Prayer of Christians

at Assumption

Week 4
www.assumptionsisters.org

68
Ecclesiastes
(Frontispiece)
Ecclesiastes 1:1 – 2:11
Artist: Donald Jackson

As a Wisdom Book, Ecclesiastes, focuses attention on life, death and

God’s relationship with humanity. A raven, a common symbol of death,
serves as a messenger flying up from the center of the illumination ap-
pearing to carry the breath of life back to God. It is pierced and sur-
rounded by gold and silver bars, designations of divinity.

The divine, human, and natural realms are juxtaposed with each other
as they portray the various ways in which God creates.

The four elements of creation are all here: the green hues of fertile
earth, the mysterious blues reflected in both sky and water, and the fire
found in stars and comets. Despite the chaos of circling images spinning
off the page, there is a constant communication between the heavens
and the earth.

A vast illuminated manuscript, The Saint John’s Bible, has been commissioned
by Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, from the contemporary
scribe and illuminator, Donald Jackson. Mr. Jackson works in the Scriptorium
in Wales, where he handwrites the Bible and creates illuminations in a unique
collaboration with other artists and scribes.

A Heritage edition of The Saint John’s Bible may be found in the Tinsley Cam-
pus Ministry Center, immediately behind the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

©2005 The Saint John’s Bible and Saint John’s University, United States of America

www.saintjohnsbible.org

2 67
SUNDAY

EVENING PRAYER I

Psalm 122
Ant. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

"Let us go to God's house."
And now our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel's law it is,

there to praise the Lord's name.
There were set the thrones of judgment
of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

"Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls,
in your palaces, peace!"

For love of my brethren and friends

I say: "Peace upon you!"
For love of the house of the Lord
I will ask for your good.

66 3
Praise the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit,
both now and forever,
the God who is, who was and is to come
at the end of the ages. Amen.

Psalm 130
Ant. From the morning watch until night, I have
waited trustingly for the Lord.

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord,

Lord, hear my voice!

O let your ears be attentive

to the voice of my pleading.

If you, O Lord, should mark our guilt,

Lord, who would survive?

But with you is found forgiveness:

for this we revere you.

My soul is waiting for the Lord,

I count on his word.

My soul is longing for the Lord

more than watchman for daybreak.

Let the watchman count on daybreak

and Israel on the Lord.

Because with the Lord there is mercy

and fullness of redemption,

Israel indeed he will redeem

from all its iniquity.

4 65
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, Glory to the Father and to the Son
the moon and the stars which you arranged and to the Holy Spirit:

What is man that you should keep him in mind, as it was in the beginning, is now,
mortal man that you care for him? and will be forever. Amen.

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, Canticle - Philippians 2: 6-11
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!

Give praise to the Father Almighty,

to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,

To the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,

both now and forever. Amen.

64 5
I will sprinkle clean water upon you ‡
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.

I will give you a new heart

and place a new spirit within you,

taking from your bodies your stony hearts

and giving you natural hearts.

I will put my spirit within you ‡

and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.

You shall live in the land I gave your fathers; ‡

you shall be my people,
and I will be your 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 forever. Amen.

Psalm 8
Ant. On the lips of children and infants you have
found perfect praise.

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.

6 63
See how your enemies perish;
all doers of evil are scattered. SUNDAY
To me you give the wild-ox’s strength;
you anoint me with the purest oil.

My eyes looked in triumph on my foes; MORNING PRAYER

my ears heard gladly of their fall.

The just will flourish like the palm-tree Psalm 118

and grow like a Lebanon cedar. Ant. Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will
never fail, alleluia.
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,
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
To proclaim that the Lord is just; For his love endures forever.
in him, my rock, there is no wrong.
Let the sons of Israel say:
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, "His love endures forever."
and to the Holy Spirit:
Let the sons of Aaron say:
As it was in the beginning, is now, "His love endures forever."
and will be forever. Amen.
Let those who fear the Lord say:
"His love endures forever."

Canticle - Ezechiel 36:24-28 I called to the Lord in my distress;

he answered and freed me.
Ant. I will create a new heart in you, and breathe
into you a new spirit. The Lord is at my side; I do not fear.
What can man do against me?

The Lord is at my side as my helper:

I shall look down on my foes.
I will take you away from among the nations, ‡
gather you from all the foreign lands, It is better to take refuge in the Lord
and bring you back to your own land. than to trust in men:

62 7
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes. SATURDAY
The nations all encompassed me;
in the Lord's name I crushed them.

