do not be long!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please help me, my God, because I am poor and destitute.

Antiphon 2: God, who is justice and truth, does not base his judgments on appearances.

Psalm 75

For the leader: (Do not destroy)A psalm of Asaph: A song

Thank you, dear God; thank you so much!
    Your marvels tell us that your name is with us.
"When the time comes that I have chosen,
    I will hand down my unbiased verdict.
Let the earth shake and everyone upon it;
    still, I have set it upon firm pillars."
I tell those who give themselves airs, "Don't be so sure of yourselves,"
    and to immoral people, "Don't shake your horns
    and stiffen up your necks when you address me,
because triumph does not come from the east,
    or even from the west or from the south.
God is the judge;
    he lowers one
    and elevates another.
You see, in YHWH's hand there is a cup
    and the wine in it is red,
it has been mixed completely, and he pours it out,
    and all the evil people on the earth
    will drain it to the dregs."
But I will have my say forever,
    and will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
And I will lop the horns off immoral heads,
    but the horns of virtuous people will grow strong.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: God, who is justice and truth, does not base his judgments on appearances.

Reading: James 4. 7-8,10

Be subservient to God. Stand up to the devil, and he will run away from you; approach God and he will approach you. Debase yourselves before the Master, and he will elevate you.

God looks kindly on those who respect him, and on those who trust in his mercy.

Prayer

Master Prince Jesus, to save all mankind you stretched out your arms on the cross. Please let our work be pleasing to you, and have it proclaim your rescue to the world. We make this request of you because you are alive and reigning through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Vespers

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

How is it, Master, right can feel so wrong?
   There's that temptation back a month ago
   That I resisted; and, although I know
I did the right thing, I'm a wreck. I long
Still, after all this time, to sing the song
   I stifled then. Where is the triumph? So
   I won. Convince the corpse down there, and show
Him how he's better off that he was strong.

I asked that very question on the cross,
   You know; I am like you in everything.
      But this defeat is not a gain for you
      So much as joining me, as you once asked me to,
   In pulling out from others evil's sting.
And afterwards you'll see it wasn't loss.

Antiphon 1: The Master is my light and my rescue; who can frighten me?

Psalm 27

Of David

I

YHWH is my light and my rescue;
    who can frighten me?
YHWH is the strength of my life;
    who could intimidate me?
When unscrupulous people attack me
    and try to eat the meat off my body,
it is my enemies and those who hate me
    who trip and fall.
Even if an army sets up camp against me,
    my heart will not beat fast;
and if war breaks out all around me,
    it does not bother me at all.
There is one thing I want from YHWH,
    and this is what I yearn for:
to live in YHWH's house
    all the days of my life;
to see the beauty of YHWH,
    and to pray in his Temple.
And whenever trouble comes upon me.
    He will find a hiding-place for me within his tent;
he will put me out of sight
    in some remote corner of his residence
    or set me high upon a rock.
And then my head will rise above
    my enemies that surround me,
and I will offer, there within his tent,
    my sacrifice of joy,
    and sing, yes I will sing my praise to YHWH.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: The Master is my light and my rescue; who can frighten me?

Antiphon 2: I yearn to look upon you, Master; please do not turn your face away from me.

II

Then please listen, YHWH, when my voice utters its cry;
    please have mercy and give me an answer.
You said, "Look for my face,"
    and I answered, "Yes, YHWH, I look for your face."
So do not turn your face away from me,
    and do not dismiss your slave in anger,
because you have been my helper;
    do not leave and abandon me,
    God of my rescue.
No, when even my father and mother abandon me,
    YHWH will still take care of me.
Please, teach me, YHWH, your ways,
    and lead me along a smooth path, because of my enemies.
Please do not hand me over to the ones who hate me,
    because lying witnesses are making charges against me,
    people whose very breath is violence.
If it were not for my belief
    that I would see YHWH's goodness
    in the land of the living!
So wait for YHWH;
    keep up your spirits.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: I yearn to look upon you, Master; please do not turn your face away from me.

Antiphon 3: He is the firstborn of all creation, so that he will have the first place in everything.

Song: Colossians 1.12-20

We thank the Father who has made you fit
    to share the inheritance of the Sacred People
    in the light--
and who extricated us from the power of darkness
    and moved us into the Kingdom of the Son he loves,
from whom we have forgiveness and removal of our sins,
    and who is the visible counterpart of the invisible God,
and the firstborn of the whole of creation,
    because everything in heaven and on earth
    was created in him:
everything visible and invisible--
    Thrones, Dominations, Principalities, and Powers, everything--
    was created through him and for him;
he himself exists before everything,
    and everything is kept in existence in him.
He is also the head of the body
    which is the community.
He is its Principality--its ruler and source--
    the firstborn of the dead,
    so that he will have the first place in everything;
because he thought it proper
    for all the fullness of being to be located in him,
and for everything on earth and in heaven
    to be brought by him into conformity with him
as he made peace
    by shedding blood on his cross.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: He is the firstborn of all creation, so that he will have the first place in everything.

Reading: James 1.22,25

And be people who act on what is said, and do not simply listen to it and so contradict yourselves. But if a person looks into the perfect law--the law of freedom--and keeps at it and is not an absent-minded listener but acts on it, he will be successful in what he does.

Responsory

Please claim me again as your own, Master, and have mercy on me.
Please claim me again as your own, Master, and have mercy on me.
    Do not abandon me with immoral people; have mercy on me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Please claim me again as your own, Master, and have mercy on me.

Antiphon: The God of Power has done a mighty deed in me. Holy is his name!

Magnificat

My soul is full of the Master's magnificence;
    my spirit is bursting with joy in God, my savior,
because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave,
    and now from this time on people will honor me
    through all the ages to come!
Yes. the God of Power has done tremendous things in me!
   How holy his name is!
His kindness reaches from age to age
   to those in awe of him.
He has flexed his strong right arm;
    and routed arrogance and conceit.
He has toppled powers from their thrones
    and elevated nobodies;
he has filled the hungry with the best cuisine
    and sent the rich away with nothing.
He has given support to his servant Israel,
    just as he told our ancestors,
remembering to shower his mercies
    on Abraham and his descendants for ever.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: The God of Power has done a mighty deed in me. Holy is his name!

