Start
℣. O Lord,
+
open thou my lips.
℟. And my mouth shall declare thy praise.
℣. O God, ✠ come to my assistance;
℟. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Alleluia.
Invitatory
{Antiphon from the Proper of Saints}
Ant. Jesus Christ, the King of kings * Come, let us adore!
Ant. Jesus Christ, the King of kings * Come, let us adore!
Come let us praise the Lord with joy: let us joyfully sing to God our saviour. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving; and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
Ant. Jesus Christ, the King of kings * Come, let us adore!
For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. For the Lord will not cast off his people: for in his hand are all the ends of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are his.
Ant. Come, let us adore!
For the sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
(genuflect)
Come let us adore and fall down: and weep before the Lord that made us: For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
Ant. Jesus Christ, the King of kings * Come, let us adore!
Today if you shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts: As in the provocation, according to the day of temptation in the wilderness: where your fathers tempted me, they proved me, and saw my works.
Ant. Come, let us adore!
Forty years long was I offended with that generation, and I said: These always err in heart. And these men have not known my ways: so I swore in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest.
Ant. Jesus Christ, the King of kings * Come, let us adore!
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Come, let us adore!
Ant. Jesus Christ, the King of kings * Come, let us adore!
Hymn
{from the Proper of Saints}
Othou eternal Image bright
Of God most high, thou Light of Light,
To thee, Redeemer, glory be,
And might and kingly majesty.
Sole hope of all created things,
Thou art the Lord and King of kings,
Whom God, long ere creation's morn,
Had crowned to rule earth yet unborn.
Fair flower from the Virgin's breast,
Our race's Head for ever blest,
The stone that Daniel saw on high,
Which falling, o'er the world doth lie.
The race of men, condemned to lie
Beneath the direful tyrant's yoke,
By thee at length the shackles broke
And claimed the fatherland on high.
Priest, Teacher, Giver of the law,
Thy Name the rapt Apostle saw
Writ on thy vesture and thy thigh:
The King Of Kings, The Lord Most High.
Fain would we own thy blessed sway,
Whose rule all creatures must obey;
For happy is that state and throne
Whose subjects seek thy will alone.
All glory be, Jesu, to thee,
Thy scepter over all that be;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Amen.
Psalms with lections
{Antiphons and psalms from the Proper of Saints}
Nocturn I
Ant. I have been set up * as King by Him on Sion, His holy mountain, proclaiming His decree.
Psalm 2
Why have the Gentiles raged, * and the people devised vain things?2:1
The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, * against the Lord and against his Christ.2:2
Let us break their bonds asunder: * and let us cast away their yoke from us.2:3
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: * and the Lord shall deride them.2:4
Then shall he speak to them in his anger, * and trouble them in his rage.2:5
But I am appointed king by him over Sion his holy mountain, * preaching his commandment.2:6
The Lord hath said to me: * Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.2:7
Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, * and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.2:8
Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, * and shalt break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.2:9
And now, O ye kings, understand: * receive instruction, you that judge the earth.2:10
Serve ye the Lord with fear: * and rejoice unto him with trembling.2:11
Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, * and you perish from the just way.2:12
When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, * blessed are all they that trust in him.2:13
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. I have been set up as King by Him on Sion, His holy mountain, proclaiming His decree.
Ant.
Thou hast crowned him * with glory and honor, O Lord, putting all things under His feet.
Psalm 8
O Lord our Lord, * how admirable is thy name in the whole earth!8:2
For thy magnificence is elevated * above the heavens.8:2
Out of the mouth of infants and of sucklings thou hast perfected praise, because of thy enemies, * that thou mayst destroy the enemy and the avenger.8:3
For I will behold thy heavens, the works of thy fingers: * the moon and the stars which thou hast founded.8:4
What is man that thou art mindful of him? * or the son of man that thou visitest him?8:5
Thou hast made him a little less than the angels, thou hast crowned him with glory and honour: * and hast set him over the works of thy hands.8:6
Thou hast subjected all things under his feet, * all sheep and oxen: moreover the beasts also of the fields.8:8
The birds of the air, and the fishes of the sea, * that pass through the paths of the sea.8:9
O Lord our Lord, * how admirable is thy name in all the earth!8:10
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor, O Lord, putting all things under His feet.
