From Today's Office

Passages from today's Divine Office among other things

[laudsandvespers]

The Lord God said: Since this people draws near with words only and honors me with their lips alone. though their hearts are far from me, And their reverence for me has become routine observance of the precepts of men, Therefore I will again deal with this people in surprising and wondrous fashion: The wisdom of its wise men shall perish and the understanding of its prudent men be hid. ... Your perversity is as though the potter were taken to be the clay: As though what is made should say of its maker, "He made me not!' Or the vessel should say of the potter, 'He does not understand.' But a very little while, and Lebanon shall be changed into an orchard, and the orchid be regarded as a forest! On that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book; And out of the gloom and darkness, the eyes of the blind shall see. The lowly will ever find joy in the Lord, and the poor rejoice in the Holy One of Israel: For the tyrant will be no more and the arrogant will have gone; All who are alert to do evil will be cut off, those whose mere word condemns a man, Who ensnare his defender at the gate, and leave the just man with an empty claim.

From Chapter 29 of the book of the prophet Isaiah and from the Office of Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent.  Gaudete!

[laudsandvespers]

O God, who made Saint Margaret of Scotland wonderful in her outstanding charity towards the poor, grant that through her intercession and example we may reflect among all humanity the image of your divine goodness.

The Collect from the Mass for today’s Memorial of St. Margaret of Scotland and an appropriate closing prayer for today’s Office.

[laudsandvespers]

Grant us, we pray, O Lord our God the constant gladness of being devoted to you, for it is full and lasting happiness to serve with constancy the author of all that is good.

The Collect from the Mass for the Thirty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time and an appropriate Closing Prayer for today’s Office

[laudsandvespers]

May the mountains bring forth peace for the people and the hills, justice. May he defend the poor of the people and save the children of the needy and crush the oppressor. He shall endure like the sun and the moon from age to age. He shall descend like rain on the meadow, like raindrops on the earth. In his days justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails.

From Psalm 72 and from the Office of Readings for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.  Say the Te Deum today!

[laudsandvespers]

Dearly beloved, today our Savior is born; let us rejoice.  Sadness should have no place on the birthday of life.  The fear of death has been swallowed up; life brings us joy with the promise of eternal happiness. No one is shut out from this joy; all share the same reason for rejoicing.  Our Lord, victor over sin and death, finding no man free of sin, came to free us all... ... And so at the birth of our Lord the angels sing in joy: 'Glory to God in the highest', and they proclaim 'peace to his people on earth' as they see the heavenly Jerusalem being built from all the nations of the world.  When the angels are so exultant at this marvelous work of God's goodness, what joy should it not bring to the lowly hearts of men?

From a sermon by Saint Leo the Great, pope, and from the second reading of the Office of Readings for Christmas Day.  Merry Christmas!

[laudsandvespers]

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.

From the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke and from Lauds, today and every day.  God keeps his promises.

[laudsandvespers]

Today, we begin the novena of Christmas.  At Vespers tonight, we’ll begin the praying of the “O” antiphons for the Gospel Canticle, Mary’s beautiful Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55).

A Dominican description of the practice is at

http://www.dominicanfriars.org/2007/12/17/o-antiphons-of-advent/#more-400, 

where you may read them in Latin and English.  Of course, you can listen to tonight’s antiphon above.

Today, we call on the coming Christ, addressing Him as Wisdom:

Latin: O Sapientia, quae ex ore Altissimi prodiisti, attingens a fine usque ad finem fortiter, suaviterque disponens omnia:veni ad docendum nos viam prudentiae. English: O Wisdom, who came forth from the mouth of the Most High, mightily reaching out from end to end, and ordering all things sweetly: come to teach us the way of prudence!

Dominicans from the English Province have collected the videos from the entire novena here:

http://godzdogz.op.org/search/label/%22O%20Antiphons%22

[laudsandvespers]

UPDATE: The Dominican friars’ link no longer works.  I’ll try to find another good description, hopefully, Dominican in nature.

[laudsandvespers]

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness" is the voice of one breaking silence.  "Prepare the way of the Lord", he says, as though he were saying: "I speak out in order to lead him into your hearts, but he does not choose to come where I lead him unless you prepare the way for him. "To prepare the way" means to pray well; it means think humbly of oneself.  We should take our lesson from John the Baptist.

From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop, and from the Office of Readings for the Third Sunday of Advent.

[laudsandvespers]

O God, who see how your people faithfully await the feast of the Lord's Nativity, enable us, we pray, to attain the joys of so great a salvation and to celebrate them always with solemn worship and glad rejoicing.

The Collect of the Mass for the Third Sunday of Advent - Gaudete! - and an appropriate closing prayer for today’s Office.

[laudsandvespers]

The universe rejoices with new and indefinable loveliness.  Not only does it feel the unseen presence of God himself, its Creator, it sees him openly, working and making it holy.  These great blessings spring from the blessed fruit of Mary's womb. Through the fullness of grace that was given you, dead things rejoice in their freedom, and those in heaven are glad to be made new.  Through the Son who was the glorious fruit of your virgin womb, just souls who died before his life-giving death rejoice as they are freed from captivity, and the angels are glad at the restoration of their shattered domain.

From a sermon, by Saint Anselm, bishop, and from the Office of Readings for today’s Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception and the Patronal Feastday of the United States.  Say the Te Deum today!  A prayer for our country is certainly in order, as well.

[laudsandvespers]

Grant your faithful, we pray, almighty God, the resolve to run forth to meet your Christ with righteous deeds at his coming, so that, gathered at his right hand, they may be worthy to possess the heavenly Kingdom.

The Collect of the Mass for the First Sunday of Advent and an appropriate closing prayer for today’s Office.

[laudsandvespers]

The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to al his creatures. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and all your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God, to make known to men your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of your reign. Yours is an everlasting kingdom; your rule lasts from age to age.

From Psalm 145 and from the psalmody for vespers on the Solemnity of Christ the King.

[laudsandvespers]

Father, you illumine the night and bring dawn to scatter darkness. Let us pass this night in safety, free from Satan's power, and rise when morning comes to give you thanks and praise.

The closing prayer from Vespers for Thursday in the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time.

[laudsandvespers]

O Lord, I cried to you for help and you, my God, have healed me. O Lord, you have raised my soul from the dead, restored me to life from those who sink into the grave.

From Psalm 30 and from the Psalmody for Vespers for Thursday of the Thirty-Third Week in Ordinary Time.

[laudsandvespers]

Almighty God, who filled the heart of Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne with charity and missionary zeal, and gave her the desire to make you known among all peoples, grant us to follow her way and fill us with the same love and zeal to extend your Kingdom to the ends of the earth.

The Collect of the Mass for today’s memorial for Saint Rose Philippine Duchesne, and an appropriate closing prayer for today’s Office.

[laudsandvespers]

Lord Jesus Christ, you have given your followers, an example of gentleness and humility, a task that is easy, a burden that is light. Accept the prayers and work of this day, and give us the rest that will strengthen us to render more faithful service to you who live and reign for ever and ever.

The closing prayer for Wednesday’s Compline.

[laudsandvespers]

You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the plague that prowls in the darkness nor the scourge that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right, you, it will never approach; his faithfulness is buckler and shield.

From Psalm 91 and Second Compline on Sundays.