Petitions

In everything we do, the Master's name should be being praised, because he surrounds his chosen people with boundless love. So let our prayers come before him: Master, please show us your love.
Please remember your sacred community, Master; please keep her from any harm and let her grow into the fullness of your love. Master, please show us your love.
Please have every nation recognize you as the one true God, and your Son Jesus as the Prince you sent. Master, please show us your love.
Please bestow prosperity on our neighbors, and give them life and happiness for ever. Master, please show us your love.
Please comfort the ones who are burdened with hard labor and daily difficulties, and preserve the dignity of workers. Master, please show us your love.
Please open wide the doors of your kindness to those who have died today, and in your mercy accept them into your Kingdom. Master, please show us your love.
Master, thank you especially for the favor you have shown me today. Master, please show us your love.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Master, please watch over us day and night, and in the midst of life's countless changes, give us the strength of your eternal love. We make this request through our Master, Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Compline

Dear God, please come to my aid;
    Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Why does our Master take our light away?
   Just nature's law, you say. But why the law?
   We need the dark to sleep. You never saw
An animal that sleeps throughout the day
And roams at night? There must have been some way
   To make a universe without this flaw
   Of dark that swallows vision down its craw
And hobbles action with its black delay.

But think: Without the dark when could we see
   The stars and moon, and learn the vastness of
      This universe? And is it not the same
      With all life's darknesses, like pain? Why blame
   Our Lord for this? He chose pain in his love
To show its place in what will set us free.

Antiphon: I call to you from the depths of the abyss, Master.

Psalm 130

A song of ascents

I call you from the depths of the abyss, YHWH;
    Dear YHWH, please listen to my voice!
Please turn an attentive ear
    to the sound of my plea!
YHWH, if you were to keep records of our guilt,
    who could survive it, YHWH?
But with you we find forgiveness,
    and this is why we hold you in such awe.
I am waiting for YHWH, and my soul is confident,
    because it has its hope in what he said.
My soul is yearning for YHWH
    more than watchmen yearn for dawn.
More than watchmen long for dawn,
    Israel should long for YHWH,
Because with YHWH there is mercy
    and complete emancipation;
and he will set Israel free
    from all its evil deeds.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now, and always, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: I call to you from the depths of the abyss, Master.

Reading: Ephesians 4:26-27

"Be angry and do not sin"; do not let the sun set on your resentment, and don't leave an opening for the devil.

Responsory

I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
    because you have redeemed me, faithful Master, my God, I hand over my spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Nunc Dimittis

Now, my Lord and Master, you may dismiss your slave,
    as you promised, in peace;
because my eyes have seen the rescue you have prepared for us
    within the very sight of all the nations:
a light to disclose the truth to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Prayer

Master, Prince Jesus, you have given your followers an example of gentleness and humility, a task that is easy, and a burden that is light. Please accept the prayers and work of today, and give us the rest that will strengthen us to provide more faithful service to you, as you live and reign through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Omnipotent Master bestow on us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

We salute you, Queen of the heavens;
we salute you, Mistress of the angels;
Hail, root, hail gate
through whom the world's own light has entered!
Be happy, glorious Virgin,
beautiful beyond everyone.
Farewell, surpassing beauty,
but please intercede with our Prince for us.

Thursday

Matins

Please, Master open my lips,
    and my mouth will sing your praises.

Invitation Psalm
Psalm 95

Come, let us worship the Master, because he is our God.
Come let us sing YHWH a song;
    let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe;
let us come to him with thanks,
    and sing loud happy psalms to him.
Come, let us worship the Master, because he is our God.
Because YHWH is a great God,
    the great king over all the gods;
The deep abysses of the earth belong to him,
    and the mountain-tops are his as well.
The sea is his because he made it,
    and so is the land his hands have formed.
Come, let us worship the Master, because he is our God.
So come, let us bow down in worship,
    kneeling before YHWH who made us too;
because he is our God,
    and we are the people in his pasture,
    the sheep his hand leads on.
Come, let us worship the Master, because he is our God.
Today is the day for you to listen to his voice:
    "Do not dig in your heels as you did at Meribah,
    as you acted on that day at Massa in the desert,
when your fathers provoked me
    and tormented me though they had seen what I had done.
Come, let us worship the Master, because he is our God.
For forty years I put up with that crowd,
    saying, 'they are a people with wandering hearts,
    with no idea of what I expect of them.'
And so I swore in my exasperation,
    'They will not enter my rest.'"
Come, let us worship the Master, because he is our God.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us worship the Master, because he is our God.

What is the point of dreams, these crazy tales
    We live through, even though (when once awake
    Again) we know they're lies? Why should we slake
Our thirst at non-existent streams? What grails
Are those we chase with nothing in our sails
    But phantom wind? I know; it's for the sake
    Of clearing out our brains. But should this take
A pattern so grotesque that reason quails?

Well, but there's more than this. When dreams arise
    And in them we are fooled into the thought
       That they are real, and then awake and see
      The different world around us, we can be
    Accepting of the next life, as we ought.
We need reminding where our true life lies.

First Nocturne

Antiphon 1: Master, you are our savior, and so we will praise you for ever.

Psalm 44

For the leader: a maskil of the sons of Korah

I

Our ears have heard, my God,
    because our fathers told us,
about what you did in our ancestors' time,
    in those days long past.
How your hand drove out the nations and planted them;
    how you ravaged the peoples and expelled them.
Our ancestors did not win the land with their own swords,
    and it was not their own arms' strength that saved them;
it was your hand, your arm, the light from your face;
    because you loved them.
And you are the one who is my King, my God;
    and so please bestow victory on Jacob.
You are the one through whom we are to smash our enemies,
    through your name we will trample our attackers.
I have no faith in my bow,
    and my sword cannot save me.
You are the one to save us from our enemies;
    you humiliate everyone who hates us.
God is our pride all through the day;
    the one whose name we praise for ever.
Yet now you are throwing us away, disgracing us.
    You do not go out with our armies;
you make us retreat before our enemies
   and people full of hatred plunder us.
You hand us over as if we were sheep to be eaten
   and scatter us all through the Gentiles.
You auction off your people for nothing,
   not even gaining by the sale.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Master, you are our savior, and so we will praise you for ever.

Antiphon 2: Please spare us, Master; do not disgrace your own people.

