Every day, we will post a few brief prayers inspired by the Liturgy of the Hours.
O Lord, open my lips. And my mouth shall declare your praise.
Psalm 30
I will praise you, Lord, you have rescued me and have not let my enemies rejoice over me. 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. Sing psalms to the Lord, you who love him, give thanks to his holy name. His anger lasts a moment; his favor all through life. At night there are tears, but joy comes with dawn. I said to myself in my good fortune: “Nothing will ever disturb me.” Your favor had set me on a mountain fastness, then you hid your face and I was put to confusion. To you, Lord, I cried, to my God I made appeal: “What profit would my death be, my going to the grave? Can dust give you praise or proclaim your truth? The Lord listened and had pity. The Lord came to my help. For me you have changed my mourning into dancing, you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy. So my soul sings psalms to you unceasingly. O Lord my God, I will thank you for ever.
Reading: From a Letter to Proba by St. Augustine
In the kind of affliction, then, which can bring either good or ill, we do not know what it is right to pray for; yet, because it is difficult, troublesome and against the grain for us, weak as we are, we do what every human would do, we pray that it may be taken away from us. We owe, however, at least this much in our duty to God: if he does not take it away, we must not imagine that we are being forgotten by him but because of our loving endurance of evil, must await greater blessings in its place. In this way, power shines forth more perfectly in weakness. These words are written to prevent us from having too great an opinion of ourselves if our prayer is granted, when we are impatient in asking for something that it would be better not to receive; and to prevent us from being dejected, and distrustful of God’s mercy toward us, if our prayer is not granted, when we ask for something that would bring us greater affliction, or completely ruin us through the corrupting influence of prosperity. In these cases we do not know what is right to ask for in prayer. Therefore, if something happens that we did not pray for, we must have no doubt at all that what God wants is more expedient than what we wanted ourselves. Our great Mediator gave us an example of this. After he had said: Father, if it is possible, let this cup be taken away from me, he immediately added, Yet not what I will, but what you will, Father, so transforming the human will that was his through his taking a human nature. As a consequence, and rightly so, through the obedience of one man the many are made righteous.
The Canticle of Mary
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, My spirit rejoices in God, my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
Intercessions
May we imitate you in all we do today. Lord, bless us and bring us close to you! Send many laborers to work in your vineyard. Lord, bless us and bring us close to you! Help us to follow you wholeheartedly. Lord, bless us and bring us close to you!
Dear Jesus, May your strength be our delight. Help us to please you in all we do. We ask the Father for this in your name in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
