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. Alleluia.
HYMN
At Midmorning
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love the things you love,
And do what you would do.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with you I have one will,
To live and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
My soul with grace refine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with your fire divine.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
So I shall never die,
But live with you the perfect life
In your eternity.
Tune: Yattendon 64 S.M.
Music: H. E. Woodbridge, 1845-1917
Text: Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889 adapted by Anthony G. Petti
At Midday
Almighty Ruler, God of truth,
Who guide and master all,
The rays with which you gild the dawn
With noonday heat now fall.
O quench the fires of hatred, Lord,
Of anger and of strife;
Bring health to every mind and heart
That peace may enter life.
Most holy Father, grant our prayer
Through Christ your only Son,
That in your Spirit we may live
And praise you ever one.
Tune: Ballerma C.M.
Music: F. Barthelemon, 1774-1808
Text: Ralph Wright, O.S.B.
At Midafternoon
Lord God and Maker of all things,
Creation is upheld by you.
While all must change and know decay,
You are unchanging, always new.
You are man’s solace and his shield
His rock secure on which to build;
You are the spirit’s tranquil home;
In you alone is hope fulfilled.
To God the Father, and the Son
And Holy Spirit render praise,
Blest Trinity, from age to age
The strength of all our living days.
Tune: Auctoritate Saeculi L.M.
Music: Poitiers Antiphoner, 1746
Text: © Stanbrook Abbey, used with permission
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 The will of God gives joy to the heart; we see all things in its light.
Psalm 19B
Praise of God who gave us the law of love
You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
The law of the Lord is perfect, *
it revives the soul.
The rule of the Lord is to be trusted, *
it gives wisdom to the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, *
they gladden the heart.
The command of the Lord is clear, *
it gives light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is holy, *
abiding for ever.
The decrees of the Lord are truth *
and all of them just.
They are more to be desired than gold, *
than the purest of gold,
and sweeter are they than honey, *
than honey from the comb.
So in them your servant finds instruction; *
great reward is in their keeping.
But who can detect all his errors? *
From hidden faults acquit me.
From presumption restrain your servant *
and let it not rule me.
Then shall I be blameless, *
clean from grave sin.
May the spoken words of my mouth, *
the thoughts of my heart,
win favor in your sight, O Lord, *
my rescuer, my rock!
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
May our words in praise of your commandments find favor with you, Lord. May our faith prove we are not slaves, but sons, not so much subjected to your law as sharing your power.
Ant. The will of God gives joy to the heart; we see all things in its light.
Ant. 2 God comes in power to give his people justice.
Psalm 7
Prayer of a God-fearing man who is being calumniated
Here stands the Judge, at our very door (James 5:9).
I
Lord God, I take refuge in you.*
From my pursuer save me and rescue me,
lest he tear me to pieces like a lion *
and drag me off with no one to rescue me.
Lord God, if my hands have done wrong, *
if I have paid back evil for good,
I who saved my unjust oppressor: *
then let my foe pursue me and seize me,
let him trample my life to the ground *
and lay my soul in the dust.
Lord, rise up in your anger, *
rise against the fury of my foes;
my God, awake! You will give judgment. *
Let the company of nations gather round you,
taking your seat above them on high. *
The Lord is judge of the peoples.
Give judgment for me, Lord; I am just *
and innocent of heart.
Put an end to the evil of the wicked! *
Make the just stand firm,
you who test mind and heart, *
O just God!
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, you weigh what is in our hearts. Free us from oppressors, and, as we wait for your day of judgment, set a firm guard on our thoughts, so that while we return good for evil, we may still praise your kind of justice.
Ant. God comes in power to give his people justice.
Ant. 3 God is our judge, strong and just; he saves the upright of heart.
II
God is the shield that protects me, *
who saves the upright of heart.
God is a just judge *
slow to anger;
but he threatens the wicked every day, *
men who will not repent.
God will sharpen his sword; *
he has braced his bow and taken aim.
For them he has prepared deadly weapons; *
he barbs his arrows with fire.
Here is one who is pregnant with malice, *
who conceives evil and brings forth lies.
He digs a pitfall, digs it deep; *
and in the trap he has made he will fall.
His malice will recoil on himself; *
on his own head his violence will fall.
I will thank the Lord for his justice: *
I will sing to the Lord, the Most High.
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 know our hearts, Lord, but you are slow to anger and merciful in judging. Come, examine your Church, wash her clean of sin and great crowds will surround you with songs of praise.
Ant. God is our judge, strong and just; he saves the upright of heart.
At the other hours, the complementary psalmody is used.
MIDMORNING
READING
Romans 13:8, 10
Owe no debt to anyone, except the debt that binds us to love one another. He who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. Love never wrongs the neighbor, hence, love is the fulfillment of the law.
Stand by me, God, do not forsake me.
– Do not abandon me, my Savior.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
God our Father,
work is your gift to us,
a call to reach new heights
by using our talents for the good of all.
Guide us as we work and teach us to live
in the spirit that has made us your sons and daughters,
in the love that has made us brothers and sisters.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
MIDDAY
READING
James 1:19-20, 26
Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for a man’s anger does not fulfill God’s justice. If a man who does not control his tongue imagines that he is devout, he is self-deceived; his worship is pointless.
I will bless the Lord all my life long.
– With a song of praise ever on my lips.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Father,
yours is the harvest
and yours is the vineyard:
you assign the task
and pay a wage that is just.
Help us to meet this day’s responsibilities,
and let nothing separate us from your love.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
MIDAFTERNOON
READING
1 Peter 1:17b-19
Conduct yourselves reverently during your sojourn in a strange land. Realize that you were delivered, not by any diminishable sum of silver or gold, but by Christ’s blood beyond all price: the blood of a spotless, unblemished lamb.
Claim me once more as your own, Lord, and have mercy on me.
– And I will give thanks where your people gather in prayer.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
Lord,
you call us to worship you
at the hour when the apostles went to pray in the temple.
We offer our prayer in the name of Jesus:
may his saving power come to all
who call upon his name.
Grant this through Christ our Lord.
– Amen.
ACCLAMATION
Let us praise the Lord.
– And give him thanks.
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