Ant.
Reach up * you ancient portals, that the King of glory may come in.
Psalm 23
The earth is the Lord’s and the fulness thereof: * the world, and all they that dwell therein.23:1
For he hath founded it upon the seas; * and hath prepared it upon the rivers.23:2
Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: * or who shall stand in his holy place?23:3
The innocent in hands, and clean of heart, * who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour.23:4
He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, * and mercy from God his Saviour.23:5
This is the generation of them that seek him, * of them that seek the face of the God of Jacob.23:6
Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: * and the King of Glory shall enter in.23:7
Who is this King of Glory? * the Lord who is strong and mighty: the Lord mighty in battle.23:8
Lift up your gates, O ye princes, and be ye lifted up, O eternal gates: * and the King of Glory shall enter in.23:9
Who is this King of Glory? * the Lord of hosts, he is the King of Glory.23:10
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Reach up you ancient portals, that the King of glory may come in.
℣.
All power has been given to me.
℟. In heaven and on earth.
Our Father
is said silently until
And lead us not into temptation:
.
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.
Absolution.
O Lord Jesus Christ, graciously hear the prayers of Thy servants, and have mercy upon us, Who livest and reignest with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, ever world without end.
℟. Amen.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May the Eternal Father bless us with an eternal blessing.
℟. Amen.
Reading 1
Lesson from the letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Colossians
Col 1:3-8
3
Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. We give thanks to God, and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.
4
Hearing your faith in Christ Jesus, and the love which you have towards all the saints.
5
For the hope that is laid up for you in heaven, which you have heard in the word of the truth of the gospel,
6
Which is come unto you, as also it is in the whole world, and bringeth forth fruit and groweth, even as it doth in you, since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.
7
As you learned of Epaphras, our most beloved fellow servant, who is for you a faithful minister of Christ Jesus;
8
Who also hath manifested to us your love in the spirit.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. He shall sit upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom forever.
* And His name shall be called God, the Mighty, the Prince of peace.
℣. His dominion is vast and forever peaceful.
℟. And His name shall be called God, the Mighty, the Prince of peace.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May the Son, the Sole-begotten, mercifully bless and keep us.
℟. Amen.
Reading 2
Col 1:9-16
9
Therefore we also, from the day that we heard it, cease not to pray for you, and to beg that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will, in all wisdom, and spiritual understanding:
10
That you may walk worthy of God, in all things pleasing; being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:
11
Strengthened with all might, according to the power of his glory, in all patience and longsuffering with joy,
12
Giving thanks to God the Father, who hath made us worthy to be partakers of the lot of the saints in light:
13
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of the Son of his love,
14
In whom we have redemption through his blood, the remission of sins;
15
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
16
For in him were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominations, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him and in him.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. In the vision during the night I saw the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven; and He was given kingship and glory.
* Nations and people of every language serve Him.
℣. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, His kingship shall not be destroyed.
℟. Nations and people of every language serve Him.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May the grace of the Holy Spirit enlighten all our hearts and minds.
℟. Amen.
Reading 3
Col 1:17-23
17
And he is before all, and by him all things consist.
18
And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he may hold the primacy:
19
Because in him, it hath well pleased the Father, that all fullness should dwell;
20
And through him to reconcile all things unto himself, making peace through the blood of his cross, both as to the things that are on earth, and the things that are in heaven.
21
And you, whereas you were some time alienated and enemies in mind in evil works:
22
Yet now he hath reconciled in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unspotted, and blameless before him:
23
If so ye continue in the faith, grounded and settled, and immoveable from the hope of the gospel which you have heard, which is preached in all the creation that is under heaven, whereof I, Paul, am made a minister.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. You, Bethlehem-Ephrata, too small among the clans of Juda, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel;
* And He shall be Peace.
