Daytime Prayers
INTRODUCTION
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.
HYMN
Jesus walked this lonesome valley
He had to walk it by himself.
O nobody else could walk it for him;
He had to walk it by himself.
We must walk this lonesome valley;
We have to walk it by ourselves,
O nobody else can walk it for us;
We have to walk it by ourselves.
You must go and stand your trial;
You have to stand it by yourself.
O nobody else can stand it for you;
You have to stand it by yourself.
Tune: Lonesome Valley 8.8.10.8
Music: American Folk Hymn
Text: American Folk Hymn
Go to the Psalmody
Or:
Take up your cross, the Savior said,
If you would my disciple be;
Deny yourself, the world forsake,
And humbly follow after me.
Take up your cross, let not its weight
Fill your weak spirit with alarm;
His strength shall bear your spirit up,
Shall brace your heart and nerve your arm.
Take up your cross then in his strength,
And ev’ry danger calmly brave,
To guide you to a better home,
And vict’ry over death and grave.
Take up your cross and follow Christ,
Nor think till death to lay it down;
For only he who bears the cross
May hope to wear the glorious crown.
To you, great Lord, the One in three,
All praise for evermore ascend;
O grant us here below to see
The heav’nly life that knows no end.
Tune: Breslau or Winchester New L.M.
Music: (Breslau) As Hymnodus Sacer, 1625 or (Winchester New) Musikalisches Handbuch, Hamburg, 1690
Text: Charles William Everest, 1814-1877, adapted by Anthony G. Petti
PSALMODY
Antiphons
Midmorning: It was about nine in the morning when they nailed Jesus to the cross.
Midday: From noon until three o’clock there was darkness over the whole world.
Midafternoon: At three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Go to the Complementary Psalmody
Psalm 40:2-14, 17-18
Thanksgiving and plea for help
It was not sacrifice and oblation you wanted, but you have prepared a body for me (Hebrews 10:5).
I waited, I waited for the Lord †
and he stooped down to me; *
he heard my cry.
He drew me from the deadly pit, *
from the miry clay.
He set my feet upon a rock *
and made my footsteps firm.
He put a new song into my mouth, *
praise of our God.
Many shall see and fear *
and shall trust in the Lord.
Happy the man who has placed *
his trust in the Lord
and has not gone over to the rebels *
who follow false gods.
How many, O Lord my God, †
are the wonders and designs that you have worked for us; *
you have no equal.
Should I proclaim and speak of them, *
they are more than I can tell!
You do not ask for sacrifices and offerings, *
but an open ear.
You do not ask for holocaust and victim. *
Instead, here am I.
In the scroll of the book it stands written *
that I should do your will.
My God, I delight in your law *
in the depth of my heart.
Your justice I have proclaimed *
in the great assembly.
My lips I have not sealed; *
you know it, O Lord.
I have not hidden your justice in my heart *
but declared your faithful help.
I have not hidden your love and your truth *
from the great assembly.
O Lord, you will not withhold *
your compassion from me.
Your merciful love and your truth *
will always guard me.
For I am beset with evils *
too many to be counted.
My sins have fallen upon me *
and my sight fails me.
They are more than the hairs on my head *
and my heart sinks.
O Lord, come to my rescue, *
Lord, come to my aid.
O let there be rejoicing and gladness *
for all who seek you.
Let them ever say: “The Lord is great,” *
who love your saving help.
As for me, wretched and poor, *
the Lord thinks of me.
You are my rescuer, my help, *
O God, do not delay.
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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you were made obedient unto death, and your name was exalted above all others. Teach us always to do the Father’s will, so that, made holy by obedience which unites us to the sacrifice of your body, we can expect your great love in times of sorrow and sing a new song to our God.
Psalm 54:1-6, 8-9
Plea for help
The prophet prays that God will deliver him from the malice of his enemies (Cassian).
O God, save me by your name; *
by your power, uphold my cause.
O God, hear my prayer; *
listen to the words of my mouth.
For proud men have risen against me, †
ruthless men seek my life. *
They have no regard for God.
But I have God for my help. *
The Lord upholds my life.
I will sacrifice to you with willing heart *
and praise your name for it is good:
for you have rescued me from all my distress *
and my eyes have seen the downfall of my foes.
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.
