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. This is that disciple.
Psalm 119 vLegem pone mihi
Teach me, O Lord, the way of thy statutes * and I shall keep it unto the end.
34Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law * yea, I shall keep it with my whole heart.
35Make me to go in the path of thy commandments * for therein is my desire.
36Incline my heart unto thy testimonies * and not to covetousness.
37O turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity * and quicken thou me in thy way.
38O stablish thy word in thy servant * that I may fear thee.
39Take away the rebuke that I am afraid of * for thy judgements are good.
40Behold, my delight is in thy commandments * O quicken me in thy righteousness.
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 119 viEt veniat super me
Let thy loving mercy come also unto me, O Lord * even thy salvation, according unto thy word.
42So shall I make answer unto my blasphemers * for my trust is in thy word.
43O take not the word of thy truth utterly out of my mouth * for my hope is in thy judgements.
44So shall I alway keep thy law * yea, for ever and ever.
45And I will walk at liberty * for I seek thy commandments.
46I will speak of thy testimonies also, even before kings * and will not be ashamed.
47And my delight shall be in thy commandments * which I have loved.
48My hands also will I lift up unto thy commandments, which I have loved * and my study shall be in thy statutes.
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 119 viiMemor esto verbi tui
O think upon thy servant, as concerning thy word * wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust.
50The same is my comfort in my trouble * for thy word hath quickened me.
51The proud have had me exceedingly in derision * yet have I not shrinked from thy law.
52For I remembered thine everlasting judgements, O Lord * and received comfort.
53I am horribly afraid * for the ungodly that forsake thy law.
54Thy statutes have been my songs * in the house of my pilgrimage.
55I have thought upon thy Name, O Lord, in the night-season * and have kept thy law.
56This I had * because I kept thy commandments.
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. This is that disciple * which testifieth of these things: and we know that his testimony is true.
Chapter
Sir 15:1–2
He that feareth the Lord will do good; and he that hath the knowledge of the law shall obtain Wisdom, and as a mother shall she meet him.
℟.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.