℣. His origin is from old, from ancient times. He shall stand firm and shepherd his flock by the strength of the Lord.
℟. And He shall be Peace.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. And He shall be Peace.
Nocturn II
Ant. The Lord is enthroned * as King forever; may the Lord bless his people with peace.
Psalm 28
Bring to the Lord, O ye children of God: * bring to the Lord the offspring of rams.28:1
Bring to the Lord glory and honour: bring to the Lord glory to his name: * adore ye the Lord in his holy court.28:2
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of majesty hath thundered, * The Lord is upon many waters.28:3
The voice of the Lord is in power; * the voice of the Lord in magnificence.28:4
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars: * yea, the Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus.28:5
And shall reduce them to pieces, as a calf of Libanus, * and as the beloved son of unicorns.28:6
The voice of the Lord divideth the flame of fire: * The voice of the Lord shaketh the desert: and the Lord shall shake the desert of Cades.28:7
The voice of the Lord prepareth the stags: and he will discover the thick woods: * and in his temple all shall speak his glory.28:9
The Lord maketh the flood to dwell: * and the Lord shall sit king for ever.28:10
The Lord will give strength to his people: * the Lord will bless his people with peace.28:11
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. The Lord is enthroned as King forever; may the Lord bless his people with peace.
Ant.
A tempered rod * is thy royal scepter; therefore shall nations praise thee forever and ever.
Psalm 44
My heart hath uttered a good word; * I speak my works to the King.44:2
My tongue is the pen of a scrivener * that writeth swiftly.44:2
Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; * therefore hath God blessed thee for ever.44:3
Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, * O thou most mighty.44:4
With thy comeliness and thy beauty * set out, proceed prosperously, and reign.44:5
Because of truth and meekness and justice: * and thy right hand shall conduct thee wonderfully.44:5
Thy arrows are sharp: under thee shall people fall, * into the hearts of the king’s enemies.44:6
Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: * the sceptre of thy kingdom is a sceptre of uprightness.44:7
Thou hast loved justice, and hated iniquity: * therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.44:8
Myrrh and stacte and cassia perfume thy garments, from the ivory houses: * out of which the daughters of kings have delighted thee in thy glory.44:9
The queen stood on thy right hand, in gilded clothing; * surrounded with variety.44:10
Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thy ear: * and forget thy people and thy father’s house.44:11
And the king shall greatly desire thy beauty; * for he is the Lord thy God, and him they shall adore.44:12
And the daughters of Tyre with gifts, * yea, all the rich among the people, shall entreat thy countenance.44:13
All the glory of the king’s daughter is within, * in golden borders, clothed round about with varieties.44:14
After her shall virgins be brought to the king: * her neighbours shall be brought to thee.44:15
They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing: * they shall be brought into the temple of the king.44:16
Instead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee: * thou shalt make them princes over all the earth.44:17
They shall remember thy name * throughout all generations.44:18
Therefore shall people praise thee for ever; yea, * for ever and ever.44:18
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. A tempered rod is thy royal scepter; therefore shall nations praise thee forever and ever.
Ant.
Sing praise to our King * sing praise; for he is the great King over all earth.
Psalm 46
O clap your hands, all ye nations: * shout unto God with the voice of joy,46:2
For the Lord is high, terrible: * a great king over all the earth.46:3
He hath subdued the people under us; * and the nations under our feet.46:4
He hath chosen for us his inheritance, * the beauty of Jacob which he hath loved.46:5
God is ascended with jubilee, * and the Lord with the sound of trumpet.46:6
Sing praises to our God, sing ye: * sing praises to our king, sing ye.46:7
For God is the king of all the earth: * sing ye wisely.46:8
God shall reign over the nations: * God sitteth on his holy throne.46:9
The princes of the people are gathered together, with the God of Abraham: * for the strong gods of the earth are exceedingly exalted.46:10
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. Sing praise to our King sing praise; for he is the great King over all earth.
