Terce (Mid-Morning 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.
PSALMS OF THE DAY
In my exile I obeyed your commandments.
Remember how you gave your word to your servant,
for thus you gave me hope.
It was this that consoled me in my distress,
for your promise gave me life.
The proud laughed themselves sick over me,
but I did not turn away from your law.
I remembered your eternal decrees, O Lord,
and they brought me consolation.
I was seized with indignation
at the sinners who abandon your law.
I made your statutes into songs
to sing in my exile.
At night I remembered your name, O Lord,
and I will keep your law.
This will be to my credit:
that I followed your precepts.
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.
In my exile I obeyed your commandments.
Psalm 52 (53)
The folly of the lawless |
|---|
The Lord will deliver his people from captivity and we shall rejoice.
The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’.
They are corrupt and they do vile things:
not one of them does good.
From heaven the Lord looks down on the sons of men
to see if any understand, and seek God.
All have fallen away, each as corrupt as the other.
Not one of them does good, not even one.
They must know what they are doing, those who do evil,
who eat up my people like so much bread.
They did not call on the Lord,
so they tremble with fear
when there is no reason to be afraid.
Since God has scattered the bones
of those who besieged you,
they are disgraced because God has rejected them.
Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion?
When the Lord delivers his people from captivity,
Jacob will exult and Israel will rejoice.
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 will deliver his people from captivity and we shall rejoice.
Psalm 53 (54)
A plea for help |
|---|
God brings me help, and the Lord raises up my soul.
God, by your name, save me.
In your power, God, judge me.
God, listen to my prayer
and turn your ear to the words of my mouth.
The proud have risen up against me,
the strong seek to take my life.
They do not keep God in their hearts.
But God helps me,
and the Lord lifts up my soul.
Willingly I will sacrifice to you
and proclaim your name, O God,
proclaim your good name.
It has rescued me from all my troubles,
and my eyes look down on my enemies.
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 brings me help, and the Lord raises up my soul.
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 119 (120)
Longing for peace |
|---|
I cried out to the Lord and he answered me.
I was in trouble, and cried to the Lord;
and he answered me.
Lord, free me from the lips of liars,
from deceitful tongues.
What will be given you, what will you receive,
deceitful tongue?
Sharp arrows from the warrior,
hardened in the flames.
Alas, I am an exile in Meshech;
I dwell among the tents of Kedar!
My soul has lived too long
with those who hate peace.
I am for making peace;
but whenever I spoke, they attacked 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.
I cried out to the Lord and he answered me.
Psalm 120 (121)
The guardian of the people |
|---|
May the Lord guard your coming and your going.
I shall lift my eyes to the hills:
where is my help to come from?
My help will come from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip:
he will not doze, your guardian.
Behold, he will not doze or sleep,
the guardian of Israel.
The Lord is your guardian, the Lord is your shade;
he is at your right hand.
By day the sun will not strike you;
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will guard you from all harm;
the Lord will guard your life.
The Lord will guard your coming and your going
both now and for ever.
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.
May the Lord guard your coming and your going.
Psalm 121 (122)
Jerusalem, the holy city |
|---|
What they told me filled me with joy.
They filled me with joy when they said,
“We will go to the house of the Lord.”
Now our feet are standing
within your gates, Jerusalem.
Jerusalem, built as a city,
whole and self-contained:
there the tribes have gone up,
the tribes of the Lord –
the witness of Israel,
to praise the Lord’s name.
For there are the thrones of justice,
the thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
“Safety for those who care for you,
peace inside your walls,
security within your ramparts!”
For my brethren and those near to me I will say
“Peace be upon you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will call blessings upon 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.
What they told me filled me with joy.
CONCLUSION
| Short reading | 1 Corinthians 12:4-6 © |
|---|
There is a variety of gifts but always the same Spirit; there are all sorts of service to be done, but always to the same Lord; working in all sorts of different ways in different people, it is the same God who is working in all of them.
God’s salvation is close to those who fear him,
– so that glory may dwell in our land.
Almighty and eternal God, it was at this third hour that you poured out the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, onto the Apostles.
Send that same Spirit of love into us,
so that we may bear faithful witness to you before all mankind.
Through Christ our Lord,
A M E N