II

You are making us an object lesson to our neighbors,
   something to scoff and sneer at by everyone around us.
You have turned us into a laughingstock for Gentiles,
   something for the people to shake their heads at.
My disgrace is there before me all the time;
   my face covered with the red of shame
   at the sound of people jeering and calling names,
   and at the sight of enemies exacting vengeance.
And all this came on us
   though we did not forget you
   and did not break your Treaty.
Our hearts have not slipped back
and our steps have not strayed off your path.
And yet you smashed us and left us to the jackals
   and covered us with death's dark shadow.
If we had forgotten our God's name
   and lifted up our hands to a foreign god
would God not have discovered it?
   He knows the secrets in our hearts.
No, it is for your sake we are killed all through the day
   and are thought of as nothing but sheep for slaughter.
Wake up, YHWH, please! Why are you sleeping?
   Come out to us! Do not throw us away forever!
Why are you hiding your face,
   oblivious of our agony and oppression?
Our lives are crushed down into dirt
   and our bodies are stretched out upon the ground.
Please, come forward and help us;
   ransom us, if only for your mercy's sake!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Please spare us, Master; do not disgrace your own people.

Antiphon 3: Give praise to the Master, your God; bow before his holy mountain.

Psalm 99

YHWH is ruling as King;
   people should tremble in fear!
His throne is upon cherubim;
   the earth should quake!
Yes, YHWH is great in Zion
   and is supreme over all peoples;
and so they should praise his great and awesome name,
   because it is holy, sacred.
His majesty the King loves justice,
   and has as his country's constitution fairness;
   you have established justice and honesty in Jacob.
Proclaim how high and great is our God YHWH,
   and give him worship at his footstool,
   because he is holy, sacred.
He had Moses and Aaron among his priests,
   and Samuel was one who invoked his name;
they called upon YHWH, and he answered them,
   speaking from a pillar of cloud;
   and they followed the orders and commands he gave them.
Yes, you answered them, YHWH, God of ours;
   you were the God Who Forgives for them,
    even though you punished what they did.
Proclaim how high and great is our God YHWH,
    and give him worship at his holy hill,
    because our God YHWH is holy, sacred!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Give praise to the Master, your God; bow before his holy mountain.

Please open my eyes, Master, for me to see the wonders of your Law.

Reading 1 (from the Proper)

Second Nocturne

Antiphon 1: Master, please do not punish me in your anger.

Psalm 38

A psalm of David. For remembrance

I

YHWH, please do not shout at me in your anger,
   and in your rage, please do not slap me.
Your arrows have already sunk deep into me,
   and your hand has crushed me to the ground.
There is no vigor left in my body
   because of your displeasure,
no soundness in my bones
   because of my sin.
I have piled my crimes up higher than my head,
   and they are too heavy a load for me to lift.
My wounds are foul-smelling, full of pus,
   because of my stupidity.
My anguish has bent me double,
   and I go about moaning all day long;
my stomach is burning up with fever;
   nowhere in my body is there any health.
I am feeble and decrepit,
   whimpering in the turmoil of my heart.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Master, please do not punish me in your anger.

Antiphon 2: Master, you know everything I long for.

II

YHWH, all I long for is there before you,
      my moans are not something you cannot hear;
Please! My heart is throbbing, my strength is gone,
even the light has fled my eyes.
And my loved ones and friends avoid me like a plague;
   even my relatives keep their distance,
while those who want me dead put snares in my path,
   and in their hatred try to ruin me;
   they scheme all day how they can get the better of me.
And like a deaf man, I cannot hear it,
   and I am like a dumb man who cannot answer it;
Yes, just like the deaf, I hear nothing at all,
   and like the dumb, I say not a word in my defense.
I have nothing but hope in you, YHWH,
   that you will hear all this, YHWH, my God.
I said to you, "Please listen to me; keep them from gloating,
   Do not let them triumph over me when my foot slips!"
Because I am about to collapse
   with my agony always there before my eyes;
I will confess the wrong I have done;
   I will deplore my sin.
But I have enemies--healthy, strong ones,
   and there are more and more who hate me every day.
They do me harm to pay back the good I did them,
   and they attack me for doing what is right.
Please, YHWH, do not leave me alone!
   My God, do not be so far away!
Hurry, please, and help me,
   YHWH, my rescue!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Master, you know everything I long for.

Antiphon 3: Glorious things are said about you, city of God.

Psalm 87

A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song

YHWH has set himself up on his holy mountain;
   and he loves the gates of Zion
   more than any other residence in Jacob.
Glorious things are said about you,
   city of God!
"I will include Egypt and Babylon
   among those who know me.
Yes, Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia will say,
   'This man was born there.'"
And it will be said of Zion,
   "This man and that one were born in her,
   and the Supreme Being Himself founded her!"
And YHWH will record
   in his registry of human beings,
   "This man was born there!"
And people will play their instruments and sing,
   "You are the source of everyone!"
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: Glorious things are said about you, city of God.

Please Open my eyes, Master, for me to see the wonders of your Law.

Reading 2 (from the Proper)

[If this ends the session, say, "Let us praise the Master and thank him."]

Lauds

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

The day, my Lady, dawn came on the earth,
   You had to choose to bring the world its light.
    What were you thinking, at that awesome sight
That greeted you and told you of the birth
You knew God closed to you? Yet from your dearth
   Of understanding, you chose what was right,
    And kept the world from everlasting night.
By choosing to submit you proved your worth.

You teach us that we need not know; that we
    Are always ignorant, and make our choice
       In blindness of the consequence. Then how
      Can we discover what we should do now?
    Submit, in hope that later we'll rejoice.
It is the unknown truth that sets us free.

Antiphon 1: Wake up, lyre and harp; let us waken the dawn with our praise.

Psalm 57

For the leader: (Do not destroy)a miktamof David, when he fled from Saul into the cave

Please have mercy on me, my God! Have mercy on me
   because my soul has put its trust in you,
and I will hide myself away under the shade of your wings
   until the storms have passed.
When I call out to the Supreme God,
   the God who acts on my behalf,
he sends help from heaven to save me.
   He condemns the ones who want to swallow me alive,
   and sends me his mercy and his truth.
But now my soul is in a lions' den,
   here among these savages
who are all aflame at me,
   with teeth of spears and arrows
   and tongues that are sharpened swords.
My God, rise up above the sky
   and shine your glory over the earth!
Because they laid a net down to catch my feet,
and my life was crushed down;
yes, they dug a pit in my path--
    but they fell into it themselves!
My heart is firm, my God; my heart is firm,
   and I will sing your praises.
Wake up, my soul!
    Wake up, lyre and harp!
   I will waken the dawn!
I thank you, YHWH, here among the Gentiles,
   and I praise you among these foreigners,
because your mercy reaches high into the sky
   and your truth goes up beyond the clouds.
My God, rise up above the sky,
   and shine your glory over all the earth!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Wake up, lyre and harp; let us waken the dawn with our praise.

Antiphon 2: My people, says the Master, will be filled with my blessings.

