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Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:
Ordinary: 615
Proper of Seasons: 459
Psalter: Friday, Week II, 901

Christian Prayer:
Does not contain Office of Readings

Office of Readings for Friday 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.

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Lord, in your anger, do not punish me.

Psalm 38
A sinner in extreme danger prays earnestly to God
All his friends were standing at a distance (Luke 23:49).

I

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger;
do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.
Your arrows have sunk deep in me;
your hand has come down upon me.

Through your anger all my body is sick:
through my sin, there is no health in my limbs.
My guilt towers higher than my head;
it is a weight too heavy to bear.

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, in your anger, do not punish me.

Ant. 2 Lord, you know all my longings.

II

My wounds are foul and festering,
the result of my own folly.
I am bowed and brought to my knees.
I go mourning all the day long.

All my frame burns with fever;
all my body is sick.
Spent and utterly crushed,
I cry aloud in anguish of heart.

O Lord, you know all my longing:
my groans are not hidden from you.
My heart throbs, my strength is spent;
the very light has gone from my eyes.

My friends avoid me like a leper;
those closest to me stand afar off.
Those who plot against my life lay snares;
those who seek my ruin speak of harm,
planning treachery all the day long.

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 know all my longings.

Ant. 3 I confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not abandon me, for you are my savior.

III

But I am like the deaf who cannot hear,
like the dumb unable to speak.
I am like a man who hears nothing,
in whose mouth is no defense.

I count on you, O Lord:
it is you, Lord God, who will answer.
I pray: “Do not let them mock me,
those who triumph if my foot should slip.”

For I am on the point of falling
and my pain is always before me.
I confess that I am guilty
and my sin fills me with dismay.

My wanton enemies are numberless
and my lying foes are many.
They repay me evil for good
and attack me for seeking what is right.

O Lord, do not forsake me!
My God, do not stay afar off!
Make haste and come to my help,
O Lord, my God, my savior!

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

Do not abandon us, Lord our God; you did not forget the broken body of your Christ, nor the mockery his love received. We, your children, are weighed down with sin; give us the fullness of your mercy.

Ant. I confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not abandon me, for you are my savior.

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.

My eyes keep watch for your saving help.
— Awaiting the word that will justify me.

READINGS

First reading
From the book of Wisdom 8:1-21b
On seeking wisdom from God

Wisdom reaches from end to end mightily
and governs all things well.
Her I loved and sought after from my youth;
I sought to take her for my bride
and was enamored of her beauty.
She adds to nobility the splendor of companionship with God;
even the Lord of all loved her.
For she is instructress in the understanding of God,
the selector of his works.
And if riches be a desirable possession in life,
what is more rich than Wisdom, who produces all things?

And if prudence renders service,
who in the world is a better craftsman than she?
Or if one loves justice,
the fruits of her works are virtues;
For she teaches moderation and prudence,
justice and fortitude,
and nothing in life is more useful for men than these.
Or again, if one yearns for copious learning,
she knows the things of old, and infers those yet to come.
She understands the turns of phrases and the solutions of riddles;
signs and wonders she knows in advance
and the outcome of times and ages.

So I determined to take her to live with me,
knowing that she would be my counselor while all was well,
and my comfort in care and grief.
For her sake I should have glory among the masses,
and esteem from the elders, though I be but a youth.
I should become keen in judgment,
and should be a marvel before rulers.
They would abide my silence and attend my utterance;
and as I spoke on further,
they would place their hands upon their mouths.

For her sake I should have immortality
and leave to those after me an everlasting memory.
I should govern peoples, and nations would be my subjects–
terrible princes, hearing of me, would be afraid;
in the assembly I should appear noble, and in war courageous.
Within my dwelling, I should take my repose beside her;
For association with her involves no bitterness
and living with her no grief,
but rather joy and gladness.

Thinking thus within myself,
and reflecting in my heart
That there is immortality in kinship with Wisdom,
and good pleasure in her friendship,
and unfailing riches in the works of her hands,
And that in frequenting her society there is prudence,
and fair renown in sharing her discourses,
I went about seeking to take her for my own.

Now, I was a well-favored child,
and I came by a noble nature;
or rather, being noble, I attained an unsullied body.
And knowing that I could not otherwise possess her except God gave it–
and this, too, was prudence, to know whose is the gift–
I went to the Lord and besought him.

RESPONSORY Wisdom 7:7-8; James 1:5

I prayed for understanding, and it was given to me;
— I pleaded for wisdom, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I valued her more than all earthly power and glory.

If anyone of you lacks wisdom, he has only to turn to God in prayer,
and it will be given to him,
for God gives generously to all and turns no one away.
— I pleaded for wisdom, and the spirit of wisdom came to me.
I valued her more than all earthly power and glory.

Second reading
From a work by Baldwin of Canterbury, bishop
The word of God is both living and powerful

The word of God is both living and powerful and much more piercing than a two-edged sword. The word of God is plainly shown in all its strength and wisdom to those who seek out Christ, who is the word, the power and the wisdom of God. This word was with the Father in the beginning, and in its own time was revealed to the apostles, then preached by them and humbly received in faith by believers. So, the word is in the Father, as well as on our lips and in our hearts.

This word of God is living; the Father gave it life in itself, just as he has life in himself. For this reason it not only is alive, but it is life, as he says of himself: I am the way, the truth and the life. Since he is life, he is both living and life-giving. For, as the Father raises up the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to those he chooses. He is life- giving when he calls the dead from the grave and says: Lazarus, come forth.

When this word is preached, in the very act of preaching it gives to its own voice which is heard outwardly a certain power which is perceived inwardly so much so that the dead are brought back to life and by these praises the sons of Abraham are raised from the dead. This word then is alive in the heart of the Father, on the lips of the preacher, and in the hearts of those who believe and love him. Since this word is so truly alive, undoubtedly it is full of power.

It is powerful in creation, powerful in the government of the universe, powerful in the redemption of the world. For what is more powerful, more effective? Who shall speak of its power; who shall make all its praises heard? It is powerful in what it accomplishes, powerful when preached. It does not come back empty; it bears fruit in all to whom it is sent.

It is powerful and more piercing than any two-edged sword when it is believed and loved. For what is impossible to the believer? What is difficult for a lover? When this word is spoken, its message pierces the heart like the sharp arrows of a strong man, like nails driven deep; it enters so deeply that it penetrates to the innermost recess. This word is much more piercing than any two-edged sword, inasmuch as it is stronger that any courage or power, sharper than any shrewdness of human ingenuity, keener than all human wisdom, or the subtlety of learned argument.

RESPONSORY Sirach 1:5, 16

The source of wisdom is the word of God on high;
— her ways are the eternal commandments.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
— Her ways are the eternal commandments.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

Almighty
ever-living God,
increase our faith,
hope and charity,
and make us love what you command,
so that we may merit what you promise.
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.