Liturgy of the Hours for December 08
Office of Readings - Feast for Second Sunday of Advent
Please Note
This is the Liturgy of the Hours for December 31. Your local date is .
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
All from the Proper of Saints: 1384
Christian Prayer
Does not contain Office of Readings
Office of Readings for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross
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
Glory be to Jesus,
who, in bitter pains,
poured for me the life-blood
from his sacred veins.
Grace and life eternal
in that blood I find;
blest be his compassion
infinitely kind.
Blest through endless ages
be the precious stream,
which from endless torments
did the world redeem.
Abel's blood for vengeance
pleaded to the skies;
but the blood of Jesus
for our pardon cries.
Oft as earth exulting
wafts its praise on high,
angel-hosts rejoicing
make their glad reply.
Lift we then our voices;
swell the mighty flood;
louder still and louder
praise the precious blood.
𝄞 | "Glory be to Jesus" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Title: Glory be to Jesus; Text: Saint Alphonsus Maria de' Liguori (1696 – 1787); Translator: Edward Caswall (1857); Tune: WEM IN LEIDENSTAGEN; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 3 |
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 See the cross of the Lord; let all his enemies flee in terror; the lion of Judah, David’s seed, is victorious, alleluia.
Psalm 2
The Messiah, king and conqueror
The rulers of the earth joined forces to overthrow Jesus, your anointed Son (Acts 4:27).
Why this tumult among nations,
among peoples this useless murmuring?
They arise, the kings of the earth,
princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.
“Come let us break their fetters,
come, let us cast off their yoke.”
He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord is laughing them to scorn.
Then he will speak in his anger,
his rage will strike them with terror.
“It is I who have set up my king
on Zion, my holy mountain.”
I will announce the decree of the Lord:
The Lord said to me: “You are my Son.
It is I who have begotten you this day.
Ask and I shall bequeath you the nations,
put the ends of the earth in your possession.
With a rod of iron you will break them,
shatter them like a potter’s jar.”
Now, O kings, understand,
take warning, rulers of the earth;
serve the Lord with awe
and trembling, pay him your homage
lest he be angry and you perish;
for suddenly his anger will blaze.
Blessed are they who put their trust in 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 for ever. Amen.
Ant. See the cross of the Lord; let all his enemies flee in terror; the lion of Judah, David’s seed, is victorious, alleluia.
Ant. 2 The holy name of the Lord has been raised up on the cross above heaven and earth, alleluia.
Psalm 8
The majesty of the Lord and man’s dignity
The Father gave Christ lordship of creation and made him head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22).
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.
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind,
mortal man that you care for him?
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,
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!
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 name of the Lord has been raised up on the cross above heaven and earth, alleluia.
Ant. 3 O blessed cross, you alone were found worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven, alleluia.
Psalm 96
The Lord, king and judge of the world
A new theme now inspires their praise of God; they belong to the Lamb (see Revelation 14:3).
O sing a new song to the Lord,
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
O sing to the Lord, bless his name.
Proclaim his help day by day,
tell among the nations his glory
and his wonders among all the peoples.
The Lord is great and worthy of praise,
to be feared above all gods;
the gods of the heathens are naught.
It was the Lord who made the heavens,
his are majesty and state and power
and splendor in his holy place.
Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
give the Lord glory and power,
give the Lord the glory of his name.
Bring an offering and enter his courts,
worship the Lord in his temple.
O earth, tremble before him.
Proclaim to the nations: “God is king.”
The world he made firm in its place;
he will judge the peoples in fairness.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad,
let the sea and all within it thunder praise,
let the land and all it bears rejoice,
all the trees of the wood shout for joy
at the presence of the Lord for he comes,
he comes to rule the earth.
With justice he will rule the world,
he will judge the peoples with his truth.
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. O blessed cross, you alone were found worthy to bear the Lord and King of heaven, alleluia.
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.
As Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert.
— So must the Son of Man be raised up.
READINGS
First reading
From the letter of the apostle Paul to the Galatians
2:19—3:7, 13-14; 6:14-16
The glory of the cross
It was through the law that I Paul, died to the law, to live for God. I have been crucified with Christ, and the life I live now is not my own; Christ is living in me. I still live my human life, but it is a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I will not treat God’s gracious gift as pointless. If justice is available through the law, then Christ died to no purpose!
