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
Nunc Sancte nobis Spiritus
Come, Holy Ghost, with God the Son,And God the Father ever One:Shed forth thy grace within our breast,And dwell with us, a ready guest.
By every power, by heart and tongue,By act and deed, thy praise be sung:Inflame with perfect love each sense,That others’ souls may kindle thence.
All honour, laud, and glory be,O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee;All glory, as is ever meet,To Father and to Paraclete.Amen.
Ant. Greater love hath no man.
Psalm 120Ad Dominum cum tribularer
When I was in trouble I called upon the Lord * and he heard me.
2Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips * and from a deceitful tongue.
3What reward shall be given or done unto thee, thou false tongue * even mighty and sharp arrows, with hot burning coals.
4Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech * and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar.
5My soul hath long dwelt among them * that are enemies unto peace.
6I labour for peace, but when I speak unto them thereof * they make them ready to battle.
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 121Levavi oculos meos
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills * from whence cometh my help.
2My help cometh even from the Lord * who hath made heaven and earth.
3He will not suffer thy foot to be moved * and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.
4Behold, he that keepeth Israel * shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5The Lord himself is thy keeper * the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
6So that the sun shall not burn thee by day * neither the moon by night.
7The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil * yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
8The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in * from this time forth for evermore.
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 122Lætatus sum in his
I was glad when they said unto me * We will go into the house of the Lord.
2Our feet shall stand in thy gates * O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem is built as a city * that is at unity in itself.
4For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord * to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.
5For there is the seat of judgement * even the seat of the house of David.
6O pray for the peace of Jerusalem * they shall prosper that love thee.
7Peace be within thy walls * and plenteousness within thy palaces.
8For my brethren and companions’ sakes * I will wish thee prosperity.
9Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God * I will seek to do thee good.
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. Greater love hath no man * than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Chapter
Eph 2:19–20
Brethren: Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone.
℟.Thanks be to God.
℣.Their sound is gone out into all lands.
℟.And their words into the ends of the world.
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.
Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being illumined by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to life everlasting. 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.