Week 2

Monday Morning, Week 2

God, come to my assistance.
    Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 42

Longing for the Lord

When will I come to the end of my pilgrimage and enter the
presence of God?
Like the deer that yearns
    for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
    for you, my God.
My soul is thirsting for God,
    the God of my life;
when can I enter and see
    the face of God?
My tears have become my bread,
    by night, by day,
as I hear it said all the day long:
    ΓÇÿWhere is your God?‘
These things will I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I would lead the rejoicing crowd
    into the house of God,
amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving,
    the throng wild with joy.
Why are you cast down, my soul,
    why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him still,
    my savior and my God.
My soul is cast down within me
    as I think of you,
from the country of Jordan and Mount Hermon,
    from the Hill of Mizar.
Deep is calling on deep,
    in the roar of waters;
your torrents and all your waves
    swept over me.
By day the Lord will send
    his loving kindness;
by night I will sing to him,
    praise the God of my life.
I will say to God, my rock:
    ΓÇÿWhy have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
    oppressed by the foe?‘
With cries that pierce me to the heart,
    my enemies revile me,
saying to me all the day long:
    ΓÇÿWhere is your God?‘
Why are you cast down, my soul,
    why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him still,
    my savior and my God.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen

Canticle Sirach 36

Prayer for God’s people

Lord, show us the radiance of your mercy.
Come to our aid, O God of the universe,
and put all the nations in dread of you!
Raise your hand against the heathen,
that they may realize your power.
As you have used us to show them your holiness,
so now use them to show us your glory.
Thus they will know, as we know,
that there is no God but you.
Give new signs and work new wonders;
show forth the splendor of your right hand and arm.
Gather all the tribes of Jacob,
that they may inherit the land as of old,
Show mercy to the people called by your name;
Israel, whom you named your first-born.
Take pity on your holy city,
Jerusalem, your dwelling place.
Fill Zion with your majesty,
your temple with your glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 19

Praise God the
creator

The vaults of heaven ring with your praise, O Lord.
The heavens proclaim the glory of God,
    and the firmament shows forth the work of his hands.
Day unto day takes up the story
    and night unto night makes known the message.
No speech, no word, no voice is heard
    yet their span extends through all the earth,
    their words to the utmost bounds of the world.
There he has placed a tent for the sun;
    it comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his tent,
    rejoices like a champion to run its course.
At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun;
    to the furthest end of the sky is its course.
    There is nothing concealed from its burning heat.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.
Readings from the day: www.usccb.org

Canticle of
Zechariah

Blessed be the Lord, for he has visited us and freed us.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
    born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
    from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
    holy and righteous in his sight
    all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers and
intercessions

Our Savior has made us a nation of priests to offer sacrifice to the
Father. We call upon him in gratitude:
Christ, eternal priest, you conferred the holy priesthood on your
people:
    grant that we may offer all that we do to the Father.
In your goodness give us the fruits of your Spirit,
    patience, kindness and gentleness.
May we love you, for you are love,
    and may all we do praise you.
May we look for what benefits others, without counting the cost,
    to help them on the way to salvation.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
Almighty Lord and God,
    protect us this day,
    even as we begin it.
Do not let us turn aside to any sin,
    but let our every thought, word and deed
    aim at what will please you.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
    who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
    Amen.

Tuesday Morning, Week 2

God, come to my assistance.
    Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 42
Longing for the temple

Lord, send forth your light and your truth.
Defend me, O God, and plead my cause
    against a godless nation.
From deceitful and cunning men
    rescue me, O God.
Since you, O God, are my stronghold,
    why have you rejected me?
Why do I go mourning
    oppressed by the foe?
O send forth your light and your truth;
    let these be my guide.
Let them bring me to your holy mountain,
    to the place where you dwell.
And I will come to the altar of God,
    the God of my joy.
My redeemer, I will thank you on the harp,
    O God, my God.
Why are you cast down my soul,
    why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him still,
    my savior and my God.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Canticle Isaiah 38

