Psalmody
Psalm 24
Ant. A thousand thanks to God for all the blessings. (1838 letter to Mr. Champsaur)
The LORD’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world, and those who dwell in it.
It is the Lord who set it on the seas,
and made it firm on the rivers.
Who shall climb the mountain of the LORD?
Who shall stand in God’s holy place?
The clean of hands and pure of heart,
whose souls are not set on vain things,
who have not sworn deceitful words.
Blessings from the LORD shall they receive,
and right reward from the God who saves them.
Such are the people who seek the Lord,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let the king of glory enter!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD, the mighty, the valiant;
the LORD, the valiant in war.
O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let the king of glory enter!
Who is this king of glory?
The LORD of heavenly hosts;
this is the king of glory.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. A thousand thanks to God for all the blessings.
Canticle (Tobit 13:1-8)
Ant. Let us submit to these unfortunate circumstances and put our trust in God who permits only what is necessary. (1830 letter to Fr. Gulbert)
Blessed be God who lives forever,
whose realm lasts for all ages.
For you scourge, O God, and then have mercy;
you cast down to the depths of the nether world,
and bring up from the great abyss.
No one can escape your hand.
Praise God, you Israelites, before the Gentiles,
for though you are scattered among them,
you have seen God’s greatness even there.
Exalt God before every living being,
because you, O God, are the Most High,
our God forever and ever.
God has scourged you for your iniquities,
but will again have mercy on you all.
Gathering you from all the Gentiles
among whom you have been scattered.
When you turn back to God with all your heart,
to do only what is right,
then God will turn back to you,
God’s face will no longer be hidden.
So now consider what has been done for you,
and give praise with full voice.
Bless the God of righteousness,
and exalt the Ruler of all ages.
In the land of my exile I praise you, O God,
and show your power and majesty to a sinful nation.
‘Turn back, you sinners! Do what is right:
perhaps God may look with favour upon you
and show you mercy.
As for me, I exult my God,
and my spirit rejoices.
Let all speak of God’s majesty,
and sing God’s praises in Jerusalem.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. Let us submit to these unfortunate circumstances and put our trust in God who permits only what is necessary.
Psalm 33
Ant. Place all one’s trust in God, and never rely on one’s own strength or be satisfied with good intentions. (1809 General Counsels, reflections)
Ring out your joy to the LORD, O you righteous;
for praise is fitting from the upright.
Give thanks to the LORD upon the harp;
with a ten-stringed lute sing songs to God.
O sing a song that is new;
play skilfully, with shouts of joy.
For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all God’s works to be trusted.
The LORD loves justice and right;
God’s faithful love fills the earth.
By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
by the breath of God’s mouth, all their host.
As in a flask, God collects the waves of the ocean,
and stores up the depths of the sea.
Let all the earth fear the LORD,
all who live in the world show reverence.
God spoke, and it came to be;
commanded and it stood in place.
The LORD frustrates the designs of the nations,
and defeats the plans of the peoples.
The designs of the LORD stand forever,
the plans of God’s heart from age to age.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people God has chosen as a heritage.
From the heavens the LORD looks forth,
and sees the whole human race.
From the heavenly dwelling God gazes
on all the dwellers on the earth,
God who shapes the hearts of them all,
and considers all their deeds.
A ruler is not saved by a great army,
nor a warrior preserved by great strength.
A vain hope for safety is the horse;
despite its power it cannot save.
Behold, the eyes of the LORD
are on those who fear him,
who hope in God’s faithful love,
to rescue their soul from death,
to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul is waiting for the LORD,
our God, our help and our shield.
In you do our hearts find joy;
we trust in your holy name.
May your faithful love be upon us,
as we hope in you, O LORD.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. Place all one’s trust in God, and never rely on one’s own strength or be satisfied with good intentions.
Reading
May Christ dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love, so that you may be fully able to grasp, with all the holy ones, what is the breadth and length, the height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that is beyond all knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Glory to God, whose power is able to accomplish in us infinitely more than we can ask or imagine! Glory to God in the church and in Christ Jesus from generation to generation forevermore! Amen.
(Ephesians 3:17-21)
Responsory
Whoever wishes to be one of us must have an ardent desire for his own perfection and be enflamed with love
-Whoever wishes to be one of us must have an ardent desire for his own perfection and be enflamed with love
for our Lord Jesus Christ and his Church and a burning zeal for the salvation of souls
-and be enflamed with love
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
-Whoever wishes to be one of us must have an ardent desire for his own perfection and be enflamed with love
Canticle of Zachariah
Ant. We are called to be prophets of God.
O God, you have come and freed your people;
from David’s house you have sent a Saviour.
Through ages the prophets have told us
that we would be saved from hatred.
You have shown to us your great mercy
by the promise to Sarah and Abraham
that we should be freed from all fear
to serve you in justice and holiness.
And you, John, are called prophet of God,
for you will prepare the way
to lead people to salvation
through the awareness and knowledge of God.
Praise to you, God of Israel.
The bright dawn will break upon us.
You give light to those in darkness.
You guide us to ways of peace.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. We are called to be prophets of God.
Intercessions
We pray for places where there is war or civil strife, that their leaders may choose the path of peace and reconciliation.
May all those who love and pursue justice, work together without deceit to build a world of true peace.
That people everywhere may look at the birds of the air and the lilies of the field and so come to recognize and love the beauty of life in all its forms.
Lord’s Prayer
Concluding Prayer
O God who makes all things new, speak to us today. May your truth touch not just our intellects, but also our deeper yearnings of heart and soul. We bring with us our daily concerns, as well as our more eternal questions. May your new creation in us shed light upon our everyday walk. Amen.
Novitiate Liturgy of the Hours 