Psalm 118
   
Confitemini Domino

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

But the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, 'Where are you?' He said, 'I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.'

He said, 'Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?' The man said, 'The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.' Then the LORD God said to the woman, 'What is this that you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent tricked me, and I ate.'

The LORD God said to the serpent, 'Because you have done this, cursed are you among all animals and among all wild creatures; upon your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.'


CANTICLE          Benedicite

Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord, *
     O heavens and all waters above the heavens.

Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew, *
     all winds and fire and heat.

Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
     drops of dew and flakes of snow

Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
     O shining light and enfolding dark.

Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that grows upon the earth, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams, *
     O whales and all that move in the waters.

All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *
     and all you flocks and herds.

O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord, *
     praise him and highly exalt him for ever.


SECOND READING          1 Peter 3:17-22
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God's will, than to suffer for doing evil.

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, in order to bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit, in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits in prison, who in former times did not obey, when God waited patiently in the days of Noah, during the building of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were saved through water.

And baptism, which this prefigured, now saves you—not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers made subject to him.


RESPONSORY
O glorious cross, on you the king of angels was victorious.
O glorious cross, on you the king of angels was victorious.
And he has washed away our sins in his own blood.
On you the king of angels was victorious.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
O glorious cross, on you the king of angels was victorious.


MAGNIFICAT

Antiphon: For the joy that lay ahead of him,+ Jesus endured the cross making light of its disgrace / and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Antiphon: For the joy that lay ahead of him,+ Jesus endured the cross making light of its disgrace / and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.

Gloria Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui Sancto,:
Sicut erat in principio, et nunc, et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum. Amen.


PRAYERS

Our Father...


Almighty God, whose Son our Saviour Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the Cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.


Let us pray with confidence to Christ who endured the cross to save us.

          - Lord, through your cross bring us to the glory of your kingdom.

O Christ, you emptied yourself, taking the form of a servant and being made like us,
- grant that your people may follow the example of your humility.(R.)

O Christ, you humbled yourself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross,
- grant that your servants may imitate your obedience and willing acceptance of trials.(R.)

O Christ, you were raised up by the Father and given the name that is above every name,
- may your people, strengthened in the hope of a heavenly resurrection, persevere to the end.(R.)

O Christ, at your name every knee in heaven, on earth and under the earth will bend in adoration,
- pour out your love upon all people that they may join together in proclaiming your glory.(R.)

O Christ, every tongue shall confess that you are Lord to the glory of God the Father,
- welcome our brothers and sisters who have died into the unfailing joy of your kingdom.(R.)


O God, who willed that your Only Begotten Son
should undergo the Cross to save the human race,
grant, we pray,
that we, who have known his mystery on earth,
may merit the grace of his redemption in heaven.
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.