Feria Quarta Quattuor Temporum QuadragesimæWednesday of the Ember Days of Lent

℣ O Lord, ✠ open my lips.

℟ And my mouth shall proclaim your praise.

℣ O God, ✠ come to my assistance.

℟ Lord, make haste to help me.

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

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Praise to you, O Lord, King of eternal glory.

Ant. Let it not be in vain for you to rise before the light in the morning: * for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

Ant. Let it not be in vain for you to rise before the light in the morning: * for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

Come, let us exult in the Lord. Let us shout joyfully to God, our Savior. Let us anticipate his presence with confession, and let us sing joyfully to him with psalms.

Ant. Let it not be in vain for you to rise before the light in the morning: * for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

For the Lord is a great God and a great King over all gods. For the Lord will not drive away his people. For in his hand are all the limits of the earth, and he beholds the heights of the mountains.

Ant. for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

For the sea is his, and he made it, and his hands established the dry land. (kneel) Come, let us adore and fall prostrate before God, and let us weep before the Lord who made us. For he is the Lord our God, and we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Ant. Let it not be in vain for you to rise before the light in the morning: * for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

If today you 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 tested and saw my works.

Ant. for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

For forty years, I was near to that generation, and I said: These have always strayed in heart. But they have not known my ways. To them I swore in my wrath: They shall not enter into my rest.

Ant. Let it not be in vain for you to rise before the light in the morning: * for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

Ant. Let it not be in vain for you to rise before the light in the morning: * for the Lord has promised a crown to those who keep vigil.

The fast, as taught by holy lore,

We keep in solemn course once more:

The fast to all men known, and bound

In forty days of yearly round.

The law and seers that were of old

In diverse ways this Lent foretold,

Which Christ, all seasons’ King and Guide,

In after ages sanctified.

More sparing therefore let us make

The words we speak, the food we take,

Our sleep and mirth, —and closer barred

Be every sense in holy guard.

Avoid the evil thoughts that roll

Like waters o’er the heedless soul;

Nor let the foe occasion find

Our souls in slavery to bind.

In prayer together let us fall,

And cry for mercy, one and all,

And weep before the Judge’s feet,

And his avenging wrath entreat.

Thy grace have we offended sore,

By sins, O God, which we deplore;

But pour upon us from on high,

O pardoning One, thy clemency.

Remember thou, though frail we be,

That yet thine handiwork are we;

Nor let the honour of thy name

Be by another put to shame.

Forgive the sin that we have wrought;

Increase the good that we have sought:

That we at length, our wanderings o'er,

May please thee here and evermore.

Grant O thou Blessed Trinity,

Grant, O Essential Unity,

That this our fast of forty days

May work our profit and thy praise.

Amen.

At the Nocturn

Ant. Fairest in form * above the sons of men, grace has been poured upon your lips.

Psalm 44(2a-10b) [1]

44:2a My heart has uttered a good word. * I speak of my works to the king.

44:2b My tongue is like the pen of a scribe * who writes quickly.

44:3 You are a brilliant form before the sons of men. † Grace has been poured freely into your lips. * Because of this, God has blessed you in eternity.

44:4 Fasten your sword to your thigh, * O most powerful one.

44:5a With your splendor and your excellence * extended, proceed prosperously, and reign

44:5b for the sake of truth and meekness and justice, * and so will your right hand lead you wondrously.

44:6 Your arrows are sharp; the people will fall under you, * with the hearts of the enemies of the king.

44:7 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever. * The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of true aim.

44:8 You have loved justice and hated iniquity. * Because of this, God, your God, has anointed you, before your co-heirs, with the oil of gladness.

44:9 Myrrh and balsam and cinnamon perfume your garments, from the houses of ivory. * From these, they have delighted you: (10a) the daughters of kings in your honor.

44:10b The queen assisted at your right hand, in clothing of gold, * encircled with diversity.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Fairest in form above the sons of men, grace has been poured upon your lips.

Ant. The peoples will praise you, * O God, for ever.

Psalm 44(11-18b) [2]

44:11 Listen, daughter, and see, and incline your ear. * And forget your people and your father’s house.

44:12 And the king will desire your beauty. * For he is the Lord your God, and they will adore him.

44:13 And the daughters of Tyre * will entreat your countenance with gifts: all the rich men of the people.

44:14 All the glory of the daughter of its king is inside, * in golden fringes, (15a) clothed all around with diversities.

44:15b After her, virgins will be led to the king. * Her neighbors will be brought to you.

44:16 They will be brought with gladness and exultation. * They will be led into the temple of the king.

44:17 For your fathers, sons have been born to you. * You will establish them as leaders over all the earth.

44:18a They will remember your name always, * for generation after generation.

44:18b Because of this, people will confess to you in eternity, * even forever and ever.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. The peoples will praise you, O God, for ever.

Ant. God is our helper * in tribulations.

Psalm 45 [3]

45:2 Our God is our refuge and strength, * a helper in the tribulations that have greatly overwhelmed us.

