Liturgy of the Hours for December 26
Evening Prayer - Memorial for St. Stephen, M
Please Note
This is the Liturgy of the Hours for December 31. Your local date is .
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:
Ordinary: 668
Psalter: Tuesday, Week I, 738
Common of Several Martyrs: 1697 (reading, intercessions)
Proper of Saints: 1369 (concluding prayer)
Christian Prayer (single volume)
Ordinary: 694
Psalter: Tuesday, Week I, 734
Common of Several Martyrs: 1405 (reading, intercessions)
Proper of Saints: 1090 (concluding prayer)
Evening Prayer for Tuesday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Paul Miki and Companions, Martyrs
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
Come, let us celebrate ever more joyfully
How through the centuries martyrs so glorious
Laid down their lives for you, Jesus, our King and Lord,
Enduring all courageously.
The world enticing them to its apostasy,
They braved its mockery, setting its threats at nought;
Their love upholding them, nothing could hinder them
From imitating their Leader.
Brave men and women too, suffered for love of you;
No sound or murmuring broke from their tortured lips,
Their souls’ tranquility, gay in its fortitude
Could bear such anguish patiently.
What voice or tongue e’er can tell of the happiness
You have in readiness for those who die for you;
Their robes are beautiful, dyed in their sacrifice,
Their crowns are rich beyond measure.
Most holy Trinity, humbly we beg of you,
Forgive our sinfulness, danger avert from us,
Grant all serenity till in the world to come
We may delight in your glory. Amen.
𝄞 | "Come, Let Us Celebrate" by Kathleen Lundquist • Title: Come, Let Us Celebrate; Text: Sanctorum meritis, Rabanus Maurus; Tr. the Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode IV; Liber Hymnarius; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc. |
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 God has crowned his Christ with victory.
Psalm 20
A prayer for the king’s victory
Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21).
May the Lord answer in time of trial;
may the name of Jacob’s God protect you.
May he send you help from his shrine
and give you support from Zion.
May he remember all your offerings
and receive your sacrifice with favor.
May he give you your heart’s desire
and fulfill every one of your plans.
May we ring out our joy at your victory
and rejoice in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your prayers.
I am sure now that the Lord
will give victory to his anointed,
will reply from his holy heaven
with the mighty victory of his hand.
Some trust in chariots or horses,
but we in the name of the Lord.
They will collapse and fall,
but we shall hold and stand firm.
Give victory to the king, O Lord,
give answer on the day we call.
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, you accepted the perfect sacrifice of your Son upon the cross. Hear us during times of trouble and protect us by the power of his name, that we who share his struggle on earth may merit a share in his victory.
Ant. God has crowned his Christ with victory.
Ant. 2 We celebrate your mighty works with songs of praise, O Lord.
Psalm 21
Thanksgiving for the king’s victory
He accepted life that he might rise and live for ever (Saint Hilary).
O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king;
how your saving help makes him glad!
You have granted him his heart’s desire;
you have not refused the prayer of his lips.
You came to meet him with the blessings of success,
you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked you for life and this you have given,
days that will last from age to age.
Your saving help has given him glory.
You have laid upon him majesty and splendor,
you have granted your blessings to him for ever.
You have made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.
The king has put his trust in the Lord:
through the mercy of the Most High he shall stand firm.
O Lord, arise in your strength,
we shall sing and praise your power.
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, you have given us life on this earth and have met us with the grace of redemption. Bestow your greatest blessing on us, the fullness of eternal life.
Ant. We celebrate your mighty works with songs of praise, O Lord.
Ant. 3 Lord, you have made us a kingdom and priests for God our Father.
Canticle — Revelation 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12
Redemption hymn
O Lord our God, you are worthy
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.
Worthy are you, O Lord,
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.
For you were slain;
with your blood you purchased for God
men of every race and tongue,
of every people and nation.
You made of them a kingdom,
and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise.
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, you have made us a kingdom and priests for God our Father.
READING 1 Peter 4:13-14
Dearly beloved: Rejoice in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly. Happy are you when you are insulted for the sake of Christ, for then God’s Spirit in its glory has come to rest on you.
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
Let the just rejoice and sing for joy in the Lord.
— Let the just rejoice and sing for joy in the Lord.
Delight in his love, you pure of heart.
— and sing for joy in the Lord.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— Let the just rejoice and sing for joy in the Lord.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. The holy friends of Christ rejoice in heaven; they followed in his footsteps to the end. They have shed their blood for love of him and will reign with him for ever.
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.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and 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 the rich he has sent 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. The holy friends of Christ rejoice in heaven; they followed in his footsteps to the end. They have shed their blood for love of him and will reign with him for ever.
INTERCESSIONS
This is the hour when the King of martyrs offered his life in the upper room and laid it down on the cross. Let us thank him and say:
We praise you, O Lord.
We praise you, O Lord, our Savior, inspiration and example for every martyr, for loving us to the end:
We praise you, O Lord.
For calling all repentant sinners to the rewards of life:
We praise you, O Lord.
For entrusting to your Church the blood of the new and everlasting covenant poured out for the remission of sin:
We praise you, O Lord.
For our perseverance in your grace today:
We praise you, O Lord.
For incorporating our dead brothers and sisters into your own death today:
We praise you, O Lord.
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
O God,
strength of all the Saints,
who through the Cross were pleased
to call the Martyrs Saint Paul Miki and companions to life,
grant, we pray, that by their intercession we may hold with courage
even until death to the faith that we profess.
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.
DISMISSAL
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
Personal Reflections
The Faith Journey of our Community
seanmoylantd on February 6th, 2024 at 13:07
Sorrowful MotherAmparo Gonzales on February 6th, 2023 at 14:37
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