Anguish of one
dying and joy at restoration

.
Lord, keep us safe all the days of our life
Once I said,
“In the noontime of life I must depart!
To the gates of the nether world I shall be consigned
for the rest of my years. “
I said, “I shall see the Lord no more
in the land of the living.
No longer shall I behold my fellow men
among those who dwell in the world. “
My dwelling, like a shepherd‘s tent,
is struck down and borne away from me;
you have folded up my life, like a weaver
who severs the last thread.
Day and night you give me over to torment;
I cry out until the dawn.
Like a lion he breaks all my bones;
day and night you give me over to torment.
Like a swallow I utter shrill cries;
I moan like a dove.
My eyes grow weak, gazing heaven-ward:
O Lord, I am in straits; be my surety!
You have preserved my life
from the pit of destruction,
When you cast behind your back
all my sins.
For it is not the nether world that gives you thanks,
nor death that praises you;
neither do those who go down into the pit
await your kindness.
The living, the living give you thanks,
as I do today.
Fathers declare to their sons,
O God, your faithfulness.
The Lord is our savior;
we shall sing to stringed instruments
in the house of the Lord
all the days of our life.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 65

A solemn thanksgiving

To you, O God, our praise is due in Zion.
To you our praise is due
    in Sion, O God.
To you we pay our vows,
    you who hear our prayer.
To you all flesh will come
    with its burden of sin.
Too heavy for us, our offenses,
    but you wipe them away.
Blessed is he whom you choose and call
    to dwell in your courts.
We are filled with the blessings of your house,
    of your holy temple.
You keep your pledge with wonders,
    O God our savior,
the hope of all the earth
    and of far distant isles.
You uphold the mountains with your strength,
    you are girded with power.
You still the roaring of the seas,
    (the roaring of their waves)
    and the tumult of the peoples.
The ends of the earth stand in awe
    at the sight of your wonders.
The lands of sunrise and sunset
    you fill with your joy.
You care for the earth, give it water,
    you fill it with riches.
Your river in heaven brims over
    to provide its grain.
And thus you provide for the earth;
    you drench its furrows;
you level it, soften it with showers;
    you bless its growth.
You crown the year with your goodness.
    Abundance flows in your steps,
    in the pastures of the wilderness it flows.
The hills are girded with joy,
    the meadows covered with flocks,
the valleys are decked with wheat.
    They shout for joy, yes they sing.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.
Readings from the day: www.usccb.org

Canticle of
Zechariah

Lord, save us from the hands of all who hate us.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
    born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
    from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
    holy and righteous in his sight
    all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers and
intercessions

We bless our Savior, who enlightens the world by his resurrection. We
humbly beg him:
Lord Jesus, we honor your resurrection in our morning prayer;
    the hope of your glory enlightens our day.
Accept, Lord, our prayers and petitions
    as the first-fruits of our day.
Grant that we may grow today in your love,
    and that all things may work together for our good and the good of
all.
Make our light shine brightly before all,
    that seeing our good works they may give glory to the Father.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
True Light of the world, Lord Jesus Christ,
    as you enlighten all people for their salvation,
give us grace, we pray,
    to herald your coming
    by preparing the ways of justice and of peace.
Who live and reign with God the Father
    in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
    Amen.

Wednesday Morning, Week 2

God, come to my assistance.
    Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 77

Remember the works of
the Lord

O God, all your ways are holy; what god can compare with our
God?
I cry aloud to God,
    cry aloud to God that he may hear me.
In the day of my distress I sought the Lord.
    My hands were raised at night without ceasing;
    my soul refused to be consoled.
I remembered my God and I groaned.
    I pondered and my spirit fainted.
You withheld sleep from my eyes.
    I was troubled, I could not speak.
I thought of the days of long ago
    and remembered the years long past.
At night I mused within my heart.
    I pondered and my spirit questioned.
ΓÇÿWill the Lord reject us for ever?
    Will he show us his favor no more?
Has his love vanished for ever?
    Has his promise come to an end?
Does God forget his mercy
    or in anger withhold his compassion?‘
I said: ΓÇÿThis is what causes my grief;
    that the way of the Most High has changed.‘
I remember the deeds of the Lord,
    I remember your wonders of old,
I muse on all your works
    and ponder your mighty deeds.
Your ways, O God, are holy.
    What god is great as our God?
You are the God who works wonders.
    You showed your power among the peoples.
Your strong arm redeemed your people,
    the sons of Jacob and Joseph.
The waters saw you, O God,
    the waters saw you and trembled;
the depths were moved with terror.
    The clouds poured down rain,
the skies sent forth their voice;
    your arrows flashed to and fro.
Your thunder rolled round the sky,
    your flashes lighted up the world.
The earth was moved and trembled
    when your way led through the sea,
your path through the mighty waters
    and no one saw your footprints.
You guided your people like a flock
    by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Canticle of
Hannah. 1 Samuel 2

