S. Ioannis Damasceni Confessoris et Ecclesiæ Doctoris

Nocturn 1

Ant. The Lord our God has been mindful * for ever of his covenant.

Psalm 104(1-15)

104:1 Give praise to the Lord and call upon his name: * declare his works among the nations.
104:2 Sing to him, and sing praise to him: * tell all his wondrous works.
104:3 Be praised in his holy name: * let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
104:4 Seek the Lord, and be confirmed: * seek his face always.
104:5 Remember his miracles, which he has done: * his portents, and the judgments of his mouth:
104:6 You offspring of Abraham his servant: * you sons of Jacob, his elect.
104:7 He is the Lord our God: * his judgments are throughout the entire earth.
104:8 He has remembered his covenant for all ages: * the word that he entrusted to a thousand generations,
104:9 which he assigned to Abraham: * and his oath to Isaac:
104:10 And he stationed the same for Jacob with a precept: * and for Israel with an eternal testament:
104:11 saying: To you I will give the land of Canaan, * the allotment of your inheritance.
104:12 Though they may have been but a small number, * very few, and foreigners there:
104:13 and though they passed from nation to nation, * and from one kingdom to another people.
104:14 He allowed no man to harm them: * and he reproved kings on their behalf.
104:15 Do not be willing to touch my anointed ones: * and do not be willing to malign my prophets.

℣ 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 Lord our God has been mindful for ever of his covenant.

Ant. The Lord increased * his people: and strengthened them against their enemies.

Psalm 104(16-27)

104:16 And he called a famine upon the land: * and he crushed every foundation of the bread.
104:17 He sent a man before them: * Joseph, who had been sold as a slave.
104:18 They humbled his feet in shackles; the iron pierced his soul, * until his word arrived.
104:19 The eloquence of the Lord inflamed him: * the king sent, and released him; the ruler of the peoples, and he dismissed him.
104:21 He established him as master of his house: * and ruler of all his possessions:
104:22 so that he might instruct his princes as himself: * and teach his elders prudence.
104:23 And Israel entered into Egypt: * and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham.
104:24 And he helped his people greatly: * and he strengthened them over their enemies.
104:25 He turned their heart to hate his people: * and to deal deceitfully with his servants.
104:26 He sent Moses, his servant: * and Aaron, the one whom he chose.
104:27 He placed with them signs of his word: * and portents in the land of Ham.

℣ 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 Lord increased his people: and strengthened them against their enemies.

Ant. God led out * his people in exultation, and his chosen ones in gladness.

Psalm 104(28-45)

104:28 He sent darkness and made it conceal: * and he did not afflict them with his speech.
104:29 He turned their waters into blood: * and he slaughtered their fish.
104:30 Their land brought forth frogs: * even in the inner chambers of their kings.
104:31 He spoke, and there came forth common flies: * and gnats, in every region.
104:32 He gave them a shower of hail: * and a burning fire, in the same land.
104:33 And he struck their vineyards and their fig trees: * and he crushed the trees of their region.
104:34 He spoke, and the locust came forth, and the caterpillar, * of which there was no number:
104:35 And it devoured all the grass in their land: * and it consumed all the fruit of their land.
104:36 And he struck all the first-born in their land: * the first-fruits of all their labor.
104:37 And he led them out with silver and gold: * and there was not an infirm one among their tribes.
104:38 Egypt was joyful at their departure: * for the fear of them lay heavy upon them.
104:39 He spread a cloud for their protection: * and a fire, to give them light through the night.
104:40 They petitioned, and the quail came: * and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
104:41 He ruptured the rock and the waters flowed: * rivers gushed in the dry land;
104:42 For he had called to mind his holy word: * which he kept near to his servant Abraham.
104:43 And he led forth his people in exultation, * and his elect in rejoicing.
104:44 And he gave them the regions of the Gentiles: * and they possessed the labors of the peoples:
104:45 So that they might observe his justifications, * and inquire about his law.

℣ 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 led out his people in exultation, and his chosen ones in gladness.

℣ The Lord was mindful of his holy word.

℟ Which he spoke to Abraham, his servant.

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.

Absolutio. Hear us, Lord Jesus Christ, and have mercy on your servants: You who live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May the eternal Father bless us with his everlasting blessing.