They compassed me, compassed me about; MORNING PRAYER

in the Lord's name I crushed them.

They compassed me about like bees; ‡ Psalm 92

they blazed like a fire among thorns. Ant. We do well to sing to your name, Most High,
In the Lord's name I crushed them. and proclaim your mercy at daybreak.

I was hard-pressed and was falling

but the Lord came to help me.

The Lord is my strength and my song; It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
he is my savior. to make music to your name, O Most High,

There are shouts of joy and victory To proclaim your love in the morning
in the tents of the just. and your truth in the watches of the night,

The Lord's right hand has triumphed; On the ten-stringed lyre and the lute,
his right hand raised me. with the murmuring sound of the harp.

The Lord's right hand has triumphed; ‡ Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad;
I shall not die, I shall live for the work of your hands I shout with joy.
and recount his deeds.
O Lord, how great are your works!
I was punished, I was punished by the Lord, How deep are your designs!
but not doomed to die.
The foolish man cannot know this
Open to me the gates of holiness: and the fool cannot understand.
I will enter and give thanks.
Though the wicked spring up like grass
This is the Lord's own gate and all who do evil thrive:
where the just may enter.
They are doomed to be eternally destroyed.
I will thank you for you have answered But you, Lord, are eternally on high.
and you are my savior.

8 61
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the corner stone.

This is the work of the Lord,

a marvel in our eyes.

This day was made by the Lord;

we rejoice and are glad.

O Lord, grant us salvation;

O Lord, grant success.

Blessed in the name of the Lord

is he who comes.

We bless you from the house of the Lord;

the Lord God is our light.

Go forward in procession with branches

even to the altar.

You are my God, I thank you.

My God, I praise you.

Give thanks to the Lord for he is good;

for his love endures forever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be forever. Amen.

60 9
Canticle - Daniel 3:52-57 Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
Ant. Let us sing a hymn of praise to our God,
alleluia. As it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, Canticle - Revelation 15:3-4
and blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for ages.

Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,

Blessed are you who look into the depths from your
throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.

Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.

Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord,

You heavens, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.

Bless the God of gods, all you who fear the Lord,
praise him and give him thanks,
because his mercy endures forever.

Give glory to the Father Almighty ‡

to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord
to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts.

10 59
How good is the Lord to all, Psalm 150
compassionate to all his creatures.
Ant. Let everything that breathes give praise to the
All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, Lord, alleluia.
and your friends shall repeat their blessing.

They shall speak of the glory of your reign

and declare your might, O God.

To make known to men your mighty deeds Praise God in his holy place,
and the glorious splendor of your reign. praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his powerful deeds,
Yours is an everlasting kingdom; praise his surpassing greatness.
your rule lasts from age to age.
Praise him with sound of trumpet,
The Lord is faithful in all his words praise him with lute and harp.
and loving in all his deeds. Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes.
The Lord supports all who fall
and raises all who are bowed down. O praise him with resounding cymbals,
praise him with clashing of cymbals.
The eyes of all creatures look to you Let everything that lives and that breathes
and you give them their food in due time. give praise to the Lord. Amen.

You open wide your hand, Give praise to the Father Almighty,
grant the desires of all who live. to his Son, Jesus Christ the Lord,
to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
The Lord is just in all his ways both now and forever. Amen.
and loving in all his deeds.

He is close to all who call him,

who call on him from their hearts.

He grants the desires of those who fear him,

he hears their cry and saves them.

The Lord protects all who love him;

but the wicked he will utterly destroy.

Let me speak the praise of the Lord, ‡

let all mankind bless his holy name
forever, for ages unending.
58 11
SUNDAY FRIDAY

EVENING PRAYER II EVENING PRAYER

Psalm 110 Psalm 145

Ant. In eternal splendor, before the dawn of light Ant. Day after day I will bless you, Lord; I will tell
on earth, I have begotten you, alleluia. of your marvelous deeds.

