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.
Praise be to thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.
Ant. O Lord, let my portion.
Psalm 142Voce mea ad Dominum
I cried unto the Lord with my voice * Sit. yea, even unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2I poured out my complaints before him * and shewed him of my trouble.
3When my spirit was in heaviness thou knewest my path * in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4I looked also upon my right hand * and saw there was no man that would know me.
5I had no place to flee unto * and no man cared for my soul.
6I cried unto thee, O Lord, and said * Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
7Consider my complaint * for I am brought very low.
8O deliver me from my persecutors * for they are too strong for me.
9Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy Name * Stand. which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous resort unto my company.
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. O Lord, let my portion * be in the land of the living.
Ant. Blessed be.
These words are not repeated in the Psalm.
Psalm 144aBenedictus Dominus, Deus meus
Blessed be the Lord my strength * Sit. who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
2My hope and my fortress, my castle and deliverer, my defender in whom I trust * who subdueth my people that is under me.
3Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him * or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?
4Man is like a thing of nought * his time passeth away like a shadow.
5Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down * touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them * shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.
7Send down thine hand from above * deliver me, and take me out of the great waters, from the hand of strange children;
8Whose mouth talketh of vanity * Stand. and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.
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.
Psalm 144bDeus, canticum novum cantabo
I will sing a new song unto thee, O God * Sit. and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.
10Thou hast given victory unto kings * and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.
11Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children * whose mouth talketh of vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.
12That our sons may grow up as the young plants * and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.
13That our garners may be full and plenteous with all manner of store * that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets.
14That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay * no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.
15Happy are the people that are in such a case * Stand. yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.
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. Blessed be * the Lord my strength and my fortress.
Ant. Every day.
Psalm 145aExaltabo te, Deus meus
I will magnify thee, O God, my King * Sit. and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.
2Every day will I give thanks unto thee * and praise thy Name for ever and ever.
3Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised * there is no end of his greatness.
4One generation shall praise thy works unto another * and declare thy power.
5As for me, I will be talking of thy worship * thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
6So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts * and I will also tell of thy greatness.
7The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed * and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
8The Lord is gracious and merciful * long-suffering and of great goodness.
9The Lord is loving unto every man * and his mercy is over all his works.
10All thy works praise thee, O Lord * and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
11They shew the glory of thy kingdom * and talk of thy power;
12That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom * might be known unto men.
13Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom * Stand. and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
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. Every day, * O Lord, will I give thanks unto thee.
Chapter
Joel 2:17
Let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O Lord, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them.
℟.Thanks be to God.
He shall defend thee * under his wings.
℟.He shall defend thee * under his wings.
℣.And thou shalt be safe under his feathers.
℟.Under his wings.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
℟.He shall defend thee * under his wings.
Hymn
Audi benigne Conditor
O Maker of the world, give ear;Accept the prayer and own the tearTowards thy seat of mercy sentIn this most holy fast of Lent.
Each heart is manifest to thee;Thou knowest our infirmity.Forgive thou then each soul that fainWould seek to thee, and turn again.
Our sins are manifold and sore,But pardon them that sin deplore:And for thy Name’s sake, make each soulThat feels and owns its languor, whole.
So mortify we every senseBy grace of outward abstinence,That from each stain and spot of sinThe soul may keep her fast within.
Grant, O thou blessed Trinity,Grant, O essential Unity,That this our fast of forty daysMay work our profit and thy praise.Amen.
℣.God shall give his Angels charge over thee.
℟.To keep thee in all thy ways.
Ant. But thou, when thou prayest.
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. But thou, when thou prayest, * enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father.
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.
Graciously hear our prayers, we beseech thee, O Lord: that we, being loosed from the chain of our sins, may be kept from all things that may hurt us. 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.
Commemoration of St Raphael of Brooklyn
Ant. The Lord loved him * and adorned him; he clothed him with a robe of glory, and at the gates of Paradise he crowned him.
℣.The Lord guided the righteous in right paths.
℟.And shewed him the kingdom of God.
Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that the reverend solemnity of blessed Raphael, thy Confessor and Bishop, may both increase our devotion and set forward our salvation. 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.
℣.The Lord give us his peace.
℟.And life everlasting. Amen.
Ave Regina Caelorum
Queen of the heavens, we hail thee *
Hail thee, Lady of all the Angels.
Thou the dawn, the door of morning
Whence the world’s true Light is risen:
Joy to thee, O Virgin glorious,
Beautiful beyond all other;
Hail, and farewell, O most gracious,
Intercede for us alway to Jesus.
℣.Vouchsafe that I may praise thee, O holy Virgin.
℟.Give me strength against thine enemies.
Let us pray.
Grant us, O merciful God, protection in our weakness: that we who celebrate the memory of the holy Mother of God may, through the aid of her intercession, rise again from our sins. 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.