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 and Hail Mary 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.
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
Ant. Whatsoever.
Psalm 135Laudate nomen Domini
O praise the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord * Sit. praise it, O ye servants of the Lord;
2Ye that stand in the house of the Lord * in the courts of the house of our God.
3O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious * O sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4For why? the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself * and Israel for his own possession.
5For I know that the Lord is great * and that our Lord is above all gods.
6Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven and in earth * and in the sea, and in all deep places.
7He bringeth forth the clouds from the ends of the world * and sendeth forth lightnings with the rain, bringing the winds out of his treasures.
8He smote the first-born of Egypt * both of man and beast.
9He hath sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O thou land of Egypt * upon Pharaoh, and all his servants.
10He smote divers nations * and slew mighty kings;
11Sehon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Basan * and all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12And gave their land to be an heritage * even an heritage unto Israel his people.
13Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for ever * so doth thy memorial, O Lord, from one generation to another.
14For the Lord will avenge his people * and be gracious unto his servants.
15As for the images of the heathen, they are but silver and gold * the work of men’s hands.
16They have mouths, and speak not * eyes have they, but they see not.
17They have ears, and yet they hear not * neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18They that make them are like unto them * and so are all they that put their trust in them.
19Praise the Lord, ye house of Israel * praise the Lord, ye house of Aaron.
20Praise the Lord, ye house of Levi * ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
21Praised be the Lord out of Sion * Stand. who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
Bow. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;Stand upright. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Ant. Whatsoever * the Lord pleased, that did he.
Ant. For his mercy.
Psalm 136Confitemini Domino quoniam bonus
O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious * Sit. and his mercy endureth for ever.
2O give thanks unto the God of all gods * for his mercy endureth for ever.
3O thank the Lord of all lords * for his mercy endureth for ever.
4Who only doeth great wonders * for his mercy endureth for ever.
5Who by his excellent wisdom made the heavens * for his mercy endureth for ever.
6Who laid out the earth above the waters * for his mercy endureth for ever.
7Who hath made great lights * for his mercy endureth for ever;
8The sun to rule the day * for his mercy endureth for ever;
9The moon and the stars to govern the night * for his mercy endureth for ever.
10Who smote Egypt with their first-born * for his mercy endureth for ever;
11And brought out Israel from among them * for his mercy endureth for ever;
12With a mighty hand, and stretched out arm * for his mercy endureth for ever.
13Who divided the Red sea in two parts * for his mercy endureth for ever;
14And made Israel to go through the midst of it * for his mercy endureth for ever.
15But as for Pharaoh and his host, he overthrew them in the Red sea * for his mercy endureth for ever.
16Who led his people through the wilderness * for his mercy endureth for ever.
17Who smote great kings * for his mercy endureth for ever;
18Yea, and slew mighty kings * for his mercy endureth for ever;
19Sehon king of the Amorites * for his mercy endureth for ever;
20And Og the king of Basan * for his mercy endureth for ever;
21And gave away their land for an heritage * for his mercy endureth for ever;
22Even for an heritage unto Israel his servant * for his mercy endureth for ever.
23Who remembered us when we were in trouble * for his mercy endureth for ever;
24And hath delivered us from our enemies * for his mercy endureth for ever.
25Who giveth food to all flesh * for his mercy endureth for ever.
26O give thanks unto the God of heaven * for his mercy endureth for ever.
27O give thanks unto the Lord of lords * Stand. for his mercy endureth for ever.
Bow. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;Stand upright. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Ant. For his mercy * endureth for ever.
Ant. Sing us one.
Psalm 137Super flumina Babylonis
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept * Sit. when we remembered thee, O Sion.
2As for our harps, we hanged them up * upon the trees that are therein.
3For they that led us away captive required of us then a song, and melody in our heaviness * Sing us one of the songs of Sion.
4How shall we sing the Lord’s song * in a strange land?
5If I forget thee, O Jerusalem * let my right hand forget her cunning.
6If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth * yea, if I prefer not Jerusalem in my mirth.
7Remember the children of Edom, O Lord, in the day of Jerusalem * how they said, Down with it, down with it, even to the ground.
8O daughter of Babylon , wasted with misery * yea, happy shall he be that rewardeth thee, as thou hast served us.
9Blessed shall he be that taketh thy children * Stand. and throweth them against the stones.
