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: Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth; serve the Lord with gladness.

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. (Alleluia.)


HYMN

Lord Jesus Christ, be present now,
And let your Holy Spirit bow
All hearts in love and truth today
To hear your word and keep your way.

Give us the grace to grasp your word,
That we may do what we have heard.
Instruct us through the Scriptures, Lord,
As we draw near, O God adored.

May your glad tidings always bring
Good news to men that they may sing
Of how you came to save all men.
Instruct us till you come again.

To God the Father and the Son
And Holy Spirit, three in one;
To you, O blessed Trinity
Be praise throughout eternity.
Text: Catherine Winkworth; Melody: Herr Jesu Christ; Midi: Cyberhymnal


PSALMODY

Antiphon 1: We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies.

             I
I said: I will be watchful of my ways
for fear I should sin with my tongue.
I will put a curb on my lips
when the wicked man stands before me."
I was dumb, silent and still.
His prosperity stirred my grief.

My heart was burning within me.
At the thought of it, the fire blazed up
and my tongue burst into speech:
O Lord, you have shown me my end,
how short is the length of my days.
Now I know how fleeting is my life.

You have given me a short span of days;
my life is as nothing in your sight.
A mere breath, the man who stood so firm,
a mere shadow, the man passing by;
a mere breath the riches he hoards,
not knowing who will have them." Glory...

Antiphon 1 We groan in pain as we await the redemption of our bodies.


Antiphon 2 Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord, let me not weep in vain.

                    II
And now, Lord, what is there to wait for?
In you rests all my hope.
Set me free from all my sins,
do not make me the taunt of the fool.
I was silent, not opening my lips,
because this was all your doing.

Take away your scourge from me.
I am crushed by the blows of your hand.
You punish man's sins and correct him;
like the moth you devour all he treasures.
Mortal man is no more than a breath;
O Lord, hear my prayer.

O Lord, turn your ear to my cry.
Do not be deaf to my tears.
In your house I am a passing guest,
a pilgrim, like all my fathers.
Look away that I may breathe again
before I depart to be no more. Glory...

Psalm Prayer: Through your Son you taught us, Father, not to be fearful of tomorrow but to commit our lives to your care. Do not withhold your Spirit from us but help us find a life of peace after these days of trouble.

Antiphon 2 Hear and answer my prayer, O Lord, let me not weep in vain.


Antiphon 3 I have put all my trust in God's never-failing mercy.

Why do you boast of your wickedness,
you champion of evil,
planning ruin all day long,
(your tongue like a sharpened razor),
you master of deceit?

You love evil more than good,
lies more than truth.
You love the destructive word,
you tongue of deceit.

For this God will destroy you
and remove you for ever.
He will snatch you from your tent and uproot you
from the land of the living.

The just shall see and fear.
They shall laugh and say:
So this is the man who refused
to take God as a stronghold,
but trusted in the greatness of his wealth
and grew powerful by his crimes."

But I am like a growing olive tree
in the house of God.
I trust in the goodness of God
for ever and ever.

I will thank you for evermore;
for this is your doing.
I will proclaim that your name is good,
in the presence of your friends. Glory...

Antiphon 3 I have put all my trust in God's never-failing mercy.


I put my trust in the word of the Lord.
- All my hope is in him.


FIRST READING

From the book of the prophet Amos           9:1-15

The salvation of the just

I saw the Lord standing beside the altar, and he said:

Strike the bases, so that the doorjambs totter
  till you break them off on the heads of them all!
Those who are left I will slay with the sword;
  not one shall flee, no survivor shall escape.
Though they break through to the nether world,
  even from there my hand shall bring them out;
Though they climb to the heavens,
  I will bring them down;
Though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
  there too I will hunt them out and take them away;
Though they hide from my gaze in the bottom of the sea,
  I will command the serpent there to bite them;
Though they are led into captivity by their enemies,
  there will I command the sword to slay them.

I will fix my gaze upon them
  for evil, and not for good,
  I, the Lord God of hosts.
I melt the earth with my touch,
  so that all who dwell on it mourn,
While it all rises up like the Nile,
  and settles back like the river of Egypt;
I have built heaven, my upper chamber,
  and established my vault over the earth;
I summon the waters of the sea
  and pour them upon the surface of the earth,
I, the Lord by name.

