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 ever shall be, world without end. Amen. (Alleluia.)
HYMN
Firmly I believe and truly
God is Three, and God is One;
And I next acknowledge duly
Manhood taken by the Son.
And I trust and hope most fully
In that Manhood crucified;
And each thought and deed unruly
Do to death, as He has died.
And I hold in veneration,
For the love of Him alone,
Holy Church as His creation,
And her teachings are His own.
Adoration aye be given,
With and through the angelic host,
To the God of earth and Heaven,
Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Words: John Henry Newman; Melody: Halton Holgate; Midi: Cyberhymnal
At one of the hours, the psalms are said as below. At the other hours, the complementary psalms are used.
PSALMODY
Antiphon 1:
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Psalm 119:81-88
XI (Caph)
I yearn for your saving help;
I hope in your word.
My eyes yearn to see your promise.
When will you console me?
Though parched and exhausted with waiting
I remember your statutes.
How long must your servant suffer?
When will you judge my foes?
For me the proud have dug pitfalls,
against your law.
Your commands are all true; then help me
when lies oppress me.
They almost made an end of me on earth,
but I kept your precepts.
Because of your love give me life
and I will do your will. Glory...
Psalm Prayer: When evil seems to triumph, Lord, and our hope begins to fail, give us courage and perseverance in doing your will.
Antiphon: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Antiphon 2:Lord you are my hope; a strong citadel against my enemies.
Psalm 61 Prayer of an exile
The prayer of the just man who places his hope in the things of heaven. (Saint Hilary)
O God, hear my cry!
Listen to my prayer!
From the end of the earth I call;
my heart is faint.
On a rock too high for me to reach
set me on high,
O you who have been my refuge,
my tower against the foe.
Let me dwell in your tent for ever
and hide in the shelter of your wings.
For you, O God, hear my prayer,
grant me the heritage of those who fear you.
May you lengthen the life of the king;
may his years cover many generations.
May he ever sit enthroned before God:
bid love and truth be his protection.
So I will always praise your name
and day after day fulfill my vows. Glory...
Psalm Prayer:
Lord Jesus, love and truth of the Father, you came to earth to relieve the pain of our exile, you took our weakness as your own. Uphold us when our hearts grow faint until we stand with you before God and praise your name.
Antiphon: Lord you are my hope; a strong citadel against my enemies.
Antiphon 3: O Lord, guard my life from the menace of the foe.
Psalm 64 Prayer for help against enemies
This psalm commemorates most particularly our Lord's passion. (Saint Augustine)
Hear my voice, O God, as I complain,
guard my life from dread of the foe.
Hide me from the band of the wicked,
from the throng of those who do evil.
They sharpen their tongues like swords;
they aim bitter words like arrows
to shoot at the innocent from ambush,
shooting suddenly and recklessly.
They scheme their evil course;
they conspire to lay secret snares.
They say: "Who will see us?
Who can search out our crimes?"
He will search who searches the mind
and knows the depths of the heart.
God has shot them with his arrow
and dealt them sudden wounds.
Their own tongue has brought them to ruin
and all who see them mock.
Then will all men fear;
they will tell what God has done.
They will understand God's deeds.
The just will rejoice in the Lord
and fly to him for refuge.
All the upright hearts will glory. Glory...
Psalm Prayer: Father, you gave your Son victory over those who plotted evil against him; when he cried to you in his agony, you delivered him from the fear of his enemies. May those who suffer with him in this life find refuge and success in you.
Antiphon: O Lord, guard my life from the menace of the foe.
The Lord, your God, disciplines you even as a man disciplines his son."Therefore, keep the commandments of the Lord, your God, by walking in his ways and fearing him.
The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring for ever.
- The decrees of the Lord are true and all of them just.
PRAYER
God, all-powerful Father,
fill your people with the light of your Holy Spirit,
that, safe from every enemy,
we may rejoice in singing your praises.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Take courage. Keep the mandate of the Lord, your God, following his ways and observing his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees as they are written in the law of Moses, that you may succeed in whatever you do, wherever you turn.
Guide me Lord, in the way of precepts..
- For this is all I desire.
PRAYER
Lord, fill us with the resplendent light
of your eternal love.
May we love you above all things,
and our brothers for your sake.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
Stand beside the earliest roads,
ask the pathways of old
Which is the way to good, and walk it;
thus you will find rest for your souls.
Your words are my eternal heritage.
- They are the joy of my heart.
PRAYER
Lord,
make the peace we pray for a reality:
may we live our days in quiet joy
and, with the help of the Virgin Mary's prayers,
safely reach your kingdom.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.