Flooding and a Near Miss

Of your charity, please pray for those suffering in the ongoing severe flooding in Queensland and New South Wales:

Look upon us, O God, and see the floods that devastate the earth; grant, we pray, hope to our troubled hearts and new life to the damaged land. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

— Roman Missal, Prayers for Various Occasions, 37/3, In Time of Floods

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On a personal note, I had a near miss while driving – I misjudged the closeness of a large truck when turning onto the highway, and matters could have ended there had not a turning lane provided a quick escape for me. Trucks, like trams and trains, cannot decelerate quickly.  Sitting at home I now feel rather shocked by this close shave as I relive the moment. I certainly wish to apologize to and thank profusely the poor truck driver! Thanks be to God, Our Lord, and my Guardian Angel for blessed deliverance.

Septuagesima... off to Hobart

To-morrow, I'll arise bright and early (hopefully), and then motor down to Hobart for our monthly Missa cantata, delayed until the last Sunday of the month since our celebrant took his annual holiday earlier in January. (Next Sunday, being the first in February, I'll do the same for Sexagesima.)

It will be good to stand at our priest's side as the M.C. – it is certainly a remarkable thing to be able as a mere layman to assist at Mass by standing next to the priest at the altar during the very Canon (kneeling of course at the Consecration), and a privilege I value highly. Ironically, I would prefer to be singing with the choir, as I used to do, but no one else wants to take on the role of M.C., and it does seem to help Father. In any case, I just hope I don't stuff up.

This being a long weekend, what with Monday being the Australia Day holiday, I will stay Sunday night in Hobart and return the next day. I go back to work on Tuesday, so the shadow of Lent that is Septuagesimatide will certainly fall upon me in truth!

Goodbye, Alleluia: rest in peace until Easter.

Russian Rite Again

Deacon Anton praying his preparatory prayers before the Divine Liturgy

I had a lovely weekend in Melbourne, staying with my good friend Justin and his dear wife. He is subdeacon at Holy Trinity-St Nicholas Russian Catholic Church: a beautiful little church, blessed in its pastor, Archpriest Lawrence – an excellent preacher – and in its new Deacon Anton – a published writer on theological and liturgical matters. The Sunday Divine Liturgy is at 10:30 am; Justin read Terce (in Slavonic) and Sext (in English) aloud beforehand. It was wonderful to prepare with the proper prayers for Communion and then receive the Holy Mysteries. Of course, it being Sunday after Theophany according to the Julian Calendar, they also performed the great blessing of the waters: Liturgy and the blessing took just under two hours. 

I do like it when I get the chance to worship in the beauty of holiness. The Russian recension of the Byzantine Rite would have to be my favourite (the Liturgy not being abbreviated as the Greeks and Ukrainians do in their various ways): both in the more modern choral music and in the ancient Znamenny chant of Holy Russia (my friend the subdeacon is very well read about the pre-Nikonian Russian liturgical forms, which we sat up discussing past midnight). So it was no real difficulty to me to to choose Russian over Latin on Sunday (in any case, for the next two weekends I'll be down to Hobart to be MC at our Missa cantata there).

On the Saturday evening I attended a very pleasant community celebration at a Ukrainian club, together with my friends; and on Sunday afternoon I went with them to a concert of Ukrainian, Georgian and Greek choral music. So I was immersed all weekend in matters Eastern Christian; and a trip to some Orthodox bookshops ere I left Melbourne early Wednesday turned up a number of interesting items, including The Typikon Decoded – I think I now finally perceive how the Byzantine Divine Office works, though to rightly order all the chants of the Hours each day would be a feat requiring almost Talmudic knowledge...

Only I would regard putting a copy of the Unabbreviated Horologion on order as an outstanding achievement; but it was a steal at $75.

