Divine Office – Liturgy of the Hours of the Roman Catholic Church (Breviary)

Episodios

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  August 20th, 2026 – This Week: How I Long to See the Flame Leap Up – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026

  The Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time • Saint Bernard • Saint Pius X • The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Liturgical Colours: Green/White This week begins with Christ’s striking words, from Sunday’s Evening Prayer: “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; how I long to see the flame leap up!” In Luke’s Gospel, this is Christ speaking about the urgent nature of His mission — that purifying fire is the zeal of divine love He came to kindle in the world, the same fire that would later appear as tongues of flame at Pentecost. What follows this week traces where that fire goes: its intended reach across the whole world; what it costs to carry, and its quiet, daily form in the Church’s own prayer — the Hours themselves, described by Saint Basil as “the voice of the Church,” rising unceasingly. Sunday‘s Evening Prayer II and Christ’s startling words: “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; how I long to see the flame leap up!”— Magnificat Antiphon, Evening Prayer II, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 12:49) In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is saying His message will bring radical division rather than immediate peace. That fire, the intense, disruptive, and purifying power of God’s truth will divide loyalties and test human hearts. The Office of Readings that same day, from Saint John Chrysostom, names how far that fire was meant to travel: “I am not sending you into two cities only or ten or twenty, not to a single nation… but across land and sea, to the whole world.”— Second Reading, Office of Readings, Sunday (From a homily on Matthew by Saint John Chrysostum, (Salt of the earth and light of the world)) Monday‘s Office of Readings names what carrying that fire actually costs. Saint Gregory the Great describes those who bear it as beset on every side: “Holy men beset by tribulation must endure the assaults of those who use violence and verbal attacks… with wisdom they teach the wayward while showing a courageous contempt for outward hostility.”— Second Reading, Office of Readings, Monday (From the Moral Reflections on Job by Saint Gregory the Great, (Struggles without, fears within)) On Tuesday, the biblical instruction from Colossians gives the fire its most ordinary form — not a mystical vision, or a transcendent experience but a daily practice: “Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns, and inspired songs.” A fire that is kept alight through nothing more dramatic than daily singing. On Wednesday, Saint Augustine’s homily, written in his poignant style many centuries ago, is teaching a lesson in gratitude, much needed both in the old and the modern times: “Have we forgotten the flood and the calamitous times of famine and war…? Far from justifying complaints about our own time, they teach us how much we have to be thankful for.” — Second Reading, Office of Readings, Wednesday, (From a sermon by Saint Augustine, (He who perseveres to the end will be saved)) Thursday, the Memorial of Saint Bernard, we see what happens when the fire takes hold of a single life. His own proper antiphon says it plainly: “Blessed Bernard, your life, flooded by the splendor of the divine Word, illumines the Church with the light of true faith and doctrine.” — Benedictus Antiphon, Morning Prayer, Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church Friday, the Memorial of Saint Pius X, brings the week’s clearest answer to what the daily singing of psalms actually is. In his own apostolic constitution, read in the Office of Readings, Pius X describes the psalms prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours: “That singing of psalms, which is the daughter of that hymn of praise… which goes up unceasingly before the throne of God and of the Lamb.” — Second Reading, Office of Readings, Memorial of Saint Pius X (From the apostolic constitution Divino afflatu of Pope Saint Pius X, (The song of the Church)) This is the fire’s quiet, daily form — not an engulfing blaze but an unceasing rising, hour by hour, voice joined to voice, across the whole Church. Saturday closes the week with the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary, and a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne that shows where a life entirely carried by that fire finally arrives: “She was borne from virtue to virtue by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown to heavenly brightness.” — Second Reading, Office of Readings, Memorial of the Queenship of Mary (From a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne, (Queen of the world and of peace)) The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God: the same fire Christ longed to see leap up, fully alight in a single human life, all the way to heaven in glory. The Hours are how this fire has stayed lit for centuries — not through dramatic gestures, but through daily, ordinary prayer joined across the whole world. If this daily practice means something in your own life, please consider supporting our work, including our ongoing Spanish Liturgy of the Hours project. divineoffice.org/contribute ✞Pray Morning Prayer for the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church ✞Pray Office of Readings for the Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope ✞Pray Office of Readings for the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary With gratitude,The Divine Office Team
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  August 20th, 2026 – About Today – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026

  August 20 Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church Memorial “The faithful know how much need they have of Jesus and Him crucified; but though they wonder and rejoice at the ineffable love made manifest in Him, they are not daunted at having no more than their own poor souls to give in return for such great and condescending charity. They love all the more, because they know themselves to be loved so exceedingly… ” [1] St. Bernard was born into a noble family in 1090 at Fontaines in eastern France. St. Bernard studied literature and sacred scripture with the canons at Châtillon-sur-Seine. When he was 23, he and 30 young nobles entered the monastery of Cîteaux, the monastery from which sprang the Cistercian Order. Three years later he was sent to found the monastery of Clairvaux. St. Bernard became very influential. He served as secretary to the Synod of Troyes (1128), supported Innocent II in his struggle with a rival papal claimant, and urged the condemnations of teachings of Abelard at the Council of Sens (1140) and of Gilbert de la Porrée at Reims (1148). His monastery at Clairvaux attracted many new members; from it monks were sent to Portugal, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Sweden, England, and Ireland to establish new Cistercian communities. He was a brilliant writer, who knew the Bible extremely well. He had a great devotion to Mary. Bernard was canonized in 1174 by Pope Alexander III and declared a Doctor of the Church in 1830 by Pope Pius VIII. [2] Written by Sarah Ciotti Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD [1] St. Bernard of Clairvaux, On Loving God, Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 7, www.ccel.org. [2] Catholicpedia: The Original Catholic Encyclopedia (1917) for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. s.v. “St. Bernard of Clairvaux.”
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  August 20th, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 4m

  Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, fount of all wisdom, alleluia. Psalm 95 Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, fount of all wisdom, alleluia. The Lord is God, the mighty God, the great king over all the gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well He made the sea; it belongs to him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, fount of all wisdom, alleluia. Come, then, let us bow down and worship, bending the knee before the Lord, our maker, For he is our God and we are his people, the flock he shepherds. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, fount of all wisdom, alleluia. Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness, when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, Although they had seen all of my works. Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, fount of all wisdom, alleluia. Forty years I endured that generation. I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways.” So I swore in my anger, “They shall not enter into my rest.” Ant. Come, let us worship the Lord, fount of all wisdom, alleluia. 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. Come, let us worship the Lord, fount of all wisdom, alleluia.
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  August 20th, 2026 – Office of Readings – Memorial – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 17m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 615 Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1174 Common of Doctors: 1777 (not used) Common of Holy Men: 1821 (verse before the readings) Proper of Seasons: 136 (first reading) Proper of Saints: 1333 (second reading, responsory, concluding prayer) Christian Prayer: Does not contain Office of Readings Office of Readings for Thursday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor 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. HYMNO God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Our shelter from the stormy blast, And our eternal home. Beneath the shadow of Your throne Your saints have dwelt secure; Sufficient is your arm alone, And our defense is sure. Before the hills in order stood, Or earth received her frame, From everlasting you are God, To endless years the same. A thousand ages in your sight Are like an evening gone; Short as the watch that ends the night Before the rising sun. Time, like an ever rolling stream, Bears all our lives away; They fly, forgotten, as a dream Dies at the opening day. O God, our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come, Be now our guard while troubles last, And our eternal home. 𝄞"O God, Our Help in Ages Past" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss, Vince Clark • Musical Score • Title: O God, Our Help in Ages Past; Text: Based on Psalm 90; Isaac Watts, 1674-1748, Psalms of David..., 1719, alt.; Tune: ST. ANNE, CM; later form of melody (rhythm adapted), attr. to William Croft, 1678-1727, A Supplement to the New Version of Psalms, 1708; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss, Vince Clark; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face. Psalm 44 The misfortunes of God’s people We triumph over all these things through him who loved us (Romans 8:37). I We heard with our own ears, O God, our fathers have told us the story of the things you did in their days, you yourself, in days long ago. To plant them you uprooted the nations: to let them spread you laid peoples low. No sword of their own won the land; no arm of their own brought them victory. It was your right hand, your arm and the light of your face: for you loved them. It is you, my king, my God, who granted victories to Jacob. Through you we beat down our foes; in your name we trampled our aggressors. For it was not in my bow that I trusted nor yet was I saved by my sword: it was you who saved us from our foes, it was you who put our foes to shame. All day long our boast was in God and we praised your name without ceasing. 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. Their own strength could not save them; it was your strength and the light of your face. Ant. 2 Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face. II Yet now you have rejected us, disgraced us: you no longer go forth with our armies. You make us retreat from the foe and our enemies plunder us at will. You make us like sheep for the slaughter and scatter us among the nations. You sell your own people for nothing and make no profit by the sale. You make us the taunt of our neighbors, the laughing stock of all who are near. Among the nations, you make us a byword, among the peoples a thing of derision. All day long my disgrace is before me: my face is covered with shame at the voice of the taunter, the scoffer, at the sight of the foe and avenger. 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. Turn back to the Lord; he will not hide his face. Ant. 3 Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever. III This befell us though we had not forgotten you; though we had not been false to your covenant, though we had not withdrawn our hearts; though our feet had not strayed from your path. Yet you have crushed us in a place of sorrows and covered us with the shadow of death. Had we forgotten the name of our God or stretched out our hands to another god would not God have found this out, he who knows the secrets of the heart? It is for you we face death all day long and are counted as sheep for the slaughter. Awake, O Lord, why do you sleep? Arise, do not reject us for ever! Why do you hide your face and forget our oppression and misery? For we are brought down low to the dust; our body lies prostrate on the earth. Stand up and come to our help! Redeem us because of your love! 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 foretold that we would share in the persecutions that brought you to a violent death. The Church formed at the cost of your precious blood is even now conformed to your Passion; may it be transformed, now and eternally, by the power of your resurrection. Ant. Arise, Lord, do not abandon us for ever. 