45:3 Because of this, we will not be afraid when the earth will be turbulent * and the mountains will be transferred into the heart of the sea.

45:4 They thundered, and the waters were stirred up among them; * the mountains have been disturbed by his strength.

45:5 The frenzy of the river rejoices the city of God. * The Most High has sanctified his tabernacle.

45:6 God is in its midst; it will not be shaken. * God will assist it in the early morning.

45:7 The peoples have been disturbed, and the kingdoms have been bowed down. * He uttered his voice: the earth has been moved.

45:8 The Lord of hosts is with us. * The God of Jacob is our supporter.

45:9 Draw near and behold the works of the Lord: what portents he has set upon the earth, * carrying away wars even to the end of the earth.

45:10 He will crush the bow and break the weapons, * and he will burn the shield with fire.

45:11 Be empty, and see that I am God. * I will be exalted among the peoples, and I will be exalted upon the earth.

45:12 The Lord of hosts is with us. * The God of Jacob is our supporter.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. God is our helper in tribulations.

Ant. Great is the Lord * and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

Psalm 47 [4]

47:2 The Lord is great and exceedingly praiseworthy, * in the city of our God, on his holy mountain.

47:3 Mount Zion is being founded with the exultation of the whole earth, * on the north side, the city of the great king.

47:4 In her houses, God will be known, * since he will support her.

47:5 For behold, the kings of the earth have been gathered together; * they have convened as one.

47:6 Such did they see, and they were astonished: they were disturbed, they were moved. * Trembling took hold of them.

47:7 In that place, their pains were that of a woman in labor. * With a vehement spirit, you will crush the ships of Tarshish.

47:9 As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. * God has founded it in eternity.

47:10 We have received your mercy, O God, * in the midst of your temple.

47:11 According to your name, O God, so does your praise reach to the ends of the earth. * Your right hand is full of justice.

47:12 Let mount Zion rejoice, and let the daughters of Judah exult, * because of your judgments, O Lord.

47:13 Encircle Zion and embrace her. * Discourse in her towers.

47:14 Set your hearts on her virtue. * And distribute her houses, so that you may discourse of it in another generation.

47:15 For this is God, our God, in eternity and forever and ever. * He will rule us forever.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

Ant. My mouth will speak * wisdom: and the meditation of my heart, understanding.

Psalm 48(2-13) [5]

48:2 Hear these things, all nations. * Pay attention, all inhabitants of the world:

48:3 whoever is earth-born, you sons of men, * together as one, the rich and the poor.

48:4 My mouth will speak wisdom, * and the meditation of my heart will speak prudence.

48:5 I will incline my ear to a parable. * I will open my case with the psaltery.

48:6 Why should I fear in the evil day? * The iniquity at my heel will surround me.

48:7 Those who trust in their own strength * and who glory in the multitude of their riches,

48:8 no brother redeems, nor will man buy back. * He will not give to God his appeasement,

48:9 nor the price for the redemption of his soul. * And he will labor continuously, and he will still live, until the end.

48:11 He will not see death, when he sees the wise dying: * the foolish and the senseless will perish together.

48:11 And they will leave their riches to strangers. * And their sepulchers will be their houses forever,

48:12 their tabernacles from generation to generation. * They have called their names in their own lands.

48:13 And man, when he was held in honor, did not understand. * He has been compared to the senseless beasts, and he has become like them.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. My mouth will speak wisdom: and the meditation of my heart, understanding.

Ant. Do not fear: * his glory will not descend into the tomb with the rich man.

Psalm 48(14-21) [6]

48:14 This way of theirs is a scandal to them. * And afterwards, they will delight in their mouth.

48:15 They have been placed in Hell like sheep. * Death will feed on them.

48:15 And the just will have dominion over them in the morning. * And their help will grow old in Hell for their glory.

48:16 Even so, truly God will redeem my soul from the hand of Hell, * when he will receive me.

48:17 Do not be afraid, when a man will have been made rich, * and when the glory of his house will have been multiplied.

48:18 For when he dies, he will take nothing away, * and his glory will not descend with him.

48:19 For his soul will be blessed in his lifetime, * and he will admit to you when you do good to him.

48:20 He will even enter with the progeny of his fathers, * but, even in eternity, he will not see the light.

48:21 Man, when he was in honor, did not understand. * He has been compared to the senseless beasts, and he has become like them.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Do not fear: his glory will not descend into the tomb with the rich man.

Ant. God of gods, * the Lord has spoken.

Psalm 49(1-6) [7]

49:1 The God of gods, the Lord has spoken, * and he has called the earth,

49:1 from the rising of the sun even to its setting, * from Zion, the brilliance of his beauty.

49:3 God will arrive manifestly. * Our God also will not keep silence.

49:3 A fire will flare up in his sight, * and a mighty tempest will surround him.

49:4 He will call to heaven from above, * and to the earth, to discern his people.

49:5 Gather his holy ones to him, * you who order his covenant above sacrifices.