Hybrid Mass

For various reasons I was late to Mass (OF, at Carmel, being the usual sung Votive of Our Lady of Mt Carmel) this morning. Foreseeing this, I had earlier read over the Mass of the day (EF, Our Lady on Saturday, Vultum tuum) down to the Gospel. It struck me how much better prepared I was, by the prayers of the EF, for the OF (at which I eventually arrived just in time for the Gospel, as it happened). Now that’s a “hybrid Mass” – EF first half, and OF second half! – indeed, the reverse of the awful “hybrid Mass” ordered by some bishops in recent decades, who mandated the OF Liturgy of the Word at the EF Mass (having attended it, I can assure readers it just doesn’t work).

I was struck by the beginning of the (EF) Gospel, being the account of the Adoration of the Shepherds (St Luke ii, 15b-20) from the Dawn Mass of Christmas:

In illo tempore: Pastores loquebantur ad invicem: Transeamus usque Bethlehem, et videamus hoc verbum quod factum est, quod Dominus ostendit nobis.

 

(At that time: The shepherds said to each other: Let us go over to Bethlehem, and let us behold this word that “has been made”, which the Lord hath shewn unto us.)

For in truth at that time I was running (festinans) to get to church, that is, to the mystic Bethlehem, “the House of Bread”, there to behold the “Verbum quod factum est” beneath the Sacramental veil, as the Lord hath shewn us (when He said, “Do this in commemoration of Me”), and indeed yet more marvellously to find and receive Him, before, like those shepherds, to the world I “returned, glorifying and praising God”.

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This afternoon I fly to Melbourne, there to stay for a few days, before work resumes...

Princely Gifts

A wise person of my acquaintance has very generously donated half a dozen very useful liturgical books to my ever-expanding private library (which visitors may peruse by appointment). She kindly sent:

• The Missal. London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne, 1928.
• Lefebvre, Gaspar. Saint Andrew Daily Missal. Bruge: Abbey of St-André, 1954.
• Encalcat Abbey. Book of Hours. Dourgne: Editions d'Encalcat, 1956.
• The Roman Breviary. An Approved English Translation complete in one volume... New York: Benzinger Brothers, 1964. [Approved for liturgical use.]
• The New Small Missal... for all Sundays and the Principal Feasts. London: Burns & Oates, 1966.
• Officium Divinum. [Sunday Day Hours, and Prime, Sext and Compline for the days of the week, with relevant chant notation] Kansas City: Angelus Press, 2001.

Quid retribuam?  I am very glad indeed to receive these gems, above all the complete 1962 Roman Breviary in English.

Retribuere, dignare, Domine, omnibus nobis bona facientibus, propter nomen tuum, vitam æternam. Amen.

Prime Augmented - in English

For any who prefer a sacral vernacular, here is a collection of prayers for the morning extracted from the Breviary, which I term an augmented version of Prime, intended for use as an invariant daily devotion for such as would prefer to use liturgical forms, but have not the time for the full morning Hours of the Office; the Latin is in the preceding post (and in both I have made one minor adjustment, restoring the two versicles from Psalm 118 customarily used in the Dominican preces at Prime):

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A PRIVATE EDITION OF PRIME

[Combining elements of Matins, Lauds and Prime]

V/. O Lord, thou wilt open my lips.

R/. And my mouth shall declare thy praise. (Ps 50:17)

V/. O God, come to my assistance.

R/. O Lord, make haste to help me. (Ps 69:2)

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. (Septuagesimatide & Lent: Praise to thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.)

Psalm 94.

[Invitatory, if desired]

Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our saviour. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.

[Invitatory, if desired]

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. For in his hand are all the ends of the earth: and the heights of the mountains are his.

[Invitatory, if desired]

For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land. Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us. For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

[Invitatory, if desired]

Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts: as in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works.

[Invitatory, if desired]

Forty years long was I offended with that generation, and I said: These always err in heart. And these men have not known my ways: so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.

[Invitatory, if desired]

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.

[Invitatory, if desired]

Hymn.

Now that the daylight fills the sky,

We lift our hearts to God on high,

That he, in all we do or say,

Would keep us free from harm today:

Would guard our hearts and tongues from strife;

From anger’s din would hide our life;

From all ill sights would turn our eyes;

Would close our ears from vanities:

Would keep our inmost conscience pure;

Our souls from folly would secure;

Would bid us check the pride of sense

With due and holy abstinence.

