December 20, 2019 – lauds

monk INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing to the LORD; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the LORD our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
Harden not your hearts,
as your forebears did in the wilderness, *
at Meribah, and on that day at Massah,
when they tempted me.
They put me to the test, *
though they had seen my works.
Forty years long I detested that generation and said, *
“This people are wayward in their hearts;
they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my wrath, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
INTRODUCTION
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
HYMN – O Come O Come Emmanuel
PSALMODY
Ant. 1. The Lord, the ruler over the kings of the earth, will come; blessed are they who are ready to go and welcome him.
Psalm 90
Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.
Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.
You turn us back to the dust and say, *
“Go back, O child of earth.”
For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday
when it is past *
and like a watch in the night.
You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.
In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.
For we consume away in your displeasure; *
we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.
Our iniquities you have set before you, *
and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.
When you are angry, all our days are gone; *
we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
The span of our life is seventy years,
perhaps in strength even eighty; *
yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow,
for they pass away quickly and we are gone.
Who regards the power of your wrath? *
who rightly fears your indignation?
So teach us to number our days *
that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
Return, O LORD; how long will you tarry? *
be gracious to your servants.
Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
and the years in which we suffered adversity.
Show your servants your works *
and your splendor to their children.
May the graciousness of the LORD our God be upon us; *
prosper the work of our hands;
prosper our handiwork.

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

Lord, send your mercy and your truth to rescue us from the snares of the devil, and, happy to be known as companions of your Son, we will praise you among the peoples and proclaim you to the nations.
Ant. 1. The Lord, the ruler over the kings of the earth, will come; blessed are they who are ready to go and welcome him..
Ant. 2. Sing a new song to the Lord, proclaim his praises to the ends of the earth.
Canticle: Isaiah 42:10-16
Sing to the Lord a new song, sing his praise from the ends of the earth,
you who descend into the sea and all its fullness, the islands and their inhabitants.
Let the desert and its cities be lifted up. Kedar will dwell in houses. O inhabitants of the rock, give praise!
They will cry out from the top of the mountains.
They will give glory to the Lord,
and they will announce his praise to the islands.
The Lord will go forth like a strong man; like a man of battle, he will stir up zeal.
He will shout and cry out. He will prevail against his enemies.
I have always been quiet; I have been silent; I have been patient.
I will speak like a woman giving birth. I will destroy and consume, all at once.
I will desolate the mountains and the hills, and I will wither all their grass.
And I will turn rivers into islands, and I will dry up the pools of water.
And I will lead the blind along a way which they do not know.
And I will cause them to walk along paths with which they were unfamiliar.
I will turn darkness into light before them, and crooked into straight.
These things I have done for them. For I have not abandoned them.
Ant. 2. Sing a new song to the Lord, proclaim his praises to the ends of the earth.
Ant. 3. When the Son of Man comes to earth, do you think he will find faith in men’s hearts?
Psalm 135
Hallelujah! Praise the Name of the LORD; *
give praise, you servants of the LORD,
You who stand in the house of the LORD, *
in the courts of the house of our God.
Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; *
sing praises to his Name, for it is lovely.
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself *
and Israel for his own possession.
For I know that the LORD is great, *
and that our Lord is above all gods.
The LORD does whatever pleases him, in heaven and on earth, *
in the seas and all the deeps.
He brings up rain clouds from the ends of the earth; *
he sends out lightning with the rain,
and brings the winds out of his storehouse.
It was he who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, *
the firstborn both of man and beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, *
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
He overthrew many nations *
and put mighty kings to death:
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, the king of Bashan, *
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
He gave their land to be an inheritance, *
an inheritance for Israel his people.
O LORD, your Name is everlasting; *
your renown, O LORD, endures from age to age.
For the LORD gives his people justice *
and shows compassion to his servants.
The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.
They have mouths, but they cannot speak; *
eyes have they, but they cannot see.
They have ears, but they cannot hear; *
neither is there any breath in their mouth.
Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.
Bless the LORD, O house of Israel; *
O house of Aaron, bless the LORD.
Bless the LORD, O house of Levi; *
you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, *
who dwells in Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!

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

Where two or three gather in your name, Lord, you promised to be with them and share their fellowship. Look down upon your family gathered here in your name, and graciously pour out your blessing upon us.
Ant. 3. When the Son of Man comes to earth, do you think he will find faith in men’s hearts?
READING
Genesis 48:10
The scepter shall never depart from Judah,
or the mace from between his legs,
While tribute is brought to him,
and he receives the people’s homage.
Ant. 4. The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us.
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he swore to our forefather Abraham, that he would give us;
That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear;
In holiness and righteousness before him, in all the days of our life.
And thou, child shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people for the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and ever shall be world without end. Amen.
Ant. 4. The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph.
INTERCESSIONS
God the Father was glorified in the death and resurrection of his Son. Let us pray to him with confidence, saying:To Christ our Lord, the light of the world, let us cry out with joy:
Come, Lord Jesus!

Dispel our darkness with the light of your presence,
– and make us worthy of your gifts.
Come, Lord Jesus!

Save us, Lord our God,
– that we may praise your holy name this day.
Come, Lord Jesus!

Enkindle in our hearts the flame of your love,
– and make us long to be united with you.
Come, Lord Jesus!

You bore our infirmity,
– aid the sick and those who are to die this day
Come, Lord Jesus!
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(And now let us pray as the Lord told us:)
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
Lord our God, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son.
May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.
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
DISMISSAL
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
– Amen.
Advertisement