The Lord's revelation to my Master: ‡ I will give you glory, O God my King,
"Sit on my right: I will bless your name forever.
your foes I will put beneath your feet."
I will bless you day after day
The Lord will yield from Zion ‡ and praise your name forever.
your scepter of power:
rule in the midst of all your foes. The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.
A prince from the day of your birth ‡
on the holy mountains; Age to age shall proclaim your works,
from the womb before the dawn I begot you. shall declare your mighty deeds,

The Lord has sworn an oath he will not change. ‡ Shall speak of your splendor and glory,
"You are a priest forever, tell the tale of your wonderful works.
a priest like Melchizedek of old."
They will speak of your terrible deeds,
The Master standing at your right hand recount your greatness and might.
will shatter kings in the day of his great wrath.
They will recall your abundant goodness;
He shall drink from the stream by the wayside age to age shall ring out your justice.
and therefore shall he lift up his head.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
Glory to the Father and to the Son slow to anger, abounding in love.
and to the Holy Spirit:

12 57
He has not dealt thus with other nations; as it was in the beginning, is now,
he has not taught them his decrees. and will be forever. Amen.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit:
Psalm 112
As it was in the beginning, is now,
Ant. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for
and will be forever. Amen.
holiness; they will be satisfied.

Happy the man who fears the Lord,

who takes delight in all his commands.

His sons will be powerful on earth;

the children of the upright are blessed.

Riches and wealth are in his house;

his justice stands firm forever.

He is a light in the darkness for the upright:

he is generous, merciful and just.

The good man takes pity and lends,

he conducts his affairs with honor.

The just man will never waver:

he will be remembered forever.

He has no fear of evil news;

with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.

With a steadfast heart he will not fear;

he will see the downfall of his foes.

Open-handed, he gives to the poor; ‡

his justice stands firm forever.
His head will be raised in glory.

56 13
The wicked man sees and is angry, ‡ I will sing to my God the king of heaven,
grinds his teeth and fades away; my soul shall exult in his greatness.
the desire of the wicked leads to doom.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit:
and to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 147:12-20
Canticle - Revelation 19:1-7 Ant. Zion, praise your God, who sent his Word to
renew the earth.

O praise the Lord, Jerusalem!

Zion, 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.

14 55
He punishes, he also has mercy,
he leads men to the depths of the grave.

He restores them from the great destruction.

No man can escape his hand.

Proclaim him Israel’s sons, amid the nations,

for it is he who scattered us among them.

Among them must we show forth his greatness

and exalt him in the presence of all living;

for he is our Lord and our God,

our Father and our God forever.

Though he punished us because of our sins

yet he will show us his mercy again.

he will lead us out from the nations,

from those among whom we were scattered.

If you turn to him with all your heart,

with all your soul live in truth before him,

then he will turn back to you,

he will hide his face no longer.

Now think what he has done for you,

give thanks to him with all your voice.

Give praise to the Lord for his justice

and exalt the king of all ages.

In this land of exile I will thank him, ‡

and show forth his greatness and might
to the race of sinful men.

Sinners, come back to him, ‡

do what is right before him.
Who knows but he will receive you with pity?

54 15
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 Zion:

rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice,
holocausts offered on your altar.

Give praise to the Father Almighty,

to his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lord,
to the Spirit who dwells in our hearts,
both now and forever. Amen.

Canticle - Tobit 13:8-11, 13-15

Ant. Rejoice, Jerusalem, for through you all will be
gathered to the Lord.

Blessed be God! He lives forever.

His kingdom will last from age to age.

16 53
FRIDAY MONDAY

MORNING PRAYER MORNING PRAYER

Psalm 51 Psalm 90
Ant. Create a clean heart in me, O God; renew in me Ant. Each morning, Lord, you fill us with your kind-
a steadfast spirit. ness.

Lord, you have been our refuge

from one generation to the next.
Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness.
In your compassion blot out my offense.
Before the mountains were born ‡
O wash me more and more from my guilt
or the earth or the world brought forth,
and cleanse me from my sin.
you are God, without beginning or end.
My offenses truly I know them;
You turn men back to dust
my sin is always before me.
and say: "Go back, sons of men."
Against you, you alone, have I sinned;
what is evil in your sight I have done.
To your eyes a thousand years ‡
are like yesterday, come and gone,
That you may be justified when you give sentence
no more than a watch in the night.
and be without reproach when you judge.
O see, in guilt I was born,
You sweep men away like a dream,
a sinner was I conceived.
like grass which springs up in the morning.
Indeed you love truth in the heart;
In the morning it springs up and flowers:
then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom.
by evening it withers and fades.
O purify me, then I shall be clean;
O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow.
So we are destroyed in your anger,
struck with terror in your fury.
Make me hear rejoicing and gladness,
that the bones you have crushed may revive.
Our guilt lies open before you;
From my sins turn away your face
our secrets in the light of your face.
and blot out all my guilt.