So we, when this new day is gone,

And night in turn is drawing on,

With conscience by the world unstained

Shall praise his name for vict’ry gained.

All laud to God the Father be;

All praise, eternal Son, to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To God the holy Paraclete. Amen.

Ant. O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day: because thou hast been my helper. (Ps 62:2a,8a)

Psalm 18.

The heavens shew forth the glory of God, * and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.

Day to day uttereth speech, * and night to night sheweth knowledge.

There are no speeches nor languages, * where their voices are not heard.

Their sound hath gone forth into all the earth: * and their words unto the ends of the world.

He hath set his tabernacle in the sun: * and he, as a bridegroom coming out of his bride chamber,

Hath rejoiced as a giant to run the way: * His going out is from the end of heaven,

And his circuit even to the end thereof: * and there is no one that can hide himself from his heat.

The law of the Lord is unspotted, converting souls: * the testimony of the Lord is faithful, giving wisdom to little ones.

The justices of the Lord are right, rejoicing hearts: * the commandment of the Lord is lightsome, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever and ever: * the judgments of the Lord are true, justified in themselves.

More to be desired than gold and many precious stones: * and sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.

For thy servant keepeth them, * and in keeping them there is a great reward.

Who can understand sins? from my secret ones cleanse me, O Lord: * and from those of others spare thy servant.

If they shall have no dominion over me, then shall I be without spot: * and I shall be cleansed from the greatest sin.

And the words of my mouth shall be such as may please: * and the meditation of my heart always in thy sight.

O Lord, my helper, * and my redeemer.

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.

Psalm 62.

O God, my God, * to thee do I watch at break of day.

For thee my soul hath thirsted; * for thee my flesh, O how many ways!

In a desert land, and where there is no way, and no water: * so in the sanctuary have I come before thee, to see thy power and thy glory.

For thy mercy is better than lives: * thee my lips shall praise.

Thus will I bless thee all my life long: * and in thy name I will lift up my hands.

Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness: * and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.

If I have remembered thee upon my bed, I will meditate on thee in the morning: * because thou hast been my helper.

And I will rejoice under the covert of thy wings: my soul hath stuck close to thee: * thy right hand hath received me.

But they have sought my soul in vain, they shall go into the lower parts of the earth: * they shall be delivered into the hands of the sword, they shall be the portions of foxes.

But the king shall rejoice in God, all they shall be praised that swear by him: * because the mouth is stopped of them that speak wicked things.

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.

Psalm 116.

O praise the Lord, all ye nations: * praise him, all ye people.

For his mercy is confirmed upon us: * and the truth of the Lord remaineth for ever.

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.

Ant. O God, my God, to thee do I watch at break of day: because thou hast been my helper. (Ps 62:2a,8a)

Little Chapter. (Rom 13:12-13a)

The night is passed, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day. R/. Thanks be to God.

Short Responsory

R/. Jesu Christ, Son of the living God, * Have mercy on us. (Cf. Mt 16:16b; Jn 11:27)

R/. Jesu Christ, Son of the living God, * Have mercy on us.

V/. Who sittest at the right of the Father. * Have mercy on us. (Cf. Rom 8:34b; Heb 1:3b)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.

R/. Jesu Christ, Son of the living God, * Have mercy on us.

V/. Arise, O Lord, help us.

R/. And free us for thy name's sake. (Ps 43:26)

Ant. O Orient, brightness of eternal light, and sun of justice: come and enlighten those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. (Cf. Lk 1:78b,79a; Zach 6:12; Hab 3:4; Wis 7:26a; Mal 3:20a)

Canticle of Zachary. (Lk 1:68-79)

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; * because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:

And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, * in the house of David his servant:

As he spoke by the mouth of the holy ones, * who are from the beginning, his prophets:

Salvation from our enemies, * and from the hand of all that hate us:

To perform mercy to our fathers, * and to remember his holy testament,

The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, * that he would grant to us,

That without fear, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, * we may serve him,

In holiness and justice before him, * all our days.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: * for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:

To give knowledge of salvation to his people, * unto the remission of their sins:

Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, * in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:

To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: * to direct our feet into the way of peace.