Bow. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;Stand upright. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Ant. Sing us one * of the songs of Sion.
Ant. Before the gods.
Psalm 138Confitebor tibi, Domine
I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with my whole heart * Sit. even before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
2I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy Name, because of thy loving-kindness and truth * for thou hast magnified thy Name and thy word above all things.
3When I called upon thee, thou heardest me * and enduedst my soul with much strength.
4All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord * for they have heard the words of thy mouth.
5Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord * that great is the glory of the Lord.
6For though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly * as for the proud, he beholdeth them afar off.
7Though I walk in the midst of trouble, yet shalt thou refresh me * thou shalt stretch forth thy hand upon the furiousness of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.
8The Lord shall make good his loving-kindness toward me * Stand. yea, thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever; despise not then the works of thine own hands.
Bow. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;Stand upright. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Ant. Before the gods * will I sing praise unto thee, my God.
Chapter
2 Cor. 1:3–4
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation.
℟.Thanks be to God.
I will bless the Lord * At all times.
℟.I will bless the Lord * At all times.
℣.His praise shall ever be in my mouth.
℟.At all times.
℣.Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
℟.I will bless the Lord * At all times.
Hymn
Caeli Deus sanctissime
O GOD, whose hand hath spread the skyAnd all its shining hosts on high,And, painting it with fiery light,Made it so beauteous and so bright:
Thou, when the fourth day was begun,Didst frame the circle of the sun,And set the moon for ordered change,And planets for their wider range:
To night and day, by certain line,Their varying bounds thou didst assign:And gavest a signal, known and meet,For months begun and months complete.
Enlighten thou the hearts of men,Polluted souls make pure again:Unloose the bands of guilt within,Remove the burden of our sin.
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.
℣.Lord, let my prayer be set forth.
℟.In thy sight as the incense.
Ant. The Lord.
MagnificatMagnificat anima mea Dominum
Luke 1:46–55
My soul doth magnify the Lord, * and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
2For he hath regarded * the lowliness of his handmaiden.
3For behold, from henceforth * all generations shall call me blessed.
4For he that is mighty hath magnified me: * and holy is his Name.
5And his mercy is on them that fear him * throughout all generations.
6He hath shewed strength with his arm: * he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
7He hath put down the mighty from their seat, * and hath exalted the humble and meek.
8He hath filled the hungry with good things; * and the rich he hath sent empty away.
9He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel; * as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.
Bow. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;Stand upright. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.
Ant. The Lord * hath regarded my lowliness: and he that is mighty hath done in me great things.
The 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.
Grant, we beseech thee, merciful Lord, to thy faithful people pardon and peace; that they may be cleansed from all their sins, and serve thee with a quiet mind. 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.
Suffrage of All Saints
Ant. May the blessed Mother of God, * the Virgin Mary, and all the Saints, intercede for us to the Lord.
℣.The Lord hath made his Saints wonderful.
℟.And hath heard them when they called upon him.
Let us pray.
Defend us, we beseech thee, O Lord, from all perils of mind and body: and at the intercession of the blessed and glorious Mary, the ever Virgin Mother of God, of blessed Joseph, of thy blessed Apostles Peter and Paul, of our blessed Father Benedict and all Saints, graciously bestow upon us both peace and safety: that all adversity and error being done away, thy Church may serve thee in untroubled freedom. Through the same 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.
℣.The Lord give us his peace.
℟.And life everlasting. Amen.
Salve Regina
Mary we hail thee * Mother and Queen compassionate;
Mary our comfort, life, and hope, we hail thee.
To thee we exiles, children of Eve, lift our crying.
To thee we are sighing, as mournful and weeping, we pass through this vale of sorrow.
Turn thou, therefore, O our intercessor, those thine eyes of pity and loving-kindness upon us sinners.
Hereafter, when our earthly exile shall be ended, shew us Jesus, the blessed fruit of thy womb.
O gentle, O tender, O gracious Virgin Mary.
℣.Pray for us, O holy Mother of God.
℟.That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who by the co-operation of the Holy Ghost, didst prepare the body and soul of the glorious Virgin Mother Mary to become a habitation meet for thy Son: grant that as we rejoice in her commemoration, we may be delivered by her loving intercession from our present evils and from eternal death. Through the same Christ our Lord.
℟.Amen.
℣.May the divine help remain with us always.
℟.And with our absent brethren. 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.