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. The Lord led this holy man along a sure path. — He showed him the kingdom of God. READINGS First reading From the book of the prophet Isaiah 11:1-16 The root of Jesse and the return of the remnant of God’s people Thus says the Lord: A shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord. Not by appearance shall he judge, nor by hearsay shall he decide, But he shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright for the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around his waist, and faithfulness a belt upon his hips. Then the wolf shall be a guest of the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; The calf and the young lion shall browse together, with a little child to guide them. The cow and the bear shall be neighbors, together their young shall rest; the lion shall eat hay like the ox. The baby shall play by the cobra’s den, and the child lay his hand on the adder’s lair. There shall be no harm or ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea. On that day, The root of Jesse, set up as a signal for the nations, The Gentiles shall seek out, for his dwelling shall be glorious. On that day, The Lord shall again take it in hand to reclaim the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria and Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, and Elam, Shinar, Hamath, and the isles of the sea. He shall raise a signal to the nations and gather the outcasts of Israel; The dispersed of Judah he shall assemble from the four corners of the earth. The envy of Ephraim shall pass away, and the rivalry of Judah be removed; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not be hostile to Ephraim; But they shall swoop down on the foothills of the Philistines to the west, together they shall plunder the Kedemites; Edom and Moab shall be their possessions, and the Ammonites their subjects. The Lord shall dry up the tongue of the Sea of Egypt, and wave his hand over the Euphrates in his fierce anger And shatter it into seven streamlets, so that it can be crossed in sandals. There shall be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, As there was for Israel when he came up from the land of Egypt. RESPONSORY Isaiah 55:12; 11:16 You will depart with joy; you will be led away in peace. — Mountains and hills will break into joyful song before you, and all the trees of the forest will clap their hands. There will be a highway for the remnant of my people as there was for Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt. — Mountains and hills will break into joyful song before you, and all the trees of the forest will clap their hands. Second reading From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot I love because I love, I love that I may love Love is sufficient of itself, it gives pleasure by itself and because of itself. It is its own merit, its own reward. Love looks for no cause outside itself, no effect beyond itself. Its profit lies in its practice. I love because I love, I love that I may love. Love is a great thing so long as it continually returns to its fountainhead, flows back to its source, always drawing from there the water which constantly replenishes it. Of all the movements, sensations and feelings of the soul, love is the only one in which the creature can respond to the Creator and make some sort of similar return however unequal though it be. For when God loves, all he desires is to be loved in return; the sole purpose of his love is to be loved, in the knowledge that those who love him are made happy by their love of him. The Bridegroom’s love, or rather the love which is the Bridegroom, asks in return nothing but faithful love. Let the beloved, then, love in return. Should not a bride love, and above all, Love’s bride? Could it be that Love not be loved? Rightly then does she give up all other feelings and give herself wholly to love alone; in giving love back, all she can do is to respond to love. And when she has poured out her whole being in love, what is that in comparison with the unceasing torrent of that original source? Clearly, lover and Love, soul and Word, bride and Bridegroom, creature and Creator do not flow with the same volume; one might as well equate a thirsty man with the fountain. What then of the bride’s hope, her aching desire, her passionate love, her confident assurance? Is all this to wilt just because she cannot match stride for stride with her giant, any more than she can vie with honey for sweetness, rival the lamb for gentleness, show herself as white as the lily, burn as bright as the sun, be equal in love with him who is Love? No. It is true that the creature loves less because she is less. But if she loves with her whole being, nothing is lacking where everything is given. To love so ardently then is to share the marriage bond; she cannot love so much and not be totally loved, and it is in the perfect union of two hearts that complete and total marriage consists. Or are we to doubt that the soul is loved by the Word first and with a greater love? RESPONSORY Psalm 31:20; 36:9 Lord, how great are the hidden treasures of your goodness, — which you have stored up for those who fear you. They are filled with the bounty of your house; and you give them to drink from the stream of your delights. — Which you have stored up for those who fear you. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who made of the Abbot Saint Bernard a man consumed with zeal for your house and a light shining and burning in your Church, grant, through his intercession, that we may be on fire with the same spirit and walk always as children of light. 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. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 20th, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Memorial – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 16m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 618 Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1177 Common of Doctors of the Church: 1783 (reading) Common of Holy Men: 1833 (intercessions) Proper of Saints: 1335 (canticle of Zechariah antiphon, concluding prayer) Christian Prayer (single volume) Ordinary: 689 Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 968 Common of Doctors of the Church: 1435 (reading) Common of Holy Men: 1452 (intercessions) Proper of Saints: 1233 (canticle of Zechariah antiphon, concluding prayer) Morning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor 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. HYMNJesus, our Teacher, loving Lord and Master, In adoration we acclaim your precepts, You alone offer words of life eternal, Laws of salvation. Humbly we thank you, Shepherd through the ages, For the protection to your Church extended, Constantly guiding, that all souls may find there Light in the darkness. Masters of learning were your eager servants, Stars of great splendor with but one ambition, Deeper to fathom and explain the wonders Of revelation. All tongues should praise you, Jesus, divine Master, Who lavish treasures from your Holy Spirit, Through words and writings of the Church's doctors, Flame ever fruitful. May this day's patron, whom we gladly honor, Ever be near us, leading on your people, Till we all praise you, faith and hope rewarded, In light eternal. Amen. 𝄞"Jesus, Our Teacher, Loving Lord and Master" by Kathleen Lundquist, Sara Faux • Available for Purchase • Title: Jesus, Our Teacher, Loving Lord and Master; Text: Doctor aeternus, Novus; Tr. St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode VIII; Liber Hymnarius; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Accompaniment: Sara Faux; Recording copyright 2017 by Surgeworks, Inc. • Albums that contain this Hymn: Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 PSALMODY Ant. 1 At daybreak, be merciful to me, O Lord. Psalm 143 Prayer in distress A man is not justified by observance of the law but only through faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:16). Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal. You are faithful, you are just; give answer. Do not call your servant to judgment for no one is just in your sight. The enemy pursues my soul; he has crushed my life to the ground; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead, long forgotten. Therefore my spirit fails; my heart is numb within me. I remember the days that are past: I ponder all your works. I muse on what your hand has wrought and to you I stretch out my hands. Like a parched land my soul thirsts for you. Lord, make haste and answer; for my spirit fails within me. Do not hide your face lest I become like those in the grave. In the morning let me know your love for I put my trust in you. Make me know the way I should walk: to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me, Lord, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will for you, O Lord, are my God. Let your good spirit guide me in ways that are level and smooth. For your name’s sake, Lord, save my life; in your justice save my soul from distress. 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, early in the morning of your resurrection, you made your love known and brought the first light of dawn to those who dwell in darkness. Your death has opened a path for us. Do not enter into judgment with your servants; let your Holy Spirit guide us together into the land of justice. Ant. At daybreak, be merciful to me, O Lord. Ant. 2 The Lord will make a river of peace flow through Jerusalem. Canticle – Isaiah 66:10-14a Joys of heaven The heavenly Jerusalem is a free woman and our mother (Galatians 4:26). Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her, all you who love her; exult, exult with her, all you who were mourning over her! Oh, that you may suck fully of the milk of her comfort, that you may nurse with delight at her abundant breasts! For thus says the Lord: Lo, I will spread prosperity over her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing torrent. As nurslings, you shall be carried in her arms, and fondled in her lap; as a mother comforts her son, so will I comfort you; in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort. When you see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bodies flourish like the grass. 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. The Lord will make a river of peace flow through Jerusalem. Ant. 3 Let us joyfully praise the Lord our God. Psalm 147 The loving kindness of God who can do all he wills You are God: we praise you; you are the Lord: we acclaim you. Praise the Lord for he is good; sing to our God for he is loving: to him our praise is due. The Lord builds up Jerusalem and brings back Israel’s exiles, he heals the broken-hearted, he binds up all their wounds. He fixes the number of the stars; he calls each one by its name. Our Lord is great and almighty; his wisdom can never be measured. The Lord raises the lowly; he humbles the wicked to the dust. O sing to the Lord, giving thanks; sing psalms to our God with the harp. He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares the rain for the earth, making mountains sprout with grass and with plants to serve man’s needs. He provides the beasts with their food and young ravens that call upon him. His delight is not in horses nor his pleasure in warriors’ strength. The Lord delights in those who revere him, in those who wait for his love. 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 our Father, great builder of the heavenly Jerusalem, you know the number of the stars and call each of them by name. Heal hearts that are broken, gather together those who have been scattered, and enrich us all from the plenitude of your eternal wisdom. Ant. Let us joyfully praise the Lord our God. READING Wisdom 7:13-14 Simply I learned about Wisdom, and ungrudgingly do I share — her riches I do not hide away; For to men she is an unfailing treasure; those who gain this treasure win the friendship of God, to whom the gifts they have from discipline commend them. 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 Let the peoples proclaim the wisdom of the saints. — Let the peoples proclaim the wisdom of the saints. With joyful praise let the Church tell forth — the wisdom of the saints. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — Let the peoples proclaim the wisdom of the saints. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. Blessed Bernard, your life, flooded by the splendor of the divine Word, illumines the Church with the light of true faith and doctrine. Luke 1:68 – 79 The Messiah and his forerunner Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. 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. Blessed Bernard, your life, flooded by the splendor of the divine Word, illumines the Church with the light of true faith and doctrine. INTERCESSIONS My brothers, let us praise Christ, asking to serve him and to be holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. Let us acclaim him: Lord, you alone are the holy one. You desired to experience everything we experience but sin, — have mercy on us, Lord Jesus. Lord, you alone are the holy one. You called us to love perfectly, — make us holy, Lord Jesus. Lord, you alone are the holy one. You commissioned us to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, — let your light shine on us, Lord Jesus. Lord, you alone are the holy one. You desired to serve, not to be served, — help us, Lord Jesus, to give humble service to you and to our neighbors. Lord, you alone are the holy one. You are in the form of God sharing in the splendor of the Father, — Lord Jesus, let us see the glory of your face. Lord, you alone are the holy one. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Concluding Prayer O God, who made of the Abbot Saint Bernard a man consumed with zeal for your house and a light shining and burning in your Church, grant, through his intercession, that we may be on fire with the same spirit and walk always as children of light. 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. DISMISSAL May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. — Amen.
