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.
Opening Versicles
℣.O God, ✠ make speed to save me.
℟.O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Alleluia
Hymn
Iam lucis orto sidere
Now that the daylight fills the sky,We lift our hearts to God on high,That he, in all we do or say,Would keep us free from harm to-day:
Would guard our hearts and tongues from strife;From anger’s din would hide our life;From all ill sights would turn our eyes;Would close our ears from vanities:
Would keep our inmost conscience pure;Our souls from folly would secure;Would bid us check the pride of senseWith due and holy abstinence.
So we, when this new day is gone,And night in turn is drawing on,With conscience by the world unstained,Shall praise his Name for victory gained.
All laud to God the Father be;All praise, eternal Son, to thee;All glory, as is ever meet,To God the Holy Paraclete.Amen.
Ant. Whither.
Psalm 7Domine, Deus meus
O Lord my God, in thee have I put my trust * save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me;
2Lest he devour my soul, like a lion, and tear it in pieces * while there is none to help.
3O Lord my God, if I have done any such thing * or if there be any wickedness in my hands;
4If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me * yea, I have delivered him that without any cause is mine enemy;)
5Then let mine enemy persecute my soul, and take me * yea, let him tread my life down upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust.
6Stand up, O Lord, in thy wrath, and lift up thyself, because of the indignation of mine enemies * arise up for me in the judgement that thou hast commanded.
7And so shall the congregation of the people come about thee * for their sakes therefore lift up thyself again.
8The Lord shall judge the people; give sentence with me, O Lord * according to my righteousness, and according to the innocency that is in me.
9O let the wickedness of the ungodly come to an end * but guide thou the just.
10For the righteous God * trieth the very hearts and reins.
11My help cometh of God * who preserveth them that are true of heart.
12God is a righteous Judge, strong and patient * and God is provoked every day.
13If a man will not turn, he will whet his sword * he hath bent his bow, and made it ready.
14He hath prepared for him the instruments of death * he ordaineth his arrows against the persecutors
15Behold, he travaileth with mischief * he hath conceived sorrow, and brought forth ungodliness.
16He hath graven and digged up a pit * and is fallen himself into the destruction that he made for other.
17For his travail shall come upon his own head * and his wickedness shall fall on his own pate.
18I will give thanks unto the Lord, according to his righteousness * and I will praise the Name of the Lord most High.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Psalm 8Domine, Dominus noster
O Lord our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world * thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens!
2Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies * that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3For I will consider thy heavens, even the works of thy fingers * the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained.
4What is man, that thou art mindful of him * and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5Thou madest him lower than the angels * to crown him with glory and worship.
6Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands * and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet;
7All sheep and oxen * yea, and the beasts of the field;
8The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea * and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.
9O Lord our Governor * how excellent is thy Name in all the world!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Psalm 9aConfitebor tibi, Domine
I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart * I will speak of all thy marvellous works.
2I will be glad and rejoice in thee * yea, my songs will I make of thy Name, O thou most Highest.
3While mine enemies are driven back * they shall fall and perish at thy presence.
4For thou hast maintained my right and my cause * thou art set in the throne that judgest right.
5Thou hast rebuked the heathen, and destroyed the ungodly * thou hast put out their name for ever and ever.
6O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end * even as the cities which thou hast destroyed, their memorial is perished with them.
7But the Lord shall endure for ever * he hath also prepared his seat for judgement.
8For he shall judge the world in righteousness * and minister true judgement unto the people.
9The Lord also will be a defence for the oppressed * even a refuge in due time of trouble.
10And they that know thy Name will put their trust in thee * for thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee.
11O praise the Lord which dwelleth in Sion * shew the people of his doings.
12For when he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them * and forgetteth not the complaint of the poor.
13Have mercy upon me, O Lord; consider the trouble which I suffer of them that hate me * thou that liftest me up from the gates of death.
14That I may shew all thy praises within the ports of the daughter of Sion * I will rejoice in thy salvation.
15The heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made * in the same net which they hid privily, is their foot taken.
16The Lord is known to execute judgement * the ungodly is trapped in the work of his own hands.
17The wicked shall be turned into hell * and all the people that forget God.
18For the poor shall not alway be forgotten * the patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Ant. Whither * is thy beloved gone, O thou fairest among women? whither is thy beloved turned aside? that we may seek him with thee.
Chapter
1 Tim. 1:17
Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory * for ever and ever. Amen.
℟.Thanks be to God.
Litany & Lord’s Prayer
℣.O Christ, arise, help us.
℟.And deliver us for thy Name’s sake.
℣.Kyrie, eleison.
℟.Christe, eleison.
All:Kyrie, eleison.
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.
℣.O Lord, hear my prayer.
℟.And let my cry come unto thee.
℣.The Lord be with you.
℟.And with thy spirit.
Let us pray.
Collect
O Lord God Almighty, who hast brought us to the beginning of this day; Defend us in the same with thy mighty power, that we may not fall this day into any sin, but that all our thoughts, words, and works may be directed to the fulfilment of thy righteousness. Through Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth God, world without end.
℟.Amen.
Blessing
℣.O Lord, hear my prayer.
℟.And let my cry come unto thee.
℣.The Lord be with you.
℟.And with thy spirit.
℣.Let us bless the Lord.
℟.Thanks be to God.
℣.May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
℟.Amen.
Then the Martyrology is read in Choir, and this may laudably be done also in the private recitation of the Office out of Choir.
Martyrology for tomorrow, September 16
The Saints Cornelius and Cyprian, pontiffs and martyrs, whose birthday is the 14th of this month.
At Chalcedon, the birthday of St. Euphemia, virgin and martyr, under the emperor Diocletian and the proconsul Priscus. For faith in our Lord she was subjected to tortures, imprisonment, blows, the torment of the wheel, fire, the crushing weight of stones, the teeth of beasts, scourging with rods, the cutting of sharp saws, burning pans, all of which she survived. But when she was again exposed to the beasts in the amphitheatre, praying to our Lord to receive her spirit, one of the animals having inflicted a bite on her sacred body, whilst the rest licked her feet, she yielded her unspotted soul to God.
At Rome, the holy martyrs Lucia, noble matron, and Geminian, who were subjected to most grievous afflictions and a long time tortured, by the command of the emperor Diocletian. Finally, being put to the sword, they obtained the glorious victory of martyrdom.
Also, at Rome, at a place on the Flaminian road, ten miles from the city, the holy martyrs Abundius, priest, and Abundantius, deacon, whom the emperor Diocletian caused to be struck with the sword, together with Marcian, an illustrious man, and his son John, whom they had raised from the dead.
At Heraclea, in Thrace, St. Sebastiana, martyr, under the emperor Domitian and the governor Sergius. Being brought to the faith of Christ by the blessed apostle Paul, she was tormented in various ways and finally beheaded.
At Cordova, the holy martyrs Rogellus and Servideus, who were decapitated, after their hands and feet had been cut off.
In Scotland, St. Ninian, bishop and confessor.
In England, St. Editha, virgin, daughter of the English king Edgar, who was consecrated to God in a monastery from her tender years, whence she may be said to have been ignorant of the world rather than to have forsaken it.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors, and virgins.
℟.Thanks be to God.
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.