Sabbato infra Hebdomadam II post Octavam Paschæ

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 Acts of the Apostles

Act. 28:16-20

16 And when we had arrived at Rome, Paul was given permission to stay by himself, with a soldier to guard him.
17 And after the third day, he called together the leaders of the Jews. And when they had convened, he said to them: 'Noble brothers, I have done nothing against the people, nor against the customs of the fathers, yet I was delivered as a prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans.
18 And after they held a hearing about me, they would have released me, because there was no case for death against me.
19 But with the Jews speaking against me, I was constrained to appeal to Caesar, though it was not as if I had any kind of accusation against my own nation.
20 And so, because of this, I requested to see you and to speak to you. For it is because of the hope of Israel that I am encircled with this chain.'

℟ Christ, rising from the dead, dies now no more, death shall no longer have dominion over him: for in that he died, he died to sin once:

But in that he lives, he lives unto God, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ He died once for our offenses, and rose again for our justification.

℟ But in that he lives, he lives unto God, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 2

Act. 28:21-24

21 'We have not received letters about you from Judea, nor have any of the other new arrivals among the brothers reported or spoken anything evil against you.
22 But we are asking to hear your opinions from you, for concerning this sect, we know that it is being spoken against everywhere.'
23 And having appointed a day for him, many came to him at his guest lodgings, to whom he was expounding and bearing witness to the kingdom of God, and persuading them about Jesus from the law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning until evening.
24 And some believed the things that he was saying, yet others did not believe.

℟ The good shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep, and was pleased to die for his flock:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ For indeed Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

℟ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ 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.

℟ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 3

Act. 28:25-31

25 And when they could not agree among themselves, they departed, while Paul was speaking this one word: 'How well did the Holy Spirit speak to our fathers through the prophet Isaiah,
26 saying: "Go to this people and say to them: Hearing, you shall hear and not understand, and seeing, you shall see and not perceive.
27 For the heart of this people has grown dull, and they have listened with reluctant ears, and they have closed their eyes tightly, lest perhaps they might see with the eyes, and hear with the ears, and understand with the heart, and so be converted, and I would heal them."
28 Therefore, let it be known to you, that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they shall listen to it.'
29 And when he had said these things, the Jews went away from him, though they still had many questions among themselves.
30 Then he remained for two whole years in his own rented lodgings. And he received all who went in to him,
31 preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which are from the Lord Jesus Christ, with all faithfulness, without prohibition.

℟ Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, to open the book and to loose its seven seals:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power, and divinity, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

℟ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

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.

℣ Save us, O Lord our God.

℟ That we may give thanks to your holy name.

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

Sermon of Saint John Chrysostom

Homilia 4 in Matth.

Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife. But what does it mean to take her? Assuredly, to keep her at home; for he had already dismissed her in his mind. But the one you have dismissed, he says, retain — she whom God joins to you, not parents; and he joins her, not in the solemn bond of marriage, but in the company of a shared dwelling, and he joins her through the ministry of my voice. For just as Christ himself later entrusts her to a disciple, so now too the Angel entrusts her to the Bridegroom — that she shall have only his companionship without the bond of marriage. Then, more honorably and with far greater dignity, having set forth the cause of the birth, he also utterly extinguished suspicion. She was violated, he says, not by any unlawful embrace; but moreover she is fruitful above nature and custom. Do not therefore draw sorrow upon yourself from so happy a birth of your Bride; rather, break forth into greater joy; for what is born in her is of the Holy Spirit.

℟ I am the true vine, and you are the branches:

He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.

℟ He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ 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.

℟ He who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 5

For now, both by the Lord's own profession and by our faith, it is truly flesh and truly blood. And when received and drunk, they bring it about that both we are in Christ and Christ is in us. Can this not be the truth? Let it not be the truth for those who deny that Jesus Christ is true God. He is therefore in us through the flesh, and we are in him, since that which we are is, with him, in God. But that through the Sacrament of sharing in his flesh and blood we are in him, he himself testifies, saying: And the world will see me no more, but you shall see me; because I live, and you will live; because I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.

℟ Rising, our Lord Jesus, standing in the midst of his disciples, said:

Peace be with you, alleluia: the disciples rejoiced at the sight of the Lord, alleluia.

℣ On the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were gathered, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them.

℟ Peace be with you, alleluia: the disciples rejoiced at the sight of the Lord, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 6

The Evangelist recorded that the Angel had brought his name from heaven, in order to show thereby how marvelous was that birth — teaching that his name was conveyed to Joseph both by an Angel and from God. For the very name itself was not placed there without purpose; it surely contains a thousand treasuries of good things. For this reason the Angel also interprets it, encouraging one sorrowing with good hopes; and in this way too he draws him to believe what he is saying. For we are easily moved toward what is favorable, and we give our assent more readily to what is fortunate. For he, it says, will save his people from their sins. From this too the newness of the benefit is indicated. For it is not from visible warfare, nor from the sword of barbarians, but — what is far greater than these — from their own sin that he announces his people are to be freed: which no human being has ever been able to bring about.

℟ Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump; for Christ our Pasch has been sacrificed:

And so let us feast in the Lord, alleluia.