You senseless Galatians! Who has cast a spell over you—you before whose eyes Jesus Christ was displayed to view upon his cross? I want to learn only one thing from you; how did you receive the Spirit? Was it through observance of the law or through faith in what you heard? How could you be so stupid? After beginning in the spirit, are you now to end in the flesh? Have you had such remarkable experiences all to no purpose—if indeed they were to no purpose? Is it because you observe the law or because you have faith in what you heard that God lavishes the Spirit on you and works wonders in your midst? Consider the case of Abraham: he “believed God, and it was credited to him as justice.” This means that those who believe are sons of Abraham.
Christ has delivered us from the power of the law’s curse by himself becoming a curse for us, as it is written: “Accursed is anyone who is hanged on a tree.” This has happened so that through Christ Jesus the blessing bestowed on Abraham might descend on the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, thereby making it possible for us to receive the promised Spirit through faith.
May I never boast of anything but the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ! Through it, the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. It means nothing whether one is circumcised or not. All that matters is that one is created anew. Peace and mercy on all who follow this rule of life, and on the Israel of God.
RESPONSORY See Galatians 6:14; Hebrews 2:9
We must glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ;
in him is our salvation, life and resurrection.
— Through him we are saved and set free.
Because he suffered death,
he is crowned with glory and honor.
— Through him we are saved and set free.
Second reading
From a discourse by Saint Andrew of Crete, bishop
The cross is Christ’s glory and triumph
We are celebrating the feast of the cross which drove away darkness and brought in the light. As we keep this feast, we are lifted up with the crucified Christ, leaving behind us earth and sin so that we may gain the things above. So great and outstanding a possession is the cross that he who wins it has won a treasure. Rightly could I call this treasure the fairest of all fair things and the costliest, in fact as well as in name, for on it and through it and for its sake the riches of salvation that had been lost were restored to us.
Had there been no cross, Christ could not have been crucified. Had there been no cross, life itself could not have been nailed to the tree. And if life had not been nailed to it, there would be no streams of immortality pouring from Christ’s side, blood and water for the world’s cleansing. The legal bond of our sin would not be cancelled, we should not have attained our freedom, we should not have enjoyed the fruit of the tree of life and the gates of paradise would not stand open. Had there been no cross, death would not have been trodden underfoot, nor hell despoiled.
Therefore, the cross is something wonderfully great and honorable. It is great because through the cross the many noble acts of Christ found their consummation—very many indeed, for both his miracles and his sufferings were fully rewarded with victory. The cross is honorable because it is both the sign of God’s suffering and the trophy of his victory. It stands for his suffering because on it he freely suffered unto death. But it is also his trophy because it was the means by which the devil was wounded and death conquered; the barred gates of hell were smashed, and the cross became the one common salvation of the whole world.
The cross is called Christ’s glory; it is saluted as his triumph. We recognize it as the cup he longed to drink and the climax of the sufferings he endured for our sake. As to the cross being Christ’s glory, listen to his words: Now is the Son of Man glorified, and in him God is glorified, and God will glorify him at once. And again: Father, glorify me with the glory I had with you before the world came to be. And once more: Father, glorify your name. Then a voice came from heaven: I have glorified it and I will glorify it again. Here he speaks of the glory that would accrue to him through the cross. And if you would understand that the cross is Christ’s triumph, hear what he himself also said: When I am lifted up, then I will draw all men to myself. Now you can see that the cross is Christ’s glory and triumph.
RESPONSORY
O glorious cross, your arms upheld the priceless ransom of captive mankind.
— Through you the world has been saved by the blood of the Lord.
Hail, O cross, consecrated by the body of Christ;
his members have made your wood more noble than precious pearls.
— Through you the world has been saved by the blood of the Lord.
TE DEUM
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
— Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you.
— We praise your name for ever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
— Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy,
— for we have put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope:
— And we shall never hope in vain.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray, that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in 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.
Personal Reflections
The Faith Journey of our Community
hazcompat on September 14th, 2024 at 9:03
Friends of the Cross-St. Louis De Monfortedenj on September 14th, 2023 at 17:22
Persian King Heraclitus and the True Cross by Philip Kosloski - published on 09/14/19JamesTheElder on September 14th, 2023 at 0:32
Prayer for this dayContribute to DivineOffice.org
Your contribution ensures this site will be around to serve thousands who use it daily to pray.
