God, come to my assistance.
 - Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
 -  as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.


HYMN

Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
We Who Once Were Dead
Christ Jesus Lay In Death's Strong Bands
Ad Cenam Agni Providi

Or:


Father we thank Thee who hast planted
Thy holy name within our hearts.
Knowledge and faith and life immortal
Jesus The Son to us imparts.
Thou, Lord, didst make all for Thy pleasure,
Didst give man food for all his days,
Giving in Christ the bread eternal;
Thine is the power, be Thine the praise.

Watch o'er Thy Church, O Lord, in mercy,
Save it from evil, guard it still,
Perfect it in Thy love, unite it,
Cleansed and conformed unto Thy will.
As grain, once scattered on the hillsides,
Was in the broken bread made one,
So from all lands Thy Church be gathered
Into Thy kingdom by Thy Son.

Text: F. Bland Tucker; Melody: Rendez a Dieu


PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: The Lord has rescued my life from the grasp of hell, alleluia.

Psalm 116:1-9
Thanksgiving
We must endure many trials before entering God's kingdom (Acts 14:21)

I love the Lord for he has heard
the cry of my appeal;
for he turned his ear to me
in the day when I called him.

They surrounded me, the snares of death,
with the anguish of the tomb;
they caught me, sorrow and distress.
I called on the Lord's name.

O Lord, my God, deliver me!

How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless so he saved me.

Turn back, my soul, to your rest
for the Lord has been good;
he has kept my soul from death,
my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living. Glory...

Antiphon 2 The Lord watches over his people, and protects them as the apple of his eye, alleluia.

Psalm 121
Guardian of his people
Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains;
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord
who made heaven and earth.

May he never allow you to stumble!
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers,
Israel's guard.

The Lord is your guard and your shade;
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you
nor the moon in the night.

The Lord will guard you from evil,
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming
both now and for ever. Glory...

Antiphon 2 The Lord watches over his people, and protects them as the apple of his eye, alleluia.

Antiphon 3 The Lord is my strength, I shall always praise him, for he has become my Savior, alleluia.

Canticle  -  Revelation 15:3-4
Hymn of adoration

Mighty and wonderful are your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Righteous and true are your ways,
O King of the nations!

Who would dare refuse you honor,
or the glory due your name, O Lord?

Since you alone are holy,
all nations shall come
and worship in your presence.
Your mighty deeds are clearly seen. Glory...

Antiphon 3 The Lord is my strength, I shall always praise him, for he has become my Savior, alleluia.


READING           Hebrews 5:8-10
Son though he was, Christ learned obedience from what he suffered; and when he was made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, declared by God high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.


RESPONSORY
The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
 - The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.
When they saw the risen Lord,
 - alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
 - The disciples rejoiced, alleluia, alleluia.


MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: To destroy the power of hell Christ died upon the cross; clothed in strength and glory, he triumphed over death on the third day, alleluia.


INTERCESSIONS
Let us praise Christ, the source of all life and the foundation of all virtue:

             Lord, establish your kingdom in the world.

Jesus our Savior, you died in your human nature but were restored to life by the Spirit,
 - make us die to sin, and live by the Spirit.

You sent your disciples into the whole world to preach the Gospel to every creature,
 - inspire those who preach the Gospel to live by your Spirit.

All power in heaven and on earth has been given to you, to bear witness to the truth,
 - keep the hearts of those who govern us faithful to the truth.

You make all things new, and command us to wait and watch for your kingdom,
 - grant that the more we look forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the more we may seek to better this present world.

You went down among the dead to bring them the good news of the Gospel,
 - be the great joy and hope of all the dead.


Our Father...


COLLECT
O God, hope and light of the sincere,
we humbly entreat you to dispose our hearts
to offer you worthy prayer
and ever to extol you
by dutiful proclamation of your praise.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.


May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.