The humble find joy in
God

My heart leaps up with joy to the Lord, for he humbles only to
exalt us.
My heart exults in the Lord,
my horn is exalted in my God.
I have swallowed up my enemies;
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the Lord;
there is no Rock like our God.
Speak boastfully no longer,
nor let arrogance issue from your mouths.
For an all-knowing God is the Lord,
a God who judges deeds.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons,
while the mother of many languishes.
The Lord puts to death and gives life;
he casts down to the nether world;
he raises up again.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich,
he humbles, he also exalts.
He raises the needy from the dust;
from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
to seat them with nobles
and make a glorious throne their heritage.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord‘s,
and he has set the world upon them.
He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall perish in the darkness.
For not by strength does man prevail;
the Lord‘s foes shall be shattered.
The Most High in heaven thunders;
the Lord judges the ends of the earth.
Now may he give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed!
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 97

The glory of God in
his judgements

The Lord is king, let the earth rejoice.
The Lord is king, let earth rejoice,
    let all the coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his raiment;
    his throne, justice and right.
A fire prepares his path;
    it burns up his foes on every side.
His lightnings light up the world,
    the earth trembles at the sight.
The mountains melt like wax
    before the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice;
    all peoples see his glory.
Let those who serve idols be ashamed,
    those who boast of their worthless gods.
    All you spirits, worship him.
Sion hears and is glad;
    the people of Judah rejoice
    because of your judgements, O Lord.
For you indeed are the Lord
    most high above all the earth,
    exalted far above all spirits.
The Lord loves those who hate evil;
    he guards the souls of his saints;
    he sets them free from the wicked.
Light shines forth for the just
    and joy for the upright of heart.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord;
    give glory to his holy name.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.
Readings from the day: www.usccb.org

Canticle of
Zechariah

Let us serve the Lord in holiness all our days.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
    born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
    from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
    holy and righteous in his sight
    all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers and
intercessions

Blessed be God our Savior, who promised to remain with his Church all
days, until the end of the world. We give him thanks and call out:
Remain with us the whole day, Lord:
    let your grace be a sun that never sets.
We dedicate this day to you as an offering:
    do not let us offer anything that is evil.
May your gift of light pervade this whole day,
    that we may be the salt of the earth and the light of the
world.
May the love of your Holy Spirit direct our hearts and our lips,
    and may we always act in accordance with your will.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
Shed your clear light on our hearts, Lord,
so that walking continually in the way of your commandments
    we may never be deceived or misled.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
    who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
    Amen.

Thursday Morning, Week 2

God, come to my assistance.
    Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 80

Lord, tend your vine

Stir up your mighty power, Lord; come to our aid.
O shepherd of Israel, hear us,
    you who lead Joseph‘s flock,
shine forth from your cherubim throne
    upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
O Lord, rouse up your might,
    O Lord, come to our help.
God of hosts, bring us back;
    let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Lord God of hosts, how long
    will you frown on your people‘s plea?
You have fed them with tears for their bread,
    an abundance of tears for their drink.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
    our enemies laugh us to scorn.
God of hosts, bring us back;
    let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
You brought a vine out of Egypt;
    to plant it you drove out the nations.
Before it you cleared the ground;
    it took root and spread through the land.
The mountains were covered with its shadow,
    the cedars of God with its boughs.
It stretched out its branches to the sea,
    to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.
Then why have you broken down its walls?
    It is plucked by all who pass by.
It is ravaged by the boar of the forest,
    devoured by the beasts of the field.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
    look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
    the vine your right hand has planted.
Men have burnt it with fire and destroyed it.
    May they perish at the frown of your face.
May your hand be on the man you have chosen,
    the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again;
    give us life that we may call upon your name.
God of hosts, bring us back;
    let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Canticle. Isaiah 12

Joy of God’s ransomed people

The Lord has worked marvels for us; make it known to the ends of
the world.
I give you thanks, O Lord;
though you have been angry with me,
your anger has abated, and you have consoled me.
God indeed is my savior;
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the Lord,
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water
at the fountain of salvation, and say on that day:
Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name;
among the nations make known his deeds,
proclaim how exalted is his name.
Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement;
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion,
for great in your midst
is the Holy One of Israel!
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 81