52 17
All our days pass away in your anger. Canticle - Revelation 11: 17-18; 12: 10b-12a
Our life is over like a sigh.

Our span is seventy years

or eighty for those who are strong.

And most of these are emptiness and pain.

They pass swiftly and we are gone.
Psalm tone
Who understands the power of your anger
and fears the strength of your fury?

Make us know the shortness of our life

that we may gain wisdom of heart. We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
Lord, relent! Is your anger forever? You have assumed your great power,
Show pity to your servants. you have begun your reign.

In the morning, fill us with your love; The nations have raged in anger,
we shall rejoice and exult all our days. but then came your day of wrath and the moment to
judge the dead:
Give us joy to balance our affliction the time to reward your servants the prophets and the
for the years when we knew misfortune. holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Show forth your work to your servants;
let your glory shine on their children. Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our God and the authority of his Anointed
Let the favor of the Lord be upon us: ‡ One.
give success to the work of our hands, For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
give success to the work of our hands. who night and day accused them before God.

Glory to the Father and to the Son They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and to the Holy Spirit: and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
as it was in the beginning, is now, So rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell therein!
and will be forever. Amen.

18 51
whose mouths are filled with lies, Canticle - Isaiah 42: 10-16
whose hands are raised in perjury.
Ant. From the farthest bounds of earth, may God be
To you, O God, will I sing a new song; praised!
I will play on the ten-stringed harp

to you who give kings their victory,

who set David your servant free.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
You set him free from the evil sword; his praise from the end of the earth:
you rescued him from alien foes
let the sea and what fills it resound,
whose mouths were filled with lies, the coastlands, and those who dwell in them.
whose hands were raised in perjury.
Let the steppe and its cities cry out,
Let our sons then flourish like saplings the villages where Kedar dwells;
grown tall and strong from their youth:
let the inhabitants of Sela exult,
our daughters graceful as columns, and shout from the top of the mountains.
adorned as though for a palace.
Let them give glory to the Lord,
Let our barns be filled to overflowing and utter his praise in the coastlands.
with crops of every kind;
The Lord goes forth like a hero,
our sheep increasing by thousands, ‡ like a warrior he stirs up his ardor;
myriads of sheep in our fields,
our cattle heavy with young, he shouts out his battle cry,
against his enemies he shows his might:
no ruined wall, no exile,
no sound of weeping in our streets. I have looked away, and kept silence,
I have said nothing, holding myself in;
Happy the people with such blessings;
happy the people whose God is the Lord. but now, I cry out as a woman in labor,
gasping and panting.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit: I will lay waste mountains and hills,
all their herbage I will dry up;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen. I will turn the rivers into marshes,
and the marshes I will dry up.

50 19
I will lead the blind on their journey;
by paths unknown I will guide them. THURSDAY
I will turn darkness into light before them,
and make crooked ways straight.

Glory to the Father and to the Son EVENING PRAYER

and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now, Psalm 144

and will be forever. Amen. Ant. He is my comfort and my refuge. In him I put
my trust.

Psalm 135: 1-12

Ant. You who stand in his sanctuary, praise the
name of the Lord. Blessed be the Lord, my rock ‡
who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war.

He is my love, my fortress;
Praise the name of the Lord, he is my stronghold, my savior,
praise him, servants of the Lord,
my shield, my place of refuge.
who stand in the house of the Lord, He brings peoples under my rule.
in the courts of the house of our God.
Lord, what is man that you care for him,
Praise the Lord for the Lord is good. mortal man, that you keep him in mind;
Sing a psalm to his name for he is loving.
man, who is merely a breath,
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself whose life fades like a shadow?
and Israel for his own possession.
Lower your heavens and come down;
For I know the Lord is great, touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke.
that our Lord is high above all gods.
Flash your lightnings; rout the foe,
The Lord does whatever he wills, shoot your arrows and put them to flight.
in heaven, on earth, in the seas.
Reach down from heaven and save me; ‡
draw me out from the mighty waters,
from the hands of alien foes

20 49
he heals the broken-hearted, He summons the clouds from the ends of the earth; ‡
he binds up all their wounds. makes lightning produce the rain;
from his treasuries he sends forth the wind.
He fixes the number of the stars;
he calls each one by its name. The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
of man and beast alike.
Our Lord is great and almighty;
his wisdom can never be measured. Signs and wonders he worked ‡
in the midst of your land, O Egypt,
The Lord raises the lowly; against Pharaoh and all his servants.
he humbles the wicked to the dust.
Nations in their greatness he struck
O sing to the Lord, giving thanks; and kings in their splendor he slew.
sing psalms to our God with the harp.
Sihon, king of the Amorites, ‡
He covers the heavens with clouds; Og, the king of Bashan,
he prepares the rain for the earth, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.

making mountains sprout with grass He let Israel inherit their land;
and with plants to serve man's needs. on his people their land he bestowed.

