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.
Antiphon: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Psalm 99
The Lord is king; the peoples tremble. He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes. The Lord is great in Zion. He is supreme over all the peoples. Let them praise his name, so terrible and great. He is holy, full of power. You are a king who loves what is right; you have established equity, justice and right; you have established them in Jacob. Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before Zion, his footstool. He the Lord is holy. Among his priests were Aaron and Moses, among those who invoked his name was Samuel. They invoked the Lord and he answered. To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud. They did his will; they kept the law, which he, the Lord, had given. O Lord our God, you answered them. For them you were a God who forgives; yet you punished all their offenses. Exalt the Lord our God; bow down before his holy mountain for the Lord our God is holy.
Antiphon: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
Reading: From the treatise Against Heresies by St. Irenaeus
The slip of a vine planted in the ground bears fruit at the proper time. The grain of wheat falls into the ground and decays only to be raised up again and multiplied by the Spirit of God who sustains all things. The Wisdom of God places these things at the service of man and when they receive God’s word they become the eucharist, which is the body and blood of Christ. In the same way our bodies, which have been nourished by the eucharist, will be buried in the earth and will decay, but they will rise again at the appointed time, for the Word of God will raise them up to the glory of God the Father. Then the Father will clothe our mortal nature in immortality and freely endow our corruptible nature with incorruptibility, for God’s power is shown most perfectly in weakness.
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
Come to the aid of those who are suffering. Remain with us, Lord! Renew and strengthen your Church. Remain with us, Lord! May your blessing be upon us always. Remain with us, Lord!
Dear Father, Your Son freed us from the darkness of our sins. May we always keep in mind his great sacrifice for us and so strive to stay close to you. We ask this in Jesus's name in union with the Holy Spirit. Amen.