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  August 20th, 2026 – Midmorning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 8m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 Complementary Psalmody: 1291 (Midmorning) Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1222 (Midmorning) Midmorning Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using the Complementary Psalmody 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. HYMNNew every morning is the love our wakening and uprising prove; through sleep and darkness safely brought, restored to life and power and thought. New mercies, each returning day, hover around us while we pray; new perils past, new sins forgiven, new thoughts of God, new hopes above. If on our daily course our mind be set to hallow all we find, new treasures still, of countless price, God will provide for sacrifice. Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be, as more of heaven in each we see; some softening gleam of love and prayer shall dawn on every cross and care. The trivial round, the common task, will furnish all we ought to ask: room to deny ourselves; a road to bring us daily nearer God. Only, O Lord, in thy dear love, fit us for perfect rest above; and help us, this and every day, to live more nearly as we pray. 𝄞"New Every Morning Is The Love" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score • Title: New every morning is the love; Words: John Keble, 1822; Music: Melcombe, Kedron; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 I cried out, and the Lord heard me. Psalm 120 Longing for peace To the Lord in the hour of my distress I call and he answers me. “O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, from the tongue of the deceitful.” What shall he pay you in return, O treacherous tongue? The warrior’s arrows sharpened and coals, red-hot, blazing. Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, dwell among the tents of Kedar! Long enough have I been dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for fighting. 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 cried out, and the Lord heard me. Ant. 2 May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go. Psalm 121 Guardian of his people Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16) I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth. May he never allow you to stumble! Let him sleep not, your guard. No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, Israel’s guard. The Lord is your guard and your shade; at your right side he stands. By day the sun shall not smite you nor the moon in the night. The Lord will guard you from evil, he will guard your soul. The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and for ever. 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. May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go. Ant. 3 I rejoiced in the good news they told me. Psalm 122 The holy city, Jerusalem You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22) I rejoiced when I heard them say: Let us go to God’s house. And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David. For the peace of Jerusalem pray: “Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!” For love of my brethren and friends I say: Peace upon you. For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. 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 rejoiced in the good news they told me. READING 1 John 3:23-24 God’s commandment is this: we are to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and are to love one another just as he commanded us. Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them, and this is how we know that he remains in us from the Spirit that he gave us. 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. Lord, you guide the upright man, — you know him through and through. CONCLUDING PRAYER Lord, in midmorning you gave your Holy Spirit to the apostles gathered in prayer. Give us a share in the life and love that your Spirit brings. Grant this through Christ our Lord. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 20th, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 9m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1219 (Midday) Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 623 All from the Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1183 (Midday) Midday Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using the Current Psalmody 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. HYMNJesus, only begotten Son and Lamb of God the Father Thou didst give Thy body and blood to buy me from the grave Chorus: My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler, Each day and night, each dark and light. My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler, Each day and night, my Christ. Jesus, Son of Mary, be near me and uphold me in my standing, in my lying and in my sleeping. Chorus: My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler, Each day and night, each dark and light. My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler, Each day and night, my Christ. My helper, my encircler, My strength everlasting. My Christ, my Christ, my shield, my encircler, Each day and night, my Christ. 𝄞"Prayer for Protection" by Briege O'Hare And Marie Cox • Available on iTunes • Available for Purchase • Title: Prayer for Protection ; 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 If you love me, says the Lord, keep my commandments. Psalm 119 XX (Resh) See my affliction and save me for I remember your law. Uphold my cause and defend me; by your promise give me life. Salvation is far from the wicked who are heedless of your commands. Numberless, Lord, are your mercies; with your decrees give me life. Though my foes and oppressors are countless I have not swerved from your will. I look at the faithless with disgust; they ignore your promise. See how I love your precepts; in your mercy give me life. Your word is founded on truth: your decrees are eternal. 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 Help us always to rejoice in your promise, Father, and to praise the glory of your deeds. Keep us united in the love of your peace; then we shall have little to fear from the threats of the mighty. Ant. If you love me, says the Lord, keep my commandments. Ant. 2 May the Lord bless you, and peace will be yours all the days of your life. Psalm 128 Happiness of family life rooted in God “May the Lord bless you from Zion” refers to the Church (Arnobius). O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labor of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper; your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children in a happy Jerusalem! On Israel, peace. 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 Give lasting happiness, Lord, to those who reverence your name, so that our life and work may be such as to deserve your commendation, and bring us, laden with good fruit, to our everlasting home. Ant. May the Lord bless you, and peace will be yours all the days of your life. Ant. 3 God will gain the victory for you over all your enemies. Psalm 129 God’s people reaffirm their trust in time of affliction The voice of the Church lamenting its suffering is heard in this psalm (Saint Augustine). “They have pressed me hard from my youth,” this is Israel’s song. “They have pressed me hard from my youth but could never destroy me. They ploughed my back like ploughmen, drawing long furrows. But the Lord, who is just, has destroyed the yoke of the wicked.” Let them be shamed and routed, those who hate Zion! Let them be like grass on the roof that withers before it flowers. With that no reaper fills his arms, no binder makes his sheaves and those passing by will not say: “On you the Lord’s blessing!” “We bless you in the name of the Lord.” 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, living in glory as the Son of Man, remember that when our sins had ploughed long furrows on your back, your death broke the bonds of sin and Satan for ever. Bless your Church, wounded in its members, and strengthen it by your invincible power and grace. Ant. God will gain the victory for you over all your enemies. READING Wisdom 1:1-2 Love justice, you who judge the earth; think of the Lord in goodness, and seek him in integrity of heart; Because he is found by those who test him not, and he manifests himself to those who do not disbelieve him. 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. Trust firmly in the Lord and do his will. — And you will dwell secure in the land of promise. CONCLUDING PRAYER All-powerful and ever-living God, with you there is no darkness, from you nothing is hidden. Fill us with the radiance of your light: may we understand the law you have given us and live it with generosity and faith. Grant this through Christ our Lord. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 20th, 2026 – Midafternoon Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 8m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 Complementary Psalmody: 1295 (Midafternoon) Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1223 (Midafternoon) Midafternoon Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time using Complementary Psalmody 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. HYMNO God, creation’s secret force, Thyself unmoved, all motion’s source, Who from the morn till evening's ray Through all its changes guid’st the day: Grant us, when this short life is past, The glorious evening that shall last; That, by a holy death attained, Eternal glory may be gained. O Father, that we ask be done, Through Jesus Christ, Thine only Son; With the Holy Spirit and Thee, Shall live and reign eternally. 𝄞"O God, Creation's Secret Force" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score • Title: O God, Creation's Secret Force; Words: At­trib­ut­ed to St. Am­brose of Mi­lan, 4th Cen­tu­ry; Trans­lat­ion from La­tin to Eng­lish by John M. Neale, 1852; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 The Lord has done great things for us; he is the source of all our joy. Psalm 126 Joyful hope in God Companions with him in suffering, you will share his over-flowing happiness (2 Corinthians 1:7) When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. The heathens themselves said: “What marvels the Lord worked for them!” What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad. Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage as streams in dry land. Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap. They go out, they go out, full of tears, carrying seed for the sowing: they come back, they come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves 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. The Lord has done great things for us; he is the source of all our joy. Ant. 2 May the Lord build our house and watch over our city. Psalm 127 Apart from God our labors are worthless You are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9) If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat, when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber. Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, a blessing, the fruit of the womb. Indeed the sons of youth are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. O the happiness of the man who has filled his quiver with these arrows! He will have no cause for shame when he disputes with his foes in the gateways. 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. May the Lord build our house and watch over our city. Ant. 3 Blessed are those who fear the Lord. Psalm 128 Happiness of family life rooted in God “May the Lord bless you from Zion,” that is, from the Church (Arnobius) O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labor of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper; your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; Your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children in a happy Jerusalem! On Israel, peace! 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. Blessed are those who fear the Lord. READING Hebrews 12:1b-2 Let us lay aside every encumbrance of sin which clings to us and persevere in running the race which lies ahead. Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, who inspires and perfects our faith. For the sake of the joy which lay before him he endured the cross, heedless of its shame, he has taken his seat at the right of the throne of God. 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. I put my trust in the Lord. — His promise bears me up. CONCLUDING PRAYER Lord, help us to follow the example of your Son’s patience and endurance. May we face all life’s difficulties with confidence and faith. Grant this through Christ our Lord. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 20th, 2026 – Evening Prayer – Memorial – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 15m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 632 Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1188 Common of Doctors: 1763 (reading) Common of Holy Men: 1840 (intercessions) Proper of Saints: 1335 (canticle of Zechariah antiphon, concluding prayer) Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 694 Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 973 Common of Doctors: 1436 (reading) Common of Holy Men: 1455 (intercessions) Proper of Saints: 1233 (canticle of Zechariah antiphon, concluding prayer) Evening Prayer for Thursday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor 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. HYMNFor holy joy our voices sing, For this day the feast we keep Of those who labored for their Lord As pastors of the Savior's sheep. To tend their flocks no toil they spare, To keep their feet from every snare, They feed their souls on doctrine pure, That they may tread in paths secure. They keep rapacious wolves away, To robbers, entrance they deny, They lead their sheep to pastures green, And guard the fold both night and day. Most holy shepherds of the flock, Rewarded now as Christ's right hand, Obtain for us his clement grace When at the judgement seat we stand. O Christ, our great eternal Priest, All glory ever be to you, With God the Father ever blest, In union with the Spirit too. Amen. 