Reading 1

From the Book of Sirach

Sir 39:1-5

1 A wise man will seek the wisdom of all the ancients, and he will be occupied in the prophets.
2 He will preserve the words of renowned men, and he will enter with them into the subtleties of parables.
3 He will search for the hidden meanings of proverbs, and he will become familiar with the mysteries of parables.
4 He will minister in the midst of great men, and he will appear in the sight of the foremost leader.
5 He will pass through the land of foreign nations. For he will test good and evil among men.

℟ All the day long I went about in sorrow, O Lord: for my soul was filled with illusions:

And those who sought my soul did violence to me.

℣ My friends and my neighbors drew near and stood against me: and those who were close to me stood far off.

℟ And those who sought my soul did violence to me.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May the Only Begotten Son of God be pleased to bless and assist us.

Reading 2

Sir 39:6-10

6 At first light, he will offer his heart with watchfulness to the Lord who made him, and he will pray in the sight of the Most High.
7 He will open his mouth in prayer, and he will make supplication for his offenses.
8 For if the great Lord is willing, he will fill him with the Spirit of understanding.
9 And he will send forth the eloquence of his wisdom like rain showers, and in his prayer, he will confess to the Lord.
10 And he will direct his counsel and his discipline, and he will meditate on his mysteries.

℟ Do not turn away your face from your servant, O Lord:

For I am in tribulation, hear me quickly.

℣ Attend to my soul, and deliver it: because of my enemies, rescue me.

℟ For I am in tribulation, hear me quickly.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May the mercy of Christ lead us to the joys of paradise.

Reading 3

Sir 39:11-14

11 He will make the discipline of his doctrine clear, and he will glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.
12 Many persons will together praise his wisdom, and it will never be abolished, for all ages.
13 The memory of him will not fade away, and his name will be sought from generation to generation.
14 The peoples will declare his wisdom, and the Church will announce his praise.

℟ Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, and I will weep day and night? For a close kinsman has supplanted me,

And every friend has dealt deceitfully with me.

℣ Let their ways become darkness and slipperiness: and let the Angel of the Lord pursue them.

℟ And every friend has dealt deceitfully with 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.

℟ Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, and I will weep day and night? For a close kinsman has supplanted me, and every friend has dealt deceitfully with me.

Nocturn 2

Ant. The Lord saved them * for his name's sake.

Psalm 105(1-15)

105:1 Confess to the Lord, for he is good: * for his mercy is with every generation.
105:2 Who will declare the powers of the Lord, * who will make a hearing for all his praises?
105:3 Blessed are those who keep judgment, * and who do justice at all times.
105:4 Remember us, O Lord, with good will for your people: * visit us with your salvation:
105:5 so that we may see the goodness of your elect, so that we may rejoice in the joy of your nation: * so that you may be praised along with your inheritance.
105:6 We have sinned, as have our fathers: * we have acted unjustly; we have wrought iniquity.
105:7 Our fathers did not understand your miracles in Egypt: * they did not remember the multitude of your mercies.
105:7 And they provoked you, while going up to the sea, * the Red Sea.
105:8 And he saved them for the sake of his name: * so that he might make known his power.
105:9 And he rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up, * and he led them into the abyss, as if into a desert.
105:10 And he saved them from the hand of those who hated them: * and he redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
105:11 And the water covered those who troubled them: * not one of them remained.
105:12 And they believed his words: * and they sang his praises.
105:13 As soon as they had finished, they forgot his works: * and they would not endure his counsel.
105:14 And they coveted their desire in the desert: * and they tempted God in a waterless place.
105:15 And he granted to them their request: * and he sent abundance into their souls.

℣ 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 Lord saved them for his name's sake.

Ant. They forgot God * who saved them.

Psalm 105(16-31)

105:16 And they provoked Moses in the camp: * and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
105:17 The earth opened and swallowed Dathan: * and it covered the congregation of Abiram.
105:18 And a fire broke out in their congregation: * a flame burned up the sinners.
105:19 And they fashioned a calf at Horeb, * and they adored a graven image.
105:20 And they exchanged their glory * for the likeness of a calf that eats hay.
105:21 They forgot God, who saved them, * who did great things in Egypt, wonders in the land of Ham, and terrible things at the Red Sea.
105:23 And he said that he would destroy them: * yet Moses, his elect, stood firm before him in the breach,
105:24 in order to avert his wrath, lest he destroy them: * and they held the desirable land to be nothing.
105:25 They did not trust in his word, and they murmured in their tabernacles: * they did not heed the voice of the Lord.
105:26 And he lifted up his hand over them: * in order to prostrate them in the desert:
105:27 and in order to cast their offspring among the nations: * and to scatter them among the regions.
105:28 And they were initiated into Baal of Peor: * and they ate the sacrifices of the dead.
105:29 And they provoked him with their inventions: * and ruination was multiplied in them.
105:30 Then Phinehas stood up and placated him: * and so the violent disturbance ceased.
105:31 And it was reputed to him unto justice: * from generation to generation, even 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. They forgot God who saved them.