He provides the beasts with their food Glory to the Father and to the Son
and young ravens that call upon him. and to the Holy Spirit:

His delight is not in horses as it was in the beginning, is now,

nor his pleasure in warriors' strength. and will be forever. Amen.

The Lord delights in those who revere him,

in those who wait for his love.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be forever. Amen.

48 21
Oh, that you may suck fully
MONDAY of the milk of her comfort,

that you may nurse with delight

at her abundant breasts!
EVENING PRAYER For thus says the Lord: ‡
Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing tor-
Psalm 136 rent.

As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms,

and fondled in her lap;

as a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you;

O give thanks to the Lord for he is good, in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.
for his love endures forever.
When you see this, your heart shall rejoice,
Give thanks to the God of gods, and your bodies flourish like grass.
for his love endures forever.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
Give thanks to the Lord of lords, and to the Holy Spirit:
for his love endures forever;
as it was in the beginning, is now,
Who alone has wrought marvelous works, and will be forever. Amen.
for his love endures forever;

whose wisdom it was made the skies,

for his love endures forever; Psalm 147: 1-11
Ant. Let us joyfully praise the Lord our God.
who fixed the earth firmly on the seas,
for his love endures forever.

It was he who made the great lights,

for his love endures forever, Praise the Lord for he is good; ‡
sing to our God for he is loving:
The sun to rule in the day, to him our praise is due.
for his love endures forever,
The Lord builds up Jerusalem
The moon and stars in the night, and brings back Israel's exiles,
for his love endures forever.

22 47
Do not hide your face The first-born of the Egyptians he smote,
lest I become like those in the grave. for his love endures forever.

In the morning let me know your love He brought Israel out from their midst,
for I put my trust in you. for his love endures forever;

Make me know the way I should walk: arm outstretched, with power in his hand,
to you I lift up my soul. for his love endures forever.

Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies; He divided the Red Sea in two,
I have fled to you for refuge. for his love endures forever;

Teach me to do your will he made Israel pass through the midst,

for you, O Lord, are my God. for his love endures forever;

Let your good spirit guide me he flung Pharaoh and his force in the sea,
in ways that are level and smooth. for his love endures forever.

For your name's sake, Lord, save my life; Through the desert his people he led,
in your justice save my soul from distress. for his love endures forever.

Glory to the Father and to the Son Nations in their greatness he struck,
and to the Holy Spirit: for his love endures forever.

as it was in the beginning, is now, Kings in their splendor he slew,

and will be forever. Amen. for his love endures forever.

Sihon, king of the Amorites,

for his love endures forever;
Canticle - Isaiah 66: 10-14a
and Og, the king of Bashan,
Ant. The Lord will make a river of peace flow
for his love endures forever.
through Jerusalem.
He let Israel inherit their land,
for his love endures forever.

On his servant their land he bestowed,

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, for his love endures forever.
all you who love her;
He remembered us in our distress,
exult, exult with her, for his love endures forever.
all you who were mourning over her!

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And he snatched us away from our foes,
for his love endures forever. THURSDAY
He gives food to all living things,
for his love endures forever.

To the God of heaven give thanks, MORNING PRAYER

for his love endures forever.

To the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit Psalm 143

give praise forever. Amen. Ant. At daybreak, be merciful to me, O Lord.

Canticle - Ephesians 1: 3-10

Lord, listen to my prayer: ‡
turn your ear to my appeal.
You are faithful, you are just; give answer.

Do not call your servant to judgment

for no one is just in your sight.

The enemy pursues my soul;

he has crushed my life to the ground;

he has made me dwell in darkness

like the dead, long forgotten.

Therefore my spirit fails;

my heart is numb within me.

I remember the days that are past:

I ponder all your works.

I muse on what your hand has wrought ‡

and to you I stretch out my hands.
Like parched land my soul thirsts for you.

Lord, make haste and answer;

for my spirit fails within me.

