Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

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.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 6
A prayer for relief from affliction
Lord, do not condemn me in your fury: do not destroy me in your anger. Take pity on me, Lord, for I am sick; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in disarray. My spirit is deeply disturbed, and you, Lord – how long? Turn to me, Lord, rescue my spirit: in your pity, save me. If I die, how can I praise you? Can anyone in the underworld proclaim your name? I struggle and groan, soak my bed with weeping night after night; my eyes are troubled with sadness: I grow older as my enemies watch. Leave me, all who do evil, for the Lord has heard my voice as I wept. The Lord listened to my prayer, granted me what I asked. Let my enemies be ashamed and confounded: let shame and confusion overtake them soon. 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.

Psalm 6

A prayer for relief from affliction

Lord, do not condemn me in your fury: do not destroy me in your anger.

Take pity on me, Lord, for I am sick; heal me, Lord, for my bones are in disarray.
My spirit is deeply disturbed, and you, Lord – how long?

Turn to me, Lord, rescue my spirit: in your pity, save me.
If I die, how can I praise you? Can anyone in the underworld proclaim your name?

I struggle and groan, soak my bed with weeping night after night;
my eyes are troubled with sadness: I grow older as my enemies watch.

Leave me, all who do evil, for the Lord has heard my voice as I wept.
The Lord listened to my prayer, granted me what I asked.

Let my enemies be ashamed and confounded:
let shame and confusion overtake them soon.

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.

Psalm 9A (9)
Thanksgiving for victory
I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of your wonders. I will rejoice in you and triumph, make music to your name, O Most High. Because my enemies are in full retreat; they stumble and perish at your presence. For you have given judgement in my favour, upheld my case, taken your seat on the throne of judgement. You have rebuked the nations, condemned the wicked, wiped out their name for ever and for ever. My enemies are no more; their land is a desert for ever. You have demolished their cities, their very memory is wiped away. But the Lord will reign for ever: he has made his throne his judgement-seat. He himself will judge the whole world in justice, judge the peoples impartially. The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in good times and in bad. Let them put their hope in you, those who know your name; for you, Lord, have never abandoned those who seek you. 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.

Psalm 9A (9)

Thanksgiving for victory

I will thank you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of your wonders.
I will rejoice in you and triumph, make music to your name, O Most High.

Because my enemies are in full retreat; they stumble and perish at your presence.
For you have given judgement in my favour, upheld my case, taken your seat on the throne of judgement.

You have rebuked the nations, condemned the wicked, wiped out their name for ever and for ever.

My enemies are no more; their land is a desert for ever. You have demolished their cities, their very memory is wiped away.

But the Lord will reign for ever: he has made his throne his judgement-seat.
He himself will judge the whole world in justice, judge the peoples impartially.

The Lord will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in good times and in bad.
Let them put their hope in you, those who know your name; for you, Lord, have never abandoned those who seek you.

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.

Psalm 9A (9)
Sing to the Lord who dwells in Sion, proclaim to the nations his loving care. For he has remembered the poor and avenged them with blood: he has not forgotten the cry of the weak. Take pity on me, Lord: see how my enemies torment me. You raise me up from the gates of death, and I will proclaim your praise at the gates of the daughter of Sion; I will rejoice in your salvation. The nations have fallen into the pit that they made, into the very trap that they set: their feet are caught fast. The Lord’s justice shines forth: the sinner is trapped by his very own action. Sinners will go down to the underworld, and all nations that forget God. For the weak will not always be forgotten: the hope of the weak will never perish. Rise up, Lord, let men not be complacent: let the nations come before you to be judged. Put fear into them, Lord: let them know that they are only men. 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.

Psalm 9A (9)

Sing to the Lord who dwells in Sion, proclaim to the nations his loving care.
For he has remembered the poor and avenged them with blood: he has not forgotten the cry of the weak.

Take pity on me, Lord: see how my enemies torment me.
You raise me up from the gates of death, and I will proclaim your praise at the gates of the daughter of Sion; I will rejoice in your salvation.

The nations have fallen into the pit that they made, into the very trap that they set: their feet are caught fast.
The Lord’s justice shines forth: the sinner is trapped by his very own action.

Sinners will go down to the underworld, and all nations that forget God.
For the weak will not always be forgotten: the hope of the weak will never perish.

Rise up, Lord, let men not be complacent: let the nations come before you to be judged.
Put fear into them, Lord: let them know that they are only men.

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.