Ant. When they were in tribulation * the Lord saw them: and heard their prayer.

Psalm 105(32-48)

105:32 And they provoked him at the Waters of Contradiction: * and Moses was afflicted because of them,
105:33 for they exasperated his spirit: * and so he divided them with his lips.
105:35 And they were mixed among the Gentiles, and they learned their works; and they served their graven images: * and it became a scandal to them.
105:37 And they sacrificed their sons, * and their daughters, to demons.
105:38 And they shed innocent blood: * the blood of their sons and of their daughters, which they sacrificed to the graven images of Canaan.
105:39 And the land was infected with bloodshed, and was contaminated with their works: * and they fornicated according to their own inventions.
105:40 And the Lord became furiously angry with his people: * and he abhorred his inheritance.
105:41 And he handed them over into the hands of the nations: * and those who hated them held dominion over them.
105:42 And their enemies afflicted them, and they were humbled under their hands: * many times he delivered them.
105:43 But they provoked him with their counsel: * and they were brought low by their iniquities.
105:44 And he saw, when they were in tribulation: * and he heard their prayer.
105:45 And he was mindful of his covenant: * and he repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
105:46 And he provided for them with mercies * in the sight of all those who had seized them.
105:47 Save us, O Lord our God: * and gather us from the nations:
105:47 That we may give thanks to your holy name: * and glory in your praise.
105:48 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, from age to age: * and let all the people say: Amen. Amen.

℣ 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. When they were in tribulation the Lord saw them: and heard their prayer.

℣ The mouth of the just man shall meditate wisdom.

℟ And his tongue shall speak judgment.

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.

Absolutio. May his loving kindness and mercy assist us, he who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May God the almighty Father be gracious and merciful to us.

Reading 4

John, called Damascene from his native city, was born of noble lineage and trained in both human and divine letters by the monk Cosmas at Constantinople. When the Emperor Leo the Isaurian was waging his impious war against the veneration of sacred images, John, at the urging of Pope Gregory III, defended the holiness of that veneration zealously both in speech and in writing. By this act he aroused so great a hatred against himself in Leo that the emperor, by means of forged letters, accused him as a traitor before the Caliph of Damascus, who employed John as his counselor and administrator. The prince, credulous of the fraud, ordered John's right hand to be cut off, though John swore in vain that the accusation was false. But the most holy Virgin, defender of the innocent, came to the aid of her client, whose help he had earnestly implored in prayer, and by her benefit the severed hand was restored and rejoined to the arm as though it had never been severed. Moved above all by this miracle, John resolved to carry out what he had long conceived in his heart. Having with difficulty obtained his withdrawal from the Caliph, he distributed all his possessions to the poor and freed his servants; then, as a pilgrim, he visited the holy places of Palestine, and at last withdrew with his teacher Cosmas to the laura of Saint Sabbas near Jerusalem, where he was ordained a priest.

℟ You are my God, do not depart from me:

For tribulation is near, and there is none to help.

℣ But you, O Lord, do not withdraw your help far from me: look to my defense.

℟ For tribulation is near, and there is none to help.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.

Reading 5

In the novitiate of religious life he began to be held as a master of all virtues. His observance of the rules, even the least, was most exact; his contempt of the world singular; his hatred of self implacable; yet his love for God so ardent that it gradually consumed even his body. Being therefore commanded to turn his mind away from divine things for a time, he fled in vain from God, who met him everywhere. Embracing his neighbors also with wonderful charity, he contracted a contagious disease in the public hospitals where he zealously ministered. Slowly consumed by it, on the day he had foretold — the eleventh day before the Kalends of July, having begun the twenty-fourth year of his age — having first asked to be beaten with stripes and to die prostrate on the ground, he departed to heaven. There the holy Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, by a divine revelation, saw him enjoying such great glory as she would scarcely have believed could exist in heaven; and she proclaimed that he had been outstanding in holiness and an unknown Martyr by charity. He also shone forth with many and great miracles. These being duly proved, Benedict the Thirteenth enrolled the angelic youth in the register of Saints, and gave him as a model of innocence and chastity and at the same time as patron especially for studious youth.

