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. Out of the deep.
These words are not repeated in the Psalm.
Psalm 130De profundis clamavi
Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord * Sit. Lord, hear my voice.
2O let thine ears consider well * the voice of my complaint.
3If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss * O Lord, who may abide it?
4For there is mercy with thee * therefore shalt thou be feared.
5I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him * in his word is my trust.
6My soul fleeth unto the Lord * before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch.
7O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy * and with him is plenteous redemption.
8And he shall redeem Israel * Stand. from all his sins.
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. Out of the deep * have I called unto thee, O Lord.
Ant. O Israel.
Psalm 131Domine, non est exaltatum
Lord, I am not high-minded * Sit. I have no proud looks.
2I do not exercise myself in great matters * which are too high for me.
3But I refrain my soul, and keep it low, like as a child that is weaned from his mother * yea, my soul is even as a weaned child.
4O Israel, trust in the Lord * Stand. from this time forth for evermore.
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 Israel, * trust in the Lord.
Ant. And all.
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. And all * his trouble.
Ant. Behold.
These words are not repeated in the Psalm.
Psalm 133Ecce quam bonum
Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is * Sit. brethren, to dwell together in unity!
2It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down unto the beard * even unto Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
3Like as the dew of Hermon * which fell upon the hill of Sion.
4For there the Lord promised his blessing * Stand. and life for evermore.
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. Behold, * how good and joyful a thing it is, brethren, to dwell together in unity.
Chapter
Jas 1:12
Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, * which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
℟.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, O Lord.
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 freeWho 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.
℣.Thou hast crowned him with glory and honour, O Lord.
℟.And madest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands.
Ant. These are they.
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. These are they * which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins: and they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.
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.
O God, whose praise the Martyr Innocents confessed this day, not by speaking but by dying: mortify in us all the evils of vice, that our life may shew forth in deeds that faith in thee which our lips profess. 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 Titus, Bishop & Confessor
Ant. O thou Priest and Bishop, * thou worker of mighty works, thou good shepherd of the people, pray unto the Lord for us.
℣.The Lord loved him and adorned him.
℟.He clothed him with a robe of glory.
Let us pray.
O God, who didst adorn blessed Titus, thy Bishop and Confessor, with the signs of an Apostle: grant that through his merits and intercession, we may live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; and be made meet hereafter to come unto the heavenly country. 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.
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.