Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)

November 21

The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Memorial

Today we celebrate the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a feast honoring her presentation in the temple when she was a young child. The tradition was celebrated as early as the 8th century in the East and later, adopted by the West. The inspiration comes to us from a story in the Protoevangelium of James. [1][2][3]

Written by Sarah Ciotti

Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD

[1] F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone, The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (London: Oxford University Press, 1974), 1121.

[2] Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, The Martyrology of the Monastery of the Ascension, 2008.

[3] Catholicpedia: The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (1917) for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. s.v. “Feast of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.”

Lord, open my lips.

— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary.

Psalm 95

Come, let us sing to the Lord

and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.

Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving

and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary.

The Lord is God, the mighty God,

the great king over all the gods.

He holds in his hands the depths of the earth

and the highest mountains as well

He made the sea; it belongs to him,

the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary.

Come, then, let us bow down and worship,

bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,

For he is our God and we are his people,

the flock he shepherds.

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary.

Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:

Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did

in the wilderness,

when at Meriba and Massah

they challenged me and provoked me,

Although they had seen all of my works.

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary.

Forty years I endured that generation.

I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray

and they do not know my ways.”

So I swore in my anger,

“They shall not enter into my rest.”

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, the Son of Mary.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 615

Psalter: Saturday, Week I, 771

Common of BVM: 1628 (verse before first reading)

Proper of Seasons: 561 (first reading)

Proper of Saints: 1572 (second reading, concluding prayer)

Office of Readings for Saturday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN
Ave Maria, gratia plena

Maria, gratia plena

Maria, gratia plena

Ave, ave dominus

Dominus tecum

Benedicta tu in mulieribus

Et benedictus

Et benedictus fructus ventris

Ventris tui, Jesus

Ave Maria!

Ave Maria Mater Dei

Ora pro nobis peccatoribus

Ora, ora pro nobis

Ora ora pro nobis peccatoribus

Nunc et in hora mortis

In hora mortis, nostrae

In hora mortis mortis nostrae

In hora mortis, nostrae

Ave Maria!

English Translation

Hail Mary, full of grace,

the Lord is with thee,

blessed art thou amongst women,

and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

pray for us sinners,

now and at the hour of our death.

𝄞"Ave Maria" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss • Title: Ave Maria; Composer: Franz Schubert; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Used with permission

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Whoever humbles himself, like a little child, will be greater in the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 131

Childlike trust in God

Learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).

O Lord, my heart is not proud

nor haughty my eyes.

I have not gone after things too great

nor marvels beyond me.

Truly I have set my soul

in silence and peace.

As a child has rest in its mother’s arms,

even so my soul.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

both now and for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart, you declared that whoever receives a little child in your name receives you, and you promised your kingdom to those who are like children. Never let pride reign in our hearts, but may the Father’s compassion reward and embrace all who willingly bear your gentle yoke.

Ant. Whoever humbles himself, like a little child, will be greater in the kingdom of heaven.

Ant. 2 With simplicity of heart, I have joyfully offered everything to you, my God.

Psalm 132

God’s promises to the house of David

The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David (Luke 1:32).

I

O Lord, remember David

and all the many hardships he endured,

the oath he swore to the Lord,

his vow to the Strong One of Jacob.

“I will not enter the house where I live

nor go to the bed where I rest.

I will give no sleep to my eyes,

to my eyelids I will give no slumber

till I find a place for the Lord,

a dwelling for the Strong One of Jacob.”

At Ephrathah we heard of the ark;

we found it in the plains of Yearim.

“Let us go to the place of his dwelling;

let us go to kneel at his footstool.”

Go up, Lord, to the place of your rest,

you and the ark of your strength.

Your priests shall be clothed with holiness:

your faithful shall ring out their joy.

For the sake of David your servant

do not reject your anointed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. With simplicity of heart, I have joyfully offered everything to you, my God.

Ant. 3 The Lord has sworn an oath to David; his kingdom will stand for ever.