Song Jeremiah 31.10-14

Listen, Gentiles, to what YHWH says,
   and repeat it on the far shores and say,
"The one who scattered Israel will gather them
   and tend them as a shepherd tends his flock."
Because YHWH has bought Jacob back
    and paid the ransom to the one who bested them;
and so they will come and sing on Zion's top
   as they stream in to enjoy all of YHWH's blessings:
the wheat, the new wine, the oil,
   the new births in the flocks and herds.
They will be like well-watered gardens,
    and never again taste grief.
"And then their maidens will dance for joy
   with the young and old men, all together;
because I will turn their suffering to happiness.
   I will be their comfort
    and give them pleasure instead of pain.
I will give the priests all they could want and more
   and fill my people up with all my blessings," says YHWH.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: My people, says the Master, will be filled with my blessings.

Antiphon 3: The Master is magnificent and deserves praise in our God's city.

Psalm 48

A psalm of the sons of Korah. A song

YHWH is magnificent, and deserves tremendous praise
   in our God's city,
on his holy mountain,
   so beautiful as it rises up above us;
   the joy of all the earth.
Mount Zion is the real north pole,
   it is the great King's city;
God is in her palaces
   and is known to be her guardian.
Because once when kings joined forces
   and advanced against her,
they took one look and were dumbfounded,
   and in their dismay, they fled in terror;
because dread overwhelmed them,
   as painful as a woman's labor,
as if they were ships from Tarshish
   smashed to pieces by the fierce east wind.
And what we had heard, we saw for ourselves
   here in the city of our God,
in the city of YHWH, who commands our army;
   YHWH will keep its foundations firm forever.
Dear God, we ponder your great generosity
   here within your Temple.
Like your name YHWH,
   praise to you spreads over the earth.
Your hand is full of virtue,
   and Mount Zion is full of contentment.
And Judah's daughters should celebrate
   the ruling you pronounced.
Take a tour of Zion,
   walk all through her;
count her towers,
   notice all her ramparts,
examine all her castles
   so you can tell the generation to come
that this is what our God is--
   our God for ever and ever;
because he will be our guide
   until our death.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: The Master is magnificent and deserves praise in our God's city.

Reading: Isaiah 66.1-2

This is what is said by YHWH:
"Heaven is the throne on which I sit,
   and earth is the footstool for my feet.
Where do you think to build a house for me,
   and where would you find a place for me to rest?
I made all of this with my own hands:
   everything that ever came to be," says YHWH.
"But I will turn my gaze upon
   a person who is poor and repentant,
   who trembles when I speak."

Responsory

I cry to you from the abyss within my heart; please give me a hearing, Master.
I cry to you from the abyss within my heart; please give me a hearing, Master.
   I will do what you desire; please give me a hearing, Master.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

I cry to you from the abyss within my heart; please give me a hearing, Master.

Antiphon: If we serve the Master with holiness, he will save us from our enemies.

Benedictus

Praises to the God of Israel,
    because he has turned his eyes toward his people and set them free,
and to rescue us has fashioned for our head a horn
    in the house of his servant David--
just as he promised
    through the mouths of his holy prophets in olden times--
bringing rescue from our enemies
    and escape from the hands of everyone who hates us.
A work of kindness to our fathers,
    recalling his sacred Treaty,
the oath he swore to our father Abraham
    to grant us freedom from the grasp of our enemies
to worship him without fear
    in holiness and virtue every day of our lives.
And you, my child, will be called the prophet of God Supreme;
   you will precede his coming< br /> to prepare the roads for the Master;
   to make his people aware of their liberation
as their sins are removed from them
   because of the tender kindness of our God,
   by the new dawn from heaven that will rise on us
to shine on those who live in darkness and the shadow of death,
   and to place our feet upon the path of peace.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: If we serve the Master with holiness, he will save us from our enemies.

Petitions

The Master Prince Jesus has given us the light of another day. In return, we thank him by crying, Master, please bless us and bring us close to you.
You offered yourself as a sacrifice for our sins, and so please accept our offering of our work today. Master, please bless us and bring us close to you.
You bring us joy by the light of another day, and so please let the morning star rise within our hearts Master, please bless us and bring us close to you.
Please give us the strength to be patient with those we meet today, and in so doing imitate you. Master, please bless us and bring us close to you.
Please make us aware of your mercy this morning, Master, and have us find our joy in your strength. Master, please bless us and bring us close to you.
Master, please bestow on me the special favor that I ask you today. Master, please bless us and bring us close to you.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Omnipotent, eternally living God, we beg you in the morning, as we do at noon and evening, please drive out of our hearts the darkness of sin and bring us to the light of your truth, Prince Jesus, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Terce

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

I think I understand why Israel
    Could turn aside and build the golden calf
    In spite of all they'd seen in Egypt--half
Of which some sorcerer of Egypt's spell
Could duplicate. I would have thought as well
    It must have been a trick; how could a staff
    Become a snake? And why? It is to laugh.
And here we are trapped in this desert hell!

We don't believe our eyes because it's all
    Too good to be what happens in this world.
       If he loves us so much, why all this pain?
       It is because we turn our backs, and feign
    To rule our lives ourselves, with flags unfurled.
We close our ears, and so can't hear his call.

Antiphon 1: During my pilgrimage I have kept your commandments.

Psalm 119

Give attention, please, to what you said to your slave,
   to what has been the source of my hope.
It is my solace in my troubles,
    because what you say gives me life.
Arrogant fools sneer at me,
   because I did not stray from your law;
I remembered your ancient orders, YHWH,
   and these have been my strength.
I am filled with indignation
   at these evil people who have abandoned your Law.
Your regulations have been the song I sing
    in the land where I am a pilgrim.
I recall your name in the night, YHWH,
   and that helps me keep your Law.
It has been my blessing
   because I hold to your rules.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: During my pilgrimage I have kept your commandments.

Antiphon 2: I have pondered your ways and turned back to your teaching.

Psalm 119

Have the share I am served be yourself, YHWH,
   because I said I would keep what you say.
I begged for your favor with all my heart,
    and so be merciful to me, as you have said.
I pondered my behavior
   and turned my steps to your orders;
I hurried to them; I did not waste time
   in keeping your commandments.
Ropes from evil people have tied me up,
   but I have not forgotten your Law.
I rise at midnight to thank you
   because of your honest verdicts.
I am a friend of everyone who holds you in awe
   and who keeps your regulations.
YHWH, all the earth is full of your mercy;
   please teach me your rules.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.
Antiphon 2: I have pondered your ways and turned back to your teaching.