℟ Upon you have I been cast from the womb, from my mother's womb you are my God, do not depart from me:

For tribulation is near, and there is none to help.

℣ Save me from the mouth of the lion, and my lowliness from the horns of the unicorns.

℟ For tribulation is near, and there is none to help.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May God kindle the fire of his love in our hearts.

Reading 6

It is truly remarkable how much John produced, both in prose and in verse bound by number, for the defense of the faith and the fostering of piety; worthy indeed to be celebrated with the highest praises by the Second Council of Nicaea, and to be called Chrysorrhoas on account of the golden flow of his speech. Nor did he only defend the orthodox faith against the Iconoclasts; he vigorously attacked almost all the heretics, especially the Acephali, the Monothelites, and the Theopaschites. He admirably vindicated the rights and authority of the Church. He asserted in most eloquent words the primacy of the Prince of the Apostles.

℟ My tribulation is near, O Lord, and there is no one to help; that they dig through my hands and feet: deliver me from the mouth of the lion,

That I may declare your name to my brethren.

℣ Rescue, O God, my soul from the sword, and my only one from the hand of the dog.

℟ That I may declare your name to my brethren.

℣ 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.

℟ My tribulation is near, O Lord, and there is no one to help; that they dig through my hands and feet: deliver me from the mouth of the lion, * That I may declare your name to my brethren.

Nocturn 3

Ant. They cried out to the Lord * and he delivered them from their distress.

Psalm 106(1-14)

106:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: * for his mercy endures for ever.
106:2 Let those who have been redeemed by the Lord say so, those whom he redeemed from the hand of the enemy: * and gathered them from the regions:
106:3 From the rising of the sun and its setting: * from the north and from the sea.
106:4 They wandered in solitude in a waterless place: * they did not find the way to a city of habitation.
106:5 Hungry and thirsty: * their soul fainted within them.
106:6 And they cried out to the Lord in their tribulation: * and he rescued them from their necessity.
106:7 And he led them in the right way: * that they might go forth to a city of habitation.
106:8 Let them confess to the Lord his mercies: * and his wonders to the sons of men.
106:9 For he has satisfied the empty soul: * and the hungry soul he has filled with good things.
106:10 Those who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death: * shackled in poverty and in iron.
106:11 For they had provoked the words of God: * and had spurned the counsel of the Most High.
106:12 And their heart was brought low with hardships: * they were weakened, and there was no one to help them.
106:13 And they cried out to the Lord in their tribulation: * and he freed them from their distress.
106:14 And he led them out of darkness and the shadow of death: * and he broke apart their chains.

℣ 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. They cried out to the Lord and he delivered them from their distress.

Ant. They themselves saw * the works of God and his wonders.

Psalm 106(15-30)

106:15 Let them confess to the Lord his mercies: * and his wonders to the sons of men.
106:16 For he has crushed the gates of brass: * and broken the iron bars.
106:17 He has taken them up from the way of their iniquity: * for they were brought low because of their injustices.
106:18 Their soul abhorred all food: * and they drew near even to the gates of death.
106:19 And they cried out to the Lord in their tribulation: * and he delivered them from their necessity.
106:20 He sent his word, and healed them: * and rescued them from their utter destruction.
106:21 Let them confess to the Lord his mercies: * and his wonders to the sons of men.
106:22 And let them offer sacrifice with the sacrifice of praise: * and declare his works in exultation.
106:23 Those who descend to the sea in ships, * making their livelihood in the great waters:
106:24 These have seen the works of the Lord, * and his wonders in the deep.
106:25 He spoke, and a windstorm arose: * and its waves were exalted.
106:26 They ascend even to the heavens, and descend even to the abyss: * their soul wasted away in distress.
106:27 They were troubled and moved like a drunkard: * and all their wisdom was consumed.
106:28 And they cried out to the Lord in their tribulation: * and he led them out of their distress.
106:29 And he replaced the storm with a breeze: * and its waves were stilled.
106:30 And they rejoiced that it was stilled: * and he led them into the haven they desired.

℣ 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. They themselves saw the works of God and his wonders.

Ant. The righteous shall see * and rejoice, and shall understand the mercies of the Lord.