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44 25
TUESDAY

MORNING PRAYER

Psalm 100
Ant. I will sing to you, O Lord; I will learn from you
the way of perfection.

My song is of mercy and justice;

I sing to you, O Lord. /
I will walk in the way of perfection.
O when, Lord, will you come?

I will walk with blameless heart

within my house; /
I will not set before my eyes
whatever is base.

I will hate the ways of the crooked;

they shall not be my friends. /
The false-hearted must keep far away;
the wicked I disown.

The man who slanders his neighbor in secret

I will bring to silence. /
The man of proud looks and haughty heart
I will never endure.

I look to the faithful in the land

that they may dwell with me. /
He who walks in the way of perfection
shall be my friend.

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as it was in the beginning, is now, No man who practices deceit
and will be forever. Amen. shall live within my house. /
No man who utters lies shall stand
before my eyes.
Canticle - Colossians 1: 12-20 Morning by morning I will silence
all the wicked in the land, /
uprooting from the city of the Lord
all who do evil.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit
as it was in the beginning is now,
and will be forever. Amen.

Canticle –Daniel 3:26, 27, 29, 34_41

Ant. Lord, do not withhold your compassion from
us.

Blessed are you, and praiseworthy, O Lord, the God of

our fathers,
and glorious forever is your name.

For you are just in all you have done; ‡

all your deeds are faultless, all your ways right,
and all your judgments proper.

For we have sinned and transgressed ‡

by departing from you,
and we have done every kind of evil.

For your name's sake, do not deliver us up forever,

or make void your covenant.

42 27
Do not take away your mercy from us, ‡ Even there your hand would lead me,
for the sake of Abraham, your beloved, your right hand would hold me fast.
Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,
If I say: "Let the darkness hide me
To whom you promised to multiply their offspring ‡ and the light around me be night,"
like the stars of heaven,
or the sand on the shore of the sea. Even darkness is not dark for you
and the night is as clear as the day.
For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation, ‡
brought low everywhere in the world this day For it was you who created my being,
because of our sins. knit me together in my mother's womb.

We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader, ‡ I thank you for the wonder of my being,
no holocaust, sacrifice, oblation, or incense, for the wonders of all your creation.
no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.
Already you knew my soul,
But with contrite heart and humble spirit my body held no secret from you
let us be received;
when I was being fashioned in secret
as though it were holocausts of rams and bullocks, ‡ and molded in the depths of the earth.
or thousands of fat lambs,
so let our sacrifice be in your presence today Your eyes saw all my actions,
they were all of them written in your book;
as we follow you unreservedly;
for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame. every one of my days was decreed
before one of them came into being.
And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you To me, how mysterious your thoughts,
the sum of them not to be numbered!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit If I count them, they are more than the sand;
to finish, I must be eternal, like you.
as it was in the beginning is now,
and will be forever. Amen. O search me, God, and know my heart.
O test me and know my thoughts.

See that I follow not the wrong path

and lead me in the path of life eternal.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit:

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Psalm 144:1-10
WEDNESDAY Ant. O God, I will sing to you a new song.

EVENING PRAYER
Blessed be the Lord, my rock, ‡
who trains my arms for battle,
Psalm 139 who prepares my hands for war.
Ant. Lord, how wonderful is your wisdom, so far
beyond my understanding. He is my love, my fortress; ‡
he is my stronghold, my savior,
my shield, my place of refuge.

He brings peoples under my rule. ‡

Lord, what is man that you care for him,
O Lord, you search me and you know me, ‡ mortal man, that you keep him in mind;
you know my resting and my rising,
you discern my purpose from afar. man, who is merely a breath,
whose life fades like a passing shadow?
You mark when I walk or lie down,
all my ways lie open to you. Lower your heavens and come down;
touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke.
Before ever a word is on my tongue
you know it, O Lord, through and through. Flash your lightnings; rout the foe,
shoot your arrows and put them to flight.
Behind and before you besiege me,
your hand ever laid upon me. Reach down from heaven and save me;
draw me out from the mighty waters,
Too wonderful for me, this knowledge,
too high, beyond my reach. from the hands of alien foes ‡
whose mouths are filled with lies,
O where can I go from your spirit, whose hands are raised in perjury.
or where can I flee from your face?
To you, O God, will I sing a new song;
If I climb the heavens, you are there. I will play on the ten-stringed harp
If I lie in the grave, you are there.
to you who give kings their victory,
If I take the wings of the dawn who set David your servant free.
and dwell at the sea's furthest end,

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Glory to the Father, and to the Son, Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning is now, as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be forever. Amen. and will be forever. Amen.