𝄞"For Holy Joy our Voices Sing" by Kathleen Lundquist, Sara Faux • Title: For Holy Joy our Voices Sing; Text: from Latin; Petrus Piacenza, 1919; Tr. St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode IV; Liber Hymnarius; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Accompaniment: Sara Faux; Recording copyright 2018 by Surgeworks, Inc. PSALMODY Ant. 1 He is my comfort and my refuge. In him I put my trust. Psalm 144 Prayer for victory and peace Christ learned the art of warfare when he overcame the world, as he said: “I have overcome the world” (Saint Hilary). I Blessed be the Lord, my rock who trains my arms for battle, who prepares my hands for war. He is my love, my fortress; he is my stronghold, my savior, my shield, my place of refuge. He brings peoples under my rule. Lord, what is man that you care for him, mortal man, that you keep him in mind; man, who is merely a breath whose life fades like a shadow? Lower your heavens and come down; touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke. Flash your lightnings; rout the foe, shoot your arrows and put them to flight. Reach down from heaven and save me; draw me out from the mighty waters, from the hands of alien foes whose mouths are filled with lies, whose hands are raised in perjury. 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. He is my comfort and my refuge. In him I put my trust. Ant. 2 Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. II To you, O God, will I sing a new song; I will play on the ten-stringed harp to you who give kings their victory, who set David your servant free. You set him free from the evil sword; you rescued him from alien foes whose mouths were filled with lies, whose hands were raised in perjury. Let our sons then flourish like saplings grown tall and strong from their youth: our daughters graceful as columns, adorned as though for a palace. Let our barns be filled to overflowing with crops of every kind; our sheep increasing by thousands, myriads of sheep in our fields, our cattle heavy with young, no ruined wall, no exile, no sound of weeping in our streets. Happy the people with such blessings; happy the people whose God is the Lord. 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, God of strength, you gave your Son victory over death. Direct your Church’s fight against evil in this world. Clothe us with the weapons of light and unite us under one banner of love, that we may receive our eternal reward after the battle of earthly life. Ant. Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. Ant. 3 Now the victorious reign of our God has begun. Canticle – Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a The judgment of God We praise you, the Lord God Almighty, who is and who was. You have assumed your great power, you have begun your reign. The nations have raged in anger, but then came your day of wrath and the moment to judge the dead: The time to reward your servants the prophets and the holy ones who revere you, the great and the small alike. Now have salvation and power come, the reign of our God and the authority of his Anointed One. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who night and day accused them before God. They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. So rejoice, you heavens, and you that dwell therein! 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. Now the victorious reign of our God has begun. READING James 3:17-18 Wisdom from above is first of all innocent. It is also peaceable, lenient, docile, rich in sympathy and the kindly deeds that are its fruits, impartial and sincere. The harvest of justice is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace. 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 In the midst of the Church he spoke with eloquence. — In the midst of the Church he spoke with eloquence. The Lord filled him with the spirit of wisdom and understanding. — He spoke with eloquence. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — In the midst of the Church he spoke with eloquence. CANTICLE OF MARY Ant. Bernard, eloquent doctor of the Church, friend of Christ the Bridegroom, eminent preacher of the Virgin Mother’s glory, at Clairvaux you became the illustrious shepherd of your followers. Luke 1:46-55 The soul rejoices in the Lord My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. 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. Bernard, eloquent doctor of the Church, friend of Christ the Bridegroom, eminent preacher of the Virgin Mother’s glory, at Clairvaux you became the illustrious shepherd of your followers. INTERCESSIONS Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise, for he was appointed high priest among men and their representative before God. We honor him and in our weakness we pray: Bring salvation to your people, Lord. You marvelously illuminated your Church through distinguished leaders and holy men and women, — let Christians rejoice always in such splendor. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. You forgave the sins of your people when their holy leaders like Moses sought your compassion, — through their intercession continue to purify and sanctify your holy people. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. In the midst of their brothers and sisters you anointed your holy ones and filled them with the Holy Spirit, — fill all the leaders of your people with the same Spirit. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. You yourself are the only visible possession of our holy pastors, — let none of them, won at the price of your blood, remain far from you. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. The shepherds of your Church keep your flock from being snatched out of your hand. Through them you give your flock eternal life, — save those who have died, those for whom you gave up your life. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Concluding Prayer O God, who made of the Abbot Saint Bernard a man consumed with zeal for your house and a light shining and burning in your Church, grant, through his intercession, that we may be on fire with the same spirit and walk always as children of light. 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. DISMISSAL May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. — Amen.
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  August 20th, 2026 – Night Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 13m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours: Vol I, Page 1183 Vol II, Page 1642 Vol III, Page 1283 Vol IV, Page 1247 Christian Prayer: Page 1049 General instruction: Please pray with us actively, especially by joining with us in saying antiphons and responses, most of which are indicated in this highlight. Consider an examination of your own conscience before beginning to best make use of our time together in prayer. Night Prayer for Thursday 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. Examination of conscience: We are called to have a clear conscience toward God and toward men, in our hearts and in our minds, in our actions and inactions. To do so, it is vital that we examine our conscience daily and to ask for God’s mercy as we fall short and to ask for His strength to do better. Lord Jesus raise us to new life: Lord, have mercy — Lord have mercy Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy. — Christ, have mercy. Lord Jesus you feed us with your body and blood: Lord, have mercy — Lord have mercy HYMNPraise to the Lord, the almighty, the king of creation! O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation! Let all who hear, now to his temple draw near; Joining in glad adoration. Praise to the Lord, who over all things is wondrously reigning; And, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining. Have you not seen all that is needful has been Sent by his gracious ordaining? Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you; Surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you. Ponder anew what the Almighty can do As with his love he befriends you. Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore him! All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him. Let the Amen sound from his people again, Gladly forever adore Him. 𝄞"Praise to the Lord, the Almighty" by Rebecca Hincke • Musical Score • Title: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty; Text: Lobe den Herren, den machtigen Konig der Ehren, Joachim Neunter; Translation: Catherine Winkworth; Tune: 17th c. German; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 In you, my God, my body will rest in hope. Psalm 16 God is my portion, my inheritance The Father raised up Jesus from the dead and broke the bonds of death (Acts 2:24). Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you. I say to the Lord: “You are my God. My happiness lies in you alone.” He has put into my heart a marvelous love for the faithful ones who dwell in his land. Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows. Never will I offer their offerings of blood. Never will I take their name upon my lips. O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup; it is you yourself who are my prize. The lot marked out for me is my delight: welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me! I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel, who even at night directs my heart. I keep the Lord ever in my sight: since he is at my right hand, I shall stand firm. And so my heart rejoices, my soul is glad; even my body shall rest in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead, nor let your beloved know decay. You will show me the path of life, the fullness of joy in your presence, at your right hand happiness for ever. 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. In you, my God, my body will rest in hope. READING 1 Thessalonians 5:23 May the God of peace make you perfect in holiness. May he preserve you whole and entire, spirit, soul, and body, irreproachable at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. RESPONSORY Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. — Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord God of truth. — I commend my spirit. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Gospel Canticle Ant. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace. Luke 2:29-32 Christ is the light of the nations and the glory of Israel Lord, now you let your servant go in peace; your word has been fulfilled: my own eyes have seen the salvation which you have prepared in the sight of every people: a light to reveal you to the nations and the glory of your people Israel. 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. Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace. Concluding Prayer Lord God, send peaceful sleep to refresh our tired bodies. May your help always renew us and keep us strong in your service. We ask this through Christ our Lord. — Amen. Blessing May the all-powerful Lord grant us a restful night and a peaceful death. — Amen. Antiphon or song in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ave Maria, gratia plena Maria, gratia plena Maria, gratia plena Ave, ave dominus Dominus tecum Benedicta tu in mulieribus Et benedictus Et benedictus fructus ventris Ventris tui, Jesus Ave Maria! Ave Maria Mater Dei Ora pro nobis peccatoribus Ora, ora pro nobis Ora ora pro nobis peccatoribus Nunc et in hora mortis In hora mortis, nostrae In hora mortis mortis nostrae In hora mortis, nostrae Ave Maria! English Translation Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. 𝄞"Ave Maria" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss • Title: Ave Maria; Composer: Franz Schubert; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Used with permission
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  August 20th, 2026 – The Liturgy of the Hours, Second Edition: What We Know So Far – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026