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.

Ant. O Orient, brightness of eternal light, and sun of justice: come and enlighten those sitting in darkness and the shadow of death. (Cf. Lk 1:78b,79a; Zach 6:12; Hab 3:4; Wis 7:26a; Mal 3:20a)

Prayers.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.

Our Father (secretly) 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.

V/. And lead us not into temptation.

R/. But deliver us from evil.

V/. My soul shall live and shall praise thee.

R/. And thy judgments shall help me. (Ps 118:175)

V/. I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost.

R/. Seek thy servant, Lord, because I have not forgotten thy commandments. (Ps 118:176)

I believe in God (secretly), the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: he descended into hell: the third day he rose again from the dead: he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right of God the Father almighty: from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins,

V/. The resurrection of the body.

R/. And the life everlasting. Amen.

V/. Our help is in the name of the Lord.

R/. Who made heaven and earth. (Ps 123:8)

I confess to almighty God, to blessed Mary ever virgin, and to blessed Dominic our father, and to all the saints, that I have sinned exceedingly by thought, word, deed, and omission, through my fault. I beseech blessed Mary ever virgin, and blessed Dominic our father, and all the saints, to pray for me.

May almighty God have mercy on me, and forgive me all my sins, free me from all evil, save, and strengthen me in every good work, and bring me to everlasting life. R/. Amen.

May the almighty and merciful Lord grant to me joy with peace, amendment of life, room for true repentance, the grace and consolation of the Holy Ghost, and perseverance in good works. R/. Amen.

V/. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R/. And let my cry come to thee. (Ps 101:2)

Let us pray.

Collect. Lord God almighty, who hast caused us to attain to the beginning of this day: save us today by thy power: that in this day we may not decline into any sin, but always toward accomplishing thy justice may our words proceed, and thoughts and works be directed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son, who with thee liveth and reigneth in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R/. Amen.

V/. O Lord, hear my prayer.

R/. And let my cry come to thee. (Ps 101:2)

V/. Let us bless the Lord.

R/. Thanks be to God.

V/. Precious in the sight of the Lord.

R/. Is the death of his saints. (Ps 115:6)

May Holy Mary and all the Saints intercede for us with the Lord: that we may deserve to be helped by him, who liveth and reigneth world without end. R/. Amen.

V/. Look upon thy servants and upon their works: and direct their children. (Ps 89:16)

R/. And let the brightness of the Lord our God be upon us: and direct thou the works of our hands over us; yea, the work of our hands do thou direct. (Ps 89:17)

Collect. Deign to direct and hallow, Lord, holy Father, almighty eternal God, today our hearts and bodies in thy law and in the works of thy commandments: that here and for ever, by thine assistance, we may deserve ever to be saved. Through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen.

V/. Prithee, Lord, bless.

Blessing. The Lord almighty dispose our days and deeds in his peace. R/. Amen.

Short Lesson. (Is 33:2; cf. Ps 40:11a)

O Lord, have mercy on us: for we have waited for thee: be thou our arm in the morning, and our salvation in the time of trouble. — But thou, O Lord, have mercy on us. R/. Thanks be to God.

V/. Shew us, O Lord, thy mercy.

R/. And grant us thy salvation. (Ps 84:8)

Collect. Our actions, we beg thee, O Lord, to precede by thine inspiration, and to further by thine assistance; that every work of ours begin ever from thee, and those begun, by thee be ended. Through Christ our Lord. R/. Amen.

Blessing. The Lord bless us, and from every evil defend us, and to life eternal lead us. And may the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. R/. Amen.

If desired, the De profundis with the usual prayers for the faithful departed may follow the final blessing; and likewise a Marian anthem may be added.

Prime Augmented

Ideally, in the morning, Matins, Lauds and Prime should be not merely read, but chanted in choir.  However, for the busy layperson, the full liturgy is impractical (even fitting in Mass before work being no small feat).  While thoroughly commending those who tackle the whole Breviary daily, I have often wished that some paraliturgical form of worship could be drawn up, invariant so as to facilitate its commission to memory, that would at least provide some parallel to the full morning Hours of devotion – an augmented private edition of Prime, unofficial of course, but useful in providing a rule of prayer conformed to the liturgical ideal.

