TODAY’S OFFICE OF READINGS 7 January 2015 Wednesday after Epiphany Lord, + open my lips. – And my mouth will proclaim your praise. INVITATORY (The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.) Ant. Christ has appeared to us; come, let us adore him. Psalm 100 The joyful song of those entering God’s temple The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius). Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. † Serve the Lord with gladness. * Come before him, singing for joy. Ant. Christ has appeared to us; come, let us adore him. Know that he, the Lord, is God. † He made us, we belong to him, * we are his people, the sheep of his flock. Ant. Christ has appeared to us; come, let us adore him. Go within his gates, giving thanks. † Enter his courts with songs of praise. * Give thanks to him and bless his name. Ant. Christ has appeared to us; come, let us adore him. Indeed, how good is the Lord, † eternal his merciful love. * He is faithful from age to age. Ant. Christ has appeared to us; come, let us adore him. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Ant. Christ has appeared to us; come, let us adore him. (If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used: ) 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 forever. Amen. Alleluia. HYMN Songs of praise the angels sang, Heav’n with alleluias rang, When creation was begun, When God spoke and it was done. Songs of praise awoke the morn When the Prince of Peace was born; Songs of praise arose when he Captive led captivity. Heav’n and earth must pass away, Songs of praise shall crown that day; God will make new heav’n and earth, Songs of praise, shall hail their birth. And will voice of man be dumb Till that glorious kingdom come? No, the Church delights to raise Psalms and hymns and songs of praise. Saints below, with hearts and voice, Still in songs of praise rejoice, Learning here, by faith and love, Songs of praise to sing above. Borne upon their final breath, Songs of praise shall conquer death; Then, amidst eternal joy, Songs of praise their powers employ. Or: Virgin-born, we bow before you; Blessed was the womb that bore you; Mary, Mother meek and mild, Blessed was she in her child. Blessed was the maid that fed you; Blessed was the hand that led you; Blessed was the parent’s eye That watched your slumbering infancy. Blessed she by all creation, Who brought forth the world’s salvation; And blessed they forever blest, Who love you most and serve you best. Virgin-born, we bow before you: Blessed was the womb that bore you; Mary, Mother meek and mild, Blessed was she in her Child. PSALMODY Ant. 1 We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies. Psalm 39 Urgent prayer of a sick person Creation is made subject to futility . . . by him who subjected it, but it is not without hope (Romans 8:20). I I said: “I will be watchful of my ways * for fear I should sin with my tongue. I will put a curb on my lips * when the wicked man stands before me.” I was dumb, silent and still. * His prosperity stirred my grief. My heart was burning within me. * At the thought of it, the fire blazed up and my tongue burst into speech: * “O Lord, you have shown me my end, how short is the length of my days. * Now I know how fleeting is my life. You have given me a short span of days; * my life is as nothing in your sight. A mere breath, the man who stood so firm, * a mere shadow, the man passing by, a mere breath the riches he hoards, * not knowing who will have them.” Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Ant. We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies. Ant. 2 Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord; let me not weep in vain. II And now, Lord, what is there to wait for? * In you rests all my hope. Set me free from all my sins, * do not make me the taunt of the fool. I was silent, not opening my lips, * because this was all your doing. Take away your scourge from me. * I am crushed by the blows of your hand. You punish man’s sins and correct him; * like the moth you devour all he treasures. Mortal man is no more than a breath; * O Lord, hear my prayer. O Lord, turn your ear to my cry. * Do not be deaf to my tears. In your house I am a passing guest, * a pilgrim, like all my fathers. Look away that I may breathe again * before I depart to be no more. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Psalm Prayer Through your Son you taught us, Father, not to be fearful of tomorrow but to commit our lives to your care. Do not withhold your Spirit from us but help us find a life of peace after these days of trouble. Ant. Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord; let me not weep in vain. Ant. 3 I have put all my trust in God’s never-failing mercy. Psalm 52 Against a calumniator If anyone would boast, let him boast in the Lord (1 Corinthians 1:31). Why do you boast of your wickedness, * you champion of evil, planning ruin all day long, † your tongue like a sharpened razor, * you master of deceit? You love evil more than good; * lies more than truth. You love the destructive word, * you tongue of deceit. For this God will destroy you * and remove you forever. He will snatch you from your tent and uproot you * from the land of the living. The just shall see and fear. * They shall laugh and say: “So this is the man who refused * to take God as a stronghold, but trusted in the greatness of his wealth * and grew powerful by his crimes.” But I am like a growing olive tree * in the house of God. I trust in the goodness of God * forever and ever. I will thank you for evermore; * for this is your doing. I will proclaim that your name is good, * in the presence of your friends. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, * and will be forever. Amen. Psalm Prayer Father, you cut down the unfruitful branch for burning and prune the fertile to make it bear more fruit. Make us grow like laden olive trees in your domain, firmly rooted in the power and mercy of your Son, so that you may gather from us fruit worthy of eternal life. Ant. I have put all my trust in God’s never-failing mercy. The Lord will teach us his ways. – And we will follow in his footsteps. READINGS FIRST READING From the book of the prophet Isaiah 63:7-19 The mercy of the Lord is remembered by a people forsaken The favors of the Lord I will recall, the glorious deeds of the Lord, Because of all he has done for us; for he is good to the house of Israel, He has favored us according to his mercy and his great kindness. He said: They are indeed my people, children who are not disloyal; So he became their savior in their every affliction. It was not a messenger or an angel, but he himself who saved them. Because of his love and pity he redeemed them himself, Lifting them and carrying them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and grieved his holy spirit; So he turned on them like an enemy, and fought against them. Then they remembered the days of old and Moses, his servant; Where is he who brought up out of the sea the shepherd of his flock? Where is he who put his holy spirit in their midst; Whose glorious arm was the guide at Moses’ right; Who divided the waters before them, winning for himself eternal renown; Who led them without stumbling through the depths like horses in the open country, Like cattle going down into the plain, the spirit of the Lord guiding them? Thus you led your people, bringing glory to your name. Look down from heaven and regard us from your holy and glorious palace! Where is your zealous care and your might, your surge of pity and your mercy? O Lord, hold not back, for you are our father. Were Abraham not to know us, nor Israel to acknowledge us, You, Lord, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever. Why do you let us wander, O Lord, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage. Why have the wicked invaded your holy place, why have our enemies trampled your sanctuary? Too long have we been like those you do not rule, who do not bear your name. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you! RESPONSORY Isaiah 63:19; 59:11 Lord, we are like those over whom you do not rule, like those who do not bear your name. – O, that you would rend the heavens and come down! We have yearned for justice and there is none; for salvation and it is kept far off from us. – O, that you would rend the heavens and come down! SECOND READING From a sermon by Saint Proclus of Constantinople, bishop (Sermo 7 in Sancta Theophania, 1-3: PG 65, 758-759) The waters are made holy Christ appeared in the world, and, bringing beauty out of disarray, gave it luster and joy. He bore the world’s sins and crushed the world’s enemy. He sanctified the fountains of waters and enlightened the minds of men. Into the fabric of miracles he interwove ever greater miracles. For on this day land and sea share between them the grace of the Savior, and the whole world is filled with joy. Today’s feast of the Epiphany manifests even more wonders than the feast of Christmas. On the feast of the Savior’s birth, the earth rejoiced because it bore the Lord in a manger; but on today’s feast of the Epiphany it is the sea that is glad and leaps for joy; the sea is glad because it receives the blessing of holiness in the river Jordan. At Christmas we saw a weak baby, giving proof of our weakness. In today’s feast, we see a perfect man, hinting at the perfect Son who proceeds from the all-perfect Father. At Christmas the King puts on the royal robe of his body; at Epiphany the very source enfolds and, as it were, clothes the river. Come then and see new and astounding miracles: the Sun of righteousness washing in the Jordan, fire immersed in water, God sanctified by the ministry of man. Today every creature shouts in resounding song: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Blessed is he who comes in every age, for this is not his first coming. And who is he? Tell us more clearly, I beg you, blessed David: The Lord is God and has shone upon us. David is not alone in prophesying this; the apostle Paul adds his own witness, saying: The grace of God has appeared bringing salvation for all men, and instructing us. Not for some men, but for all. To Jews and Greeks alike God bestows salvation through baptism, offering baptism as a common grace for all. Come, consider this new and wonderful deluge, greater and more important than the flood of Noah’s day. Then the water of the flood destroyed the human race, but now the water of Baptism has recalled the dead to life by the power of the one who baptized. In the days of the flood the dove with an olive branch in its beak foreshadowed the fragrance of the good odor of Christ the Lord; now the Holy Spirit, coming in the likeness of a dove reveals the Lord of mercy. RESPONSORY Today, Jesus, Light from Light, whom John baptized in the Jordan, has appeared to us: – we believe that he was born of the Virgin Mary. The heavens opened above him, and the voice was heard. – We believe that he was born of the Virgin Mary. CONCLUDING PRAYER Let us pray. God, light of all nations, give us the joy of lasting peace, and fill us with your radiance as you filled the hearts of our fathers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. – Amen. Or: O God, who bestow light on all the nations, grant your peoples the gladness of lasting peace and pour into our hearts that brilliant light by which you purified the minds of our fathers in faith. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. – Amen. ACCLAMATION Let us praise the Lord. – And give him thanks.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 11:23:54 +0000
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