  Brothers and Sisters in Christ, For many years now, we have shared updates with you about the long-awaited Second Edition of the Liturgy of the Hours — the first major revision of the Church’s official daily prayer in the United States in more than fifty years. This year, that long journey has reached a major milestone and is now approaching its end. Where Things Stand In October 2025, the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments confirmed the new English translation for liturgical use in the United States. Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, President of the USCCB, then signed a decree of promulgation establishing two important dates: Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027, will be the first-use date — the day the Second Edition becomes lawful for use. The First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2028, will be the mandatory-use date — the day the current translation is retired. Between these two dates lies a period of transition, sometimes called a vacatio legis, during which the faithful and clergy alike may continue praying with their current volumes while the new edition becomes available. Can I Keep Praying With My Current Books? This is a question we hear often, the answer is Yes, for most of you, nothing changes right away. Between Ash Wednesday, February 10, 2027 (the first-use date) and the First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2028 (the mandatory-use date), your current four-volume set remains entirely valid for prayer. You are not required to buy the new edition the moment it becomes available. The distinction that matters is between obligation and devotion: If you are a priest, deacon, or religious bound by canon law to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, the current translation continues to fulfill that obligation right up until the mandatory-use date. Starting December 3, 2028, the Second Edition will be required for you. If you are a layperson praying the Hours as an act of personal devotion, you are not bound by that same canonical obligation, so nothing forces you to purchase the new set on any particular date. You are free to continue praying with the volumes you already have. That said, we do encourage everyone — clergy, religious, and laity alike — to plan on transitioning to the Second Edition by the mandatory-use date, the First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2028. Praying the same texts as the rest of the Church, in the same words at the same hours, is part of what makes the Liturgy of the Hours a shared, public prayer of the whole Body of Christ rather than a private devotion. We are not in a position to encourage an earlier move: as of this writing, the USCCB has not yet established a licensing model for digital editions of the Second Edition, so we do not yet have the rights to publish the new text on DivineOffice.org. We are hopeful that a digital licensing path will be in place well before the 2028 deadline, at which point we intend to make the new text available and begin the work of recording new audio for the Second Edition. Two Publishers, Four Volumes The USCCB has selected Ascension Press and Word on Fire Publishing as the exclusive publishers of the new four-volume breviary. Both have opened pre-orders since July 1, 2026, beginning with Volume II, covering Lent and Easter — fittingly, the first volume needed for the Ash Wednesday first-use date. The remaining three volumes are expected to follow throughout the year, with the complete four-volume set anticipated by the end of 2027. Bundles for preordering the Full 4-Volume are also available. Four additional publishers have also been selected to produce single-volume “major extracts” — editions containing Lauds, Vespers, and Compline — for those who do not need the full four-volume breviary for daily prayer. What About Digital and Audio Formats? This is a question many of you have asked us directly, since so much of what we do here at DivineOffice.org depends on digital text and recorded audio. The answer is that the USCCB has not yet announced a timeline for digital or alternative formats. The Bishops’ Conference has stated only that availability will be determined and shared at a later date. We hope and pray that these details will be resolved in a way that lets us continue the mission many of you have come to depend on and that we have carried for nearly twenty years now, bringing the Liturgy of the Hours to everyone in the United States and the world. Especially our visually, hearing impaired, homebound brothers and sisters who pray with us through our audio or the accessible versions. A word about the Spanish version Some of you have also asked whether this new translation affects our own Spanish Liturgy of the Hours project. It does not. The USCCB’s Second Edition is an English-language undertaking, and the USCCB has not confirmed a Spanish edition of its own. Existing Spanish translations approved by other bishops’ conferences remain entirely valid for prayer, and our work on recording the Liturgy of the Hours in Spanish continues on its own path, independent of this transition. Continuing to Walk Together We know many of you have waited a long time for this new edition, and we share your anticipation. As always, we will continue to follow the USCCB’s official announcements closely and share verified updates with you as they come. Many of you know the many obstacles this work has overcome in 20 years of existence. God willing, we will do so for many more. The current translation will be maintained and updated as until now through website, podcasts and apps and every effort will be made to sustain and expand our mission in the world. Thank you for praying with us, today and always. The Divine Office Team
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  August 21st, 2026 – This Week: How I Long to See the Flame Leap Up – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026

  The Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time • Saint Bernard • Saint Pius X • The Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary • Liturgical Colours: Green/White This week begins with Christ’s striking words, from Sunday’s Evening Prayer: “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; how I long to see the flame leap up!” In Luke’s Gospel, this is Christ speaking about the urgent nature of His mission — that purifying fire is the zeal of divine love He came to kindle in the world, the same fire that would later appear as tongues of flame at Pentecost. What follows this week traces where that fire goes: its intended reach across the whole world; what it costs to carry, and its quiet, daily form in the Church’s own prayer — the Hours themselves, described by Saint Basil as “the voice of the Church,” rising unceasingly. Sunday‘s Evening Prayer II and Christ’s startling words: “I have come to cast fire upon the earth; how I long to see the flame leap up!”— Magnificat Antiphon, Evening Prayer II, 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Luke 12:49) In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus is saying His message will bring radical division rather than immediate peace. That fire, the intense, disruptive, and purifying power of God’s truth will divide loyalties and test human hearts. The Office of Readings that same day, from Saint John Chrysostom, names how far that fire was meant to travel: “I am not sending you into two cities only or ten or twenty, not to a single nation… but across land and sea, to the whole world.”— Second Reading, Office of Readings, Sunday (From a homily on Matthew by Saint John Chrysostum, (Salt of the earth and light of the world)) Monday‘s Office of Readings names what carrying that fire actually costs. Saint Gregory the Great describes those who bear it as beset on every side: “Holy men beset by tribulation must endure the assaults of those who use violence and verbal attacks… with wisdom they teach the wayward while showing a courageous contempt for outward hostility.”— Second Reading, Office of Readings, Monday (From the Moral Reflections on Job by Saint Gregory the Great, (Struggles without, fears within)) On Tuesday, the biblical instruction from Colossians gives the fire its most ordinary form — not a mystical vision, or a transcendent experience but a daily practice: “Sing gratefully to God from your hearts in psalms, hymns, and inspired songs.” A fire that is kept alight through nothing more dramatic than daily singing. On Wednesday, Saint Augustine’s homily, written in his poignant style many centuries ago, is teaching a lesson in gratitude, much needed both in the old and the modern times: “Have we forgotten the flood and the calamitous times of famine and war…? Far from justifying complaints about our own time, they teach us how much we have to be thankful for.” — Second Reading, Office of Readings, Wednesday, (From a sermon by Saint Augustine, (He who perseveres to the end will be saved)) Thursday, the Memorial of Saint Bernard, we see what happens when the fire takes hold of a single life. His own proper antiphon says it plainly: “Blessed Bernard, your life, flooded by the splendor of the divine Word, illumines the Church with the light of true faith and doctrine.” — Benedictus Antiphon, Morning Prayer, Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church Friday, the Memorial of Saint Pius X, brings the week’s clearest answer to what the daily singing of psalms actually is. In his own apostolic constitution, read in the Office of Readings, Pius X describes the psalms prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours: “That singing of psalms, which is the daughter of that hymn of praise… which goes up unceasingly before the throne of God and of the Lamb.” — Second Reading, Office of Readings, Memorial of Saint Pius X (From the apostolic constitution Divino afflatu of Pope Saint Pius X, (The song of the Church)) This is the fire’s quiet, daily form — not an engulfing blaze but an unceasing rising, hour by hour, voice joined to voice, across the whole Church. Saturday closes the week with the Memorial of the Queenship of Mary, and a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne that shows where a life entirely carried by that fire finally arrives: “She was borne from virtue to virtue by the Spirit of the Lord, she was transported from earthly renown to heavenly brightness.” — Second Reading, Office of Readings, Memorial of the Queenship of Mary (From a homily by Saint Amadeus of Lausanne, (Queen of the world and of peace)) The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God: the same fire Christ longed to see leap up, fully alight in a single human life, all the way to heaven in glory. The Hours are how this fire has stayed lit for centuries — not through dramatic gestures, but through daily, ordinary prayer joined across the whole world. If this daily practice means something in your own life, please consider supporting our work, including our ongoing Spanish Liturgy of the Hours project. divineoffice.org/contribute ✞Pray Morning Prayer for the Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church ✞Pray Office of Readings for the Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope ✞Pray Office of Readings for the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary With gratitude,The Divine Office Team
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  August 21st, 2026 – About Today – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026

  August 21 Saint Pius X, Pope Memorial “For if true love alone has the power to unite the wills of men, it is of the first necessity that we should have one will with Mary to serve Jesus our Lord.” [1] St. Pius X was born to a peasant family in 1835 in northern Italy. At 23, he was ordained and became a chaplain. Regular promotions followed: in 1875, he became episcopal chancellor of Treviso and spiritual director of the diocesan seminary; in 1884, Bishop of Mantua; and, in 1893, Patriarch of Venice. When he was elected pope in 1903, he adopted the motto, ‘Instaurare omnia in Christo’ or ‘To renew all things in Christ.’ His papacy achieved many things: a restructuring of the Roman Curia, revised guidelines for priestly formation, work toward a revision of the Code of Canon Law, a catechism, liturgical reforms, encouragement of frequent communion, and the establishment of Biblical Institute in Rome. St. Pius X was intransigent in shunning “modernist” theology and biblical scholarship, and resisted, not always with diplomatic finesse, efforts by nations to interfere in the life of the Church. He was canonized in 1954 by Pope Pius XII. [2] Written by Sarah Ciotti Reviewed by Fr. Hugh Feiss, OSB, STD [1] Pius X, Ad Diem Illum Laetissimum [On the Immaculate Conception], 1904. [2] Benedict XVI, General Audience, August 18, 2010.
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  August 21st, 2026 – Invitatory – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 4m

  Lord, open my lips. — And my mouth will proclaim your praise. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock, alleluia. Psalm 95 Come, let us sing to the Lord and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us. Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving and sing joyful songs to the Lord. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock, alleluia. The Lord is God, the mighty God, the great king over all the gods. He holds in his hands the depths of the earth and the highest mountains as well He made the sea; it belongs to him, the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock, alleluia. Come, then, let us bow down and worship, bending the knee before the Lord, our maker, For he is our God and we are his people, the flock he shepherds. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock, alleluia. Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness, when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, Although they had seen all of my works. Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock, alleluia. Forty years I endured that generation. I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray and they do not know my ways.” So I swore in my anger, “They shall not enter into my rest.” Ant. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock, alleluia. 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. Come, let us worship Christ, chief shepherd of the flock, alleluia.