From Matins, the opening versicle and the Venite (Psalm 94) – combined with an appropriate Invitatory, if desired – can be taken, while from Lauds come Psalm 62 (the core of the morning psalmody) and the Benedictus, the morning Gospel canticle: these, combined with Prime (based upon its Dominican form, as familiar to me from that Order's Breviary, but also drawing upon the Roman),  with an abbreviated Pretiosa or Chapter Office, constitute the morning Office I have compiled for my own use, given constraints that make the use of the full Breviary impracticable.  Please bear in mind that this has no authority other than that possessed by any collection of extracts from the official prayers of the Church, but, if any find it useful, then feel free to appropriate it.

Since I tend to pray in Latin, I have as yet not prepared an English version, but will sooner or later, I suppose.  Since I am fairly conversant with the Office, I can say most of this from memory, barring Psalm 18 so far, and being able so to do is an important consideration, making it a form of words able to be offered up in due season without need of a book.  Since I do know Psalm 50 by heart (in the vernacular) I often use it instead in my own morning prayers and at other times.

For the psalmody of this paraliturgy, I have chosen Psalms 18, 62 and 116, for the following reasons.

Psalm 18 is used at Prime on Saturdays in the Monastic Breviary, and, since 1912, at Prime on Mondays in the Roman and allied Breviaries. It is a magnificent psalm to be mystically understood both of the whole salvific mystery – the coming forth of the Word Incarnate, his return to heaven, and the ongoing mission of his apostles – in its first part, and glorifying the Law of the Lord, that is, the doctrine of Christ, in its second – and thereby is reminiscent of Ps 118, customarily said at all the Little Hours; indeed, it is observed by St Thomas that “by [it] we may unlock the 118th Psalm [since in it] the Old and New Testaments are joined”.

Psalm 62 is the morning psalm of Lauds par excellence (until 1912, it was said daily): “Because of [its] opening words, this Psalm has been set apart from the infancy of the Church for morning use. Its daily recitation is enjoined in the Apostolical Constitutions, is urged by S. Athanasius and S. Chrysostom, and has never failed in either the East or the West in all the ages since”.

Psalm 116 is meant to be reminiscent of the longer Laudate Psalms (Pss 148-150) read daily at Lauds; on Mondays since 1912, it was said at Monday Lauds; in the Ambrosian Rite, it was said daily at Lauds, in addition to the usual Laudate Psalms. Furthermore, according to the Roman Little Office of Our Lady, Psalm 116 is said daily at Prime.

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A PRIVATE EDITION OF PRIME

[Combining elements of Matins, Lauds and Prime]

V/. Dómine, lábia mea apéries.

R/. Et os meum annuntiábit laudem tuam. (Ps 50:17)

V/. Deus, in adjutórium meum inténde.

R/. Dómine, ad adjuvándum me festína. (Ps 69:2)

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Allelúja. (Temp. Sept., Laus tibi, Dómine, Rex ætérnæ glóriæ.)

Psalmus 94.

[Invit. ad lib.]

Veníte, exsultémus Dómino, jubilémus Deo, salutári nostro: præoccupémus fáciem ejus in confessióne, et in psalmis jubilémus ei.

[Invit. ad lib.]

Quóniam Deus magnus Dóminus, et Rex magnus super omnes deos, quóniam non repéllet Dóminus plebem suam: quia in manu ejus sunt omnes fines terræ, et altitúdines móntium ipse cónspicit.

[Invit. ad lib.]

Quóniam ipsíus est mare, et ipse fecit illud, et áridam fundavérunt manus ejus: veníte, adorémus, et procidámus ante Deum: plorémus coram Dómino, qui fecit nos, quia ipse est Dóminus, Deus noster; nos autem pópulus ejus, et oves páscuæ ejus.

[Invit. ad lib.]

Hódie, si vocem ejus audiéritis, nolíte obduráre corda vestra, sicut in exacerbatióne secúndum diem tentatiónis in desérto: ubi tentavérunt me patres vestri, probavérunt et vidérunt ópera mea.