℣.
Give the Lord, you families of nations.
℟. Give to the Lord glory and sovereignty.
Our Father
is said silently until
And lead us not into temptation:
.
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.
Absolution.
May His loving-kindness and mercy help us, Who liveth and reigneth with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, world without end.
℟. Amen.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement.
℟. Amen.
Reading 4
From the Encylical Letters of Pope Pius XI
Litt. Encycl. Quas primas diei 11 Decembris 1925
Since this Holy Year therefore has provided more than one opportunity to enhance the glory of the kingdom of Christ, we deem it in keeping with our Apostolic office to accede to the desire of many of the Cardinals, Bishops, and faithful, made known to Us both individually and collectively, by closing this Holy Year with the insertion into the Sacred Liturgy of a special feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ. This matter is so dear to Our heart, Venerable Brethren, that I would wish to address to you a few words concerning it. It will be for you later to explain in a manner suited to the understanding of the faithful what We are about to say concerning the Kingship of Christ, so that the annual feast which We shall decree may be attended with much fruit and produce beneficial results in the future. It has long been a common custom to give to Christ the metaphorical title of “King,” because of the high degree of perfection whereby he excels all creatures. So he is said to reign “in the hearts of men,” both by reason of the keenness of his intellect and the extent of his knowledge, and also because he is very truth, and it is from him that truth must be obediently received by all mankind. He reigns, too, in the wills of men, for in him the human will was perfectly and entirely obedient to the Holy Will of God, and further by his grace and inspiration he so subjects our free-will as to incite us to the most noble endeavors. He is King of hearts, too, by reason of his “charity which exceedeth all knowledge.” And his mercy and kindness which draw all men to him, for never has it been known, nor will it ever be, that man be loved so much and so universally as Jesus Christ. But if we ponder this matter more deeply, we cannot but see that the title and the power of King belongs to Christ as man in the strict and proper sense too. For it is only as man that he may be said to have received from the Father “power and glory and a kingdom,” since the Word of God, as consubstantial with the Father, has all things in common with him, and therefore has necessarily supreme and absolute dominion over all things created.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. Rejoice heartily, o daughter Sion, and shout for you, o daughter Jerusalem! See your King shall come to you; a just Saviour is He!
* And He shall proclaim peace to the nations.
℣. His dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river, to the ends of the earth.
℟. And He shall proclaim peace to the nations.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May Christ to all His people give, for ever in His sight to live.
℟. Amen.
Reading 5
The foundation of this power and dignity of Our Lord is rightly indicated by Cyril of Alexandria. “Christ,” he says, “has dominion over all creatures, a dominion not seized by violence nor usurped, but his by essence and by nature.” His kingship is founded upon the ineffable hypostatic union. From this it follows not only that Christ is to be adored by angels and men, but that to him as man angels and men are subject, and must recognize his empire; by reason of the hypostatic union Christ has power over all creatures. But a thought that must give us even greater joy and consolation is this that Christ is our King by acquired, as well as by natural right, for he is our Redeemer. Would that they who forget what they have cost their Saviour might recall the words: “You were not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb unspotted and undefiled.” We are no longer our own property, for Christ has purchased us “with a great price”; our very bodies are the “members of Christ.” Let Us explain briefly the nature and meaning of this lordship of Christ. It consists, We need scarcely say, in a threefold power which is essential to lordship. This is sufficiently clear from the scriptural testimony already adduced concerning the universal dominion of our Redeemer, and moreover it is a dogma of faith that Jesus Christ was given to man, not only as our Redeemer, but also as a law-giver, to whom obedience is due. Not only do the gospels tell us that he made laws, but they present him to us in the act of making them. Those who keep them show their love for their Divine Master, and he promises that they shall remain in his love. He claimed judicial power as received from his Father, when the Jews accused him of breaking the Sabbath by the miraculous cure of a sick man. “For neither doth the Father judge any man; but hath given all judgment to the Son.” In this power is included the right of rewarding and punishing all men living, for this right is inseparable from that of judging. Executive power, too, belongs to Christ, for all must obey his commands; none may escape them, nor the sanctions he has imposed.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. He must reign, for God has put all things under His feet,
* That God may be all in all!