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  August 21st, 2026 – Office of Readings – Memorial – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 19m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 615 Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1194 Common of Pastors: 1748 Proper of Seasons: 140 Proper of Saints: 1336 Office of Readings for Friday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope 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. HYMNThe King of love my shepherd is, Whose goodness fails me never. I nothing lack if I am His, and He is mine forever. Where streams of living water flow, my ransomed soul He's leading; and where the verdant pastures grow, with food celestial feeding. Perverse and foolish, oft I strayed, but yet in love He sought me; and on His shoulder gently laid, and home, rejoicing, brought me. In death's dark vale I fear no ill, with You, dear Lord, beside me; Your rod and staff my comfort still, Your cross before to guide me. You spread a table in my sight; Your unction grace bestowing; and oh, what transport of delight from Your pure chalice flowing! And so through all the length of days, Your goodness fails me never; Good Shepherd, may I sing Your praise within Your house forever. 𝄞"The King of Love My Shepherd Is" by Johanna Montealto • Musical Score • Title: The King of love my Shepherd is Author: H. W. Baker (1868) Tune: ST. COLUMBA, Ancient Irish melody; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks PSALMODY Ant. 1 My God, do not reject my cry for help, assailed as I am by the wicked. Psalm 55 Against a friend proved traitor Jesus was seized with fear and distress (Mark 14:33). I O God, listen to my prayer, do not hide from my pleading, attend to me and reply; with my cares, I cannot rest. I tremble at the shouts of the foe, at the cries of the wicked; for they bring down evil upon me. They assail me with fury. My heart is stricken within me, death’s terror is on me, trembling and fear fall upon me and horror overwhelms me. O that I had wings like a dove to fly away and be at rest. So I would escape far away and take refuge in the desert. I would hasten to find a shelter from the raging wind, from the destructive storm, O Lord, and from their plotting tongues. 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. My God, do not reject my cry for help, assailed as I am by the wicked. Ant. 2 The Lord himself will free us from hostile and treacherous hands. II For I can see nothing but violence and strife in the city. Night and day they patrol high on the city walls. It is full of wickedness and evil; it is full of sin. Its streets are never free from tyranny and deceit. If this had been done by an enemy I could bear his taunts. If a rival had risen against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, my own companion, my intimate friend! How close was the friendship between us. We walked together in harmony in the house of 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. Ant. The Lord himself will free us from hostile and treacherous hands. Ant. 3 Entrust your cares to the Lord; he will sustain you. III As for me, I will cry to God and the Lord will save me. Evening, morning and at noon I will cry and lament. He will deliver my soul in peace in the attack against me: for those who fight me are many, but he hears my voice. God will hear and will humble them, the eternal judge: for they will not amend their ways. They have no fear of God. The traitor has turned against his friends; he has broken his word. His speech is softer than butter, but war is in his heart. His words are smoother than oil, but they are naked swords. Entrust your cares to the Lord and he will support you. He will never allow the just man to stumble. But you, O God, will bring them down to the pit of death. Deceitful and bloodthirsty men shall not live half their days. O Lord, I will trust in you. 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 were rejected by your people, betrayed by the kiss of a friend, and deserted by your disciples. Give us the confidence that you had in the Father, and our salvation will be assured. Ant. Entrust your cares to the Lord; he will sustain you. 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. You will hear the word from my mouth. — You will tell others what I have said. READINGS First reading From the book of the prophet Isaiah 30:1-18 The futility of entering into pacts with foreign peoples Woe to the rebellious children, says the Lord, Who carry out plans that are not mine, who weave webs that are not inspired by me, adding sin upon sin. They go down to Egypt, but my counsel they do not seek. They find their strength in Pharaoh’s protection and take refuge in Egypt’s shadow; Pharaoh’s protection shall be your shame, and refuge in Egypt’s shadow your disgrace. When their princes are at Zoan and their messengers reach Hanes, All shall be ashamed of a people that gain them nothing, Neither help nor benefit, but only shame and reproach. [Oracle on the Beasts of the Negeb] Through the distressed and troubled land of the lioness and roaring lion, of the viper and flying saraph, They carry their riches on the backs of asses and their treasures on the humps of camels To a people good for nothing, to Egypt whose help is futile and vain. Therefore I call her “Rahab quelled.” Now come, write it on a tablet they can keep, inscribe it in a record; That it may be in future days an eternal witness: This is a rebellious people, deceitful children, Children who refuse to obey the law of the Lord. They say to the seers, “Have no visions”; to the prophets, “Do not descry for us what is right; speak flatteries to us, conjure up illusions. Out of the way! Out of our path! Let us hear no more of the Holy One of Israel.” Therefore, thus says the Holy One of Israel: Because you reject this word, And put your trust in what is crooked and devious, and depend on it, This guilt of yours shall be like a descending rift Bulging out in a high wall whose crash comes suddenly, in an instant. It crashes like a potter’s jar smashed beyond rescue, And among its fragments cannot be found a sherd to scoop fire from the hearth or dip water from the cistern. For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, in quiet and in trust your strength lies. But this you did not wish. “No,” you said, “Upon horses we will flee.” Very well, flee! “Upon swift steeds we will ride.” Not so swift as your pursuers. A thousand shall tremble at the threat of one; if five threaten you, you shall flee, Until you are left like a flagstaff on the mountaintop, like a flag on the hill. Yet the Lord is waiting to show you favor, and he rises to pity you; For the Lord is a God of justice: blessed are all who wait for him! RESPONSORY Isaiah 30:15, 18 Turn back, be at peace, and you shall be saved. — Your strength shall lie in quiet and in trust. The Lord is waiting to show you his favor. Happy are all who trust in him. — Your strength shall lie in quiet and in trust. Second reading From the apostolic constitution Divino afflatu of Pope Saint Pius X. The song of the Church The collection of psalms found in Scripture, composed as it was under divine inspiration, has, from the very beginnings of the Church, shown a wonderful power of fostering devotion among Christians as they offer to God a continuous sacrifice of praise, the harvest of lips blessing his name. Following a custom already established in the Old Law, the psalms have played a conspicuous part in the sacred liturgy itself, and in the divine office. Thus was born what Basil calls the voice of the Church, that singing of psalms, which is the daughter of that hymn of praise (to use the words of our predecessor, Urban VIII) which goes up unceasingly before the throne of God and of the Lamb, and which teaches those especially charged with the duty of divine worship, as Athanasius says, the way to praise God, and the fitting words in which to bless him. Augustine expresses this well when he says: God praised himself so that man might give him fitting praise; because God chose to praise himself man found the way in which to bless God. The psalms have also a wonderful power to awaken in our hearts the desire for every virtue. Athanasius says: Though all Scripture, both old and new, is divinely inspired and has its use in teaching, as we read in Scripture itself, yet the Book of Psalms, like a garden enclosing the fruits of all the other books, produces its fruits in song, and in the process of singing brings forth its own special fruits to take their place beside them. In the same place Athanasius rightly adds: The psalms seem to me to be like a mirror, in which the person using them can see himself, and the stirrings of his own heart; he can recite them against the background of his own emotions. Augustine says in his Confessions: How I wept when I heard your hymns and canticles, being deeply moved by the sweet singing of your Church. Those voices flowed into my ears, truth filtered into my heart, and from my heart surged waves of devotion. Tears ran down, and I was happy in my tears. Indeed, who could fail to be moved by those many passages in the psalms which set forth so profoundly the infinite majesty of God, his omnipotence, his justice and goodness and clemency, too deep for words, and all the other infinite qualities of his that deserve our praise? Who could fail to be roused to the same emotions by the prayers of thanksgiving to God for blessings received, by the petitions, so humble and confident, for blessings still awaited, by the cries of a soul in sorrow for sin committed? Who would not be fired with love as he looks on the likeness of Christ, the redeemer, here so lovingly foretold? His was the voice Augustine heard in every psalm, the voice of praise, of suffering, of joyful expectation, of present distress. RESPONSORY 1 Thessalonians 2:4, 3 God has found us worthy to be ministers of his Gospel, and so when we speak, —we strive to please God and not men. Our preaching does not spring from error, or impure motives, or a desire to deceive. —We strive to please God and not men. CONCLUDING PRAYER O God, who to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Pope Saint Pius the Tenth with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his teaching and example, we may gain an eternal prize. 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. ACCLAMATION (at least in the communal celebration) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 21st, 2026 – Morning Prayer – Memorial – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 17m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 618 Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1198 Proper of Saints: 1338 Common of Pastors: 1763 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 689 Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 978 Proper of Saints: 1233 Common of Pastors: 1426 Morning Prayer for Friday in Ordinary Time, the Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope 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. HYMNThis prudent leader, father to his people, Whose final triumph we rejoice to honor Rich in true merits, endless joy attaining Now reigns in heaven. Once elevated to the see of Peter, Pastor of shepherds, servant of God's servants He was entrusted with those mystic symbols, Keys of the Kingdom. Now let us ask him for his intercession That his compassion may win us forgiveness Leading us sinners, penitent and contrite Home to the Father. Glory and honor be to God almighty, Praise in the highest, power and dominion Who in his wisdom rules and governs all things His love created. Amen. 𝄞"This Prudent Leader, Father to His People - for a Pope" by Kathleen Lundquist, Sara Faux • Title: This Prudent Leader, Father to His People; Text: from Latin; Tr. St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode VIII; Liber Hymnarius; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Accompaniment: Sara Faux; Recording copyright 2017 by Surgeworks, Inc. PSALMODY Ant. 1 Create a clean heart in me, O God; renew in me a steadfast spirit. Psalm 51 O God, have mercy on me Your inmost being must be renewed, and you must put on the new man (Ephesians 4:23-24). Have mercy on me, God, in your kindness. In your compassion blot out my offense. O wash me more and more from my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. My offenses truly I know them; my sin is always before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned; what is evil in your sight I have done. That you may be justified when you give sentence and be without reproach when you judge, O see, in guilt I was born, a sinner was I conceived. Indeed you love truth in the heart; then in the secret of my heart teach me wisdom. O purify me, then I shall be clean; O wash me, I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear rejoicing and gladness, that the bones you have crushed may revive. From my sins turn away your face and blot out all my guilt. A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, nor deprive me of your holy spirit. Give me again the joy of your help; with a spirit of fervor sustain me, that I may teach transgressors your ways and sinners may return to you. O rescue me, God, my helper, and my tongue shall ring out your goodness. O Lord, open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise. For in sacrifice you take no delight, burnt offering from me you would refuse, my sacrifice, a contrite spirit, A humbled, contrite heart you will not spurn. In your goodness, show favor to Zion: rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will be pleased with lawful sacrifice, holocausts offered on your altar. 