This is the Liturgy of the Hours for December 31. Your local date is .
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Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 667
Proper of Seasons: 275
Psalter: Monday, Week III, 952
Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 694
Proper of Seasons: 95
Psalter: Monday, Week III, 872
Evening Prayer for Monday in the 3rd Week of Advent
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. Alleluia.
HYMN
Long is our winter
dark is our night
O come set us free
O saving Light.
O come dwell among us
O saving Light.
Amen.
| 𝄞 | "Long is Our Winter" • Title: Long Is Our Winter; Text: Eleanor Walker, 1922–1979.; Artist: The Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop; Used with permission from The Schola Cantorum of St. Peter's in the Loop. |
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Our eyes are fixed intently on the Lord, waiting for his merciful help.
Psalm 123
The Lord, unfailing hope of his people
Two blind men cried out: “Have pity on us, Lord, Son of David” (Matthew 20:30).
To you have I lifted up my eyes,
you who dwell in the heavens:
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul
with the scorn of the rich,
with the proud man’s disdain.
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-prayer
Father in heaven, we lift our eyes to you and pray: confound the scorn of the proud and graciously show us your mercy.
Ant. Our eyes are fixed intently on the Lord, waiting for his merciful help.
Ant. 2 Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124
Our help is in the name of the Lord
The Lord said to Paul: “Fear not… I am with you” (Acts 18).
“If the Lord had not been on our side,”
this is Israel’s song.
“If the Lord had not been on our side
when men rose against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us,
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept the raging waters.”
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us
as prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and 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.
Psalm-prayer
Lord Jesus, you foretold that your disciples would be despised on account of your name, but that not a hair of their heads is ever forgotten. In times of persecution, defend and revive us by the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit, so that we can be freed from our enemies and praise your saving help.
Ant. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth.
Ant. 3 God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.
Canticle – Ephesians 1:3-10
God our Savior
Praised be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has bestowed on us in Christ
every spiritual blessing in the heavens.
God chose us in him
before the world began
to be holy
and blameless in his sight.
He predestined us
to be his adopted sons through Jesus Christ,
such was his will and pleasure,
that all might praise the glorious favor
he has bestowed on us in his beloved.
In him and through his blood, we have been redeemed,
and our sins forgiven,
so immeasurably generous
is God’s favor to us.
God has given us the wisdom
to understand fully the mystery,
the plan he was pleased
to decree in Christ.
A plan to be carried out
in Christ, in the fullness of time,
to bring all things into one in him,
in the heavens and on 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.
Ant. God chose us in his Son to be his adopted children.
READING Philippians 3:20b-21
We eagerly await the coming of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will give a new form to this lowly body of ours and remake it according to the pattern of his glorified body, by his power to subject everything to himself.
Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)
A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.
RESPONSORY
Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.
— Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.
Let your face shine upon us and we shall be saved,
— Lord God of power and might.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— Come and set us free, Lord God of power and might.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. All generations will call me blessed: the Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
Luke 1:46-55
The soul rejoices in the Lord
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant,
and from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me:
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
Ant. All generations will call me blessed: the Lord has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
INTERCESSIONS
We cry to the Lord, who will come to bring us salvation:
Come, Lord, and save us.
Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Savior of all,
— come swiftly and save us.
Come, Lord, and save us.
Lord, by your coming into this world,
— free us from the sin of the world.
Come, Lord, and save us.
You came from the Father,
— show us the path that leads to him.
Come, Lord, and save us.
You were conceived by the Holy Spirit,
— by your word renew the same Spirit in our hearts.
Come, Lord, and save us.
You became incarnate from the Virgin Mary,
— free our bodies from corruption.
Come, Lord, and save us.
Lord, be mindful of all men,
— who from the beginning of time have placed their trust in you.
Come, Lord, and save us.
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.
Concluding Prayer
Incline a merciful ear to our cry,
we pray, O Lord,
and casting light on the darkness of our hearts,
visit us with the grace of your Son.
Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.