Lord, open my lips.
 - And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Psalm 95 is the traditional Invitatory Psalm. Psalm 24, 67, or 100 may be substituted.


Antiphon: The Lord is risen, alleluia.

Psalm 95

Psalm 24

Psalm 67

Psalm 100

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.


HYMN

Jesus Christ is Risen Today
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia
Christ the Lord is Risen Today

Or:


All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
Thou silver moon with softer gleam!

Refrain
O praise Him! O praise Him!
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in Heaven along,
O praise Him! Alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice,
Ye lights of evening, find a voice!

Refrain

Words: St. Francis of Assisi; tr. William H. Draper; Melody: Vigiles et sancti; Midi: Cyberhymnal


PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: O God, arise above the heavens, alleluia.

Psalm 108
Praise of God and a plea for help.
Since the Son of God has been exalted above the heavens, his glory is proclaimed through all the earth. (Arnobius)

My heart is ready, O God;
I will sing, sing your praise.
Awake, my soul;
awake, lyre and harp,
I will awake the dawn.

I will thank you, Lord, among the peoples,
among the nations I will praise you,
for your love reaches to the heavens
and your truth to the skies.
O God, arise above the heavens;
may your glory shine on earth!

O come and deliver your friends;
help with your right hand and reply.
From his holy place God has made this promise;
I will triumph and divide the land of Shechem,

But who will lead me to conquer the fortress?
Who will bring me face to face with Edom?
Will you utterly reject us, O God,
and no longer march with our armies?

Give us help against the foe,
for the help of man is vain.
With God we shall do bravely
and he will trample down our foes. Glory...

Psalm Prayer: Accept the prayers of your servants, Lord, and prepare our hearts to praise your holy name. Come to our aid in time of trouble and make us worthy to sing you songs of thanksgiving.

Antiphon 1 O God, arise above the heavens, alleluia.


Antiphon 2 The Lord will make praise and justice blossom before all the nations, alleluia.

Canticle  -  Isaiah 61:10-62:5
The prophet's joy in the vision of the New Jerusalem
I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, with the beauty of a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2)

I rejoice heartily in the Lord,
in my God is the joy of my soul;
For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation,
and wrapped me in a mantle of justice,
Like a bridegroom adorned with a diadem,
like a bride bedecked with her jewels.

As the earth brings forth its plants,
and a garden makes its growth spring up,
So will the Lord God make justice and praise
spring up before all the nations.

For Zion's sake I will not be silent,
for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet,
Until her vindication shines forth like the dawn
and her victory like a burning torch.

Nations shall behold your vindication,
and all kings your glory;
You shall be called by a new name
pronounced by the mouth of the Lord.
You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem held by your God.

No more shall men call you "Forsaken,"
or your land "Desolate,"
But you shall be called "My Delight,"
and your land "Espoused."
For the Lord delights in you,
and makes your land his spouse.

As a young man marries a virgin,
your Builder shall marry you;
And as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride
so shall your God rejoice in you.   Glory...

Antiphon 2 The Lord will make praise and justice blossom before all the nations, alleluia.


Antiphon 3 Zion, the Lord, your God, will reign for ever, alleluia.

Psalm 146
Those who trust in God know what it is to be happy
To praise God in our lives means all we do must be for his glory. (Arnobius)

My soul, give praise to the Lord;
I will praise the Lord all my days,
make music to my God while I live.

Put no trust in princes,
In mortal men in whom there is no help.
Take their breath, they return to clay
and their plans that day come to nothing.

He is happy who is helped by Jacob's God,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who alone made heaven and earth,
the seas and all they contain.

It is the Lord who keeps faith for ever,
who is just to those who are oppressed.
It is he who gives bread to the hungry,
the Lord, who sets prisoners free,

the Lord who gives sight to the blind,
who raises up those who are bowed down,
the Lord, who protects the stranger
and upholds the widow and orphan.

It is the Lord who loves the just
but thwarts the path of the wicked.
The Lord will reign for ever,
Zion's God, from age to age. Glory...

Antiphon 3 Zion, the Lord, your God, will reign for ever, alleluia.


READING     Romans 6:8-11
If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more; death no longer has power over him. As to his death, he died to sin once and for all; as to his life, he lives for God. Consequently, you too must think of yourselves as dead to sin and living for God in Christ Jesus.


RESPONSORY
The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
 - The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
He hung upon the cross for us,
 - alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
 - The Lord is risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.


BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon: I am the light; I have come into the world, that those who believe in me may not remain in darkness, alleluia.


INTERCESSIONS
By the gift of the Father, the risen Christ was seen by the apostles.  Let us pray to the Father, and say:

                 Give us, Lord, the glory of your Son.

Father of lights, today we offer you our thanks and praise for calling us into your marvelous light,
 - to receive your mercy.

May the efforts of mankind to make the world more human,
 - be purified and strengthened by the power of your Spirit.

May we be so dedicated to the service of others,
 - that the whole human family may become a pleasing sacrifice in your honor.

At the dawn of a new day, fill us with your mercy,
 - that the whole day may be a day of joy and praise..


Our Father...


COLLECT
O God, life of the faithful,
glory of the humble, blessedness of the just,
listen kindly to the prayers
of those who call on you,
that they who thirst for what you generously promise
may always have their fill of your plenty.
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.