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: Come, let us worship the Lord, the King of apostles.

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

Commune vos, apostoli, extollat hymni iubilum, quos advocat par gratia, coronat una gloria. Ardore pulsus caelico, Christi premis vestigia, Simon, et illum nuntias zelo peractus impigro. Tu carne frater, assecla fraterque Christi spiritu, Iuda, Magistrum praedicas scriptisque fratres erudis. Nec pertimescit sanguinem uterque purum fundere, ut veritatis enitens sit testis atque victima. O summa caeli sidera, nos detis ut per aspera, fide valentes integra, tendamus ad caelestia. Patri per aevum gloria Natoque cum Paraclito, quorum supernis gaudiis simul fruemur perpetim. Amen.

O ye, Apostles, let the common joyful sound of hymn rise, You who equal grace calls, one glory crowns. Struck by heavenly ardor, thou pursue Christ's footsteps, Simon, and Him thou announce with zeal, to the end active. Thou brother in the flesh, follower and brother of Christ in spirit, Jude, the Master thou preach and, in script, the brothers thou instruct. Not afraid of blood pure to shed, each of them, so that, of truth, shining forth, he may be a witness and also a victim. O great stars of heaven, may you grant that we by adversities, valient in faith intact, may strive up to the heavens. To the Father, through all time Glory! and to the Begotten with the Paraclete, in whose heavenly joys likewise may we delight in perpetually.

Or:

Tune
Let all on earth their voices raise,
Resounding heaven's praise,
To him who gave apostles grace
To run their glorious race.

Of Gospel truth they bore the light
To brighten earthly night;
May we that heav'nly light impart
To ev'ry mind and heart.

Praise God the Father and the Son
And Spirit Three in One,
Who sent these men with holy fire
All mankind to inspire.  Amen.
Melody: Saint Peter C.M.; Music: A. R. Reingale, 1799-1877; Text: Exultet Orbis Gaudiis, 10th century; St. 3; Roger Nachtwey, 1965; Translator: Roger Nachtwey, 1965; Midi: Cyberhymnal


PSALMODY

Antiphon: My commandment is this: love one another as I have loved you.

Psalm 63:2-9

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.

For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.

On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast. Glory...

Antiphon: My commandment is this: love one another as I have loved you.


Antiphon: There is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.

Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56

Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord.
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.

Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.

Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.

Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
You sons of men, bless the Lord.

O Israel, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.

Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt him above all forever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all forever.

Antiphon: There is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.


Antiphon: You are my friends, says the Lord, if you do what I command you.

Psalm 149

Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.

For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,

to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained;
this honor is for all his faithful. Glory..

Antiphon:You are my friends, says the Lord, if you do what I command you.


READING      Ephesians 2:19-20
You are strangers and aliens no longer. No, you are fellow citizens of the saints and members of the household of God. You form a building that rises on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the capstone. Through him the whole structure is fitted together and takes shape as a holy temple in the Lord; in him you are being built into this temple, to become a dwelling place for God in the Spirit.


RESPONSORY
You have made them rulers over all the earth.
    -    You have made them rulers over all the earth.

They will always remember your name, O Lord,
    -    over all the earth.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
    -    You have made them rulers over all the earth.


BENEDICTUS (Canticle of Zechariah)
Antiphon: On the foundation stones of the heavenly Jerusalem, the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb are written; the Lamb of God is the light of that holy city.


INTERCESSIONS
Beloved friends, we have inherited heaven along with the apostles. Let us give thanks to the Father for all his gifts:

        The company of apostles praises you, O Lord

Praise be to you, Lord, for the banquet of Christ's body and blood given us through the apostles,
 - which refreshes us and gives us life

Praise be to you, Lord, for the feast of your word prepared for us by the apostles,
 - giving us light and joy.

Praise be to you, Lord, for your holy Church, founded on the apostles,
 - where we are gathered together into your community.

Praise be to you, Lord, for the cleansing power of baptism and penance that you have entrusted to your apostles,
 - through which we are cleansed of our sins.


Our Father…


COLLECT
O God, who by the blessed Apostles
have brought us to acknowledge your name,
graciously grant,
through the intercession of Saints Simon and Jude,
that the Church may constantly grow
by increase of the peoples who believe in you.
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.


May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.


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.