Reading Amos 4.13

Note this:
The one who molds mountains
   and creates the wind,
who tells humans what he is thinking,
   who made the dark before the dawn
and strides over the highest peaks on earth--
   is the one whose name is YHWH, the God of armies.

Bless the Master, all of you creatures of the Master; praise and give glory to his name.

Prayer

Master, in the middle of the morning you gave your Holy Spirit to your Emissaries as they gathered to pray; please give us too a share in the life and love your Spirit brings. We make this request through our Master the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Sext

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

I'm sorry, but it's hard to thank you when
    It seems my face gets slapped the whole day through.
   I know if I looked deep, I'd see that you
Had blessed my life more than most other men
With health, enough to eat, and leisure; then
    Why do I fret? Because I try to do
    Your work, and every day I get a new
Rebuff; I start once more--and fail again.

I understand, so do not waste your breath
   Apologizing; just do not forget
      That you once asked me to create a saint
       Of that dung that you are. Well, do not faint
   When I fulfill your wishes, and just let
Me work. With you, success comes after death.

Antiphon 1: Please guide me in your truth, Master.

Psalm 25

Of David

I

All my soul I lift
   to you, YHWH,
Because all my trust is in you, my God;
   please do not disappoint me
   or let my enemies gloat over me.
Can anyone who waits for you be disappointed?
    Frustration is for those who cheat with no provocation.
Down your paths is where I hope you lead me, YHWH,
   please teach me your ways.
Educate me in your truth and lead me,
   because you are the God who keeps me safe,
   and I wait for you all day long.
Please remember, YHWH, your loving mercy and your tenderness
   as they have existed from ancient times,
and do not recall the sins I committed while I was young
   or all the mistakes I made;
no, remember me, please, in mercy
   if only for your own goodness, YHWH.
Yes, YHWH is good and honorable,
and so he teaches even sinners his ways;
he guides the humble into the way of virtue,
   and shows the little people his way.
And all of YHWH's ways are mercy and truth
   to those who keep his Treaty and his decrees;
and so for your name's sake, YHWH,
    please pardon my wrong, because it is a great one.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please guide me in your truth, Master.

Antiphon 2: Please look upon me, Master, and help me, because I am poor and alone.

II

Who is the man who holds YHWH in awe?
   He will teach him his chosen way.
And he will live in plenty
   and his descendants will inherit his land.
Intimacy with YHWH is for those who respect him,
   and he will show them his Treaty.
My eyes are always turned toward YHWH,
   and he will pull the net off my feet.
Please turn toward me and have mercy on me,
   because I am alone and miserable
and the troubles in my heart have grown so large!
   Please set me free from all this anguish!
Please turn your eyes to my sorrow and my pain
   and forgive all these sins of mine.
And think of my enemies, please; there are so many of them,
   and they hate me viciously;
preserve my life and set me free;
   and keep me from disgrace, because I put my trust in you.
May honesty and forthrightness protect me,
   because I rely on you.
Please ransom Israel, my God,
   from all their troubles.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Please look upon me, Master, and help me, because I am poor and alone.

Reading: Amos 5.8

He made the Pleiades and Orion;
   he turns the shadow of death into morning,
   and darkens day back into night;
He summons the water from the sea
   and pours it on the face of the earth.
His name is YHWH.

Beauty and wealth are all around him; richness and splendor adorn his holy place.

Prayer

Omnipotent, eternally living God, with you there is no darkness, and nothing can be hidden from you. Please fill us with the radiance of your light, so that we can understand the law you have given us and live it with generosity and faith. We make this request through our Master the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

None

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

I know; I make too much of all my "pain."
    I melodramatize these tiny sores
   I feel inside whenever I find doors
I wanted to go through slam shut. And rain
Falls now and then. Well, gee! It's not the bane
    Of all existence, is it? Not when scores
    Of people almost cannot breathe, with pores
All clogged with pus. And I dare to complain?

But that's not all there is to it, you see.
    Your pain is really longing. I know you.
       I call it "hope," the fact you're not at home
       And always restless under heaven's dome.
   This pain is what you feel when you are true;
It is your sign you still belong to me.

Antiphon 1: Please help us, God, our Savior, and pardon all our sins.

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph

My God, the Gentiles have invaded your inheritance!
   They have defiled your holy Temple!
They have turned Jerusalem into piles of trash,
   and given the corpses of your slaves
to the birds from the sky for their food,
   and meat from your sacred bodies to wild beasts.
They have poured blood like water all over Jerusalem,
   and no one is left to bury the dead.
We have become the contempt of our neighbors,
   the scorn and ridicule of everyone around us.
How long is this to be, YHWH?
   Will your anger last forever?
    Will your indignation burn us up in its fire?
Pour your wrath on nations that do not know you,
   on the kingdoms that do not invoke your name!
Because they have eaten Jacob alive
   and wrecked his home!
Please, please, do not hold the wrongs of our past against us;
   come to us soon with your loving mercy
because we have been so crushed down;
   so please help us, God of our rescue--
If only for the glory of your name--
   and set us free and give us atonement for our sins--
   if only for your name's sake.
Why should the Gentiles say,
   "Where is your God?"
Have it known to these nations as we watch
    what the vengeance is like for your servants' blood
which they have spilled.
May the groans of us prisoners come before you;
   and in your great power
save the lives of those condemned to death,
   and pay back seven times over into their hearts
the scorn that they have heaped
   upon you, YHWH.
Then we, your people and the sheep in your pasture,
   will thank you eternally;
   we will sing your praises through all the generations.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Please help us, God, our Savior, and pardon all our sins.

Antiphon 2: God of power, please look down from heaven and come to tend this vine.

Psalm 80

For the leader: to the tune of "lilies." A psalm of Asaph

Please give us a hearing, shepherd of Israel,
   who used to shepherd Joseph as if they were your flock,
Living there among the cherubim, please shine down
   on Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh;
please gather your strength
   and come to save us!
Please, God, bring us back;
   Shine your face on us
   and we will be saved!
YHWH, God of our army,
   how long will you be angry
   and ignore your people's prayer?
You gave them tears instead of bread
   and nothing but floods of tears to drink;
you made us the scorn of our neighbors,
   a thing for them to laugh at.
Remember, once there was a vine you brought from Egypt;
   you drove out the nations and set it down here.
You dug up the ground for it
   and planted it where it took deep root.
And it filled the land;
   it covered the hillsides with its shade,
   and climbed up the mighty cedars.
It reached its branches to the ocean
   and sent tendrils out as far as the River.
But then why did you break down its hedges
   so that every passerby can pick its fruit?
Boars come from the woods and dig it up,
   and wild beasts in the fields forage on it.
Come back, we beg you, God of our army!
   Look down from heaven and see us!
Come to visit this vine
   and the vineyard planted by your own right hand,
    the branches you cultivated yourself.
It has been seared in fires, cut down,
   and withered from the frown upon your face.
Please, place your hand upon the man you set beside you,
   that poor mortal man that you yourself made strong,
and we will never turn away from you again.
Restore our life and we will act only in your name.
   Please, YHWH, leader of our army, bring us back;
   shine your face upon us
   and we will be saved.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: God of power, please look down from heaven and come to tend this vine.

