Almighty and ever-living God,
 by your will the celebration of Easter
 is summed up in the mystery of Pentecost.
Grant that the peoples you have scattered across the earth,
 speaking many tongues,
 may unite in proclaiming your greatness
 and be gathered back together
 by the gift of your holy name.

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.

Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. And as they migrated from the east, they came upon a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.’ And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise we shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.’ The Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which mortals had built. And the Lord said, ‘Look, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is only the beginning of what they will do; nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. Come, let us go down, and confuse their language there, so that they will not understand one another’s speech.’ So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of all the earth.

Antiphon: Happy the people the Lord has chosen to be his own.

1

Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous; *
     it is good for the just to sing praises.

2

Praise the LORD with the harp; *
     play to him upon the psaltery and lyre.

3

Sing for him a new song; *
     sound a fanfare with all your skill upon the trumpet.

4

For the word of the LORD is right, *
     and all his works are sure.

5

He loves righteousness and justice; *
     the loving-kindness of the LORD fills the whole earth.

6

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, *
     by the breath of his mouth all the heavenly hosts.

7

He gathers up the waters of the ocean as in a water-skin *
     and stores up the depths of the sea.

8

Let all the earth fear the LORD; *
     let all who dwell in the world stand in awe of him.

The hand of the LORD came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the LORD and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all round them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, ‘Son of Man, can these bones live?’ I answered, ‘O Lord GOD, you know.’ Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the LORD.’

 So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, ‘Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.’ I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude.

 Then he said to me, ‘Son of Man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, “Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.” Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord GOD: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken and will act, says the LORD.’

1

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, *
     and his mercy endures for ever.

2

Let all those whom the LORD has redeemed proclaim *
     that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.

3

He gathered them out of the lands; *
     from the east and from the west,
     from the north and from the south.

4

Some wandered in desert wastes; *
     they found no way to a city where they might dwell.

5

They were hungry and thirsty; *
     their spirits languished within them.

6

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, *
     and he delivered them from their distress.

7

He put their feet on a straight path *
     to go to a city where they might dwell.

8

Let them give thanks to the LORD for his mercy *
     and the wonders he does for his children.

9

For he satisfies the thirsty *
     and fills the hungry with good things.

1

Bless the LORD, O my soul; *
     O LORD my God, how excellent is your greatness!
     you are clothed with majesty and splendor.

2

You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak *
     and spread out the heavens like a curtain.

3

You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; *
     you make the clouds your chariot;
     you ride on the wings of the wind.

4

You make the winds your messengers *
     and flames of fire your servants.

5

You have set the earth upon its foundations, *
     so that it never shall move at any time.

6

You covered it with the Deep as with a mantle; *
     the waters stood higher than the mountains.

7

At your rebuke they fled; *
     at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.

8

They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath, *
     to the places you had appointed for them.

9

You set the limits that they should not pass; *
     they shall not again cover the earth.

10

You send the springs into the valleys; *
     they flow between the mountains.

11

All the beasts of the field drink their fill from them, *
     and the wild asses quench their thirst.

12

Beside them the birds of the air make their nests *
     and sing among the branches.