II

The Lord swore an oath to David;

he will not go back on his word;

“A son, the fruit of your body,

will I set upon your throne.

If they keep my covenant in truth

and my laws that I have taught them,

their sons also shall rule

on your throne from age to age.”

For the Lord has chosen Zion;

he has desired it for his dwelling:

“This is my resting-place for ever,

here have I chosen to live.

I will greatly bless her produce,

I will fill her poor with bread.

I will clothe her priests with salvation

and her faithful shall ring out their joy.

There David’s stock will flower:

I will prepare a lamp for my anointed.

I will cover his enemies with shame

but on him my crown shall shine.”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you chose to suffer and be overwhelmed by death in order to open the gates of death in triumph. Stay with us to help us on our pilgrimage; free us from all evil by the power of your resurrection. In the company of your saints, and constantly remembering your love for us, may we sing of your wonders in our Father’s house.

Ant. The Lord has sworn an oath to David; his kingdom will stand for ever.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Blessed are those who hear the word of God.

— And cherish it in their hearts.

READINGS

First reading

From the book of the prophet Zechariah

14:1-21

The suffering and glory of Jerusalem on the last day

Thus says the Lord: Lo, a day shall come for the Lord when the spoils shall be divided in your midst. And I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem for battle: the city shall be taken, houses plundered, women ravished; half of the city shall go into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be removed from the city.

Then the Lord shall go forth and fight against those nations, fighting as on a day of battle. That day his feet shall rest upon the Mount of Olives, which is opposite Jerusalem to the east. The Mount of Olives shall be cleft in two from east to west by a very deep valley, and half of the mountain shall move to the north and half of it to the south. And the valley of the Lord’s mountain shall be filled up when the valley of those two mountains reaches its edge; it shall be filled up as it was filled up by the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah. Then the Lord, my God, shall come, and all his holy ones with him.

On that day there shall no longer be cold or frost. There shall be one continuous day, known to the Lord, not day and night, for in the evening time there shall be light.

On that day, living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea, and half to the western sea, and it shall be so in summer and in winter. The Lord shall become king over the whole earth; on that day the Lord shall be the only one, and his name the only one.

And from Geba to Rimmon in the Negeb, all the land shall turn into a plain; but Jerusalem shall remain exalted in its place. From the Gate of Benjamin to the place of the First Gate, to the Corner Gate; and from the Tower of Hananel to the king’s wine presses, they shall occupy her. Never again shall she be doomed; Jerusalem shall abide in security.

And this shall be the plague with which the Lord shall strike all the nations that have fought against Jerusalem: their flesh shall rot while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall rot in their sockets, and their tongues shall rot in their mouths.

On that day there shall be among them a great tumult from the Lord: every man shall seize the hand of his neighbor, and the hand of each shall be raised against that of his neighbor. Judah also shall fight against Jerusalem. The riches of all the surrounding nations shall be gathered together, gold, silver, and garments, in great abundance.

Similar to this plague shall be the plague upon the horses, mules, camels, asses, and upon all the beasts that are in those camps.

All who are left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall come up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to celebrate the feast of Booths.

If any of the families of the earth does not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, no rain shall fall upon them. And if the family of Egypt does not come up, or enter, upon them shall fall the plague which the Lord will inflict upon all the nations that do not come up to celebrate the feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to celebrate the feast of Booths.

On that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, “Holy to the Lord.” The pots in the house of the Lord shall be as the libation bowls before the altar. And every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the Lord of hosts; and all who come to sacrifice shall take them and cook in them. On that day there shall no longer be any merchant in the house of the Lord of hosts.

RESPONSORY Zechariah 13:1; 14:8; John 19:34

On that day living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,

and a fountain shall be opened for the house of David

— to wash away our sins.

One of the soldiers pierced the side of Jesus with a lance,

and immediately blood and water flowed out.

— To wash away our sins.