Reading: Esther 10.6

But my people is Israel, who called out to God and was saved. YHWH saved his people and set us free from all these troubles. God performed miracles and astonishing things, things that never happened before among the Gentiles.

I will proclaim your goodness, Master, because you have answered me, and have come to my rescue.

Prayer

Master, please help us follow the example of your Son's fortitude and perseverance, so that we can face all life's difficulties with confidence and faith. We make this request through our Master the Prince. Amen.

Let us bless the Master. Thank God.

Vespers

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Please, Master, when can I go home? What more
    Could you still have for me to do? I know,
    I asked to finish one task still to go
Before I leave. Is that the only chore
That keeps me here? Or do I have in store
   Some other work to fail at, some new woe,
    Some new frustration I must undergo
Before I set off for the other shore?

Now, now, my child, I do not make you wait
    To torture you, and nail you to my cross
       As if that were a virtue. No, what I
       Am doing will ensure that when you die
    You'll do enough to not say, to your loss,
"I should have thought of that! And it's too late!"

Antiphon 1: I called out to you, Master, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.

Psalm 30

A psalm. A song for the dedication of the Temple. Of David

I will glorify you, YHWH, because you lifted me up
   and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
YHWH, my God, I cried out to you
   and you cured me.
YHWH, you brought my soul up out of the grave,
   and gave me life, kept me from falling into the abyss.
Sing praise to YHWH, sacred people that belong to him,
   Thank him every time you think of his sacred name,
Because his anger lasts no more than just an instant,
   but his favor is for life.
You may weep one night,
   but then with the morning comes joy.
Once when things were going well, I said,
   "Nothing can dislodge me.
YHWH, with your blessings you have put me on a solid mountain."
   Then you turned your face away, and I cringed;
I called out to you, YHWH,
   I sent YHWH an urgent plea,
"What use is my blood
   if I go into the abyss?
Will dirt praise you?
   Will it tell the truth about you?
Please listen to me, YHWH, and have mercy on me!
   Please, YHWH, be my savior!"
And then you turned my grief into a dance;
   you took off my sackcloth and dressed me in happiness.
And so now my soul sings praise to you and refuses to be still;
   YHWH, my God, I will thank you for all eternity.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: I called out to you, Master, and you healed me; I will praise you for ever.

Antiphon 2: It is such a blessing for a man to be sinless in God's eyes.

Psalm 32

Of David. A maskil

It is such a blessing for a man to have his fault forgiven,
   and have his sin buried!
It is a wonderful thing for YHWH not to think of a man's wrongs,
   and for him not to have to act the hypocrite!
While I was silent, my very bones grew feeble
   from my agonizing all day long;
because day and night your hand was heavy upon me,
   and sapped my vigor as surely as summer's heat.
But then I admitted my sin to you,
   and did not hide the wrong that I committed;
I said, "I will confess my faults to YHWH,"
    and you forgave the wrong my sin contained.
And this is why every follower of God should worship you,
    whenever you need to be nearby.
Yes, the flood waters may be rising high,
   but they will not come up to him.
You are the corner that I hide in,
   and you will keep me safe from trouble;
   you make me hear songs of rescue all around me.
I will educate you, you people, teach you in the way to go;
   I will guide you and keep watch.
And do not be like horses or mules
   that have no understanding,
and must be restrained with bits and bridles
   or they will not come close to you.
Evil people have nothing but sorrow,
   but mercy is all around a man who trusts in YHWH.
Find your happiness in YHWH, take pleasure in him, good people;
   and then shout out your joy from all your honest hearts.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: It is such a blessing for a man to be sinless in God's eyes.

Antiphon 3: The Father has given the Prince all his power, honor, and royalty; every person is to obey him.

Song: Revelation 11.17-18,12.10-12

Thank you, Master God, Ruler of All,
   who are and who were,
because you have taken up
   your great power
   and begun to rule.
The nations ranted,
   and your wrath came
and the moment for judging the dead
   and giving your reward
to your slaves the prophets
   and to the sacred ones
and those who fear your name,
   small and great.
Now the rescue and the power
   and the Kingdom of our God has come,
   and the authority of his Prince;
because the accuser of our brothers
   has been thrown down:
the one who kept accusing them
   before God day and night;
and they have conquered him
   because of the blood of the Lamb
and because of the words of his testimony
   and they did not love their souls to death.
And so celebrate, heaven,
   and those who make their home in it!
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: The Father has given the Prince all his power, honor, and royalty; every person is to obey him.

Reading: 1 Peter 1.6-9

This should be a source of joy for you, if there must at present be a brief period when you suffer various troubles; so that the refined core of your faith, so much more valuable than ephemeral gold refined by fire, will be found to be to your praise, your glory, and your dignity when Prince Jesus comes out of his concealment. He is the one whom you love without having seen him, the one in whom even now without seeing you believe; the one who comprises your indescribable, sublime happiness, as you make your own the purpose of your faith: the emancipation of your souls.

Responsory

The Master has given us food: bread made from the finest wheat.
The Master has given us food: bread made from the finest wheat.
And honey from the rock, as much as we could want; and bread made from the finest wheat.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
The Master has given us food: bread made from the finest wheat.

Antiphon: God has toppled powers from their thrones and elevated nobodies.

Magnificat

My soul is full of the Master's magnificence;
    my spirit is bursting with joy in God, my savior,
because he has turned his eyes toward his poor little slave,
    and now from this time on people will honor me
    through all the ages to come!
Yes. the God of Power has done tremendous things in me!
   How holy his name is!
His kindness reaches from age to age
   to those in awe of him.
He has flexed his strong right arm;
    and routed arrogance and conceit.
He has toppled powers from their thrones
    and elevated nobodies;
he has filled the hungry with the best cuisine
    and sent the rich away with nothing.
He has given support to his servant Israel,
    just as he told our ancestors,
remembering to shower his mercies
    on Abraham and his descendants for ever.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
    As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: God has toppled powers from their thrones and elevated nobodies.

