S. Bedæ Venerabilis 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 Second Letter of the blessed Apostle Peter

2 Pet 3:1-7

1 Consider, most beloved, this second epistle which I am writing to you, in which I stir up, by admonition, your sincere mind,
2 so that you may be mindful of those words that I preached to you from the holy prophets, and of the precepts of the Apostles of your Lord and Savior.
3 Know this first: that in the last days there will arrive deceitful mockers, walking according to their own desires,
4 saying: 'Where is his promise or his advent? For from the time that the fathers have slept, all things have continued just as they were from the beginning of creation.'
5 But they willfully ignore this: that the heavens existed first, and that the earth, from water and through water, was established by the Word of God.
6 By water, the former world then, having been inundated with water, perished.
7 But the heavens and the earth that exist now were restored by the same Word, being reserved unto fire on the day of judgment, and unto the perdition of impious men.

℟ After his Passion, appearing to them for forty days and speaking of the Kingdom of God, alleluia:

And, as they looked on, he was lifted up, alleluia; and a cloud received him from their sight, alleluia.

℣ And eating with them, he commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to await the promise of the Father.

℟ And, as they looked on, he was lifted up, alleluia; and a cloud received him from their sight, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 2

2 Pet 3:8-13

8 Yet truly, let this one thing not escape notice, most beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day.
9 The Lord is not delaying his promise, as some imagine, but he does act patiently for your sake, not wanting anyone to perish, but wanting all to be turned back to penance.
10 Then the day of the Lord shall arrive like a thief. On that day, the heavens shall pass away with great violence, and truly the elements shall be dissolved with heat; then the earth, and the works that are within it, shall be completely burned up.
11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what kind of people ought you to be? In behavior and in piety, be holy,
12 waiting for and hurrying toward the advent of the day of the Lord, by which the burning heavens shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt from the heat of the fire.
13 Yet truly, in accord with his promises, we are looking forward to the new heavens and the new earth, in which justice lives.

℟ All the beauty of the Lord is exalted above the stars:

His glory is in the clouds of heaven, and his name endures for ever, alleluia.

℣ From the heights of heaven is his going forth, and his meeting even unto the summit thereof.

℟ His glory is in the clouds of heaven, and his name endures for ever, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 3

2 Pet 3:14-18

14 Therefore, most beloved, while awaiting these things, be diligent, so that you may be found to be immaculate and unassailable before him, in peace;
15 and let the longsuffering of our Lord be considered salvation, as also our most beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 just as he also spoke in all of his epistles about these things. In these, there are certain things which are difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unsteady distort, as they also do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.
17 But since you, brothers, know these things beforehand, be cautious, lest by being drawn into the error of the foolish, you may fall away from your own steadfastness.
18 Yet truly, increase in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory, both now and in the day of eternity. Amen.

℟ Be exalted, O Lord, alleluia,

In your power, alleluia.

℣ Your majesty is exalted above the heavens, O God.

℟ In your power, 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.

℟ In your power, 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.

℣ 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

Bede the Priest, born on the borders of Britain and Scotland at Jarrow, was entrusted at the age of seven to be educated by the holy Abbot Benedict Biscop of Wearmouth. Having then become a monk, he so ordered his life that, while devoting himself entirely to the study of the arts and sciences, he never in any way relaxed his regular discipline. There was no branch of learning in which he was not most diligently versed; but his chief concern was the meditation of the divine Scriptures, and, that he might more fully grasp their meaning, he acquired a knowledge of the Greek and Hebrew tongues. Ordained a priest at the age of thirty by the command of his abbot, he straightway, at the urging of Acca, Bishop of Hexham, undertook to expound the sacred books; in this he adhered so closely to the teachings of the holy Fathers that he put forward nothing that was not approved by their judgment, using even their very words for the most part. Ever averse to idleness, he would pass from reading to prayer and from prayer back to reading; in which pursuit he was so inflamed in soul that he was often bathed in tears while reading and teaching. And lest he be distracted by the cares of transitory things, he most steadfastly refused the office of abbot when it was offered to him.

℟ Bless God in the churches, alleluia:

the Lord from the fountains of Israel, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Sing a psalm to his name, give glory to his praise.