[Invit. ad lib.]

Quadragínta annis próximus fui generatióni huic, et dixi; Semper hi errant corde, ipsi vero non cognovérunt vias meas: quibus jurávi in ira mea: Si introíbunt in réquiem meam.

[Invit. ad lib.]

Glória Patri, et Fílio, et Spirítui Sancto. Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

[Invit. ad lib.]

Hymnus.

Jam lucis orto sídere,

Deum precémur súpplices,

Ut in diúrnis áctibus

Nos servet a nocéntibus.

Línguam refrénans témperet,

Ne litis horror ínsonet:

Visum fovéndo cóntegat,

Ne vanitátes háuriat.

Sint pura cordis íntima,

Absístat et vecórdia;

Carnis terat supérbiam

Potus cibíque párcitas.

Ut, cum dies abscésserit,

Noctémque sors redúxerit,

Mundi per abstinéntiam

Ipsi canámus glóriam.

Deo Patri sit glória,

Ejúsque soli Fílio,

Cum Spíritu Paráclito,

Et nunc et in perpétuum. Amen.

Aña. Deus, Deus meus, ad te de luce vígilo, quia factus es adjútor meus. (Ps 62:2,8a)

Psalmus 18.

Cæli enárrant glóriam Dei: * et ópera mánuum ejus annúntiat firmaméntum.

Dies diéi erúctat verbum, * et nox nocti índicat sciéntiam.

Non sunt loquélæ, neque sermónes, * quorum non audiántur voces eórum.

In omnem terram exívit sonus eórum: * et in fines orbis terræ verba eórum.

In sole pósuit tabernáculum suum: * et ipse tamquam sponsus procédens de thálamo suo:

Exsultávit ut gigas ad curréndam viam, * a summo cælo egréssio ejus:

Et occúrsus ejus usque ad summum ejus: * nec est qui se abscóndat a calóre ejus.

Lex Dómini immaculáta, convértens ánimas: * testimónium Dómini fidéle, sapiéntiam præstans párvulis.

Justítiæ Dómini rectæ, lætificántes corda: * præcéptum Dómini lúcidum, illúminans óculos.

Timor Dómini sanctus, pérmanens in sæculum sæculi: * judícia Dómini vera, justificáta in semetípsa.

Desiderabília super aurum et lápidem pretiósum multum: * et dulcióra super mel et favum.

Étenim servus tuus custódit ea, * in custodiéndis illis retribútio multa.

Delícta quis intélligit? ab occúltis meis munda me: * et ab aliénis parce servo tuo.

Si mei non fúerint domináti, tunc immaculátus ero: * et emundábor a delícto máximo.

Et erunt ut compláceant elóquia oris mei: * et meditátio cordis mei in conspéctu tuo semper.

Dómine, adjútor meus, * et redémptor meus.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Psalmus 62.

Deus, Deus meus, * ad te de luce vígilo.

Sitívit in te ánima mea, * quam multiplíciter tibi caro mea.

In terra desérta, et ínvia, et inaquósa: * sic in sancto appárui tibi, ut vidérem virtútem tuam, et glóriam tuam.

Quóniam mélior est misericórdia tua super vitas: * lábia mea laudábunt te.

Sic benedícam te in vita mea: * et in nómine tuo levábo manus meas.

Sicut ádipe et pinguédine repleátur ánima mea: * et lábiis exsultatiónis laudábit os meum.

Si memor fui tui super stratum meum, in matutínis meditábor in te: * quia fuísti adjútor meus.

Et in velaménto alárum tuárum exsultábo, adhæsit ánima mea post te: * me suscépit déxtera tua.

Ipsi vero in vanum quæsiérunt ánimam meam, introíbunt in inferióra terræ: * tradéntur in manus gládii, partes vúlpium erunt.

Rex vero lætábitur in Deo, laudabúntur omnes qui jurant in eo: * quia obstrúctum est os loquéntium iníqua.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Psalmus 116.