Petitions

Our hope is in God, who gives us help; and so let us call upon him and say, Master, please look kindly on your children.
Master, our God, you made an eternal Treaty with your people; please keep us in mind of your mighty deeds. Master, please look kindly on your children.
May your faithful people grow toward perfect love, and be preserved in unity by the bond of peace. Master, please look kindly on your children.
Please be with us in our task of building an earthly home, so that our building will not be useless. Master, please look kindly on your children.
Please send workers into your vineyard and glorify your name among all nations. Master, please look kindly on your children.
Please welcome into the company of your holy ones in heaven all my relatives and loved ones who have died, and may I one day share in their happiness. Master, please look kindly on your children.
Thank you, Master, for the favor you have granted me today. Master, please look kindly on your children.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held in reverence. Please come to us and rule over us, and have your way on earth just as you do in heaven. Please give us today the bread we need for the day, and forgive the debts we owe you insofar as we forgive the debts others owe us; and please do not lead us into trouble; keep us from harm. Amen.

Prayer

Father, you light up the night and bring us dawn to scatter its darkness; please help us through the night safely, free from Satan's manipulating, so that we will rise when morning comes to thank and praise you once again. We make this request through our Master Prince Jesus, your Son, who is alive and reigning with you and the Holy Spirit as one God, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

May the Master send his blessings on us, keep us from any harm, and bring us to eternal life. Amen.

Compline

Dear God, please come to my aid;
   Master, please hurry to help me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

It seems like such an evil time, this night
    Of dread and unseen menace, even when
    We know the day has all but come again.
And so we wait and quake, and strain our sight
At thicker shades, and curse the lack of light
    That turned our broad-backed earth into a fen
    Of quicksand, making us, instead of men,
Gibbering cowards, robbed of all our fight.

And so you think your eyes are what you use
    To give you strength? You have no strength, you fool.
       Your present blindness lets you see the facts
       About your life and God; it's he who acts
    By wrapping you in sightless peace. Be cool;
If he is here what do you have to lose?

Antiphon: My body will rest in you, my God, with hope.

Psalm 16

A miktam of David

Keep me safe, my God, because I put my trust in you.
I say to YHWH,
"You are my God;
   whatever good I have is nothing without you."
And your sacred people here on earth
   are wonderful folk, a complete pleasure to be with.
Those who choose foreign gods only add to their troubles;
   I will never make their blood-offerings
   or let their names pass my lips.
No, you, YHWH, are my serving, the cup I drink;
   you are the reward I aim for.
The land marked out for me delights me;
   my inheritance is a good one.
I will sing the praise of YHWH, who gives me guidance,
   who prompts my heart even at night.
I keep YHWH always within view,
   and with him beside me, what can dislodge me?
And that is why my heart is cheerful, my soul joyous,
   and even my body is at rest in hope;
because you will not leave my soul beneath the ground
   or let your holy one know decay.
You will show me the path to life,
   complete happiness in your presence;
   eternal joy beside you.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: My body will rest in you, my God, with hope.

Reading: 1Thessalonians 5:23

May the God of peace make you completely holy; may he make your spirit, soul, and body into one whole, blameless person and keep it that way until our Master Prince Jesus joins us.

Responsory

I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.
   because you have redeemed me, faithful Master, my God, I hand over my spirit.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
I hand over my spirit into your care, Master.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Nunc Dimittis

Now, my Lord and Master, you may dismiss your slave,
   as you promised, in peace;
because my eyes have seen the rescue you have prepared for us
   within the very sight of all the nations:
a light to disclose the truth to the Gentiles,
   and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon: Please, Master, protect us while we are awake and keep watch over us as we sleep, so that during our waking life we will stay alert with our Prince, and rest in his peace while we sleep.

Prayer

Dear God our Master, please send peaceful sleep to refresh our tired bodies. May your help always renew us and keep us strong in your service. We make this request through our Master, the Prince. Amen.

May the Omnipotent Master bestow on us a restful night and a peaceful death. Amen.

We salute you Mary, favorite of God; the Master is with you. You are the world's most magnificent woman, and Jesus, the Son you bore, is magnificent as well. Holy Mary, mother of God, please pray for us sinners now and also at the moment of our death. Amen.

Friday

Matins

Please, Master open my lips,
   and my mouth will sing your praises.

Invitation Psalm
Psalm 95

Come, let us thank the Master, because his great love is eternal.
Come let us sing YHWH a song;
   let us shout our joy to the Rock who keeps us safe;
let us come to him with thanks,
   and sing loud happy psalms to him.
Come, let us thank the Master, because his great love is eternal.
Because YHWH is a great God,
   the great king over all the gods;
The deep abysses of the earth belong to him,
   and the mountain-tops are his as well.
The sea is his because he made it,
   and so is the land his hands have formed.
Come, let us thank the Master, because his great love is eternal.
So come, let us bow down in worship,
   kneeling before YHWH who made us too;
because he is our God,
and we are the people in his pasture,
   the sheep his hand leads on.
Come, let us thank the Master, because his great love is eternal.
Today is the day for you to listen to his voice:
   "Do not dig in your heels as you did at Meribah,
   as you acted on that day at Massa in the desert,
when your fathers provoked me
   and tormented me though they had seen what I had done.
Come, let us thank the Master, because his great love is eternal.
For forty years I put up with that crowd,
   saying, 'they are a people with wandering hearts,
   with no idea of what I expect of them.'
And so I swore in my exasperation,
   'They will not enter my rest.'"
Come, let us thank the Master, because his great love is eternal.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
   As in the beginning, so now and always, through all the ages of ages. Amen.
Come, let us thank the Master, because his great love is eternal.

If only you would tell us what you want,
    There might be hope that we could do your will.
   It's true, you've spelled out your displeasure; still
What of those crossroads where the prospects taunt
Us with two goods, which even a savant
    Would hesitate to choose between, until
    He'd seen the outcome? Should I climb that hill,
Or stay down in this valley? It would daunt

St. Benedict to fathom what to do--
    But you are silent. What do you want done?
       My little fool; I have no preference.
       I made you free, and if you've any sense,
    You'll know that I want you to choose; the one
Who fashions my eternal plan is you.

First Nocturne

Antiphon 1: Master, please come forward and help me.

