Prayers Before the Office
Before beginning the Office, it is praiseworthy to say the following Prayers.
Open my mouth, O Lord, to bless thy holy Name: cleanse my heart from all vain, evil, and wandering thoughts; enlighten my understanding and kindle my affections, that I may fittingly recite this Office with attention and devotion, and so may be meet to be heard before the presence of thy divine Majesty. Through Christ our Lord.
℟.Amen.
O Lord, in union with that divine intention wherewith thou thyself didst offer thy praises to God while upon the earth, I now recite this Office to thee.
The Our Father, Hail Mary, and Apostles’ Creed are said secretly.
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. Amen.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen.
I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary: Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost: the holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins: The Resurrection of the body: ✠ And the Life everlasting. Amen.
The Our Father and Hail Mary (and at Prime I believe) having been said secretly, the Hour is begun at once with the Psalms, without the opening Versicles or the Hymn.
Psalm 54Deus, in nomine tuo
Save me, O God, for thy Name’s sake * and avenge me in thy strength.
2Hear my prayer, O God * and hearken unto the words of my mouth.
3For strangers are risen up against me * and tyrants, which have not God before their eyes, seek after my soul.
4Behold, God is my helper * the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
5He shall reward evil unto mine enemies * destroy thou them in thy truth.
6An offering of a free heart will I give thee, and praise thy Name, O Lord * because it is so comfortable.
7For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble * and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.
Psalm 119 iBeati immaculati in via
Blessed are those that are undefiled in the way * and walk in the law of the Lord.
2Blessed are they that keep his testimonies * and seek him with their whole heart.
3For they who do no wickedness * walk in his ways.
4Thou hast charged * that we shall diligently keep thy commandments.
5O that my ways were made so direct * that I might keep thy statutes!
6So shall I not be confounded * while I have respect unto all thy commandments.
7I will thank thee with an unfeigned heart * when I shall have learned the judgements of thy righteousness.
8I will keep thy ceremonies * O forsake me not utterly.
Psalm 119 iiIn quo corrigit adolescentior
Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way * even by ruling himself after thy word.
10With my whole heart have I sought thee * O let me not go wrong out of thy commandments.
11Thy words have I hid within my heart * that I should not sin against thee.
12Blessed art thou, O Lord * O teach me thy statutes.
13With my lips have I been telling * of all the judgements of thy mouth.
14I have had as great delight in the way of thy testimonies * as in all manner of riches.
15I will talk of thy commandments * and have respect unto thy ways.
16My delight shall be in thy statutes * and I will not forget thy word.
Psalm 119 iiiRetribue servo tuo
O do well unto thy servant * that I may live, and keep thy word.
18Open thou mine eyes * that I may see the wondrous things of thy law.
19I am a stranger upon earth * O hide not thy commandments from me.
20My soul breaketh out for the very fervent desire * that it hath alway unto thy judgements.
21Thou hast rebuked the proud * and cursed are they that do err from thy commandments.
22O turn from me shame and rebuke * for I have kept thy testimonies.
23Princes also did sit and speak against me * but thy servant is occupied in thy statutes.
24For thy testimonies are my delight * and my counsellors.
Psalm 119 ivAdhæsit pavimento anima mea
My soul cleaveth to the dust * O quicken thou me, according to thy word.
26I have acknowledged my ways, and thou heardest me * O teach me thy statutes.
27Make me to understand the way of thy commandments * and so shall I talk of thy wondrous works.
28My soul melteth away for very heaviness * comfort thou me according unto thy word.
29Take from me the way of lying * and cause thou me to make much of thy law.
30I have chosen the way of truth * and thy judgements have I laid before me.
31I have stuck unto thy testimonies * O Lord, confound me not.
32I will run the way of thy commandments * when thou hast set my heart at liberty.
When the Antiphon Christ, for our sake is begun, all kneel; and when it is ended the Our Father is said entirely in secret. Then in a somewhat higher voice is said Psalm 51.
Ant. Christ, ✠ for our sake, became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a Name which is above every name.
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. Amen.
Psalm 51Miserere mei, Deus
Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness * according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences.
2Wash me throughly from my wickedness * and cleanse me from my sin.
3For I acknowledge my faults * and my sin is ever before me.
4Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight * that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.
5Behold, I was shapen in wickedness * and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
6But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts * and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
7Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean * thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness * that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9Turn thy face from my sins * and put out all my misdeeds.
10Make me a clean heart, O God * and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from thy presence * and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
12O give me the comfort of thy help again * and stablish me with thy free Spirit.
13Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked * and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health * and my tongue shall sing of thy righteousness.
15Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord * and my mouth shall shew thy praise.
16For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee * but thou delightest not in burnt-offerings.
17The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit * a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.
18O be favourable and gracious unto Sion * build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations * then shall they offer young bullocks upon thine altar.
The Psalm being ended, there is said, without Let us pray, in a low voice, the Collect of the day, its conclusion Who with thee ... liveth being said in silence. Thus are ended all the Hours during this Triduum, through None of Holy Saturday.
Almighty God, we beseech thee graciously to behold this thy family, for which our Lord Jesus Christ was contented to be betrayed, and given up into the hands of wicked men, and to suffer death upon the cross: Who with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth God, world without end. Amen.
During this Triduum the Martyrology is not read, and the rest until the end of the Hour is not said.
Prayers After the Office
To the holy and undivided Trinity, to the humanity of our crucified Lord, Jesus Christ, to the fruitful Virginity of the blessed and glorious ever Virgin Mary, and to the whole company of the Saints, be everlasting praise, honour, power, and glory from every creature, and unto us the remission of all our sins for ever, world without end.
℟.Amen.
℣.Blessed is the womb of the Virgin Mary, which bore the Son of the Father eternal.
℟.And blessed are the paps which gave suck to Christ the Lord.
Then is said secretly Our Father and Hail Mary.
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. Amen.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and in the hour of our death. Amen.