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, he who knew no sin was made sin for us, to save us and restore us to your friendship. Look upon our contrite heart and afflicted spirit and heal our troubled conscience, so that in the joy and strength of the Holy Spirit we may proclaim your praise and glory before all the nations. Ant. Create a clean heart in me, O God; renew in me a steadfast spirit. Ant. 2 Rejoice, Jerusalem, for through you all men will be gathered to the Lord. Canticle – Tobit 13:8-11, 13-15 Thanksgiving for the people’s deliverance He showed me the holy city Jerusalem which shone with the glory of God (Revelation 21:10-11). Let all men speak of the Lord’s majesty, and sing his praises in Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, holy city, he scourged you for the works of your hands, but will again pity the children of the righteous. Praise the Lord for his goodness, and bless the King of the ages, so that his tent may be rebuilt in you with joy. May he gladden within you all who were captives; all who were ravaged may he cherish within you for all generations to come. A bright light will shine to all parts of the earth; many nations shall come to you from afar, And the inhabitants of all the limits of the earth, drawn to you by the name of the Lord God, Bearing in their hands their gifts for the King of heaven. Every generation shall give joyful praise in you, and shall call you the chosen one, through all ages forever. Go, then, rejoice over the children of the righteous, who shall all be gathered together and shall bless the Lord of the ages. Happy are those who love you, and happy those who rejoice in your prosperity. Happy are all the men who shall grieve over you, over all your chastisements, for they shall rejoice in you as they behold all your joy forever. My spirit blesses the Lord, the great King. 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. Rejoice, Jerusalem, for through you all men will be gathered to the Lord. Ant. 3 Zion, praise your God, who sent his Word to renew the earth. Psalm 147 The restoration of Jerusalem Come, I will show you the bride of the Lamb (Revelation 21:9) O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! Zion, praise your God! He has strengthened the bars of your gates, he has blessed the children within you. He established peace on your borders, he feeds you with finest wheat. He sends out his word to the earth and swiftly runs his command. He showers down snow white as wool, he scatters hoar-frost like ashes. He hurls down hailstones like crumbs. The waters are frozen at his touch; he sends forth his word and it melts them: at the breath of his mouth the waters flow. He makes his word known to Jacob, to Israel his laws and decrees. He has not dealt thus with other nations; he has not taught them his decrees. 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 All powerful God, it is through your Church, generously endowed with gifts of grace and fortified by the Holy Spirit, that you send out your word to all nations. Strengthen your Church with the best of all food and make it dauntless in faith. Multiply its children to celebrate with one accord the mysteries of your love at the altar on high. Ant. Zion, praise your God, who sent his Word to renew the earth. READING Hebrews 13:7-9a Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you; consider how their lives ended, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teaching. 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 On your walls, Jerusalem, I have set my watchmen to guard you. — On your walls, Jerusalem, I have set my watchmen to guard you. Day or night, they will not cease to proclaim the name of the Lord. — I have set my watchmen to guard you. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, — On your walls, Jerusalem, I have set my watchmen to guard you. CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH Ant. What you say of me does not come from yourselves; it is the Spirit of my Father speaking in you. Luke 1:68 – 79 The Messiah and his forerunner Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; he has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty savior, born of the house of his servant David. Through his holy prophets he promised of old that he would save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us. He promised to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies, free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, to give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins. In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. 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. What you say of me does not come from yourselves; it is the Spirit of my Father speaking in you. INTERCESSIONS Christ is the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep. Let us praise and thank him as we pray: Nourish your people, Lord. Christ, you decided to show your merciful love through your holy shepherds, — let your mercy always reach us through them. Nourish your people, Lord. Through your vicars you continue to perform the ministry of shepherd of souls, — direct us always through our leaders. Nourish your people, Lord. Through your holy ones, the leaders of your people, you served as physician of our bodies and our spirits, — continue to fulfill your ministry of life and holiness in us. Nourish your people, Lord. You taught your flock through the prudence and love of your saints, — grant us continual growth in holiness under the direction of our pastors. Nourish your people, Lord. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Concluding Prayer O God, who to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Pope Saint Pius the Tenth with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his teaching and example, we may gain an eternal prize. 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. DISMISSAL May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. — Amen.
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  August 21st, 2026 – Midmorning Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 7m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 Complementary Psalmody: 1291 (Midmorning) Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1243 (Midmorning) Midmorning Prayer for Friday in Ordinary Time using Complementary Psalmody 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. HYMNWe walk by faith, and not by sight; no gracious words we hear from Him who spoke as none e'er spoke; but we believe Him near. We may not touch His hands and side, nor follow where He trod; but in His promise we rejoice; and cry, "My Lord and God!" Help then, O Lord, our unbelief; and may our faith abound, to call on You when You are near, and seek where You are found: that, when our life of faith is done in realms of clearer light, we may behold You as You are with full and endless sight. 𝄞"We Walk By Faith" by Johanna Montealto • Title: We Walk By Faith; Text: Henry Alford (1810-1871), alt.; Music: St. Botolph; Artist: Johanna Montealto; Recording copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: Divine Office PSALMODY Ant. 1 I cried out, and the Lord heard me. Psalm 120 Longing for peace To the Lord in the hour of my distress I call and he answers me. “O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, from the tongue of the deceitful.” What shall he pay you in return, O treacherous tongue? The warrior’s arrows sharpened and coals, red-hot, blazing. Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, dwell among the tents of Kedar! Long enough have I been dwelling with those who hate peace. I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for fighting. 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 cried out, and the Lord heard me. Ant. 2 May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go. Psalm 121 Guardian of his people Never again will they hunger and thirst, never again know scorching heat (Revelation 7:16) I lift up my eyes to the mountains; from where shall come my help? My help shall come from the Lord who made heaven and earth. May he never allow you to stumble! Let him sleep not, your guard. No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, Israel’s guard. The Lord is your guard and your shade; at your right side he stands. By day the sun shall not smite you nor the moon in the night. The Lord will guard you from evil, he will guard your soul. The Lord will guard your going and coming both now and for ever. 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. May the Lord watch over you as you come and as you go. Ant. 3 I rejoiced in the good news they told me. Psalm 122 The holy city, Jerusalem You have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem (Hebrews 12:22) I rejoiced when I heard them say: Let us go to God’s house. And now our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city strongly compact. It is there that the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord. For Israel’s law it is, there to praise the Lord’s name. There were set the thrones of judgment of the house of David. For the peace of Jerusalem pray: “Peace be to your homes! May peace reign in your walls, in your palaces, peace!” For love of my brethren and friends I say: Peace upon you. For love of the house of the Lord I will ask for your good. 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 rejoiced in the good news they told me. READING Romans 12:17a, 19b, 20a, 21 Never repay injury with injury; for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” But, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good. 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. The Lord’s mercy has never failed; it will endure for ever. — Unswerving his fidelity to those who obey him. CONCLUDING PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, at this hour you were led out to die on the cross for the salvation of the world. We ask your forgiveness for the sins of our past and your protection from all future evil. Bring us to the peace and joy of that kingdom where you live and reign for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 21st, 2026 – Midday Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 7m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 All from the Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1240 (Midday) Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 623 All from the Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1204 (Midday) Midday Prayer for Friday in Ordinary Time using Current Psalmody 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. HYMNAlmighty 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. 𝄞"Almighty Ruler, God of Truth" by Rebecca Hincke • Available for Purchase • Ralph Wright, 1808; Melody: St. Anne; Artist: Rebecca Hincke; Copyright 2016 Surgeworks • Albums that contain this Hymn: The Hymns and Chants of Divine Office, Vol. 1 PSALMODY Ant. 1 Lord, great is the peace of those who love your law. Psalm 119 XXI (Shin) Though princes oppress me without cause I stand in awe of your word. I take delight in your promise like one who finds a treasure. Lies I hate and detest but your law is my love. Seven times a day I praise you for your just decrees. The lovers of your law have great peace; they never stumble. I await your saving help, O Lord, I fulfill your commands. My soul obeys your will and loves it dearly. I obey your precepts and your will; all that I do is before you. 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 There is great peace, Lord, for those who love your law; they never stumble. Grant that those who love you above all else may be undisturbed by thoughts of evil. Ant. Lord, great is the peace of those who love your law. Ant. 2 The assembly of believers had but one mind and heart. Psalm 133 Joy when hearts are united in love Let us love one another, for love is of God (1 John 4:7). How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers live in unity! It is like precious oil upon the head running down upon the beard, running down upon Aaron’s beard, upon the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon which falls on the heights of Zion. For there the Lord gives his blessing, life for ever. 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 Pour out over your Church, Lord, the spirit of brotherly love and a longing for your peace. May this precious oil of the Holy Spirit flow over us to fill us with your gracious benediction. Ant. The assembly of believers had but one mind and heart. Ant. 3 Save me from the grasp of the sinner, O Lord, my saving power. Psalm 140 Lord, you are my refuge The Son of Man will be handed over to wicked men (Matthew 26:45). Rescue me, Lord, from evil men; from the violent keep me safe, from those who plan evil in their hearts and stir up strife every day; who sharpen their tongue like an adder’s, with the poison of viper on their lips. Lord, guard me from the hands of the wicked; from the violent keep me safe; they plan to make me stumble. The proud have hidden a trap, have spread out lines in a net, set snares across my path. I have said to the Lord: “You are my God.” Lord, hear the cry of my appeal! Lord my God, my mighty help, you shield my head in battle. Do not grant the wicked their desire nor let their plots succeed. I know that the Lord will avenge the poor, that he will do justice for the needy. Yes, the just will praise your name: the upright shall live in your presence. 