30 39
Psalm 146
Ant. I will praise my God all the days of my life.
TUESDAY

EVENING PRAYER
My soul, give praise to the Lord; ‡
I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live. Psalm 137
Ant. If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand
Put no trust in princes,
wither.
in mortal men in whom there is no help.

Take their breath, they return to clay

and their plans that day come to nothing.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob's God, By the rivers of Babylon‡

whose hope is in the Lord his God, there we sat and wept,
remembering Zion;
who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain. On the poplars that grew there
we hung up our harps.
It is he who keeps faith forever,
who is just to those who are oppressed. For it was there that they asked us, ‡
our captors, for songs,
It is he who gives bread to the hungry, our oppressors, for joy.
the Lord, who sets prisoners free,
"Sing to us," they said,
The Lord who gives sight to the blind, "one of Zion's songs."
who raises up those who are bowed down,
O how could we sing ‡
the Lord, who protects the stranger the song of the Lord
and upholds the widow and orphan. on alien soil?

It is the Lord who loves the just If I forget you, Jerusalem,

but thwarts the path of the wicked. let my right hand wither!

The Lord will reign forever, O let my tongue ‡

Zion's God, from age to age. cleave to my mouth
if I remember you not,

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If I prize not Jerusalem As the earth brings forth its plants,
above all my joys! and a garden makes its growth spring up, /
so will the Lord God make justice and praise
Glory to the Father and to the Son spring up before all the nations.
and to the Holy Spirit:
For Zion's sake I will not be silent,
as it was in the beginning, is now, for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, /
and will be forever. Amen. until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a torch.

Nations shall behold your vindication,

Psalm 138 and all kings your glory; /
you shall be called by a new name
Ant. In the presence of the angels I will sing to you,
pronounced by the mouth of the Lord.
my God.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem held by your God. /
No more shall men call you "Forsaken,"
or your land "Desolate,"
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart,
you have heard the words of my mouth. / but you shall be called "My delight,"
In the presence of angels I will bless you. and your land "Espoused." /
I will adore before your holy temple. For the Lord delights in you,
and makes your land his spouse.
I thank you for your faithfulness and love
which excel all we ever knew of you. / As a young man marries a virgin,
On the day I called, you answered; your Builder shall marry you; /
you increased the strength of my soul. and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.
All earth's kings shall thank you
when they hear the words of your mouth. / Glory to the Father and to the Son
They shall sing of the Lord's ways: and to the Holy Spirit:
"How great is the glory of the Lord!" as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be forever. Amen.
The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly
and the haughty he knows from afar. /
Though I walk in the midst of affliction
you give me life and frustrate my foes.

32 37
Moab I will use for my washbowl, ‡ You stretch out your hand and save me,
on Edom I will plant my shoe. your hand will do all things for me.
Over the Philistines I will shout in triumph." Your love, O Lord, is eternal,
discard not the work of your hands.
But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?
Who will bring me face to face with Edom? Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit:
Will you utterly reject us, O God, as it was in the beginning, is now,
and no longer march with our armies? and will be forever. Amen.

Give us help against the foe:

for the help of man is vain.
Canticle - Revelation 4: 11; 5: 9, 10, 12
With God we shall do bravely
and he will trample down our foes.

Glory to the Father and to the Son

and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be forever. Amen.

Canticle - Isaiah 61: 10 -- 62: 5

Ant. The Lord has robed me with grace and salva-
tion.

I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of

my soul;
for he has clothed me with a robe of salvation, |
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice, /
like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.

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WEDNESDAY

MORNING PRAYER

Psalm 108
Ant. My heart is ready, O God, my heart is ready.

My heart is ready, O God;

I will sing, sing your praise.

Awake my soul; ‡
awake, lyre and harp.
I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,

among the nations I will praise you,

for your love reaches to the heavens

and your truth to the skies.

O God, arise above the heavens;

may your glory shine on earth!

O come and deliver your friends;

help with your right hand and reply.

From his holy place, God has made this promise: ‡

"I will triumph and divide the land of Shechem;
I will measure out the valley of Succoth.

Gilead is mine and Manasseh. ‡

Ephraim I take for my helmet,
Judah for my commander's staff.

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