This is the Liturgy of the Hours for September 18. Your local date is .
Podcast: Download
Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Proper of Seasons: 265
Psalter: Wednesday, Week IV, 1151
Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings
Office of Readings for Wednesday 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
For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flow’r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of ear and eye,
for the heart and mind's delight,
for the mystic harmony,
linking sense to sound and sight;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
brother, sister, parent, child,
friends on earth and friends above,
for all gentle thoughts and mild;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For each perfect gift of Thine,
to our race so freely given,
graces human and divine,
flowers of earth and buds of heaven.
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
𝄞 | "For The Beauty Of The Earth" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Title: For the Beauty of the Earth; Text: Folliott S. Pierpoint, 1835–1917; Music: Conrad Kocher, 1786–1872; Tune: DIX; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; (c) 2017 Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 3 |
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.
Psalm 103
Praise for God’s tender compassion
In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us (see Luke 1:78).
I
My soul, give thanks to the Lord,
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord
and never forget all his blessings.
It is he who forgives all your guilt,
who heals every one of your ills,
who redeems your life from the grave,
who crowns you with love and compassion,
who fills your life with good things,
renewing your youth like an eagle’s.
The Lord does deeds of justice,
gives judgment for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses
and his deeds to Israel’s sons.
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. Bless the Lord, my soul; never forget all he has done for you.
Ant. 2 As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.
II
The Lord is compassion and love,
slow to anger and rich in mercy.
His wrath will come to an end;
he will not be angry for ever.
He does not treat us according to our sins
nor repay us according to our faults.
For as the heavens are high above the earth
so strong is his love for those who fear him.
As far as the east is from the west
so far does he remove our sins.
As a father has compassion on his sons,
the Lord has pity on those who fear him;
for he knows of what we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flowers like the flower of the field;
the wind blows and he is gone
and his place never sees him again.
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. As a father is gentle with his children, so is the Lord with those who revere him.
Ant. 3 Bless the Lord, all you his works!
III
But the love of the Lord is everlasting
upon those who hold him in fear;
his justice reaches out to children’s children
when they keep his covenant in truth,
when they keep his will in their mind.
The Lord has set his sway in heaven
and his kingdom is ruling over all.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his angels,
mighty in power, fulfilling his word,
who heed the voice of his word.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his hosts,
his servants who do his will.
Give thanks to the Lord, all his works,
in every place where he rules.
My soul, give thanks to 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
You have compassion for the sinner, Lord, as a father has compassion for his children. Heal the weakness of your people and save us from lasting death that we may praise and glorify you for ever.
Ant. Bless the Lord, all you his works!
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.
Lord, make me understand the way of your precepts.
— And I will marvel at your wisdom.
READINGS
First reading
From the book of the prophet Ezekiel
10:18-22,11:14-25
God’s presence is wthdrawn from the condemned city
The glory of the Lord left the threshold of the temple and rested upon the cherubim. These lifted their wings, and I saw them rise from the earth, the wheels rising along with them. They stood at the entrance of the eastern gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel was up above them.
These were the living creatures I had seen beneath the God of Israel by the river Chebar, whom I now recognized to be cherubim. Each had four faces and four wings; something like human hands were under their wings. Their faces looked just like those I had seen by the river Chebar; each one went straight forward.
Thus the word of the Lord came to me: Son of man, it is about your kinsmen, your fellow exiles, and the whole house of Israel that the inhabitants of Jerusalem say, “They are far away from the Lord; to us the land of Israel has been given as our possession.” Therefore say: Thus says the Lord God: Though I have removed them far among the nations and scattered them over foreign countries — and was for a while their only sanctuary in the countries to which they had gone — I will gather you from the nations and assemble you from the countries over which you have been scattered, and I will restore to you the land of Israel. They shall return to it and remove from it all its detestable abominations. I will give them a new heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove the stony heart from their bodies, and replace it with a natural heart, so that they will live according to my statutes, and observe and carry out my ordinances; thus they shall be my people and I will be their God. But as for those whose hearts are devoted to their detestable abominations, I will bring down their conduct upon their heads, says the Lord God.
Then the cherubim lifted their wings, and the wheels went along with them, while up above them was the glory of the God of Israel. And the glory of the Lord rose from the city and took a stand on the mountain which is to the east of the city.
Spirit lifted me up and brought me back to the exiles in Chaldea (in a vision, by God’s spirit). Then the vision I had seen left me, and I told the exiles everything the Lord had shown me.
RESPONSORY Ezekiel 10:4,18; Matthew 23:37,38
The glory of the Lord rose to the threshold of the temple,
the temple was filled with the cloud,
and the court shone with the glory of the Lord.
— Then the glory of the Lord went forth from the threshold of the temple.
O Jerusalem, how often have I longed to gather your children together,
but you refused.
Your temple will be left deserted.
— Then the glory of the Lord went forth from the threshold of the temple.
Second reading
From a sermon On Pastors by Saint Augustine, bishop
Let each one seek not what is his but what is Christ’s
I have explained what it means to consume milk. Now let us consider what it means to clothe with wool. One who gives milk gives sustenance, while one who gives wool gives honor. These are precisely the two things that pastors, who feed themselves and not the sheep, look for from the people — the benefit of having their wants supplied as well as the favor of honor and praise.
Yes, clothing can well be taken to mean honor, since it covers nakedness. For every man without exception is weak. And who is any man placed over you except someone just like yourself. Your pastor is in the flesh, he is mortal, he eats, sleeps and awakens; he was born and he is going to die. In himself he is, when you think of it, simply a man. But it is true that you make him something more by giving him honor; it is as if you were covering what is weak.
Consider the nature of the clothing that the apostle Paul received from God’s good people. He said: You have received me like an angel of God. I testify that if it were possible you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Indeed great honor was shown to him. But did he then spare sinners becuase of that honor, perhaps out of fear that it would be refused and that he would receive less praise when he gave blame? Had he done so, he would be among those shepherds who feed themselves and not the sheep. He would then say to himself: “What has this to do with me? Let everyone do what he will; my sustenance is safe, and my honor too. I have enough milk and wool, so let each one do as he likes.” But then are things really secure for you if each one does as he pleases? I do not want to make you a leader over the people but one of them. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with him.
In recalling how they treated him, the Apostle does not want to appear forgetful of the honor they did him. Therefore he gives testimony that they received him like an angel of God, that if it were possible, they were willing to tear out their eyes and give them to him. Yet he still comes to the sheep that is ill, to the one that is diseased, to cut the wound and not to spare the diseased part. He says: Have I then become your enemy by preaching the truth? He took from the milk of the sheep, as I mentioned a short time ago, and he was clothed with their wool, but he did not neglect his sheep. He did not seek what was his but what was Christ’s.
RESPONSORY Sirach 32:1-2
If they have chosen you master of the feast,
do not think too highly of yourself;
— be like one of the guests, and look after them.
If anyone wishes to be first,
he must be last of all and servant of all.
— Be like one of the guests, and look after them.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Look upon us,
O God, Creator and ruler of all things,
and, that we may feel the working of your mercy,
grant that we may serve you With all our heart.
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.
The Faith Journey of our Community
Don Detky on September 18th, 2024 at 6:24
Play the long game....Maria on September 17th, 2024 at 18:21
Give praises to God