Laudáte Dóminum, omnes gentes: * laudáte eum, omnes pópuli:

Quóniam confirmáta est super nos misericórdia ejus: * et véritas Dómini manet in ætérnum.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Aña. Deus, Deus meus, ad te de luce vígilo, quia factus es adjútor meus. (Ps 62:2,8a)

Cap. (Rom 13,12-13a)

Nox præcéssit, dies autem appropinquávit. Abjiciámus ergo ópera tenebrárum, et induámur arma lucis. Sicut in die honéste ambulémus. R/. Deo grátias.

R/. br. Jesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi, * Miserére nobis. (Cf. Mt 16:16b; Jn 11:27)

R/. Jesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi, * Miserére nobis.

V/. Qui sedes ad déxteram Patris. * Miserére nobis. (Cf. Rom 8:34b; Heb 1:3b)

Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.

R/. Jesu Christe, Fili Dei vivi, * Miserére nobis.

V/. Exsúrge, Dómine, ádjuva nos,

R/. Et líbera nos propter nomen tuum. (Ps 43:26)

Aña. O Oriens, splendor lucis ætérnæ, et sol justítiæ: veni, et illúmina sedéntes in ténebris et umbra mortis. (Cf. Lk 1:78b,79a; Wis 7:26a; Mal 3:20a)

Canticum Zachariæ. (Lk 1:68-79)

Benedíctus Dóminus, Deus Israël: * quia visitávit, et fecit redemptiónem plebis suæ:

Et eréxit cornu salútis nobis: * in domo David, púeri sui.

Sicut locútus est per os sanctórum, * qui a sæculo sunt, prophetárum ejus:

Salútem ex inimícis nostris, * et de manu ómnium, qui odérunt nos.

Ad faciéndam misericórdiam cum pátribus nostris: * et memorári testaménti sui sancti.

Jusjurándum, quod jurávit ad Ábraham patrem nostrum, * datúrum se nobis:

Ut sine timóre, de manu inimicórum nostrórum liberáti, * serviámus illi.

In sanctitáte, et justítia coram ipso, * ómnibus diébus nostris.

Et tu, puer, Prophéta Altíssimi vocáberis: * præíbis enim ante fáciem Dómini, paráre vias ejus:

Ad dandam sciéntiam salútis plebi ejus: * in remissiónem peccatórum eórum:

Per víscera misericórdiæ Dei nostri: * in quibus visitávit nos, óriens ex alto:

Illumináre his, qui in ténebris, et in umbra mortis sedent: * ad dirigéndos pedes nostros in viam pacis.

Glória Patri, et Fílio, * et Spirítui Sancto.

Sicut erat in princípio, et nunc, et semper, * et in sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.

Aña. O Oriens, splendor lucis ætérnæ, et sol justítiæ: veni, et illúmina sedéntes in ténebris et umbra mortis. (Cf. Lk 1:78b,79a; Wis 7:26a; Mal 3:20a)

Preces.

Kýrie eléison. Christe eléison. Kýrie eléison.

Pater noster (secreto), qui es in cælis, sanctificétur nomen tuum: advéniat regnum tuum: fiat volúntas tua, sicut in cælo et in terra. Panem nostrum quotidiánum da nobis hódie: et dimítte nobis débita nostra, sicut et nos dimíttimus debitóribus nostris.

V/. Et ne nos indúcas in tentatiónem.

R/. Sed líbera nos a malo. (Mt 6:9b-13)

V/. Vivet ánima mea, et laudábit te.

R/. Et judícia tua adjuvábunt me. (Ps 118:175)

V/. Errávi, sicut ovis, quæ périit.

R/. Quære servum tuum, Dómine, quia mandáta tua non sum oblítus. (Ps 118:176)

Credo in Deum (secreto), Patrem omnipoténtem, Creatórem cæli et terræ. Et in Jesum Christum, Fílium ejus únicum, Dóminum nostrum: qui concéptus est de Spíritu Sancto, natus ex María Vírgine, passus sub Póntio Piláto, crucifíxus, mórtuus, et sepúltus: descéndit ad ínferos; tértia die resurréxit a mórtuis; ascéndit ad cælos; sedet ad déxteram Dei Patris omnipoténtis: inde ventúrus est judicáre vivos et mórtuos. Credo in Spíritum Sanctum, sanctam Ecclésiam cathólicam, Sanctórum communiónem, remissiónem peccatórum.