Psalm 35

Of David

I

Please take up my case, YHWH, against those who are suing me,
   and fight against those who are fighting me.
Please put on your armor and take your shield
   and stand in front of me to protect me;
draw your spear out of its sheath
   and stop the people who are chasing me;
and tell my soul,
   "I am your rescue."
Please, humiliate and disgrace
   the people who are out to kill me;
turn back and rout
   those who are plotting my ruin.
Make them into chaff blown by the wind,
   as YHWH's angel comes in pursuit of them;
and make their roads dark and slippery,
   as YHWH's angel comes behind them;
because for no reason they have hidden nets and pitfalls in my path;
   they dug them to kill me, for no reason at all.
Make ruin crash down on them all at once
   and have them fall into the nets they set themselves;
   let their own devices turn on them and ruin them.
Then my soul will celebrate YHWH
   and shout with joy at my rescue.
All my bones will say,
   "YHWH, is there anyone like you?
You set a poor man free from those he is no match for--
   yes, a poor and destitute man was freed from looters!"
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: Master, please come forward and help me.

Antiphon 2: Omnipotent Master, please stand by me and defend me.

II

You see, dangerous witnesses have come forward,
   asking me questions I cannot answer.
They are paying me harm for the good I did them,
   and crushing my soul with grief.
Yet what did I do when they were sick?
   I dressed myself in sackcloth,
I lowered myself so far as not to eat,
   and prayed from the bottom of my heart;
I paced the floor as if they were my friends, my brothers--
   I was bent over as if I were grieving for my mother.
But they take pleasure in my trouble!
   They ganged up on me;
they all went on the attack
   before I could discover it.
They kept tearing me apart,
    like carousing diners tearing meat at a feast,
   and ground me down between their teeth.
YHWH, how long will you simply be a spectator?
   Please, rescue me from the havoc they are causing;
   save my dear life from all these lions.
Then I will thank you in the public square
   and praise you before vast throngs.
Please, do not let those turncoats gloat;
   do not let those who hate me for no reason
wink at each other that they have won.
Because they will not negotiate for peace;
   no, they will think up some devious scheme
   against the gentle people living in the land.
They even opened up their mouth to shout at me,
   and shrieked, "Aha! See there!
   We saw it with our own eyes!"
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   as in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: Omnipotent Master, please stand by me and defend me.

Antiphon 3: My tongue will tell of your goodness all day long.

III

And you watched all this, YHWH;
   but do not keep silent any longer.
YHWH please, do not stay so far from me;
   rouse yourself, wake up and come to my defense,
   and plead the case for me, my God and Master.
Let me see justice done, YHWH, my God, in your virtue,
    and keep them from gloating over me.
Please, do not let them think, "We have him now!"
   And keep them from saying, "We swallowed him alive!"
No, humiliate them, bewilder them,
   these people who take pleasure in my pain;
dress in shame and disgrace
these people who put themselves so far above me.
And have the people on the side of my just cause
   shout with joy and triumph;
let them constantly proclaim
   "Nothing is greater than YHWH,
   who takes pleasure in his slave's success!"
And then my tongue will tell of your virtue,
   and praise you all day long.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, through all the ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 3: My tongue will tell of your goodness all day long.

My son, take my words to heart; do as I say, and you will live.

Reading 1 (from the Proper)

Second Nocturne

Antiphon 1: I am exhausted from crying, and from yearning for my God.

Psalm 69

For the leader: to the tune of "Lilies" Of David

I

Save me, my God! Please!
   The water is up to my neck!
I stepped into quicksand
   and there is no foothold!
I was dropped into the depths of the ocean
   and the waves surged over my head!
I am exhausted with crying;
   my throat has dried up,
   my eyes can hardly see to look for my God.
There are more people who hate me for no reason
   than my head has hairs,
and these men who want to ruin me
   are strong and have no grievance against me;
it seems I must give back
   what I never stole.
True, my God, you know how stupid I have been,
   and I could not keep my sins from you;
but please do not let those faithful to you, God YHWH,
   come to harm because of me;
do not disgrace the people who try to follow you
   on my account, please, God of Israel--
since it is really because of you that I have been defamed,
   that I have covered my face in shame,
that I have been estranged from my brothers
   and treated like a Gentile by my own mother's children.
It is because zeal for your house has eaten me up,
    and the calumny against you has fallen on me.
When I wept and tortured my soul with fasts,
   they held it against me;
when I changed my clothes for sackcloth,
   they made me a laughingstock.
Idlers sitting at the city gates sneer at me
   and drunkards sing their songs about me.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 1: I am exhausted from crying, and from yearning for my God.

Antiphon 2: I needed food, and they gave me gall; I was dying of thirst, and they gave me vinegar.

II

But now, YHWH, I make my prayer to you,
   and ask for your acceptance;
Dear God in the greatness of all your mercies
   please listen to me and make your rescue come true.
Pull me out of the mire
   and keep me from sinking;
do not let the water wash over me
    and drown me in its depths;
   do not let the abyss below shut down on me.
Please listen, YHWH, because your kindness is so dear to me;
   turn back to me with all your tender mercy,
and do not hide your face from your poor slave,
   because I am in anguish.
You know all about my disgrace, my shame, my dishonor,
   and all my enemies are there before your eyes.
Their insults have broken my heart
   and weighed heavily down upon me.
I looked for anyone to pity me, and there was no one;
   I searched around for comfort, but found nothing.
They gave me gall for food,
   and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.

Antiphon 2: I needed food, and they gave me gall; I was dying of thirst, and they gave me vinegar.

Antiphon 3: Follow the Master and you will live.

III

May their own meals turn into snares to catch them,
   their prosperity into a trap;
may their eyes turn dark and not let them see
   and may their bowels run constantly!
Please pour your outrage all over them,
    and seize them with your furious wrath;
devastate their homes
   and depopulate their tents!
Because they keep harassing the ones you punished
   and make fun of the pain of those you wounded.
Pile wrongs to them atop their wrongs to me
   and do not let them into your virtuous presence!
Erase them from the book of life
   and do not write them down with honest folk!
And please take me, this poor, desolate man,
   and have your rescue, my God, lift me high again.
And I will praise God's name in song,
   and tell how great he is in my gratitude--
and this will please YHWH more than steers or bulls,
    with their pathetic horns and hooves.
The little people will see this and be happy;
   and for those of you who follow God, your hearts will live.
Because YHWH listens to the poor,
   and does not despise his prisoners.
Heaven and earth should praise him,
    and so should the oceans and everything that swims in them;
   because God will rescue Zion
   and build the cities of Judah;
so that his people can live there and own it,
   and the children of his slaves inherit it.
   Those who love his name will find a home there.
Glory to the Father, to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
   As in the beginning, so now and always, for ages of ages. Amen.