Psalm 106(31-43)

106:31 Let them confess to the Lord his mercies: * and his wonders to the sons of men.
106:32 And let them exalt him in the assembly of the people: * and praise him in the chair of the elders.
106:33 He has placed rivers in the desert: * and sources of water in a waterless land.
106:34 A fruit-bearing land into brine: * because of the malice of those who dwell in it.
106:35 He has placed the desert in pools of water: * and a land without water in sources of water.
106:36 And he has gathered the hungry there: * and they have built a city of habitation.
106:37 And they sowed fields and planted vineyards: * and they yielded the fruit of their increase.
106:38 And he blessed them, and they were multiplied exceedingly: * and their cattle he did not diminish.
106:39 And they became few: * and were afflicted by the tribulation of evils and sorrow.
106:40 Contempt was poured out upon their leaders: * and he caused them to wander in trackless places and not on the way.
106:41 And he helped the poor man out of destitution: * and set families like flocks.
106:42 The upright will see and rejoice: * and every iniquity will stop its mouth.
106:43 Who is wise and will keep these things? * And who will understand the mercies of the Lord?

℣ 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 righteous shall see and rejoice, and shall understand the mercies of the Lord.

℣ The law of his God is in his heart.

℟ And his steps shall not be overthrown.

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.

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

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May he bless us who lives and reigns without end.

Reading 7

A Reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Luc 6:6-11

At that time: It happened also on another Sabbath that Jesus entered into the synagogue and taught; and there was a man there whose right hand was withered. And so forth.

A Homily of Saint Peter Chrysologus

Sermo 32

In this man the image of all men is figured; in him the care of all is carried on; in him the long-awaited healing of all is restored. For the hand of man had withered more from numbness of faith than from dryness of sinew, and more from the fault of conscience than from bodily weakness. That sickness was exceedingly ancient, having befallen at the very beginning of the world; nor could it be healed by any human skill or benefit, since it had been contracted by the indignation of God. He had touched what was forbidden, had presumed what was not granted, when he stretched out his hand to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil: he needed not one who would apply a poultice, but one who could relax the sentence that had been imposed, and resolve by pardoning what he had bound up by his indignation.

℟ All the day long I went about in sorrow, O Lord: for my soul was filled with illusions:

And those who sought my soul did violence to me.

℣ My friends and my neighbors drew near and stood against me: and those who were close to me stood far off.

℟ And those who sought my soul did violence to me.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May the divine assistance remain always with us.

Reading 8

In this man, only a shadow of health is wrought in us; but perfect salvation is reserved for us in Christ: for then the miserable dryness of our hand is dissolved, when it is bathed in the blood of the Lord's Passion, when it is extended upon that life-giving wood of the Cross, when it grasps fruitful virtue from suffering, when it embraces the whole tree of salvation, when the body is fastened with the nails of the Lord, so that it may never return to the tree of concupiscence and arid pleasure. And he says to the man having the withered hand: Rise up into the midst — you who profess your own weakness, who demand mercy from on high, who testify to divine power, who assert the unbelief of the Jews: rise up into the midst; so that those whom so great a power of signs does not compel, whom deeds of so great salvation do not move, may at least be restrained and softened by compassion for so great a weakness.

℟ Do not turn away your face from your servant, O Lord:

For I am in tribulation, hear me quickly.

℣ Attend to my soul, and deliver it: because of my enemies, rescue me.

℟ For I am in tribulation, hear me quickly.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 9

He said to the man: Stretch out your hand; and he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Stretch out your hand: it is loosed by the command by which it had been bound by command. Stretch out your hand: suffering acknowledged the Judge, the work acknowledged God, the pardon betrayed the Creator. Pray, brethren, that such a withering may afflict the synagogue alone, and that there be no one in the Church whose hand avarice may wither, covetousness contract, rapine weaken, or stinginess bind in sickness; but if this should happen, let him hear the Lord and quickly extend it in a work of piety, relax it, and stretch it out in mercy and almsgiving. He who does not know how to lend to the poor does not know how to be healed.

℟ Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, and I will weep day and night? For a close kinsman has supplanted me,

And every friend has dealt deceitfully with me.

℣ Let their ways become darkness and slipperiness: and let the Angel of the Lord pursue them.

℟ And every friend has dealt deceitfully with 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.

℟ Who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes, and I will weep day and night? For a close kinsman has supplanted me, and every friend has dealt deceitfully with me.