Renewal of the
covenant

Ring out your joy to God our strength.
Ring out your joy to God our strength,
    shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
Raise a song and sound the timbrel,
    the sweet-sounding harp and the lute;
blow the trumpet at the new moon,
    when the moon is full, on our feast.
For this is Israel‘s law,
    a command of the God of Jacob.
He imposed it as a rule on Joseph,
    when he went out against the land of Egypt.
A voice I did not know said to me:
    ΓÇÿI freed your shoulder from the burden;
your hands were freed from the load.
    You called in distress and I saved you.
ΓÇÿI answered, concealed in the storm cloud;
    at the waters of Meribah I tested you.
Listen, my people, to my warning.
    O Israel, if only you would heed!
ΓÇÿLet there be no foreign god among you,
    no worship of an alien god.
I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you from the land of Egypt.
    Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
ΓÇÿBut my people did not heed my voice
    and Israel would not obey,
so I left them in their stubbornness of heart
    to follow their own designs.
ΓÇÿO that my people would heed me,
    that Israel would walk in my ways!
At once I would subdue their foes,
    turn my hand against their enemies.
ΓÇÿThe Lord‘s enemies
would cringe at their feet
    and their subjection would last for ever.
But Israel I would feed with finest wheat
    and fill them with honey from the rock.‘
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.
Readings from the day: www.usccb.org

Canticle of
Zechariah

Give your people knowledge of salvation, Lord, and forgive us our
sins.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
    born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
    from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
    holy and righteous in his sight
    all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers and
intercessions

Blessed be God, our Father, who protects his children and never
spurns their prayers. We humbly implore him:
We thank you, Lord, for enlightening us through your Son:
    fill us with his light throughout the day.
Let your wisdom lead us today, Lord,
    that we may walk in the newness of life.
May we bear hardship with courage for your name‘s sake,
    and be generous in serving you.
Direct our thoughts, feelings and actions this day:
    help us to follow your providential guidance.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
Lord God, true Light and Creator of light,
by faithfully following all that is holy,
    we may ever live in the splendor of your presence.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
    who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
    Amen.

Friday Morning, Week 2

God, come to my assistance.
    Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 51

God, have mercy on
me

A humbled, contrite heart, O God, you will not spurn.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
    In your compassion blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my guilt
    and cleanse me from my sin.
My offenses truly I know them;
    my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
    what is evil in your sight I have done.
That you may be justified when you give sentence
    and be without reproach when you judge,
O see, in guilt I was born,
    a sinner was I conceived.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
    then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
    O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
    that the bones you have crushed may revive.
From my sins turn away your face
    and blot out all my guilt.
A pure heart create for me, O God,
    put a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
    nor deprive me of your holy spirit.
Give me again the joy of your help;
    with a spirit of fervor sustain me,
that I may teach transgressors your ways
    and sinners may return to you.
O rescue me, God, my helper,
    and my tongue shall ring out your goodness.
O Lord, open my lips
    and my mouth shall declare your praise.
For in sacrifice you take no delight,
    burnt offering from me you would refuse,
my sacrifice, a contrite spirit.
    A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn.
In your goodness, show favor to Sion:
    rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
    holocausts offered on your altar.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Canticle. Habakkuk 3

The Lord is my strength

Even in your anger, Lord, you will remember compassion.
O Lord, I have heard your renown,
and feared, O Lord, your work.
In the course of the years revive it,
in the course of the years make it known;
in your wrath remember compassion!
God comes from Teman,
the Holy One from Mount Paran.
Covered are the heavens with his glory,
and with his praise the earth is filled.
His splendor spreads like the light;
rays shine forth from beside him,
where his power is concealed.
You come forth to save your people,
to save your anointed one.
You tread the sea with your steeds
amid the churning of the deep waters.
I hear, and my body trembles;
at the sound, my lips quiver.
Decay invades my bones,
my legs tremble beneath me.
I await the day of distress
that will come upon the people who attack us.
For though the fig tree blossom not
nor fruit be on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive fail
and the terraces produce no nourishment,
Though the flocks disappear from the fold
and there be no herd in the stalls,
yet will I rejoice in the Lord
and exult in my saving God.
God, my Lord, is my strength;
he makes my feet swift as those of hinds
and enables me to go upon the heights.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 147

God, the foundation of
Jerusalem

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!
    Sion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates
    he has blessed the children within you.
He established peace on your borders,
    he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth
    and swiftly runs his command.
He showers down snow white as wool,
    he scatters hoar-frost like ashes.
He hurls down hailstones like crumbs.
    The waters are frozen at his touch;
he sends forth his word and it melts them:
    at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.
He makes his word known to Jacob,
    to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations;
    he has not taught them his decrees.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.
Readings from the day www.usccb.org

Canticle of
Zechariah

Through the loving mercy of our God, the Rising Sun has come to
visit us.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
    born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
    from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
    holy and righteous in his sight
    all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers and
intercessions