Reading	Isaiah 1:21-27,2:1-5 ©
What a harlot she has become, the faithful city, Zion, that was all justice! Once integrity lived there, but now assassins. Your silver has turned into dross, your wine is watered. Your princes are rebels, accomplices of thieves. All are greedy for profit and chase after bribes. They show no justice to the orphan, the cause of the widow is never heard. Therefore-- it is the Lord, the Lord of Hosts who speaks, the Mighty One of Israel, ‘Ah, I will outdo my enemies, avenge myself on my foes. ‘I will turn my hand against you, I will smelt away your dross in the furnace, I will remove all your base metal from you. ‘I will restore your judges as of old, your counsellors as in bygone days. Then you will be called City of Integrity, Faithful City.’ Zion will be redeemed by justice, and her penitents by integrity. The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem. In the days to come the mountain of the Temple of the Lord shall tower above the mountains and be lifted higher than the hills. All the nations will stream to it, peoples without number will come to it; and they will say: ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the Temple of the God of Jacob that he may teach us his ways so that we may walk in his paths; since the Law will go out from Zion, and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’ He will wield authority over the nations and adjudicate between many peoples; these will hammer their swords into ploughshares, their spears into sickles. Nation will not lift sword against nation, there will be no more training for war. O House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Reading

Isaiah 1:21-27,2:1-5 ©

What a harlot she has become,
the faithful city,
Zion, that was all justice!
Once integrity lived there,
but now assassins.

Your silver has turned into dross,
your wine is watered.
Your princes are rebels,
accomplices of thieves.

All are greedy for profit
and chase after bribes.
They show no justice to the orphan,
the cause of the widow is never heard.

Therefore-- it is the Lord, the Lord of Hosts who speaks,
the Mighty One of Israel,
‘Ah, I will outdo my enemies,
avenge myself on my foes.

‘I will turn my hand against you,
I will smelt away your dross in the furnace,
I will remove all your base metal from you.

‘I will restore your judges as of old,
your counsellors as in bygone days.
Then you will be called City of Integrity,
Faithful City.’

Zion will be redeemed by justice,
and her penitents by integrity.

The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In the days to come
the mountain of the Temple of the Lord
shall tower above the mountains
and be lifted higher than the hills.
All the nations will stream to it,
peoples without number will come to it; and they will say:

‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the Temple of the God of Jacob
that he may teach us his ways
so that we may walk in his paths;
since the Law will go out from Zion,
and the oracle of the Lord from Jerusalem.’

He will wield authority over the nations
and adjudicate between many peoples;
these will hammer their swords into ploughshares,
their spears into sickles.
Nation will not lift sword against nation,
there will be no more training for war.

O House of Jacob, come,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Reading	A pastoral letter by St Charles Borromeo
The season of Advent
Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery. In his infinite love for us, though we were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seeds of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life. Each year, as the Church recalls this mystery, she urges us to renew the memory of the great love God has shown us. This holy season teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of his contemporaries; his power has still to be communicated to us all. We shall share his power, if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ. The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace. In her concern for our salvation, our loving mother the Church uses this holy season to teach us through hymns, canticles and other forms of expression, of voice or ritual, used by the Holy Spirit. She shows us how grateful we should be for so great a blessing, and how to gain its benefit: our hearts should be as much prepared for the coming of Christ as if he were still to come into this world. The same lesson is given us for our imitation by the words and example of the holy men of the Old Testament.

Reading

A pastoral letter by St Charles Borromeo

The season of Advent

Beloved, now is the acceptable time spoken of by the Spirit, the day of salvation, peace and reconciliation: the great season of Advent. This is the time eagerly awaited by the patriarchs and prophets, the time that holy Simeon rejoiced at last to see. This is the season that the Church has always celebrated with special solemnity. We too should always observe it with faith and love, offering praise and thanksgiving to the Father for the mercy and love he has shown us in this mystery. In his infinite love for us, though we were sinners, he sent his only Son to free us from the tyranny of Satan, to summon us to heaven, to welcome us into its innermost recesses, to show us truth itself, to train us in right conduct, to plant within us the seeds of virtue, to enrich us with the treasures of his grace, and to make us children of God and heirs of eternal life.
Each year, as the Church recalls this mystery, she urges us to renew the memory of the great love God has shown us. This holy season teaches us that Christ’s coming was not only for the benefit of his contemporaries; his power has still to be communicated to us all. We shall share his power, if, through holy faith and the sacraments, we willingly accept the grace Christ earned for us, and live by that grace and in obedience to Christ.
The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.
In her concern for our salvation, our loving mother the Church uses this holy season to teach us through hymns, canticles and other forms of expression, of voice or ritual, used by the Holy Spirit. She shows us how grateful we should be for so great a blessing, and how to gain its benefit: our hearts should be as much prepared for the coming of Christ as if he were still to come into this world. The same lesson is given us for our imitation by the words and example of the holy men of the Old Testament.

Concluding Prayer
O Lord our God, make us look forward anxiously to the coming of Christ your Son. When he knocks on our door may he find us awake and praying and joyfully proclaiming his praises. 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. Amen.

November 2008
Sun 30	Advent Sunday
December 2008
Mon 1	Monday of the 1st week of Advent
Tue 2
Wed 3	Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
Thu 4	Thursday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor
Fri 5
Sat 6	Saturday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint Nicholas, Bishop
Sun 7	2nd Sunday of Advent
Mon 8	The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Solemnity

Calendar used: Europe - England - Westminster

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. For on-line information about other Random House, Inc. books and authors, see the Internet web site at http://www.randomhouse.com.

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