Contribute Monthly
A monthly recurring payment is not required, but your support ensures this site will be around to serve thousands who use it daily to pray. You can select the amount of your monthly contribution below, or you can select "custom amount" and set it in the next page.
Contribute One-Time
If you prefer not to commit to a monthly contribution right now, please consider a one-time contribution. You will be able to set any amount in the next page.
Having trouble with this form?
You can also contribute through PayPal from this page, or you can mail a check.
Divine Office Blog
News and Updates from our ministry
Mauro on October 11th, 2024at 7:20
Thank you everyone for your feedback, it allowed us to see what needs to be fixed or changed. We recently became aware, thanks to feedback from our visually impaired users, that zooming in on a... Continue reading
Login to like (6)Mauro on September 19th, 2024at 6:21
“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” — Matthew 18:20 Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, We are happy to announce new features... Continue reading
Login to like (12)Mauro on August 6th, 2024at 7:36
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Today, we celebrate a remarkable milestone in our journey of faith and devotion. On August 6th, 2006, our very first Catholic website and podcast series went live. Eighteen years... Continue reading
Login to like (23)Monica on June 13th, 2024at 9:19
Dear Community, The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is set to gather on June 12-14 for their Spring Plenary Assembly, where they will vote on, among other things, the texts to be included... Continue reading
Login to like (54)Get the DivineOffice App!
Pray always and everywhere with our Award-Winning Liturgy of the Hours app for iPhone, iPad, Android and Kindle Fire. NOW FREE!
Ratings and Reviews
Our DivineOffice app is rated 4.9 out of 5, based on over 2,400 ratings and won the About.com Best Catholic App Award for 3 years in a row.
Recommended Books
Support us by starting your amazon shopping by clicking on this link.
Pray anywhere
I have prayed the Divine Office for many years. [...] When I discovered this app, all of my concerns of ribbon placement were gone. Having the Divine Office on my phone is absolutely the best thing ever! The sense of community is so wonderful as I see how many others are praying at the same time as myself. [...] Now I don’t need to turn a lamp on as I use to when I used the Office printed volumes. It is such a blessing to have the Divine Office in my pocket. Many times I’ve been sitting in a doctor’s waiting room at the time of Mid Morning prayer. It is so calming of any worries to pull out my phone, open the app, and be able to connect with Our Lord at those times I need Him most. I don’t use the audio version much but the few times I’ve traveled, it is so comforting to not have to skip the Office in order to keep my hands on the steering wheel and my eyes in the road. I recommend this app to friends all the time, especially to those who’d like to pray the Office but feel intimidated by the size of the printed version and getting the ribbons placed properly. Thank you for developing this app. It is my constant companion.
SheezyOCon October 13, 2021
Super helpful
I have only been introduced to the divine office prayers two times before I downloaded this app. It is laid out in a way that is very easy to understand, and there is an audio option that will say all of the prayers. There is an option to set reminders throughout the day. I got this because, I didn’t really know how to say the divine office, and I didn’t know what prayer books I needed to purchase to begin. During the shutting down of churches for covid :( this has been a wonderful resource. One cool feature is that you can tap on the “in prayer” link and see little specks of light around the globe lighting up in the area that someone else is praying. It’s so cool to see everyone praying with you and is a powerful reminder that we are all connected and unified in Christ’s mystical body.
tori6543588on May 5, 2020
Praying with the whole Church
I love this app! Since it is now free and no longer for sale, I made sure to donate the price of buying it, and then some. I have loved the Liturgy of the Hours for 25 years. But I always felt alone when I prayed it. With this app, I am connected to others! I use it in conjunction with my printed Christian Prayer volume. On other days, I cannot get to my book but with the app, I always have the prayers available. I have the printed calendar with my book, but I actually rely on this more for placing my ribbons. The audio is wonderful!! I often read out loud with it. I love that I can change the speed of the audio! I have found that 1.3 is good for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you for this app. Thank you for still supporting it. Thank you for updating the “one God,” to just “God” change in the prayers. My book still throws me off but your app is right! Highly recommend this. Many friends have it. THANK YOU!!
MommytoNFP2on June 12, 2022