℣. When all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be made subject to the Father.
℟. That God may be all in all!
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May the Spirit's fire Divine in our hearts enkindled shine.
℟. Amen.
Reading 6
This kingdom is spiritual and is concerned with spiritual things. That this is so the above quotations from Scripture amply prove, and Christ by his own action confirms it. On many occasions, when the Jews and even the Apostles wrongly supposed that the Messiah would restore the liberties and the kingdom of Israel, he repelled and denied such a suggestion. When the populace thronged around him in admiration and would have acclaimed him King, he shrank from the honor and sought safety in flight. Before the Roman magistrate he declared that his kingdom was not of this world. The gospels present this kingdom as one which men prepare to enter by penance, and cannot actually enter except by faith and by baptism, which, though an external rite, signifies and produces an interior regeneration. This kingdom is opposed to none other than to that of Satan and to the power of darkness. It demands of its subjects a spirit of detachment from riches and earthly things, and a spirit of gentleness. They must hunger and thirst after justice, and more than this, they must deny themselves and carry the cross. Christ as our Redeemer purchased the Church at the price of his own blood; as priest he offered himself, and continues to offer himself as a victim for our sins. Is it not evident, then, that his kingly dignity partakes in a manner of both these offices? It would be a grave error, on the other hand, to say that Christ has no authority whatever in civil affairs, since, by virtue of the absolute empire over all creatures committed to him by the Father, all things are in his power. Therefore by Our Apostolic Authority We institute the Feast of the Kingship of Our Lord Jesus Christ to be observed yearly throughout the whole world on the last Sunday of the month of October - the Sunday, that is, which immediately precedes the Feast of All Saints. We further ordain that the dedication of mankind to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to be renewed yearly.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. He has made us to be a kingdom, and priest to God His Father;
* To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever!
℣. He is the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
℟. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever!
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever!
Nocturn III
Ant. In Him * shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim His greatness.
Psalm 71
Give to the king thy judgment, O God: * and to the king’s son thy justice:71:2
To judge thy people with justice, * and thy poor with judgment.71:2
Let the mountains receive peace for the people: * and the hills justice.71:3
He shall judge the poor of the people, and he shall save the children of the poor: * and he shall humble the oppressor.71:4
And he shall continue with the sun, and before the moon, * throughout all generations.71:5
He shall come down like rain upon the fleece; * and as showers falling gently upon the earth.71:6
In his days shall justice spring up, and abundance of peace, * till the moon be taken away.71:7
And he shall rule from sea to sea, * and from the river unto the ends of the earth.71:8
Before him the Ethiopians shall fall down: * and his enemies shall lick the ground.71:9
The kings of Tharsis and the islands shall offer presents: * the kings of the Arabians and of Saba shall bring gifts:71:10
And all kings of the earth shall adore him: * all nations shall serve him.71:11
For he shall deliver the poor from the mighty: * and the needy that had no helper.71:12
He shall spare the poor and needy: * and he shall save the souls of the poor.71:13
He shall redeem their souls from usuries and iniquity: * and their names shall be honourable in his sight.71:14
And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia, for him they shall always adore: * they shall bless him all the day.71:15
And there shall be a firmament on the earth on the tops of mountains, above Libanus shall the fruit thereof be exalted: * and they of the city shall flourish like the grass of the earth.71:16
Let his name be blessed for evermore: * his name continueth before the sun.71:17
And in him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed: * all nations shall magnify him.71:17
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, * who alone doth wonderful things.71:18
And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever: * and the whole earth shall be filled with his majesty. So be it. So be it.71:19
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. In Him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed; all the nations shall proclaim His greatness.
Ant.
And I will make Him * the firstborn, highest of the kings of the earth.