49:6 And the heavens will announce his justice. * For God is the judge.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. God of gods, the Lord has spoken.

Ant. Offer to God * a sacrifice of praise.

Psalm 49(7-15) [8]

49:7 Listen, my people, and I will speak. Listen, Israel, and I will testify for you. * I am God, your God.

49:8 I will not reprove you for your sacrifices. * Moreover, your holocausts are ever in my sight.

49:9 I will not accept calves from your house, * nor he-goats from your flocks.

49:10 For all the wild beasts of the forest are mine: * the cattle on the hills and the oxen.

49:11 I know all the flying things of the air, * and the beauty of the field is with me.

49:12 If I should be hungry, I would not tell you: * for the whole world is mine, and all its plentitude.

49:13 Shall I gnaw on the flesh of bulls? * Or would I drink the blood of goats?

49:14 Offer to God the sacrifice of praise, * and pay your vows to the Most High.

49:15 And call upon me in the day of tribulation. * I will rescue you, and you will honor me.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Offer to God a sacrifice of praise.

Ant. Understand, * you who forget God.

Psalm 49(16-23) [9]

49:16 But to the sinner, God has said: * Why do you discourse on my justices, and take up my covenant through your mouth?

49:17 Truly, you have hated discipline, * and you have cast my sermons behind you.

49:18 If you saw a thief, you ran with him, * and you have placed your portion with adulterers.

49:19 Your mouth has abounded with malice, * and your tongue has concocted deceits.

49:20 Sitting, you spoke against your brother, and you set up a scandal against your mother’s son. * These things you have done, and I was silent.

49:21 You thought, unjustly, that I ought to be like you. * But I will reprove you, and I will set myself against your face.

49:22 Understand these things, you who forget God; * lest at any time, he might quickly take you away, and there would be no one to rescue you.

49:23 The sacrifice of praise will honor me. * And in that place is the journey by which I will reveal to him the salvation of God.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.

Ant. Understand, you who forget God.

℣ His truth will surround you as a shield.

℟ You will not fear the terror of the night.

The Our Father is said silently as far as 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 also forgive those who trespass against us:

℣ And lead us not into temptation:

℟ But deliver us from evil.

Absolution. May the almighty and merciful Lord absolve us from the bonds of our sins.

℟ Amen.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the evangelical reading be our salvation and protection.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 1

A Reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Matt 12:38-50

At that time: certain ones from the scribes and the Pharisees responded to him, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.” And so forth.

A Homily of Saint Ambrose, Bishop

Book 7 on Luke, chapter 11

With the people of the Jews condemned, the mystery of the Church is clearly expressed: she who, in the Ninevites through penance, and in the queen of the South through the desire to receive wisdom, is gathered from the ends of the whole world, so that she may come to know the words of the peaceful Solomon. She is truly a queen whose kingdom is undivided, rising from diverse and distant peoples into one body.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Rend your hearts, and not your garments: and turn to the Lord your God:

* For he is gracious and merciful.

℣ Let the wicked man forsake his way, and the unjust man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him.

℟ For he is gracious and merciful.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the divine assistance remain always with us.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 2

And so that great sacrament concerns Christ and the Church. Yet this latter is the greater, because the former came before it as a figure, whereas now it is the mystery in its fullness and in truth. For there, Solomon is a type; here, however, it is Christ in his own body. The Church, therefore, is constituted of two kinds: those who know not how to sin, and those who cease to sin. For repentance abolishes transgression, and wisdom guards against it.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Break your bread for the hungry, and bring the needy and the wandering into your house:

* Then your light shall break forth like the morning, and your justice shall go before your face.

℣ When you see the naked, cover him, and do not despise your own flesh.

℟ Then your light shall break forth like the morning, and your justice shall go before your face.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benediction. May the King of Angels lead us to the company of the citizens on high.

℟ Amen.

Lesson 3

Moreover, the sign of Jonah is, as a type of the Lord's Passion, so also a testimony of the grievous sins that the Jews committed. At the same time one may observe both an oracle of majesty and a sign of mercy. For by the example of the Ninevites, punishment is proclaimed and a remedy is shown. Hence the Jews too should not despair of pardon, if they are willing to do penance.

℣ But you, O Lord, have mercy on us.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℟ Hide your almsgiving in the bosom of the poor, and it will pray for you to the Lord:

* For as water extinguishes fire, so almsgiving extinguishes sin.

℣ Give alms, and behold, all things are clean for you.

℟ For as water extinguishes fire, so almsgiving extinguishes sin.

℣ Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Spirit.

℟ For as water extinguishes fire, so almsgiving extinguishes sin.

The rest is omitted unless Lauds is said separately.

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come before you.

Let us pray.

Mercifully hear our prayers, we pray, O Lord, and stretch forth the right hand of your majesty against all things that oppose us.

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.

℣ O Lord, hear my prayer.

℟ And let my cry come before you.

℣ Let us bless the Lord.

℟ Thanks be to God.

℣ May the souls of the faithful, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

℟ Amen.