Second reading

From a sermon by Saint Augustine, bishop

She who believed by faith, conceived by faith

Stretching out his hand over his disciples, the Lord Christ declared: Here are my mother and my brothers; anyone who does the will of my Father who sent me is my brother and my sister and my mother. I would urge you to ponder these words. Did the Virgin Mary, who believed by faith and conceived by faith, who was the chosen one from whom our Savior was born among men, who was created by Christ before Christ was created in her – did she not do the will of the Father? Indeed the blessed Mary certainly did the Father’s will, and so it was for her a greater thing to have been Christ’s disciple than to have been his mother, and she was more blessed in her discipleship than in her motherhood. Hers was the happiness of first bearing in her womb him whom she would obey as her master.

Now listen and see if the words of Scripture do not agree with what I have said. The Lord was passing by and crowds were following him. His miracles gave proof of divine power, and a woman cried out: Happy is the womb that bore you, blessed is that womb! But the Lord, not wishing people to seek happiness in a purely physical relationship, replied: More blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it. Mary heard God’s word and kept it, and so she is blessed. She kept God’s truth in her mind, a nobler thing than carrying his body in her womb. The truth and the body were both Christ: he was kept in Mary’s mind insofar as he is truth, he was carried in her womb insofar as he is man; but what is kept in the mind is of a higher order than what is carried in the womb.

The Virgin Mary is both holy and blessed, and yet the Church is greater than she. Mary is a part of the Church, a member of the Church, a holy, an eminent – the most eminent – member, but still only a member of the entire body. The body undoubtedly is greater than she, one of its members. This body has the Lord for its head, and head and body together make up the whole Christ. In other words, our head is divine – our head is God.

Now, beloved, give me your whole attention, for you also are members of Christ; you also are the body of Christ. Consider how you yourselves can be among those of whom the Lord said: Here are my mother and my brothers. Do you wonder how you can be the mother of Christ? He himself said: Whoever hears and fulfills the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and my sister and my mother. As for our being the brothers and sisters of Christ, we can understand this because although there is only one inheritance and Christ is the only Son, his mercy would not allow him to remain alone. It was his wish that we too should be heirs of the Father, and co-heirs with himself.

Now having said that all of you are brothers of Christ, shall I not dare to call you his mother? Much less would I dare to deny his own words. Tell me how Mary became the mother of Christ, if it was not by giving birth to the members of Christ? You, to whom I am speaking, are the members of Christ. Of whom were you born? “Of Mother Church”, I hear the reply of your hearts. You became sons of this mother at your baptism, you came to birth then as members of Christ. Now you in your turn must draw to the font of baptism as many as you possibly can. You became sons when you were born there yourselves, and now by bringing others to birth in the same way, you have it in your power to become the mothers of Christ.

RESPONSORY Isaiah 61:10; Luke 1:46-47

I will cry out with joy to the Lord; my soul will rejoice in my God.

— for he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, like a bride adorned with her jewels.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

— For he has clothed me with the robe of salvation, like a bride adorned with her jewels.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

As we venerate

the glorious memory

of the most holy Virgin Mary,

grant, we pray, O Lord,

through her intercession,

that we, too, may merit to receive

from the fullness of your grace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV:

Ordinary: 618

Psalter: Saturday, Week I, 774

Common of BVM: 1643 (reading, responsory, intercessions)

Proper of Saints: 1575 (canticle antiphon, concluding prayer)

Christian Prayer:

Ordinary: 689

Psalter: Saturday, Week I, 770

Common of BVM: 1372 (reading, responsory, intercessions)

Proper of Saints: 1322 (canticle antiphon, concluding prayer)

Morning Prayer for Saturday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN
O glorious Lady, throned in rest,

Amidst the starry host above,

Who offered nurture from your breast

To God, with pure maternal love.

What we had lost through sinful Eve

The blossom sprung from you restores,

And granting bliss to souls that grieve,

Unbars the everlasting doors.

O Gate, through which hath passed the King,

O Hall, whence Light shone through the gloom;

The ransomed nations praise and sing

Life given from the Virgin womb.

