Ribbon Placement:
Liturgy of the Hours Vol. I:
Ordinary: 653
Proper of Seasons: 330
Psalter: Wednesday, Week III, 979

Christian Prayer:
Ordinary: 689
Proper of Seasons: 119
Psalter: Wednesday, Week III, 886

Morning Prayer for December 18, Wednesday in the 3rd week of Advent

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

I bind unto myself today the strong name of the Trinity.
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One, the One in Three.
I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead.
God's eye to watch, God's might to stay.
God's heavenly host to be my guard.

Chorus:
Christ be with me; Christ within me;
Christ behind me; Christ before me;
Christ to comfort and restore me;
Christ beneath me and above me;
Christ in hearts of all that love me;
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger;

I bind unto myself the name the strong name of the Trinity.
By invocation of the same,
The Three in One, the One in Three.
Of whom all nature hath creation,
Eternal Father, Spirit, Word.
Praise to the Lord of my salvation.
Salvation is of Christ the Lord.

𝄞

"Prayer of St. Patrick" by Briege O'Hare And Marie Cox • Available on iTunes • Available for Purchase • Title: Prayer of St. Patrick; Text: Briege O'Hare, OSC, inspired by The Carmina Gadelica; Album: The Peace of God. Songs from a Celtic Monastery; Composed and arranged by: Briege O'Hare, OSC; Sung by: Marie Cox,RSM; (c) 2006 Hermitage Production; Used by permission • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Peace of God

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 The Lord, the mighty God, will come forth from Zion to set his people free.

Psalm 86
The prayer of the poor man in distress
Blessed be God who comforts us in all our trials (2 Corinthians 1:3, 4).

Turn your ear, O Lord, and give answer
for I am poor and needy.
Preserve my life, for I am faithful:
save the servant who trusts in you.

You are my God, have mercy on me, Lord,
for I cry to you all the day long.
Give joy to your servant, O Lord,
for to you I lift up my soul.

O Lord, you are good and forgiving,
full of love to all who call.
Give heed, O Lord, to my prayer
and attend to the sound of my voice.

In the day of distress I will call
and surely you will reply.
Among the gods there is none like you,
O Lord; nor work to compare with yours.

All the nations shall come to adore you
and glorify your name, O Lord:
for you are great and do marvellous deeds,
you who alone are God.

Show me, Lord, your way
so that I may walk in your truth.
Guide my heart to fear your name.

I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart
and glorify your name for ever;
for your love to me has been great:
you have saved me from the depths of the grave.

The proud have risen against me;
ruthless men seek my life:
to you they pay no heed.

But you, God of mercy and compassion,
slow to anger, O Lord,
abounding in love and truth,
turn and take pity on me.

O give your strength to your servant
and save your handmaid’s son.
Show me a sign of your favor
that my foes may see to their shame
that you console me and give me your help.

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

God of mercy and goodness, when Christ called out to you in torment, you heard him and gave him victory over death because of his love for you. We already know the affection you have for us; fill us with a great love of your name, and we will proclaim you more boldly before men and happily lead them to celebrate your glory.

Ant. The Lord, the mighty God, will come forth from Zion to set his people free.

Ant. 2 I shall not cease to plead with God for Zion until he sends his Holy One in all his radiant beauty.

Canticle – Isaiah 33:13-16
God’s flawless judgment
What God has promised is for you, for your children, and for those still far away (Acts 2:39).

Hear, you who are far off,
what I have done;
you who are near,
acknowledge my might.

On Zion sinners are in dread,
trembling grips the impious;
“Who of us can live with the consuming fire?
Who of us can live with the everlasting flames?”

He who practices virtue and speaks honestly,
who spurns what is gained by oppression,
brushing his hands
free of contact with a bribe,
stopping his ears lest he hear of bloodshed,
closing his eyes lest he look on evil.

He shall dwell on the heights,
his stronghold shall be the rocky fastness,
his food and drink
in steady supply.

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.

Ant. I shall not cease to plead with God for Zion until he sends his Holy One in all his radiant beauty.

Ant. 3 The Spirit of the Lord rests upon me; he has sent me to preach his joyful message to the poor.

Psalm 98
The Lord triumphs in his judgment
This psalm tells of the Lord’s first coming and that people of all nations will believe in him (Saint Athanasius).

Sing a new song to the Lord
for he has worked wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm
have brought salvation.

The Lord has made known his salvation;
has shown his justice to the nations.
He has remembered his truth and love
for the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout to the Lord, all the earth,
ring out your joy.

Sing psalms to the Lord with the harp
with the sound of music.
With trumpets and the sound of the horn
acclaim the King, the Lord.

Let the sea and all within it thunder;
the world, and all its peoples.
Let the rivers clap their hands
and the hills ring out their joy.

Rejoice at the presence of the Lord,
for he comes to rule the earth.
He will rule the world with justice
and the peoples with fairness.

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 have revealed your justice to all nations. We stood condemned and you came to be judged in our place. Send your saving power on us and when you come in glory bring your mercy to those for whom you were condemned.

Ant. The Spirit of the Lord rests upon me; he has sent me to preach his joyful message to the poor.

READING Romans 13:11-12

It is now the hour for you to wake from sleep, for our salvation is closer than when we first accepted the faith. The night is far spent; the day draws near. Let us cast off deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

Sacred Silence (indicated by a bell) – a moment to reflect and receive in our hearts the full resonance of the voice of the Holy Spirit and to unite our personal prayer more closely with the word of God and public voice of the Church.

RESPONSORY

Your light will come Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.
— Your light will come Jerusalem; the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

You will see his glory within you;
— the Lord will dawn on you in radiant beauty.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
...