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, you keep constant guard over your faithful people. Protect us from hidden snares and make us holy, that we may praise and bless your name and live in righteousness before you. Ant. Save me from the grasp of the sinner, O Lord, my saving power. READING 1 John 3:16 The way we came to understand love was that he laid down his life for us; we too must lay down our lives for our brothers. 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. Give thanks to the Lord. — For his great love is without end. CONCLUDING PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, at noon, when darkness covered all the earth, you mounted the wood of the cross as the innocent victim for our redemption. May your light be always with us to guide us to eternal life in that kingdom where you live and reign for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 21st, 2026 – Midafternoon Prayer – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 12m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. III: Ordinary: 659 Complementary Psalmody: 1295 (Midafternoon) Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1244 (Midafternoon) Midafternoon Prayer for Friday in Ordinary Time using the Complementary Psalmody 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. HYMNCome and See, what I have done: I've given My only Son. He lived for you, and He died for you. Come and See. Lamb of God, Lamb of God, have mercy on us, forgive us, Lord. Come and See, what I have done: I've given My only Son. He lived for you, and He died for you. Come and See. Creator of Love, source of all life, have mercy on us, forgive us Lord. Come and See, what I have done: I've given My only Son. He lived for you, and He died for you. Come and See. 𝄞"Pieta" by Melinda Kirigin-Voss • Title: Pieta; Description: The Pieta (pl. same; Italian for pity) is a subject in Christian art depicting the Virgin Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus, most often found in sculpture; Artist: Melinda Kirigin-Voss; Used with permission. PSALMODY Ant. 1 The Lord has done great things for us; he is the source of all our joy. Psalm 126 Joyful hope in God Companions with him in suffering, you will share his over-flowing happiness (2 Corinthians 1:7) When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, it seemed like a dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, on our lips there were songs. The heathens themselves said: “What marvels the Lord worked for them!” What marvels the Lord worked for us! Indeed we were glad. Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage as streams in dry land. Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap. They go out, they go out, full of tears, carrying seed for the sowing: they come back, they come back, full of song, carrying their sheaves 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. The Lord has done great things for us; he is the source of all our joy. Ant. 2 May the Lord build our house and watch over our city. Psalm 127 Apart from God our labors are worthless You are God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9) If the Lord does not build the house, in vain do its builders labor; if the Lord does not watch over the city, in vain does the watchman keep vigil. In vain is your earlier rising, your going later to rest, you who toil for the bread you eat, when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber. Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, a blessing, the fruit of the womb. Indeed the sons of youth are like arrows in the hand of a warrior. O the happiness of the man who has filled his quiver with these arrows! He will have no cause for shame when he disputes with his foes in the gateways. 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. May the Lord build our house and watch over our city. Ant. 3 Blessed are those who fear the Lord. Psalm 128 Happiness of family life rooted in God “May the Lord bless you from Zion,” that is, from the Church (Arnobius) O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways! By the labor of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper; your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house; Your children like shoots of the olive, around your table. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord. May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children in a happy Jerusalem! On Israel, peace! 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. Blessed are those who fear the Lord. READING 1 John 4:9-11 God’s love was revealed in our midst in this way: He sent his only son into the world that we might have life through him. Love, then, consists in this: not that we have loved God, but that he has loved us and sent his son as an offering for our sins. Beloved, if God has loved us so, we must have this same love for one another. 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. Look on us, O strong protector — and see the face of your Christ. CONCLUDING PRAYER Lord Jesus Christ, you brought the repentant thief from the suffering of the cross to the joy of your kingdom. Lord, when we die, may we who confess our sins be brought to you through the gates of heaven, that we may have eternal joy in that kingdom where you live and reign for ever and ever. — Amen. ACCLAMATION (only added when praying in community) Let us praise the Lord. — And give him thanks.
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  August 21st, 2026 – Evening Prayer – Memorial – Divine Office: Liturgy of the Hours 20.08.2026 16m

  Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. IV: Ordinary: 632 Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 1209 Proper of Saints: 1338 Common of Pastors: 1769 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 694 Psalter: Friday, Week IV, 984 Proper of Saints: 1234 Common of Pastors: 1430 Evening Prayer for Friday in Ordinary Time, for the Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope 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. HYMNResplendent model for us all, Receive the humble praise we sing, For while we spread your great renown We praise God’s wondrous work of grace. For our eternal Priest and Lord Restored to God our fallen race, And by his death as mortal man, Atoned for us, became our peace. Christ chose you in his tender love To be the steward of his grace, To give his Father glory due, And to all peoples lasting life. [He raised you to the royal height Of teacher, priest and sacrifice That by your ev’ry word and work His image should be seen in you.] [Made richer by the Spirit’s grace, Who consecrated you apart, You nourished all Christ’s little ones On food for everlasting life.] From your high throne in heaven’s light Remember holy Church’s needs, That all Christ’s sheep may follow him To pastures of eternal bliss. All glory to the Trinity, Who crown you with your merit’s joy, Who have deserved the recompense Of servant worthy of his Lord. Amen. 𝄞"Resplendent Model for Us All" by Kathleen Lundquist, Sara Faux • Title: Resplendent Model for Us All; Text: from Latin; Tr. St. Cecilia’s Abbey, Ryde, UK; Tune: Chant, Mode IV; Liber Hymnarius; Artist: Kathleen Lundquist; Accompaniment: Sara Faux; Recording copyright 2017 by Surgeworks, Inc. PSALMODY Ant. 1 Day after day I will bless you, Lord; I will tell of your marvelous deeds. Psalm 145 Praise of God’s majesty Lord, you are the Just One, who was and who is (Revelation 16:5). I I will give you glory, O God my king, I will bless your name for ever. I will bless you day after day and praise your name for ever. The Lord is great, highly to be praised, his greatness cannot be measured. Age to age shall proclaim your works, shall declare your mighty deeds, shall speak of your splendor and glory, tell the tale of your wonderful works. They will speak of your terrible deeds, recount your greatness and might. They will recall your abundant goodness; age to age shall ring out your justice. The Lord is kind and full of compassion, slow to anger, abounding in love. How good is the Lord to all, compassionate to all his creatures. All your creatures shall thank you, O Lord, and your friends shall repeat their blessing. They shall speak of the glory of your reign and declare your might, O God, to make known to all your mighty deeds and the glorious splendor of your reign. Yours is an everlasting kingdom; your rule lasts from age to age. 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. Day after day I will bless you, Lord; I will tell of your marvelous deeds. Ant. 2 To you alone, Lord, we look with confidence; you are ever close to those who call upon you. II The Lord is faithful in all his words and loving in all his deeds. The Lord supports all who fall and raises up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all creatures look to you and you give them their food in due time. You open wide your hand, grant the desires of all who live. The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him, who call on him from their hearts. He grants the desires of those who fear him, he hears their cry and he saves them. The Lord protects all who love him; but the wicked he will utterly destroy. Let me speak the praise of the Lord, let all peoples bless his holy name for ever, for ages unending. 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, be near to all who call upon you in truth and increase the dedication of those who revere you. Hear their prayers and save them that they may always love you and praise your holy name. Ant. To you alone, Lord, we look with confidence; you are ever close to those who call upon you. Ant. 3 King of all the ages, your ways are perfect and true. Canticle – Revelation 15:3-4 Hymn of adoration Mighty and wonderful are your works, Lord God Almighty! Righteous and true are your ways, O King of the nations! Who would dare refuse you honor, or the glory due your name, O Lord? Since you alone are holy, all nations shall come and worship in your presence. Your mighty deeds are clearly seen. 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. King of all the ages, your ways are perfect and true. READING 1 Peter 5:1-4 To the elders among you I, a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and sharer in the glory that is to be revealed, make this appeal. God’s flock is in your midst; give it a shepherd’s care. Watch over it willingly as God would have you do, not under constraint; and not for shameful profit either, but generously. Be examples to the flock, not lording it over those assigned to you, so that when the chief Shepherd appears you will win for yourselves the unfading crown of glory. 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 This is a man who loved his brethren and ever prayed for them. — This is a man who loved his brethren and ever prayed for them. He spent himself in their service, — and ever prayed for them. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, —This is a man who loved his brethren and ever prayed for them. CANTICLE OF MARY Ant. This is a faithful and wise steward: the Lord entrusted the care of his household to him, so that he might give them their portion of food at the proper season. Luke 1:46-55 The soul rejoices in the Lord My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. He has shown the strength of his arm, he has scattered the proud in their conceit. He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, and has lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel for he has remembered his promise of mercy, the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children for ever. 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. This is a faithful and wise steward: the Lord entrusted the care of his household to him, so that he might give them their portion of food at the proper season. INTERCESSIONS Jesus Christ is worthy of all praise, for he was appointed high priest among men and their representative before God. We honor him and in our weakness we pray: Bring salvation to your people, Lord. You marvelously illuminated your Church through distinguished leaders and holy men and women, — let Christians rejoice always in such splendor. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. You forgave the sins of your people when their holy leaders like Moses sought your compassion, — through their intercession continue to purify and sanctify your holy people. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. In the midst of their brothers and sisters you anointed your holy ones and filled them with the Holy Spirit, — fill all the leaders of your people with the same Spirit. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. You yourself are the only visible possession of our holy pastors, — let none of them, won at the price of your blood, remain far from you. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. The shepherds of your Church keep your flock from being snatched out of your hand. Through them you give your flock eternal life, — save those who have died, those for whom you gave up your life. Bring salvation to your people, Lord. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Concluding Prayer O God, who to safeguard the Catholic faith and to restore all things in Christ, filled Pope Saint Pius the Tenth with heavenly wisdom and apostolic fortitude, graciously grant that, following his teaching and example, we may gain an eternal prize. 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. DISMISSAL May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. — Amen.