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. In the day of thy power * shall the people offer thee freewill offerings with an holy worship: the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.
Psalm 110Dixit Dominus Domino meo
The Lord said unto my Lord * Sit. Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.
2The Lord shall send the rod of thy power out of Sion * be thou ruler, even in the midst among thine enemies.
3In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee free-will offerings with an holy worship * the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.
4The Lord sware, and will not repent * Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedech.
5The Lord upon thy right hand * shall wound even kings in the day of his wrath.
6He shall judge among the heathen; he shall fill the places with the dead bodies * and smite in sunder the heads over divers countries.
7He shall drink of the brook in the way * Stand. therefore shall he lift up his head.
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. In the day of thy power * shall the people offer thee freewill offerings with an holy worship: the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning.
Ant. The Lord hath sent * redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever.
Psalm 111Confitebor tibi, Domine
I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart * Sit. secretly among the faithful, and in the congregation.
2The works of the Lord are great * sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.
3His work is worthy to be praised and had in honour * and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4The merciful and gracious Lord hath so done his marvellous works * that they ought to be had in remembrance.
5He hath given meat unto them that fear him * he shall ever be mindful of his covenant.
6He hath shewed his people the power of his works * that he may give them the heritage of the heathen.
7The works of his hands are verity and judgement * all his commandments are true.
8They stand fast for ever and ever * and are done in truth and equity.
9He sent redemption unto his people * he hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is his Name.
10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom * Stand. a good understanding have all they that do thereafter; the praise of it 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. The Lord hath sent * redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever.
Ant. Unto the godly * there ariseth up light in the darkness: the Lord is merciful, loving, and righteous.
Psalm 112Beatus vir, qui timet Dominum
Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord * Sit. he hath great delight in his commandments.
2His seed shall be mighty upon earth * the generation of the faithful shall be blessed.
3Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house * and his righteousness endureth for ever.
4Unto the godly there ariseth up light in the darkness * he is merciful, loving, and righteous.
5A good man is merciful, and lendeth * and will guide his words with discretion.
6For he shall never be moved * and the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance.
7He will not be afraid of any evil tidings * for his heart standeth fast, and believeth in the Lord.
8His heart is established, and will not shrink * until he see his desire upon his enemies.
9He hath dispersed abroad, and given to the poor * and his righteousness remaineth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
10The ungodly shall see it, and it shall grieve him * Stand. he shall gnash with his teeth, and consume away; the desire of the ungodly shall perish.
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. Unto the godly * there ariseth up light in the darkness: the Lord is merciful, loving, and righteous.
Ant. Of the fruit * of thy body shall I set upon thy seat.
Psalm 132Memento, Domine, David
Lord, remember David * Sit. and all his trouble;
2How he sware unto the Lord * and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob;
3I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house * nor climb up into my bed;
4I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eye-lids to slumber * neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
5Until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord * an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata * and found it in the wood.
7We will go into his tabernacle * and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
8Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place * thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness * and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
10For thy servant David’s sake * turn not away the presence of thine Anointed.
11The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David * and he shall not shrink from it;
12Of the fruit of thy body * shall I set upon thy seat.
13If thy children will keep my covenant, and my testimonies that I shall learn them * their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.
14For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself * he hath longed for her.
15This shall be my rest for ever * here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
16I will bless her victuals with increase * and will satisfy her poor with bread.
17I will deck her priests with health * and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
18There shall I make the horn of David to flourish * I have ordained a lantern for mine Anointed.
19As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame * Stand. but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
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. Of the fruit * of thy body shall I set upon thy seat.
Chapter
Acts 6:8
And Stephen, full of faith and power, * did great wonders and miracles among the people.
℟.Thanks be to God.
Thou hast set * upon his head, O Lord.
℟.Thou hast set * upon his head, O Lord.
℣.A crown of pure gold.
℟.Upon his head.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
℟.Thou hast set * upon his head, O Lord.
Hymn
Deus, tuorum militum
Of all thy warrior saints, O Lord,The portion, crown, and great reward:From all transgressions set us free,Who sing thy Martyr’s victory.
The pleasures of the world he spurned,From sin’s pernicious lures he turned,Accounting them as transient all,He reached at length thy heavenly hall.
For thee through many a woe he ran,In many a fight he played the man;For thee his blood he dared to pour,And thence hath joy for evermore.
We therefore pray thee, full of love,Regard us from thy throne above,On this thy Martyr’s triumph day,Wash every stain of sin away.
All honour, laud, and glory be,O Jesu, Virgin-born, to thee;All glory, as is ever meet,To Father and to Paraclete.Amen.
℣.Stephen saw the heavens opened.
℟.He saw, and entered in: how blessed is the man unto whom heaven stood open!
Ant. Devout men * carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
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. Devout men * carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
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 us, we beseech thee, O Lord, so to imitate what we honour: that we may learn to love our enemies; since we celebrate the birthday of him who knew how to pray even for his persecutors to our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son. Who with thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth God, world without end.
℟.Amen.
Commemoration of St John, Apostle and Evangelist
Ant. This is the same John, * who leaned on the Lord’s bosom at the last supper: the blessed Apostle, unto whom were revealed the secret things of heaven.
℣.Right worthy of honour is blessed John the Apostle.
℟.Who leaned on the Lord’s bosom at the last supper.
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.
Commemoration of Day II within the Nativity Octave
Ant. To-day * the Christ is born; to-day hath a Saviour appeared: to-day on earth Angels are singing, Archangels rejoicing: to-day the righteous exult and say, Glory to God in the highest, alleluia.
℣.The Lord declared, alleluia.
℟.His salvation, alleluia.
Let us pray.
Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God: that the new birth in the flesh of thine only-begotten Son may deliver us; who are held fast in the old bondage under the yoke of sin. 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.
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Gracious * Mother of our Redeemer, for ever abiding Heaven’s gateway, and star of ocean,
O succour the people, Who, though falling, strive to rise again.
Thou Maiden who barest thy holy Creator, to the wonder of all nature;
Ever Virgin, after as before thou receivedst that Ave from the mouth of Gabriel;
have compassion on us sinners.
℣.After Childbearing, O Virgin, thou didst remain inviolate.
℟.Intercede for us, O Mother of God.
Let us pray.
O God, who by the fruitful virginity of blessed Mary hast bestowed upon mankind the reward of eternal salvation: grant, we beseech thee, that we may know the help of her intercession, through whom we have been accounted worthy to receive the Author of our life, Jesus Christ thy Son 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.