Psalm 88 (2-30)
The mercies of the Lord * I will sing for ever.88:2
I will shew forth thy truth with my mouth * to generation and generation.88:2
For thou hast said: Mercy shall be built up for ever in the heavens: * thy truth shall be prepared in them.88:3
I have made a covenant with my elect: I have sworn to David my servant: * Thy seed will I settle for ever.88:4
And I will build up thy throne * unto generation and generation.88:5
The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: * and thy truth in the church of the saints.88:6
For who in the clouds can be compared to the Lord: * or who among the sons of God shall be like to God?88:7
God, who is glorified in the assembly of the saints: * great and terrible above all them that are about him.88:8
O Lord God of hosts, who is like to thee? * thou art mighty, O Lord, and thy truth is round about thee.88:9
Thou rulest the power of the sea: * and appeasest the motion of the waves thereof.88:10
Thou hast humbled the proud one, as one that is slain: * with the arm of thy strength thou hast scattered thy enemies.88:11
Thine are the heavens, and thine is the earth: the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded: * the north and the sea thou hast created.88:12
Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name: * thy arm is with might.88:13
Let thy hand be strengthened, and thy right hand exalted: * justice and judgment are the preparation of thy throne.88:14
Mercy and truth shall go before thy face: * blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation.88:15
They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance: and in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, * and in thy justice they shall be exalted.88:16
For thou art the glory of their strength: * and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted.88:18
For our protection is of the Lord, * and of our king the holy one of Israel.88:19
Then thou spokest in a vision to thy saints, and saidst: * I have laid help upon one that is mighty, and have exalted one chosen out of my people.88:20
I have found David my servant: * with my holy oil I have anointed him.88:21
For my hand shall help him: * and my arm shall strengthen him.88:22
The enemy shall have no advantage over him: * nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt him.88:23
And I will cut down his enemies before his face; * and them that hate him I will put to flight.88:24
And my truth and my mercy shall be with him: * and in my name shall his horn be exalted.88:25
And I will set his hand in the sea; * and his right hand in the rivers.88:26
He shall cry out to me: Thou art my father: * my God, and the support of my salvation.88:27
And I will make him my firstborn, * high above the kings of the earth.88:28
I will keep my mercy for him for ever: * and my covenant faithful to him.88:29
And I will make his seed to endure for evermore: * and his throne as the days of heaven.88:30
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. And I will make Him the firstborn, highest of the kings of the earth.
Ant.
His throne * shall be like the sun before Me; like the moon, which remains forever.
Psalm 88 (31-38)
And if his children forsake my law, * and walk not in my judgments:88:31
If they profane my justices: * and keep not my commandments:88:32
I will visit their iniquities with a rod: *and their sins with stripes.88:33
But my mercy I will not take away from him: * nor will I suffer my truth to fail.88:34
Neither will I profane my covenant: * and the words that proceed from my mouth I will not make void.88:35
Once have I sworn by my holiness: I will not lie unto David: * his seed shall endure for ever.88:36
And his throne as the sun before me: * and as the moon perfect for ever, and a faithful witness in heaven.88:37
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. As it was in the beginning, is now, * and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Ant. His throne shall be like the sun before Me; like the moon, which remains forever.
℣.
All the kings of the earth shall adore Him.
℟. All the nations shall serve Him.
Our Father
is said silently until
And lead us not into temptation:
.
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.
Absolution.
May the Almighty and merciful Lord loose us from the bonds of our sins.
℟. Amen.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May the Gospel's holy lection Be our safety and protection.
℟. Amen.
Reading 7
From the Holy Gospel according to John
John 18:33-37
In that time: Pilate said to Jesus: Art thou the king of the Jews? Jesus answered: Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or have others told it thee of me? And so on.