V/. Carnis resurrectiónem.

R/. Vitam ætérnam. Amen.

V/. Adjutórium nostrum in nómine Dómini.

R/. Qui fecit cælum et terram. (Ps 123:8)

Confíteor Deo omnipoténti, et beátæ Maríæ semper Vírgini, et beáto Domínico Patri nostro, et ómnibus Sanctis, quia peccávi nimis, cogitatióne, locutióne, ópere et omissióne: mea culpa. Precor beátam Maríam semper Vírginem, et beátum Domínicum Patrem nostrum, et omnes Sanctos, oráre pro me.

Misereatur mei omnípotens Deus, et dimíttat mihi ómnia peccáta mea: líberet me ab omni malo, salvet, et confírmet in omni ópere bono, et perdúcat me ad vitam ætérnam. R/. Amen.

Gáudium cum pace, emendatiónem vitæ, spátium veræ pœniténtiæ, grátiam et consolatiónem Sancti Spíritus, perseverántiam in bonis opéribus, tríbuat mihi omnípotens et miséricors Dóminus. R/. Amen.

V/. Dignáre, Dómine, die isto.

R/. Sine peccáto nos custodíre.

V/. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam.

R/. Et clamor meus ad te véniat. (Ps 101:2)

Orémus.

Or. Dómine Deus omnípotens, qui ad princípium hujus diéi nos perveníre fecísti: tua nos hódie salva virtúte; ut in hac die ad nullum declinemus peccátum, sed semper ad tuam justítiam faciéndam nostra procedant elóquia, dirigántur cogitatiónes et ópera. Per Dóminum nostrum Jesum Christum, Filium tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus, per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R/. Amen.

V/. Dómine, exáudi oratiónem meam.

R/. Et clamor meus ad te véniat. (Ps 101:2)

V/. Benedicámus Dómino.

R/. Deo grátias.

V/. Pretiósa est in conspéctu Dómini.

R/. Mors Sanctórum ejus. (Ps 115:6)

Sancta María et omnes Sancti intercedant pro nobis ad Dóminum: ut mereámur adjuvári ab eo, qui vivit et regnat per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. R/. Amen.

V/. Réspice, Dómine, in servos tuos et in ópera tua, et dírige fílios eórum. (Ps 89:16)

R/. Et sit splendor Dómini Dei nostri super nos, et ópera mánuum nostrárum dírige super nos, et opus mánuum nostrárum dírige. (Ps 89:17)

Or. Dirigere et sanctificare dignéris, Dómine, sancte Pater, omnípotens æterne Deus, hódie corda et córpora nostra in lege tua et in opéribus mandatórum tuórum; ut hic et in ætérnum, te auxiliante, semper salvi esse mereámur. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. R/. Amen.

V/. Jube, Dómine, benedícere.

Bened. Dies et actus nostros in sua pace dispónat Dóminus omnípotens. R/. Amen.

Lect. br. (Is 33:2)

Dómine, miserére nostri: te enim expectávimus: esto brácchium nostrum in mane, et salus nostra in témpore tribulatiónis. — Tu autem, Dómine, miserére nostri. R/. Deo grátias.

V/. Osténde nobis, Dómine, misericórdiam tuam.

R/. Et salutáre tuum da nobis. (Ps 84:8)

Or. Actiónes nostras, quǽsumus, Dómine, aspirándo prǽveni et adjuvándo proséquere; ut cuncta nostra operátio a te semper incípiat, et per te cœpta finiátur. Per Christum Dóminum nostrum. R/. Amen.

Bened. Dóminus nos benedícat, et ab omni malo deféndat, et ad vitam perdúcat ætérnam. Et fidélium ánimæ per misericórdiam Dei requiéscant in pace. R/. Amen.

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If desired, the De profundis with the usual prayers for the faithful departed may follow the final blessing; and likewise a Marian anthem may be added.