℣ He died for our sins, and rose again for our justification.

℟ And so let us feast in the Lord, alleluia.

℣ 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.

℟ And so let us feast in the Lord, alleluia.

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.

℣ Let them exalt the Lord in the assembly of the people.

℟ And praise him in the seat of the elders.

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 3:21-23

At that time: It came about that when all the people were being baptized, and Jesus had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened. And so forth.

From a Homily of Saint Ambrose, Bishop

Expositio in Luc. lib. 3

No one ought to be troubled that it is written: Who was thought to be the son of Joseph. For rightly was he thought to be so, since he was not so by nature; but he was thought to be so because Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph her husband, had borne him. For you have it thus: Is not this the son of Joseph the carpenter? We have said above by what reason he was born through a Virgin; we have also said by what reason through one betrothed, and why the Lord of salvation willed to be born at the time of the census. It does not seem out of place either to declare by what reason he had a carpenter for a father. For by this figure he shows that he has as father one who, as maker of all things, fashioned the world. For even if human things are not to be compared with divine, yet the figure is complete: that the Father of Christ works by fire and by spirit, and like a good craftsman of the soul, trims away our vices; quickly bringing the axe to unfruitful trees, skilled at cutting what is meager, preserving what towers above, softening the rigidity of minds by the fire of the Spirit, and shaping the whole human race for various purposes by the diverse quality of their ministries.

℟ Christ, rising from the dead, dies now no more, death shall no longer have dominion over him: for in that he died, he died to sin once:

But in that he lives, he lives unto God, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ He died once for our offenses, and rose again for our justification.

℟ But in that he lives, he lives unto God, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May the divine assistance remain always with us.

Reading 8

Why the genealogy of Joseph rather than that of Mary is described — since it was Mary who conceived Christ by the Holy Spirit and Joseph seems a stranger to the generation of the Lord — we might doubt, were we not instructed by the custom of the Scriptures, which always seeks the origin of the husband. For the person of the husband is the one who preserves the dignity of lineage in the senate and the other public bodies of cities. How unseemly it would have been, if the origin of the husband being passed over, the origin of the woman were sought — so that he who was to be proclaimed to all the peoples of the world would seem not to have had a father! You see everywhere that the family runs through the generations of men. Do not wonder that the origin of Joseph is described. For he who was born according to the flesh had to follow the custom of the flesh; and he who came into the world had to be described according to the manner of the world — especially since in the lineage of Joseph the lineage of Mary is also included.

℟ The good shepherd has risen, who laid down his life for his sheep, and was pleased to die for his flock:

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ For indeed Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.

℟ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ 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.

℟ Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 9

Why holy Matthew began to enumerate the genealogy of Christ from Abraham, but holy Luke traced it from Christ all the way to God, seems to require explanation. Luke thought that his origin should be referred back to God, because God is the true generator of Christ — either as Father according to true generation, or as the author of the mystical gift according to the regeneration of baptism. And therefore he did not begin to trace his genealogy from the beginning; but after he had set forth his baptism, wishing to demonstrate God as the Author of all things through baptism. He also asserted that Christ proceeded from God in the order of continuous succession, weaving everything together, so as to demonstrate him as Son of God both according to nature and according to grace and according to the flesh. What more evident sign of divine generation than that when he was about to speak of the generation, he first set the Father himself speaking: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased?

Te Deum

O God, we praise you; * O Lord, we acclaim you.
Eternal Father, * all the earth reveres you.
To you all the Angels, * the heavens and all the Powers of heaven:
To you the Cherubim and Seraphim * cry out in endless praise:
(A bow is made) Holy, Holy, Holy * Lord God of hosts;
Heaven and earth are filled * with the majesty of your glory.
The glorious choir of Apostles * sings to you,
the noble company of Prophets * praises you,
the white-robed army of Martyrs * glorifies you.
Holy Church throughout the earth * proclaims you,
the Father * of boundless majesty;
your true and only Son, * worthy of adoration;
and the Holy Spirit, * the Paraclete.
You, O Christ, * are the King of glory.
You are * the Father's everlasting Son.
(A bow is made) When you resolved to save the human race, * you did not spurn the Virgin's womb.
When you resolved to save the human race, * you did not spurn the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death * and opened the Kingdom of Heaven to those who put their faith in you.
You are seated at the right hand of God * in the glory of the Father.
We believe you are the Judge * who is to come.

(The following verse is said kneeling)

(Brethren, when they begin 'Te ergo quaesumus,' departing from the Stalls, let them reverently bow at the words 'Quos pretioso' and the rest)

And so we beg you, help your servants, * redeemed by your most precious blood.
Number them * among your Saints in eternal glory.
Number them * among your Saints in eternal glory.
Save your people, Lord, * and bless your inheritance.
Shepherd them * and raise them to eternal life.
Day by day * we bless you,
(A bow is made, according to custom) and we praise your name * for endless ages evermore.
and we praise your name * for endless ages evermore.
Be gracious, Lord, on this day, * and keep us from all sin.
Have mercy on us, O Lord, * have mercy.
May your mercy be upon us, Lord, * as we place our trust in you.
In you, O Lord, I rest my hope: * let me never be put to shame.