We adore Christ, who offered himself to the Father through the Holy
Spirit to cleanse us from the works of death. We adore him and call upon
him with sincere hearts:
From your generosity we have received the beginning of this day:
    grant us also the beginning of new life.
You created all things, and now you provide for their growth:
    may we always see your handiwork in creation.
With your own blood, you ratified the new and eternal covenant:
    may we remain faithful to that covenant.
On the cross, blood and water flowed from your side:
    may this saving stream wash away our sins and gladden the City of
God.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
Almighty God,
    in this morning prayer we offer you our praise,
grant that in your kingdom,
    together with your saints,
    we may praise you with even greater joy.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
    who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
    Amen.

Saturday Morning, Week 2

God, come to my assistance.
    Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 92

Praise God, the
Creator

.
As morning breaks we sing of your mercy, Lord, and night will
find us proclaiming your fidelity.
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning
    and your truth in the watches of the night,
on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute,
    with the murmuring sound of the harp.
Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad;
    for the work of your hands I shout with joy.
O Lord, how great are your works!
    How deep are your designs!
The foolish man cannot know this
    and the fool cannot understand.
Though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all who do evil thrive,
they are doomed to be eternally destroyed.
    But you, Lord, are eternally on high.
See how your enemies perish;
    all doers of evil are scattered.
To me you give the wild ox‘s strength;
    you anoint me with the purest oil.
My eyes looked in triumph on my foes;
    my ears heard gladly of their fall.
The just will flourish like the palm-tree
    and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
Planted in the house of the Lord
    they will flourish in the courts of our God,
still bearing fruit when they are old,
    still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is just.
    In him, my rock, there is no wrong.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Canticle. Deuteronomy
32

God’s kindness to his
people

Extol the greatness of our God.
Give ear, O heavens, while I speak;
let the earth hearken to the words of my mouth!
May my instruction soak in like the rain,
and my discourse permeate like the dew,
Like a downpour upon the grass,
like a shower upon the crops.
For I will sing the Lord‘s renown.
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock ΓÇô how faultless are his deeds,
how right all his ways!
A faithful God, without deceit,
how just and upright he is!
Yet basely has he been treated by his degenerate children,
a perverse and crooked race!
Is the Lord to be thus repaid by you,
O stupid and foolish people?
Is he not your father who created you?
Has he not made you and established you?
Think back on the days of old,
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you,
ask your elders and they will tell you:
When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage,
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
he set up the boundaries of the peoples
after the number of the sons of God;
while the Lord‘s own portion was Jacob,
his hereditary share was Israel.
He found them in a wilderness,
a wasteland of howling desert.
He shielded them and cared for them,
guarding them as the apple of his eye.
As an eagle incites its nestlings forth
by hovering over its brood,
so he spread his wings to receive them
and bore them up on his pinions.
The Lord alone was their leader,
no strange god was with him.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm 8

The
greatness of God, the dignity of humanity

How wonderful is your name, O Lord, in all creation.
How great is your name, O Lord our God,
    through all the earth!
Your majesty is praised above the heavens;
    on the lips of children and of babes
you have found praise to foil your enemy,
    to silence the foe and the rebel.
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
    the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
    mortal man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him little less than a god;
    with glory and honor you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hand,
    put all things under his feet.
All of them, sheep and cattle,
    yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish
    that make their way through the waters.
How great is your name, O Lord our God
    through all the earth!
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.
Readings from the day: www.usccb.org

Canticle of Zechariah

Blessed by God who shows mercy
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
    he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
    born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
    from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
    holy and righteous in his sight
    all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
    by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son,
    and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
    and will be for ever. Amen.

Prayers and
intercessions.

We praise Christ, asking to serve him and to be holy and righteous in
his sight all the days of our life. We acclaim him:
You desired to experience everything we experience but sin,
    have mercy on us, Lord Jesus.
You called us to love perfectly,
    make us holy, Lord Jesus.
You commissioned us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the
world,
    let your light shine on us, Lord Jesus.
You desired to serve, not to be served:
    help us, Lord Jesus, to give humble service to you and to our
neighbors.
You are in the form of God sharing in the splendor of the Father,
    Lord Jesus, let us see the glory of your face.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
    hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
    Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
    and forgive us our trespasses,
    as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.
Lord God,
    source and origin of our salvation,
make our lives here on earth proclaim your glory
    to prepare for praising you without ceasing in heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
    who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
    one God, for ever and ever Amen.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil, and bring us to
everlasting life.
    Amen.