This is the Liturgy of the Hours for December 31. Your local date is .
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Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Proper of Seasons: 317
Psalter: Monday, Week II, 811
Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings
Office of Readings for Monday in Ordinary Time
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
Be thou my vision, through night and come day
Light on me always, thy spirit to stay
Thou, eternal father, the great and the last
The wise and true sov’reign of all that shall pass.
Be thou my wisdom, my staff and my stay,
Shine through the darkness, give light to my way!
Be thou the true source of all I enjoy
So, let carnal pleasures no longer annoy.
Be thou my guardian my sword in the fight
Be thou my dignity thou my delight
Thou my soul’s shelter, and thou my high tow’r
Wilt thou raise me heaven ward, o pow’r of my pow’r.
Riches I heed not, or man’s empty praise
Thou my inheritance, now and always
Thou and thou only, still first in my heart
The high king of heaven my treasure thou art.
High king of heaven, my victory won
May I reach heaven’s joys, o bright heaven’s sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be thou my vision, o ruler of all.
𝄞 | "Be Thou My Vision" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Title: Be Thou My Vision; Text: from Mark Hamilton Dewey's SSATBB arrangement; Tune: SLANE; Copyright: Public Domain; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 |
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue.
Psalm 31
A troubled person’s confident appeal to God
Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit (Luke 23:46).
I
In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
hear me and speedily rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.
Release me from the snares they have hidden
for you are my refuge, Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
O God of truth, you detest
those who worship false and empty gods.
As for me, I trust in the Lord:
let me be glad and rejoice in your love.
You have seen my affliction
and taken heed of my soul’s distress,
have not handed me over to the enemy,
but set my feet at large.
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. Bow down and hear me, Lord; come to my rescue.
Ant. 2 Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant.
II
Have mercy on me, O Lord,
for I am in distress.
Tears have wasted my eyes,
my throat and my heart.
For my life is spent with sorrow
and my years with sighs.
Affliction has broken down my strength
and my bones waste away.
In the face of all my foes
I am a reproach,
an object of scorn to my neighbors
and of fear to my friends.
Those who see me in the street
run far away from me.
I am like a dead man, forgotten,
like a thing thrown away.
I have heard the slander of the crowd,
fear is all around me,
as they plot together against me,
as they plan to take my life.
But as for me, I trust in you, Lord,
I say: “You are my God.
My life is in your hands, deliver me
from the hands of those who hate me.
Let your face shine on your servant.
Save me in your 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 for ever. Amen.
Ant. Lord, let the light of your countenance shine on your servant.
Ant. 3 Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me.
III
How great is the goodness, Lord,
that you keep for those who fear you,
that you show to those who trust you
in the sight of men.
You hide them in the shelter of your presence
from the plotting of men:
you keep them safe within your tent
from disputing tongues.
Blessed be the Lord who has shown me
the wonders of his love
in a fortified city.
“I am far removed from your sight,”
I said in my alarm.
Yet you heard the voice of my plea
when I cried for help.
Love the Lord, all you saints.
He guards his faithful
but the Lord will repay to the full
those who act with pride.
Be strong, let your heart take courage,
all who hope in the Lord.
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
God of kindness and truth, you saved your Chosen One, Jesus Christ, and you gave your martyrs strength. Watch over your people who come to you here and strengthen the hearts of those who hope in you, that they may proclaim your saving acts of kindness in the eternal city.
Ant. Blessed be the Lord, for he has poured out his mercy upon me.
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.
Guide me in the way of your truth and teach me.
— For you are my saving God.
READINGS
First reading
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Philippians
1:12-26
I long to be with Christ
My brothers, I want you to know that my situation has worked out to the furtherance of the gospel. My imprisonment in Christ’s cause has become well known throughout the praetorium here, and to others as well; most of my brothers in Christ, taking courage from my chains, have been further emboldened to speak the word of God fearlessly. It is true, some preach Christ from motives of envy and rivalry, but others do so out of good will. Some act from unaffected love, aware that my circumstances provide an opportunity to defend the gospel’s cause; others promote Christ, not from pure motives but as an intrigue against me, thinking that it will make my imprisonment even harsher.
What of it? All that matters is that in any and every way, whether from specious motives or genuine ones, Christ is being proclaimed! That is what brings me joy. Indeed, I shall continue to rejoice, in the conviction that this will turn out to my salvation, thanks to your prayers and the support I receive from the Spirit of Jesus Christ. I firmly trust and anticipate that I shall never be put to shame for my hopes; I have full confidence that now as always Christ will be exalted through me, whether I live or die. For, to me, “life” means Christ; hence dying is so much gain.
If, on the other hand, I am to go on living in the flesh, that means productive toil for me—and I do not know which to prefer. I am strongly attracted by both: I long to be freed from this life and to be with Christ, for that is the far better thing; yet it is more urgent that I remain alive for your sakes. This fills me with confidence that I will stay with you, and persevere with you all, for your joy and your progress in the faith. My being with you once again should make you even prouder of me in Christ.
RESPONSORY Philippians 1:20,21
I know that I shall never be put to shame,
because my hopes and expectations have never been disappointed.
I fully trust that now as always.
— Christ will be glorified in me, whether I live or die.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
— Christ will be glorified in me, whether I live or die.
Second reading
From a letter to the Philippians by Saint Polycarp, bishop and martyr
Let us put on the armor of righteousness
It is not out of presumption that I write to you, my brothers, on what righteousness means, but rather because you asked me to do so. For neither I nor anyone like me can equal the wisdom of the blessed and glorious Paul. When he was in your city, he fully and courageously taught the men of that time the word of truth; when he was absent, he wrote you letters. By carefully studying these letters, you can strengthen yourselves in the faith that has been given to you. This faith is the mother of us all, followed by hope, preceded by love – love of God, of Christ, of our neighbor. Whoever lives within this framework has fulfilled the commandment of righteousness. For anyone who has love is far from sin.
Now the source of all evil is the desire to possess. Mindful that we brought nothing into this world and can take nothing out of it, let us put on the armor of righteousness. We must begin by teaching ourselves how to walk in the commandment of the Lord. Then you should teach your wives to walk in the faith that has been handed down to them, in love and in chastity. They must love their husbands with complete fidelity, but they must cherish all others equally, and with self-control; they must raise their children in the discipline that comes from fear of God. We must teach widows to be discreet in all that concerns the faith of the Lord; they must pray without ceasing for all men, shunning all calumny, gossip, false witness, greed, in a word, every sort of evil. They must bear in mind that they are God’s sacrificial altar. He sees everything clearly, nothing escapes his vigilance, be it calculation, thought or some secret desire of the heart.
God, as we know, is not mocked. Let us walk in a way that is worthy of his commands and his purposes. Deacons, in the same way, must be blameless in the sight of his goodness, for they are servants of God and of Christ, not of men. They must avoid calumny, hypocritical talk and greed. Merciful and diligent, they must control all their desires, walking according to the truth of the Lord who became the servant of all. If we please him in this life, we shall receive the life to come; for he has promised us that he will raise us from the dead, and that, if we lead lives worthy of him, we shall reign along with him. This is what our faith tells us.
RESPONSORY Philippians 4:8,9
There are many things that are true, honorable, just and worthy of love.
— If there is anything virtuous, anything worthy of admiration, think of these things above all else.
Put into practice what you have learned and have been taught.
Then the God of peace will be with you.
— If there is anything virtuous, anything worthy of admiration, think of these things above all else.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
who manifest your almighty power above all
by pardoning and showing mercy,
bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us
and make those hastening to attain your promises
heirs to the treasures of heaven.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration)
Let us praise the Lord.
— And give him thanks.