Psalmody
Psalm 49 (2-13)
Ant. Let us not be afraid of impoverishing ourselves. The good God will know how to provide in some other way for our other needs. (1850 letter to Fr. Bellon)
Hear this, all you peoples,
give ear, all who dwell in the world,
people both high and low,
rich and poor alike!
My mouth will utter wisdom.
The reflections of my heart offer insight.
I will incline my ear to a mystery;
with the harp I will set forth my problem.
Why should I fear in evil days
the malice of the foes who surround me,
those who trust in their wealth,
and boast of the vastness of their riches?
No one can ransom a brother or a sister,
nor pay a price to God for a life.
How high is the price of a soul!
The ransom can never be enough!
No one can buy life unending,
nor avoid going down to the pit.
We see that the wise will die;
the foolish will perish with the senseless,
and leave their wealth to others.
Their graves are their homes forever,
their dwelling place from age to age,
though lands were called by their names.
In their riches, human beings do not endure;
they are like the beasts that perish.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. Let us not be afraid of impoverishing ourselves. The good God will know how to provide in some other way for our other needs.
Psalm 49 (14-21)
Ant. You are being heard, continue to pray with fervor and full trust, and the Saviour shall deliver you. (1854 letter to Fr. Fabre)
This is the way of the foolish,
the outcome of those pleased with their lot:
like sheep they are driven to Sheol,
where death shall become their shepherd,
and the upright shall have dominion.
Their outward show wastes away with the morning,
and Sheol becomes their home.
But God will ransom my soul from the grasp of Sheol;
for God indeed will receive me.
Then do not fear when people grow rich,
when the glory of their houses increases.
They take nothing with them when they die,
their glory does not follow them below.
Though they flattered themselves while they lived,
“People will praise you for all your success,”
yet you will go to join your forebears,
and will never see the light anymore.
In their riches, human beings cannot discern;
they are like the beasts that perish.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. You are being heard, continue to pray with fervor and full trust, and the Saviour shall deliver you.
Canticle (Rev 4:11; 5:9,10, 12)
Ant. God in his goodness comes to the help of those who place their trust in him. So never lose your confidence. (1853 letter to Fr. Mouchette)
Worthy are you, O God, our God,
to receive glory and honour and power.
For you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.
Worthy are you to take the scroll
and open its seals,
For you were slain, and by your blood,
you purchased for God
saints of every race and tongue,
of every people and nation.
You have made of them a kingdom,
and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honour and glory and praise.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. God in his goodness comes to the help of those who place their trust in him. So never lose your confidence.
Reading
What we thought we understood takes on new meanings, and how we understand ourselves changes as we encounter Jesus. Recall the two disciples who walked along the way to Emmaus. They thought they knew the end of the events that occurred in Jerusalem, but their understanding of the things which they thought they knew changed when they arrived at Emmaus. Their hearts were burning as they walked. Their identities also have changed, and now they identify themselves as evangelizers who go to announce the Good News!
(Acts of the 37th General Chapter)
Responsory
We will let our lives be enriched by the poor and the marginalized as we work with them
-We will let our lives be enriched by the poor and the marginalized as we work with them
for they can make us hear in new ways the Gospel we proclaim
-the poor and the marginalized
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit
-We will let our lives be enriched by the poor and the marginalized as we work with them
Canticle of Mary
Ant. True to your loving kindness, you lift us up, O Lord.
My heart is radiant, overflowing with joy,
for you have loved my lowliness.
You have shown me great favour;
all people will call me blest.
Your mercy extends throughout the ages
toward those who revere your holy name.
You have revealed your strength,
scattering the proud of heart.
You dethrone the powerful
and lift up the lowly.
The famished are filled;
the rich sent empty away.
Your people Israel you have remembered,
true to your loving kindness,
just as you have promised long ago
to Sarah and Abraham.
Glory to the Father…
Ant. True to your loving kindness, you lift us up, O Lord.
Intercessions
Eternal shepherd, protect our Pope (name), and all the shepherds of your church.
Have mercy on the needy, Lord, provide food for the hungry.
Enlighten all legislators, to enact laws in the spirit of wisdom and justice.
Lord’s Prayer
Concluding Prayer
Eternal God, whose signature we see, if we dare to look, in the creation of the universe, help us this hour to look and to listen for your handwriting and your voice in this place, among people we meet. Connect our temporary praise to your timeless rhythms, your ageless melodies, your everlasting joyful noise. Guide us now to focus upon you, knowing that in you our distractions become new possibilities for action. Breathe life into our singing, our praying, our speaking, our listening, our touching, that all these activities might become more than they are. In our worship we reach out to you, O God, knowing that you have already enfolded us in your arms. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Novitiate Liturgy of the Hours 