THE FIFTH HOUR OF THE DAY: MIDAFTERNOON PRAYER (NONE)
(Psalms from the Complementary Psalmody - Reading and prayer as noted)
Series III (Midafternoon)
Ant. 1 The Lord has done great things for us; he is the source of all our joy.
Psalm 126
Joyful hope in God
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...
Ant. 1 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
If the Lord does not build the house,
in vain does the builder 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...
Ant. 2 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
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...
Ant. 3 Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Reading - one of three readings on which St. Francis based his Rules of life for his three Orders
The Rich Official
(Luke 19: 18-25)
An official asked him this question, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life. Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. You know the commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness; honor your father and your mother.’”
And he replied, “All of these I have observed from my youth.”: When Jesus heard this he said to him, “There is still one thing left for you if you wish to be perfect: go, sell all that you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when he heard this he became quite sad, for he was very rich.
Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Prayer from Friday Evening Prayer - Fifth Week of Lent
Lord, grant us your forgiveness, and set us free from our enslavement to sin.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Final Blessing
May the Lord bless us, protect us from evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
...weaving a crown of thorns,