Homily of St. Augustine, Bishop
Tract. 51 in Joann. 12-13; Tract 117 in Joann. 19-21
What great matter was it for the King of all worlds to become King of men? For Christ was not King of Israel for exacting of tribute, or arming a host with the sword, and visibly subduing enemies: but King of Israel that he should rule minds, that he should counsel for eternity, that he should bring unto the kingdom of heaven them that believe, hope, and love. Being then, Son of God, the Word by whom all things were made, that it should be his will to be King of Israel is condescension, not preferment, a betokening of mercy, not an increasing of power. For he who was called on earth King of the Jews is in heaven Lord of the Angels. But is Christ King of the Jews only, or also King of the Gentiles? Yea, of the Gentiles also. For when he said in the prophecy: But I am set by him as King upon Sion his holy mountain, preaching the precepts of the Lord, lest on account of the Mount Sion, any should say that he was set as King only of the Jews, he hath straightway subjoined: The Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son: this day I have begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. The kingdom of this world has became the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ,
* And He shall reign for ever and ever.
℣. All the families of the nations shall bow down before Him; for dominion is the Lord's.
℟. And He shall reign for ever and ever.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
God's most mighty strength alway be His people's staff and stay.
℟. Amen.
Reading 8
Tract. 115 in Joannem 18-36.
Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should be delivered to the Jews; but now is my kingdom not from hence. This it is which was the will of our Good Master that we should know: but first we were to be shown the vanity of the opinion concerning his kingdom, entertained by men, whether Gentiles or Jews, from whom Pilate had heard that: as if the reason why he must be punished by death, were that he had affected a kingdom to which he had no right; or because the reigning are wont to look with an evil eye upon those destined to reign; and there were indeed need to beware lest his kingdom should be adverse either to the Romans or the Jews.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℟. The ten horns that you saw are the kings. These will fight with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them.
* For He is the Lord of lords and the King of Kings.
℣. The Lord our God Almighty now reigns, Let us be glad and rejoice, and give glory to Him.
℟. For He is the Lord of lords and the King of Kings.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. For He is the Lord of lords and the King of Kings.
℣.
Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction.
May He that is the Angels' King to that high realm His people bring.
℟. Amen.
Reading 9
Now the Lord might have answered at once: My kingdom is not from hence: to the first question put by the governor, Art thou the King of the Jews? But in putting a question in return, namely whether he spake this of himself, or had been told it by others, it was his will to show by Pilate's reply that this had been laid up to him as a crime by the Jews in their conference with the Governor: thus laying open to us, the thoughts of men, which he knew: that they are vain: and to them after Pilate's answer, making a reply which was more reasonable and suitable to Jews and Gentiles: My kingdom is not of this world.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.
Te Deum
We praise thee, O God, * we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, * the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud, * the Heavens, and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim * continually do cry.
bow head
Holy, Holy, Holy * Lord God of Sabaoth;
Heaven and earth are full * of the Majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the Apostles * praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the Prophets * praise thee.
The noble army of Martyrs * praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world * doth acknowledge thee;
The Father, * of an infinite Majesty.
Thine honourable, true, * and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost, * the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory, * O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting * Son of the Father.
During the following verse all make a profound bow:
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, * thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, * thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, * in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come * to be our Judge.
Kneel for the following verse
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, * whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious Blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, * in glory everlasting.
O Lord, save thy people, * and bless thine heritage.
Govern them, * and lift them up for ever.
Day by day * we magnify thee;
During the following verse, by local custom, all make a profound bow.
And we worship thy Name * ever, world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us * this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, * have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, * as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted, * let me never be confounded.
Skip the rest, unless praying
Lauds
separately.
Prayer
{from the Proper of Saints}
℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.
℟. And let my cry come unto thee.
Let us pray.
Almighty and everlasting God, who in thy beloved Son, the King of the whole world, hast willed to restore all things: mercifully grant that all the families of nations, now kept apart by the wound of sin, may be brought under the sweet yoke of his rule.
Who with thee liveth and reigneth, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end.
℟. Amen.
Conclusion
℣. O Lord, hear my prayer.
℟. And let my cry come unto thee.
℣. Let us bless the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.
℣. May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
℟. Amen.
