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. 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
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
Plasmator hominis, Deus
Maker of men, from heaven, thy throne,Who orderest all things, God alone;By whose decree the teeming earthTo reptile and to beast gave birth:
The mighty forms that fill the land,Instinct with life at thy command,Are given subdued to human-kindFor service in their rank assigned.
From all thy servants drive awayWhate’er of thought impure to-dayHath mingled with the heart’s intent,Or with the actions hath been blent.
In heaven thine endless joys bestow,But grant thy gifts of grace below;From chains of strife our souls release,Bind fast the gentle bands of peace.
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. He hath put down the mighty.
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. He hath put down the mighty * that persecute the holy; and hath exalted the humble that confess his Christ.
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.
Let thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to ask such things as shall please thee. 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 Ss Cyriacus, Largus & Smaragdus, Martyrs
Ant. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven, * who despised worldly living: who have won the rewards of the kingdom and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
℣.Be glad, O ye righteous, and rejoice in the Lord.
℟.And be joyful, all ye that are true of heart.
Let us pray.
O God, who dost suffer us to honour the birthday of thy holy Martyrs Cyriacus, Largus & Smaragdus: grant us to rejoice in their eternal and blessed fellowship.
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.