All laud and honor be addressed,

O Jesus, Virgin-born, to you;

To Father and the Spirit blest

Be praised forever as is due. Amen.

𝄞"O Glorious Lady Throned in Rest" by Kathleen Lundquist, Sara Faux • Available for Purchase • Title: O Glorious Lady Throned in Rest; Text: John Mason Neale; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Accompaniment: Sara Faux; Recording copyright 2017 by Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Dawn finds me ready to welcome you, my God.

Psalm 119

XIX (Koph)

I call with all my heart; Lord, hear me,

I will keep your commands;

I call upon you, save me

and I will do your will.

I rise before dawn and cry for help,

I hope in your word.

My eyes watch through the night

to ponder your promise.

In your love hear my voice, O Lord;

give me life by your decrees.

Those who harm me unjustly draw near:

they are far from your law.

But you, O Lord, are close:

your commands are truth.

Long have I known that your will

is established for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

Save us by the power of your hand, Father, for our enemies have ignored your words. May the fire of your word consume our sins and its brightness illumine our hearts.

Ant. Dawn finds me ready to welcome you, my God.

Ant. 2 The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise, for he has become my Savior.

Canticle – Exodus 15:1-4a, 8-13, 17-18

Hymn of victory after the crossing of the Red Sea

Those who had conquered the beast were singing the song of Moses, God’s servant (see Revelation 15:2-3).

I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant;

horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.

My strength and my courage is the Lord,

and he has been my savior.

He is my God, I praise him;

the God of my father, I extol him.

The Lord is a warrior,

Lord is his name!

Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea.

At a breath of your anger the waters piled up,

the flowing waters stood like a mound,

the flood waters congealed in the midst of the sea.

The enemy boasted, “I will pursue and overtake them;

I will divide the spoils and have my fill of them;

I will draw my sword; my hand shall despoil them!”

When your wind blew, the sea covered them;

like lead they sank in the mighty waters.

Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?

Who is like you, magnificent in holiness?

O terrible in renown, worker of wonders,

when you stretched out your right hand, the earth swallowed them!

In your mercy you led the people you redeemed;

in your strength you guided them to your holy dwelling.

And you brought them in and planted them on the mountain of

your inheritance —

the place where you made your seat, O Lord,

the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands established.

The Lord shall reign forever and ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise, for he has become my Savior.

Ant. 3 O praise the Lord, all you nations.

Psalm 117

Praise for God’s loving compassion

I affirm that… the Gentile peoples are to praise God because of his mercy (Romans 15:8-9).

O praise the Lord, all you nations,

acclaim him, all you peoples!

Strong is his love for us;

he is faithful for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Psalm-prayer

God our Father, may all nations and peoples praise you. May Jesus, who is called faithful and true and who lives with you eternally, possess our hearts for ever.

Ant. O praise the Lord, all you nations.

READING Isaiah 61:10

I rejoice heartily in the Lord,

in my God is the joy of my soul;

For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,

and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,

like a bride bedecked with her jewels.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning.

— The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning.

He has taken her to live with him,

— his loved one from the beginning.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,

— The Lord has chosen her, his loved one from the beginning.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. Blessed are you, Mary, because you believed that the Lord’s words to you would be fulfilled, alleluia.

Luke 1:68-79

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior,

born of the house of his servant David.

Through his holy prophets he promised of old

that he would save us from our enemies,

from the hands of all who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers

and to remember his holy covenant.

This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:

to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

free to worship him without fear,

holy and righteous in his sight

all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;

for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

to give his people knowledge of salvation

by the forgiveness of their sins.

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.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,

and to the Holy Spirit:

as it was in the beginning, is now,

and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. Blessed are you, Mary, because you believed that the Lord’s words to you would be fulfilled, alleluia.

INTERCESSIONS

Let us glorify our Savior, who chose the Virgin Mary for his mother. Let us ask him:

May your mother intercede for us, Lord.

