Sext (Midday Prayer)
O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
At one of today's daytime hours (Terce, Sext, None), use the psalms of the day. At the others, use the complementary psalms, which are shown further down the page.
SPECIAL FOR TODAY: If you are celebrating Afternoon Prayer (None) today, use the psalms of the day then, and the complementary psalms for the other Hours.
PSALMS OF THE DAY
Whoever follows me will not be walking in the dark: he will have the light of life, says the Lord.
Your word is a lamp to guide my feet,
a light for my journey.
I have firmly sworn to keep your just laws.
Lord, I am greatly afflicted:
revive me as you have promised.
Lord, accept the vows I make,
and teach me your judgements.
I hold my life in my hands,
I remember your laws.
The wicked placed a trap for me,
but I did not wander from your commandments.
Your decrees are my inheritance for ever,
they are the joy of my heart:
my heart is set on carrying them out,
for ever, until the end.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Whoever follows me will not be walking in the dark: he will have the light of life, says the Lord.
Psalm 69 (70)
God, come to my aid |
|---|
I am poor and destitute: God, come to my aid.
God, come to my aid;
Lord, hurry to help me.
Throw into fear and confusion
the ones who seek my life.
Throw them back, ashamed,
the ones who seek harm for me.
Turn them back in confusion,
the ones who mock me.
But let all who seek you rejoice in you.
Let them always say ‘God is great,’
those who delight in your saving help.
But I am poor and destitute.
God, hurry to me.
You are my helper and liberator:
Lord, do not delay.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
I am poor and destitute: God, come to my aid.
Psalm 74 (75)
The Lord, judge over all |
|---|
God will not judge by appearances, but in justice and fairness.
We shall give you thanks, O God,
give thanks and call on your name.
We shall recount your marvels.
At the moment that I have decreed
I shall hand down my judgements.
If the earth ,trembles with all that is in it,
it is I who set firm its pillars.
I have said to the boastful, ‘Stop boasting!’
I have said to the wicked, ‘Stop showing off your strength!’
Stop flaunting your strength to the heavens;
stop speaking boldly against God!
For triumph does not come
from the east or the west;
it does not come from the wilderness.
It is God who is the judge:
he raises some, abases others.
The cup in the Lord’s hand
is foaming with wine that is drugged.
He pours it out and they will drain it.
All the sinners of the earth shall drink.
But I will proclaim him for ever,
and sing of the God of Jacob.
I will smash the strength of the wicked,
and the power of the just shall prevail.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
God will not judge by appearances, but in justice and fairness.
At the daytime hours (Terce, Sext, None) when you don't choose to use the psalms of the day, use the complementary psalms instead.
COMPLEMENTARY PSALMS
Psalm 122 (123)
The Lord guards his people |
|---|
You who dwell in the heavens, take pity on us.
To you I lift up my eyes,
to you who dwell in the heavens.
Like the eyes of a servant watching his master,
like the eyes of a maid on her mistress’s hands,
so we keep our eyes on the Lord our God,
as we wait for his kindness.
Take pity on us, Lord, take pity:
we have had our fill of contempt.
Our souls have had their fill
of the laughter of the rich,
of the contempt of the proud.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
You who dwell in the heavens, take pity on us.
Psalm 123 (124)
Our help is in the name of the Lord |
|---|
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
If the Lord had not been with us
(so let Israel sing),
If the Lord had not been with us
when men rose up against us,
they might have skinned us alive,
such was their anger.
The waters could have drowned us,
the torrent poured over us,
the foaming waters poured over us.
Blessed be the Lord, who saved us
from being torn to pieces by their teeth.
We have escaped, like a bird
from the snare of the fowler.
The snare was broken,
and we escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Our help is in the name of the Lord.
Psalm 124 (125)
The Lord guards his people |
|---|
The Lord stands guard over his people, both now and for ever.
Those who trust in the Lord are like the mountain of Zion:
it cannot be shaken, it will stand firm for ever.
Jerusalem – the mountains stand guard over it,
and the Lord stands guard over his people,
both now and for ever.
The sceptre of the wicked shall not rest
upon the inheritance of the just;
lest the just themselves stretch out their hands
and turn to wickedness.
Be good, O Lord, to the good
and the upright of heart.
As for those who turn away to crooked paths,
the Lord shall treat them like the doers of evil.
Peace be on Israel!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
The Lord stands guard over his people, both now and for ever.
CONCLUSION
| Short reading | 1 Corinthians 13:8-9,13 © |
|---|
Love does not come to an end. But if there are gifts of prophecy, the time will come when they must fail; or the gift of languages, it will not continue for ever; and knowledge – for this, too, the time will come when it must fail. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesying is imperfect. In short, there are three things that last: faith, hope and love; and the greatest of these is love.
Lord, show us your loving kindness
– just as we put our hope in you.
Almighty and compassionate God, you let us catch our breath at this hour.
Look kindly on the work we have begun,
make good its imperfections,
and let it come to a fulfilment that is pleasing to you.
Through Christ our Lord,
A M E N
