Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Music: Sine Nomine, 10.10.10 with Alleuia; Ralph Vaugh­an Williams, 1906
Words: William W. How, 1864.


PSALMODY

Antiphon: By his martyrdom, Lawrence gave witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and gained the reward of heaven.

They surrounded me, the snares of death,
with the anguish of the tomb;
they caught me, sorrow and distress.
I called on the Lord's name.

O Lord, my God, deliver me!

How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless so he saved me.

Turn back, my soul, to your rest
for the Lord has been good;
he has kept my soul from death,
my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.

I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living. Glory...


Antiphon: By his martyrdom, Lawrence gave witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and gained the reward of heaven.


Antiphon: Blessed Lawrence cried out: I rejoice greatly because I have been considered worthy to be a sacrificial victim for Christ.

How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord's name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful.

Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make;
I will call on the Lord's name.

My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem. Glory...


Antiphon: Blessed Lawrence cried out: I rejoice greatly because I have been considered worthy to be a sacrificial victim for Christ.


Antiphon: I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for permitting me to enter the gates of your kingdom.

O Lord our God, you are worthy
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.

Worthy are you, O Lord
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.

For you were slain;
with your blood you purchased for God
those from every tribe and tongue,
of every people and nation.

You made them a kingdom,
and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on earth."

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise. Glory...

Antiphon: I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for permitting me to enter the gates of your kingdom.


READING          1 Corinthians 15:3-5,8a
Rejoice, beloved, to the extent that you share in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice exultantly. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.


RESPONSORY
You have tried us by fire, O God, then led us to a place of refreshment.
 - You have tried us by fire, O God, then led us to a place of refreshment.
You refined us as silver in the furnace
 - then led us to a place of refreshment.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
 - You have tried us by fire, O God, then led us to a place of refreshment.


MAGNIFICAT (Canticle of Mary)
Antiphon: Blessed Lawrence said: The night is not dark for me; all things shine as in the noonday light.


INTERCESSIONS
This is the hour when the King of martyrs offered his life in the upper room and laid it down on the cross. Let us thank him and say:

                  We praise you, O Lord.

We praise you, O Lord, our Savior, inspiration and example for every martyr, for loving us to the end:

                  We praise you, O Lord.

For calling all repentant sinners to the rewards of life:

                  We praise you, O Lord.

For entrusting to your Church the blood of the new and everlasting covenant poured out for the remission of sin:

                  We praise you, O Lord.

For our perseverance in your grace today:

                  We praise you, O Lord.

For incorporating our dead brothers and sisters into your own death today:

                  We praise you, O Lord.


Our Father…


PRAYER
COLLECT
O God, giver of that ardor of love for you
by which Saint Lawrence was outstandingly faithful in service
and glorious in martyrdom,
grant that we may love what he loved
and put into practice what he taught.
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.


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.