APRIL 21 2026

Leader: O Lord, open my lips. All: And my mouth shall declare your praise.
The Lord is risen, alleluia!

Antiphon: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Psalm 67

O God, be gracious and bless us
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth
and all nations learn your saving help.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

Let the nations be glad and exult
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples,
you guide the nations on earth.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

The earth has yielded its fruit
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.

Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.

Antiphon: Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Reading: From a sermon by St. Augustine

Sing to the Lord a new song; his praise is in the assembly of the saints. We are urged to sing a new song to the Lord, as new men who have learned a new song. A song is a thing of joy; more profoundly, it is a thing of love. Anyone, therefore, who has learned to love the new life has learned to sing a new song, and the new song reminds us of our new life. The new man, the new song, the new covenant, all belong to the one kingdom of God, and so the new man will sing a new song and will belong to the new covenant.

There is not one who does not love something, but the question is, what to love. The psalms do not tell us not to love, but to choose the object of our love. But how can we choose unless we are first chosen? We cannot love unless someone has loved us first. Listen to the apostle John: We love him, because he first loved us. The source of man’s love for God can only be found in the fact that God loved him first. He has given us himself as the object of our love, and he has also given us its source. What this source is you may learn more clearly from the apostle Paul who tells us: The love of God has been poured into our hearts. This love is not something we generate ourselves; it comes to us through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Pray either the Canticle of Zechariah or the Canticle of Mary. You can find them here.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Zechariah:      Truly I say to you: Moses did not give you the bread of heaven; my Father gives you the true bread from heaven, alleluia.
Antiphon for the Canticle of Mary:      The bread of God that comes down from heaven gives life to the world, alleluia.

Intercessions

Lead us out of darkness into light.
King of glory, hear us!
Stay with us today and remain with us always.
King of glory, hear us!
Raise up those who have died to live with you.
King of glory, hear us!

Dear Father,
Pour out your Spirit upon us, the same Spirit through whom you raised your Son Jesus from the dead. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.