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.
Before the Office are 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.
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
Rector potens, verax Deus
O God of truth, O Lord of might,Who orderest time and change aright,And sendest the early morning ray,And lightest the glow of perfect day;
Extinguish thou each sinful fire,And banish every ill desire:And while thou keepest the body whole,Shed forth thy peace upon the soul.
O Father, that we ask be doneThrough Jesus Christ, thine only Son,Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee,Shall live and reign eternally.Amen.
Ant. O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
Psalm 123Ad te levavi oculos
Unto thee lift I up mine eyes * O thou that dwellest in the heavens.
2Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress * even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us.
3Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us * for we are utterly despised.
4Our soul is filled with the scornful reproof of the wealthy * and with the despitefulness of the proud.
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 124Nisi quia Dominus erat
If the Lord himself had not been on our side, now may Israel say * if the Lord himself had not been on our side, when men rose up against us;
2They had swallowed us up quick * when thy were so wrathfully displeased at us.
3Yea, the waters had drowned us * and the stream had gone over our soul.
4The deep waters of the proud * had gone even over our soul.
5But praised be the Lord * who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth.
6Our soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler * the snare is broken, and we are delivered .
7Our help standeth in the Name of the Lord * who hath made heaven and earth.
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 125Qui confidunt in Domino
They that put their trust in the Lord shall be even as the mount Sion * which may not be removed, but standeth fast for ever.
2The hills stand about Jerusalem * even so standeth the Lord round about his people, from this time forth for evermore.
3For the rod of the ungodly cometh not into the lot of the righteous * lest the righteous put their hand unto wickedness.
4Do well, O Lord * unto those that are good and true of heart.
5As for such as turn back unto their own wickedness * the Lord shall lead them forth with the evil-doers; but peace shall be upon Israel.
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. O thou that dwellest in the heavens, * have mercy upon us.
Chapter
Gal. 6:2
Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
℟.Thanks be to God.
℣.The Lord is my shepherd; therefore can I lack nothing.
℟.He shall feed me in a green pasture.
Closing Prayers
℣.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.
Lord, we beseech thee, grant thy people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil; and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee, the only God. Through thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth God, world without end.
℟.Amen.
℣.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.
Our Father is 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.
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.