Son of Justice, the immaculate Virgin was the white dawn announcing your rising,

— grant that we may always live in the light of your coming.

May your mother intercede for us, Lord.

Eternal Word, you chose Mary as the uncorrupted ark of your dwelling place,

— free us from the corruption of sin.

May your mother intercede for us, Lord.

Savior of Mankind, your mother stood at the foot of your cross,

— grant through her intercession, that we may rejoice to share in your passion.

May your mother intercede for us, Lord.

With ultimate generosity and love, you gave Mary as a mother to your beloved disciple,

— help us to live as worthy sons of so noble a mother.

May your mother intercede for us, Lord.

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

As we venerate

the glorious memory

of the most holy Virgin Mary,

grant, we pray, O Lord,

through her intercession,

that we, too, may merit to receive

from the fullness of your grace.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever.

— Amen.

DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life.

— Amen.

Ribbon Placement:

Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III:

Ordinary: 659

Complementary Psalmody: 1291 (Midmorning)

Psalter: Saturday, Week I, 819 (Midmorning)

Midmorning Prayer for Saturday in Ordinary Time using the Complementary Psalmody

God, come to my assistance.

— Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

HYMN
Breathe on me, Breath of God,

fill me with life anew,

that I may love what thou dost love,

and do what thou wouldst do.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,

until my heart is pure,

until with thee I have one will,

to do and to endure.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,

till I am wholly thine,

till all this earthly part of me

glows with thy fire divine.

Breathe on me, Breath of God,

so shall I never die,

but live with thee the perfect life

of thine eternity.

𝄞"O Breathe on Me, Breath of God" by Jane Chifley And Pat McGrath • Musical Score • Title: Breathe on Me, Breath of God; Text: Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889; Music: Robert Jackson, 1842-1914; Tune: TRENTHAM, Meter: SM; Artist: Jane Chifley And Pat McGrath; Used by permission

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 I cried out, and the Lord heard me.

Psalm 120

Longing for peace

To the Lord in the hour of my distress

I call and he answers me.

“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips,

from the tongue of the deceitful.”

What shall he pay you in return,

O treacherous tongue?

The warrior’s arrows sharpened

and coals, red-hot, blazing.

Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech,

dwell among the tents of Kedar!

Long enough have I been dwelling

with those who hate peace.

I am for peace, but when I speak,

they are for fighting.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I cried out, and the Lord heard me.

Ant. 2 May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.

Psalm 121

Guardian of his people

Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

from where shall come my help?

My help shall come from the Lord

who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!

Let him sleep not, your guard.

No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,

Israel’s guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;

at your right side he stands.

By day the sun shall not smite you

nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,

he will guard your soul.

The Lord will guard your going and coming

both now and for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go.

Ant. 3 I rejoiced in the good news they told me.

Psalm 122

The holy city, Jerusalem

You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22)

I rejoiced when I heard them say:

Let us go to God’s house.

And now our feet are standing

within your gates, O Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built as a city

strongly compact.

It is there that the tribes go up,

the tribes of the Lord.

For Israel’s law it is,

there to praise the Lord’s name.

There were set the thrones of judgment

of the house of David.

For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“Peace be to your homes!

May peace reign in your walls,

in your palaces, peace!”

For love of my brethren and friends

I say: Peace upon you.

For love of the house of the Lord

I will ask for your good.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:

— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Ant. I rejoiced in the good news they told me.

READING 1 Kings 8:60-61

May all the peoples of the earth know the Lord is God and there is no other. You must be wholly devoted to the Lord, our God, observing his statutes and keeping his commandments.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell)

A moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

Lord, my God, teach me your ways.

— Make me live by the light of your truth.

CONCLUDING PRAYER

God, all-powerful Father,

fill your people with the light of your Holy Spirit,

that, safe from every enemy,

we may rejoice in singing your praises.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.

— Amen.

ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community)

Let us praise the Lord.

— And give him thanks.