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Liturgy of the Hours for April 18

Morning Prayer - Memorial for Thursday in the 3rd week of Easter

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: 618
Psalter: Saturday, Week III, 1071
Common of Several Martyrs: 1705 (reading, intercessions)
Proper of Saints: 1410 (canticle of Zechariah antiphon, concluding prayer)

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Psalter: Saturday, Week III, 916
Common of Several Martyrs: 1402 (reading, intercessions)
Proper of Saints: 1264 (canticle of Zechariah antiphon, concluding prayer)

Morning Prayer for Saturday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope and Martyr and Cyprian, Bishop and Martyr

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

With souls alert for happiness
We sing the praises which are due
To honor every martyr's crown
Eternal gift from Christ our Lord.

As shining lights before the world,
And leaders of the Church of God,
They head the ranks of those who fight
As soldiers in the cause of truth.

They conquered fear of every kind
Despising anguish and all pain,
That through their constancy in death
They would obtain eternal light.

Their dedicated blood was shed
By torture's cruel, craven hand,
Their dauntless courage was upheld
By grace of life that never ends.

Devoted faith of all the saints
Believer's hope that never wanes,
The perfect charity of Christ
The prince of darkness soon defeat.

In them the Father's glory shines,
In them the Holy Spirit's will
Exults with all the joy of Christ
That fills the courts of bliss above.

Redeemer of all men, we pray
Permit your lowly servants here
To share the martyrs' fellowship
For ever in your realm of light. Amen.

𝄞"With Souls Alert for Happiness" by Kathleen Lundquist • Title: With Souls Alert for Happiness; Text: Aeterna Christi Munera, St Ambrose; Tr. the Benedictines of Saint Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode VIII; Liber Hymnarius; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Recording copyright 2016 by Surgeworks, Inc.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord, you are near to us, and all your ways are true.

Psalm 119
XIX (Koph)

I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,
I will keep your commands;
I call upon you, save me
and I will do your will.

I rise before dawn and cry for help,
I hope in your word.
My eyes watch through the night
to ponder your promise.

In your love hear my voice, O Lord;
give me life by your decrees.
Those who harm me unjustly draw near:
they are far from your law.

But you, O Lord, are close:
your commands are truth.
Long have I known that your will
is established 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

Psalm-prayer

Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.

Ant. Lord, you are near to us, and all your ways are true.

Ant.2 Wisdom of God, be with me, always at work in me.

Canticle – Wisdom 9:1-6, 9-11
Lord, give me wisdom

I will inspire you with wisdom which your adversaries will be unable to resist (Luke 21:15).

God of my fathers, Lord of mercy,
you who have made all things by your word
and in your wisdom have established man
to rule the creatures produced by you,
to govern the world in holiness and justice,
and to render judgment in integrity of heart:

Give me Wisdom, the attendant at your throne,
and reject me not from among your children:
for I am your servant, the son of your handmaid,
a man weak and short-lived
and lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws.

Indeed, though one be perfect among the sons of men,
if Wisdom, who comes from you, be not with him,
he shall be held in no esteem.

Now with you is Wisdom who knows your works
and was present when you made the world;
who understands what is pleasing in your eyes
and what is conformable with your commands.

Send her forth from your holy heavens
and from your glorious throne dispatch her
that she may be with me and work with me,
that I may know what is your pleasure.

For she knows and understands all things,
and will guide me discreetly in my affairs
and safeguard me by her glory.

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. Wisdom of God, be with me, always at work in me.

Ant. 3 The Lord remains faithful to his promise for ever.

Psalm 117
Praise for God’s loving compassion

I affirm that… the Gentile peoples are to praise God because of his mercy (Romans 15:8-9).

O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him, all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful 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

Psalm-prayer

God, our Father, may all nations and peoples praise you. May Jesus, who is called faithful and true and who lives with you eternally, possess our hearts forever.

Ant. The Lord remains faithful to his promise for ever.

READING 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation.

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

The just are the friends of God. They live with him for ever.
The just are the friends of God. They live with him for ever.

God himself is their reward.
They live with him for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
The just are the friends of God. They live with him for ever.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. How precious the death of those who purchased eternal life by shedding their blood.

Luke 1:68 – 79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.

In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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. How precious the death of those who purchased eternal life by shedding their blood.

INTERCESSIONS

Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:
You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness to the faith,
give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.
You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood,
give us a faith, O Lord, that is constant and pure.
You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs followed in your footsteps by carrying the cross,
help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.
You redeemed us by your blood.

Your martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb,
help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.
You redeemed us by your blood.

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,
who gave Saints Cornelius and Cyprian to your people
as diligent shepherds and valiant Martyrs,
grant that through their intercession
we may be strengthened in faith and constancy
and spend ourselves without reserve
for the unity of the Church.
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.

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Personal Reflections

The Faith Journey of our Community

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Leticias Yap on September 16th, 2023 at 8:08

O Lord God forgive me my sins and bring me to the height of your suffering to be with you.
O Lord God how can I ever thank you for your mercy and kindness pour upon us. Make my heart like unto thee and be with you forever in the mantle of your protection. I...
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