Are you not like the Ethiopians to me,
  O men of Israel, says the Lord?
Did I not bring the Israelites from the land of Egypt
  As I brought the Philistines from Caphtor
  and the Arameans from Kir?
The eyes of the Lord God are on this sinful kingdom;
  I will destroy it from off the face of the earth.
But I will not destroy the house of Jacob completely,
  says the Lord.
For see, I have given the command
  to sift the house of Israel among all the nations,
As one sifts with a sieve,
  letting no pebble fall to the ground.
By the sword shall all sinners among my people die,
  those who say, "Evil will not reach or overtake us."

On that day I will raise up
  the fallen hut of David;
I will wall up its breaches,
  raise up its ruins,
  and rebuild it as in the days of old,
That they may conquer what is left of Edom
  and all the nations that shall bear my name,
  say I, the Lord, who will do this.

Yes, days are coming,
  says the Lord,
When the plowman shall overtake the reaper,
  and the vintager, him who sows the seed;
The juice of grapes shall drip down the mountains,
  and all the hills shall run with it.
I will bring about the restoration of my people Israel;
  they shall rebuild and inhabit their ruined cities,
Plant vineyards and drink the wine,
  set out gardens and eat the fruits.
I will plant them upon their own ground;
  never again shall they be plucked
From the land I have given them,
  say I, the Lord, your God.


RESPONSORY          See Acts 15:16-17, 14
That the rest of mankind and all peoples who hear my name
may seek the Lord,
- I shall return and rebuild the fallen house of David, says the Lord.

As Scripture says:
God came to choose from among the Gentiles
a people to bear his name.
- I shall return and rebuild the fallen house of David, says the Lord.


SECOND READING

From a letter attributed to Barnabas
(Cap. 19, 1-3, 5-7, 8-12: Funk 1, 53-57)

The way of light

Consider now the way of light; any man who is bent on reaching his appointed goal must be very careful in all he does. Now these are the directions that have been given to us for this journey: love your Creator; reverence your Maker; give glory to him who redeemed you when you were dead; be single-minded but rich in spiritual treasure; avoid those who travel down death's highway; hate whatever is displeasing to God; detest all hypocritical pretense; do not abandon God's commandments. Do not put on airs, but be modest in whatever you do; claim no credit for yourself. Plot no evil against your neighbor, and do not give pride an entrance into your heart.

Love your neighbor more than your own life. Do not kill an unborn child through abortion, nor destroy it after birth. Do not refrain from chastising son or daughter, but bring them up from childhood in the fear of the Lord. Do not set your heart on what belongs to your neighbor and do not give in to greed. Do not associate with the arrogant but cultivate those who are humble and virtuous.

Accept as a blessing whatever comes your way in the knowledge that nothing ever happens without God's concurrence. Avoid duplicity in thought or in word, for such deception is a deadly snare.

Share with your neighbor whatever you have, and do not say of anything, this is mine. If you both share an imperishable treasure, how much more must you share what is perishable. Do not be hasty in speech; the mouth is a deadly snare. For your soul's good, make every effort to live chastely. Do not hold out your hand for what you can get, only to withdraw it when it comes to giving. Cherish as the apple of your eye anyone who speaks to you of the word of the Lord.

Night and day you will bear in mind the hour of judgment; every day you will seek out the company of God's faithful, either by preaching the word, earnestly exhorting them, ever considering how you can save souls by your eloquence, or else by working with your hands to make reparation for your past sins.

Never hesitate to give, and when you do give, never grumble; then you will know the one who will repay you. Preserve the traditions you have received, adding nothing and taking nothing away. The evildoer will ever be hateful to you. Be fair in your judgments. Never stir up dissension, but act as peacemaker and reconcile the quarrelsome. Confess your sins, and do not begin to pray with a guilty conscience.

Such then is the way of light.


RESPONSORY          Psalm 119:101-102
I keep my foot from every evil path,
- that I may keep your word, O Lord.

I do not turn away from your ordinances,
for you have instructed me.
- That I may keep your word, O Lord.


COLLECT
Draw near to your servants, O Lord,
and answer their prayers with unceasing kindness,
that, for those who glory in you as their Creator and guide,
you may restore what you have created
and keep safe what you have restored.
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.


Let us praise the Lord.
- And give him thanks.



The English translation of Psalm Responses, Alleluia Verses, Gospel Verses from Lectionary for Mass © 1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation (ICEL); the English translation of Antiphons, Invitatories, Responsories, Intercessions, Psalm 95, the Canticle of the Lamb, Psalm Prayers, Non-Biblical Readings from The Liturgy of the Hours © 1973, 1974, 1975, ICEL; excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL. All rights reserved. Used with permission.