F.C. Ant. Blessed art thou.
1. O Lord, our Master, * F.S. how the majesty of thy name fills all the earth!
2. Thy greatness is high * above heaven itself.
3. Thou has made the lips of children, of infants at the breast, vocal with praise, to confound thy enemies; * to silence malicious and revengeful tounges.
4. I look up at those heavens of thine, the work of thy hands, * at the moon and the stars, which thou has set in their places.
5. What is man, Lord, that thou shouldst remember him? * What is Adam's breed, that it should claim thy care?
6. Thou hast placed him only a little below the angels, crowning him with glory and honor, * and bidding him rule over the works of thy hands.
7. Thou hast put them all under his domination, * the sheep and the cattle, and the wild beasts besides.
8. The birds in the sky, and the fish in the sea, * that travels by the sea's paths.
9. O Lord, our Master, * how the majesty of thy name fills all the earth!
10. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, *
11. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
F.C. Ant. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.
S.C. Ant. Like the choicest myrrh.
Psalm 19
1. See how the skies proclaim God's glory, * S.S. how the vault of heaven betrays his craftsmanship!
2. Each day echoes its secret to the next, * each night passes on to the next its revelation of knowledge.
3. No word, no accent of theirs * that does not make itself heard.
4. Till their utterance fills every land, * till their message reaches the end of the world.
5. In these, he has made a pavilion for the sun, * which comes out as a bridegroom comes from his bed.
6. And exults like some great runner * who sees the track before him.
7. Here, at one end of heaven, is its starting place, and its course reaches to the other; * no one can escape its burning heat.
8. The Lord's perfect law, how it brings the soul back to life; * the Lord's unchallengeable decrees, how they make the simple learned!
9. How plain are the duties which the Lord enjoins, the treasure of man's heart; * how clear is the commandment the Lord gives, the enlightenment of man's eyes!
10. How sacred a thing is the fear of the Lord, which is binding for ever; * how unerring are the awards which the Lord makes, one and all giving proof of their justice!
11. All these are more precious than gold, than a hoard of pure gold, * sweeter than the honey dripping from the comb.
12. By these I, thy servant, live, * nor bestow my pains amiss.
13. And yet, who knows his own frailties? If I have sinned unwittingly, do thou absolve me.
14. Keep me ever, thy own servant, far from pride; * so long as this does not lord it over me, I will yet be without fault, I will yet be innocent of the great sin.
15. Every word on my lips, every thought in my heart, * what thou wouldst have it be.
16. O Lord, my defender, * my redeemer!
17. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, *
18. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
S.C. Ant. Like the choicest myrrh thou hast yielded an odor of sweetness, O holy Mother of God.
F.C. Ant. Before the couch.
Psalm 23 (24)
1. The Lord owns earth, and all earth's fullness, * the round world, and all its inhabitants.
2. Who else has built it out from the sea, * poised it on the hidden streams?
3. Who dares climb the mountain of the Lord, * and appear in his sanctuary?
4. The guiltless in act, the pure in heart; * one who never set his heart on lying tales.
5. His to receive a blessing from the Lord, * mercy from God, his sure defender.
6. His the true breed that still looks, * still longs for the presence of the God of Jacob.
7. Swing back, doors, higher yet; * reach higher, immemorial gates, to let the King enter in triumph!
8. Who is this great King? * Who but the Lord, mighty and strong, the Lord mighty in battle?
9. Swing back, doors, higher yet; * reach higher, immemorial gates, to let the King enter in triumph!
10. Who is this great King? * It is the Lord of Armies that comes here on his way triumphant.
11. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, *
12. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
F.C. Ant. Before the couch of the Virgin sing often unto us sweet chants with solemnity.
B.C. Grace is shed forth on thy lips,
A. Therefore hath God blessed thee forever.
Here the officiant only intones the Our Father, the rest till toward the end being said by All in silence.
O. Our Father...
O. And lead us not into temptation,
A. But deliver us from evil.