Psalm Prayer
We humbly ask you, Father, to save us from every evil and trial on earth, that we may seek with our hearts and deeds our Lord and helper, Jesus Christ, whom we look to in the heavens.
Psalm 88
Prayer of a person who is gravely ill
This is your moment—when darkness reigns (Luke 22:53).
Lord my God, I call for help by day; *
I cry at night before you.
Let my prayer come into your presence. *
O turn your ear to my cry.
For my soul is filled with evils; *
my life is on the brink of the grave.
I am reckoned as one in the tomb: *
I have reached the end of my strength,
like one alone among the dead; *
like the slain lying in their graves;
like those you remember no more, *
cut off, as they are, from your hand.
You have laid me in the depths of the tomb, *
in places that are dark, in the depths.
Your anger weighs down upon me: *
I am drowned beneath your waves.
You have taken away my friends *
and made me hateful in their sight.
Imprisoned, I cannot escape; *
my eyes are sunken with grief.
I call to you, Lord, all the day long; *
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work your wonders for the dead? *
Will the shades stand and praise you?
Will your love be told in the grave *
or your faithfulness among the dead?
Will your wonders be known in the dark *
or your justice in the land of oblivion?
As for me, Lord, I call to you for help: *
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Lord, why do you reject me? *
Why do you hide your face?
Wretched, close to death from my youth, *
I have borne your trials; I am numb.
Your fury has swept down upon me; *
your terrors have utterly destroyed me.
They surround me all the day like a flood, *
they assail me all together.
Friend and neighbor you have taken away: *
my one companion is darkness.
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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus, redeemer of all and author of our salvation, for us you went down to the realm of death and became free of death. Hear the prayers of your family and lift us from our slavery to evil, that we may be redeemed by you and see your Father’s glory.
Continue with Daytime Prayer
Go to Series III (Midafternoon)
Series I (Midmorning)
Psalm 120
Longing for peace
Be patient in suffering, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).
To the Lord in the hour of my distress *
I call and he answers me.
“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, *
from the tongue of the deceitful.”
What shall he pay you in return, *
O treacherous tongue?
The warrior’s arrows sharpened *
and coals, red-hot, blazing.
Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, *
dwell among the tents of Kedar!
Long enough have I been dwelling *
with those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak, *
they are for fighting.
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.
Psalm Prayer
You declared peacemakers happy, Lord Jesus, since they will be called sons of God. Give us that peace which the world cannot give so that your Church may be freed from the schemes of arrogant men, and, devoted to works of peace, go forward joyfully to meet you, the King of Peace.
Psalm 121
Guardian of his people
Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16).
I lift up my eyes to the mountains: *
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord *
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble! *
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, *
Israel’s guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade; *
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you *
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil, *
he will guard your soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming *
both now and for ever.
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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, you have prepared a quiet place for us in your Father’s eternal home. Watch over our welfare on this perilous journey, shade us from the burning heat of day, and keep our lives free of evil until the end.
Psalm 122
The holy city, Jerusalem
You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22).
I rejoiced when I heard them say: *
“Let us go to God’s house.”
And now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city *
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up, *
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is, *
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgement *
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: *
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls, *
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends *
I say: “Peace upon you!”
For love of the house of the Lord *
I will ask for your good.
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.
Psalm Prayer
When you rose from the dead, Lord Jesus, you formed the Church into your new body, and made of it the new Jerusalem, united in your Spirit. Give us peace in our day. Make all nations come to your Church to share in your gifts in fellowship, that they may render you thanks without end and come to your eternal city.
Continue with Daytime Prayer
Psalm 123
The Lord is the hope of his people
Two blind men cried out: “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us” (Matthew 20:30).
To you have I lifted up my eyes, *
you who dwell in the heavens:
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves *
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant *
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God *
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. *
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul †
with the scorn of the rich, *
with the proud man’s disdain.
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.
Psalm Prayer
Father in heaven, we lift our eyes to you and pray: confound the scorn of the proud and graciously show us your mercy.
Psalm 124
Our help is in the name of the Lord
The Lord said to Paul: “Fear not. . . . I am with you” (Acts 18:9-10).
“If the Lord had not been on our side,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“If the Lord had not been on our side *
when men rose against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive *
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us, *
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept *
the raging waters.”
