Lord, open our lips.
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, unto the ages of ages. Amen
HYMN
"Take up your cross," the Savior said,
"If you would my disciple be;
Forsake the past, and come this day,
And humbly follow after me."
Take up your cross; let not its weight
Pervade your soul with vain alarm;
His strength shall bear your spirit up,
Sustain your heart, and nerve your arm.
Take up your cross, nor heed the shame,
Nor let your foolish heart rebel;
For you the Lord endured the cross
To save your soul from death and hell.
Take up your cross and follow Christ,
Nor think till death to lay it down;
For only those who bear the cross
May hope to wear a golden crown.
Antiphons, Psalms and Canticles are from the prayer of the day.
READING Hebrews 2:9-10
We see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
RESPONSORY
By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God From every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You brought us back to God Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God
BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah) Antiphon:
I have longed to eat this meal with you before I suffer.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us pray to Christ our Savior, who redeemed us by his death and resurrection:
Lord, have mercy on us.
You went up to Jerusalem to suffer and so enter into your glory,
lead your Church into the Paschal feast of heaven. (R.) You were lifted high on the cross and pierced by the soldier's lance,
heal our wounds. (R.)
You made your cross the tree of life,
grant its fruit to those reborn into baptism. (R.)
One the cross, you forgave the repentant thief,
forgive us our sins. (R.)
Our Father...
PRAYER
God of infinite compassion, to love you is to be made holy; fill our hearts with your love. by the death of your son you have given us hope, born of faith; by his rising again fulfill this hope in the perfect love of heaven, where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Daytime Prayer
HYMN
O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn!
What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners' gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! 'Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, unto the ages of ages. Amen
TERCE
Before the feast of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come; he had always loved those who were his own, and now he would show them the depth of his love.
Reading Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.. - Hebrews 4:14-15
Responsory He freely gave himself in sacrifice.
He said no word in his own defense.
SEXT
I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Reading For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. – Hebrews 7:26-27
Responsory Ours were the sufferings he bore
Ours the weight of guilt he endured,
NONES
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. I glory in the cross of my Lord Jesus Christ.
Reading But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. - Hebrews 9:11-12
Responsory
Let us venerate the cross.
Through it, we have received the sacrament of reconciliation.
May the life-giving cross
be the source of all our joy and peace. Amen.
The beginning of the Triduum of the Passion and Resurrection of the Lord.
Evening Prayer
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit…
Antiphons, Psalms and Canticles are from the prayer of the day.
HYMN
When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.
Forbid it, Lord, that I should boast,
Save in the death of Christ my God!
All the vain things that charm me most,
I sacrifice them to His blood.
See from His head, His hands, His feet,
Sorrow and love flow mingled down!
Did e’er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so rich a crown?
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
READING Hebrews 13:12-15
Therefore Jesus also suffered outside the city gate in order to sanctify the people by his own blood. Let us then go to him outside the camp and bear the abuse he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we are looking for the city that is to come. Through him, then, let us continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that confess his name.
In place of the responsory, the following is said:
For our sake Christ was obedient, accepting even death.
MAGNIFICAT(Canticle of Mary) Antiphon:
While they were at supper, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke the bread and gave it to his disciples.
INTERCESSIONS
The savior of mankind by dying destroyed death and by rising restored life. Let us humbly ask him:
Sanctify your people, redeemed by your blood.
Redeemer of the world, give us a greater share of your passion through a deeper spirit of repentance,
so that we may share the glory of your resurrection. (R.)
May your Mother, comfort of the afflicted, protect us,
may we console others as you console us. (R.)
Look with love on those who suffer because of our indifference,
come to their aid, and turn our uncaring hearts to justice and charity. (R.)
You humbled yourself by being obedient even to accepting death, death on a cross,
give all who serve you the gifts of obedience and patient endurance. (R.)
Transform the bodies of the dead to be like your own in glory,
and bring us at last into their fellowship. (R.)
Our Father...
PRAYER
Father, for your glory and our salvation you appointed Jesus Christ eternal High Priest. May the people he gained for you by his blood come to share in the power of his cross and resurrection, by celebrating his memorial in this eucaharist, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.