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us *
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped *
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken *
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, *
who made heaven and earth.
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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord Jesus, you foretold that your disciples would be despised on account of your name, but that not a hair of their heads is ever forgotten. In times of persecution, defend and revive us by the power and comfort of the Holy Spirit, so that we can be freed from our enemies and praise your saving help.
Psalm 125
The Lord, the guardian of his people
Peace to God’s true Israel (Galatians 6:16).
Those who put their trust in the Lord †
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken, *
that stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains surround her, †
so the Lord surrounds his people *
both now and for ever.
For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest *
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just *
should turn to evil.
Do good, Lord, to those who are good, *
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil, *
drive them away!
On Israel, peace!
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.
Psalm Prayer
Surround your people, Lord, within the safety of your Church, which you preserve on its rock foundation. Do not let us stretch out our hands to evil deeds, nor be destroyed by the insidious snares of the enemy, but bring us to share the lot of the saints in light.
Continue with Daytime Prayer
Psalm 126
Joyful hope in God
Companions with him in suffering, you will share his overflowing happiness (2 Corinthians 1:7).
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, *
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
on our lips there were songs.
The heathens themselves said: “What marvels *
the Lord worked for them!”
What marvels the Lord worked for us! *
Indeed we were glad.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage *
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears *
will sing when they reap.
They go out, they go out, full of tears, *
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song, *
carrying their sheaves.
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.
Psalm Prayer
Lord, you have raised us from the earth; may you let the seeds of justice, which we have sown in tears, grow and increase in your sight. May we reap in joy the harvest we hope for patiently.
Psalm 127
Apart from God our labors are worthless
You are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9).
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat: *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
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.
Psalm Prayer
You command the seed to rise, Lord God, though the farmer is unaware. Grant that those who labor for you may trust not in their own work but in your help. Remembering that the land is brought to flower not with human tears but with those of your Son, may the Church rely only upon your gifts.
Psalm 128
Happiness of family life rooted in God
“May the Lord bless you from Zion,” that is, from the Church (Arnobius).
O blessed are those who fear the Lord *
and walk in his ways!
By the labor of your hands you shall eat. *
You will be happy and prosper;
your wife like a fruitful vine *
in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive, *
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed *
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion *
all the days of your life!
May you see your children’s children *
in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, peace!
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.
Psalm Prayer
Give lasting happiness, Lord, to those who reverence your name, so that our life and work may be such as to deserve your commendation, and bring us, laden with good fruit, to our everlasting home.
Antiphons
Midmorning: It was about nine in the morning when they nailed Jesus to the cross.
Midday: From noon until three o’clock there was darkness over the whole world.
Midafternoon: At three o’clock, Jesus cried out in a loud voice: My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
MIDMORNING
READING
Isaiah 53:2-3
He grew up like a sapling before him,
like a shoot from the parched earth;
There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him,
nor appearance that would attract us to him.
He was spurned and avoided by men,
a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity,
One of those from whom men hide their faces,
spurned, and we held him in no esteem.
We worship you, O Christ, and we praise you.
– Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.
Go to the Conclusion
MIDDAY
READING
Isaiah 53:4-5
Yet it was our infirmities that he bore,
our sufferings that he endured,
While we thought of him as stricken,
as one smitten by God and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our offenses,
crushed for our sins.
Upon him was the chastisement that makes us whole,
by his stripes we were healed.
Lord, remember me.
– When you come into your kingdom.
Go to the Conclusion
MIDAFTERNOON
READING
Isaiah 53:6-7
We had all gone astray like sheep,
each following his own way;
But the Lord laid upon him
the guilt of us all.
Though he was harshly treated, he submitted
and opened not his mouth;
Like a lamb led to the slaughter
or a sheep before the shearers,
he was silent and opened not his mouth.
He has plunged me into darkness.
– Like the dead, long forgotten.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father,
look with love upon your people,
the love which our Lord Jesus Christ showed us
when he delivered himself to evil men
and suffered the agony of the cross,
for he lives and reigns for ever and ever.
– Amen.
Or:
Look, we pray, O Lord, on this your family,
for whom our Lord Jesus Christ
did not hesitate to be delivered into the hands of the wicked
and submit to the agony of the Cross.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
******
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