℟ the Lord from the fountains of Israel, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 5

The name of Bede became so quickly illustrious for learning and piety that Pope Saint Sergius thought of summoning him to Rome, namely to work on the definition of very difficult questions that had arisen concerning sacred things. He wrote several books for the correction of the morals of the faithful and for the vindication and defense of the faith, by which he won so great a reputation among all that Saint Boniface, bishop and martyr, proclaimed him a light of the Church; Lanfranc called him a doctor of the English; and the Council of Aachen called him an admirable doctor. Indeed his writings were read publicly in churches even while he was still alive. And when this happened, since it was not permitted to call him a saint, they honored him with the title of Venerable; which title afterward was always considered as his very own even in subsequent times. The power of his teaching was all the more effective in that it was confirmed by holiness of life and religious virtues. For this reason the disciples whom he had many and outstanding to form, he made distinguished by his diligence and example not only in letters and knowledge but also in holiness.

℟ With my whole heart, alleluia, I have sought you, alleluia:

Cast me not away from your commandments, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Blessed are you, O Lord, teach me your justifications.

℟ Cast me not away from your commandments, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 6

Finally broken by age and labors, he was seized by a grave illness. Though detained by it for more than fifty days, he did not interrupt his customary practice of prayer and the interpretation of the Scriptures; for during that time he translated the Gospel of John into English for the use of his countrymen. And when in the prelude of the Ascension he perceived that death was near, he wished to be strengthened by the last Sacraments of the Church; then, embracing his companions and laid on the ground upon a hairshirt, as he repeatedly uttered the words, "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit," he fell asleep in the Lord. His body, which is said to have breathed a most sweet fragrance, was buried in the monastery of Jarrow, and afterward translated to Durham with the relics of Saint Cuthbert. Leo XIII, Supreme Pontiff, following the advice of the Congregation of Sacred Rites, declared him Doctor of the universal Church, for he had long been venerated as a Doctor by the Benedictines and other religious families and dioceses, and decreed that on his feast day the Mass and Office of Doctors should be recited by all.

℟ Sing us a hymn, alleluia:

How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land? alleluia, alleluia.

℣ There they asked us, who led us captive, the words of songs.

℟ How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land? 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.

℟ How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land? alleluia, 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.

℣ 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 Matthew

Matt 5:13-19

At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? And so forth.

A Homily of the Venerable Bede, Priest

In Evang. Vos estis sal terra

By earth is signified human nature; by salt, the wisdom of words. For the nature of salt makes the earth unfruitful; hence we read of certain cities, in the fury of their conquerors, sown with salt. And this is fitting to apostolic teaching, that by the salt of wisdom it may check the luxuriance of worldly life or the foulness of vices springing up in the earth of human flesh. But if the salt loses its savor, with what shall it be salted? That is, if you, through whom peoples are to be seasoned, out of fear of persecutions or terror have forfeited the kingdoms of heaven, set outside the Church, you will undoubtedly endure the reproaches of your enemies. You are the light of the world: that is, you, because you have been illumined by the true Light, ought to be a light to those who are in the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden: that is, the apostolic teaching founded upon Christ, or the Church built upon Christ from many nations by the unity of faith and cemented together by the mortar of charity; which is secure to those entering and arduous to those approaching, guards its inhabitants and keeps out all enemies.

℟ O God, I will sing to you a new song, alleluia:

On the psaltery of ten strings I will sing praise to you, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ You are my God, and I will confess you; you are my God, and I will exalt you.

℟ On the psaltery of ten strings I will sing praise to you, alleluia, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

Benedictio. May the divine assistance remain always with us.

Reading 8

Nor do they light a lamp and place it under a bushel, but upon a lampstand. Under a bushel, therefore, places the lamp whoever obscures and hides the light of teaching for the sake of temporal advantages; but upon the lampstand, whoever so submits himself to the ministry of God that the teaching of truth stands higher than the service of the body. In another sense, the Savior lights the lamp, who filled the vessel of human nature with the flame of his divinity; and placed it upon the lampstand — that is, upon the Church — because he fixed the faith of his Incarnation in our foreheads. This lamp could not be placed under a bushel, that is, enclosed within the measure of the law; nor did it shine in Judea alone, but in the entire world.

℟ It is good to give praise to the Lord, alleluia:

And to sing psalms, alleluia.

℣ Upon the psaltery of ten strings, with canticle and harp.

℟ And to sing psalms, 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 to sing psalms, alleluia.

℣ Grant a blessing, O Lord.

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

Reading 9

And while they are listening to pestilential suggestions, but are not at all drawn to wicked action, what they drink is indeed deadly, yet it will not harm them. When they see their neighbors grow weak in good work, and with all their strength rush to their aid and by the example of their own conduct strengthen the lives of those who waver in their own efforts: what else are they doing but laying their hands upon the sick, that they may be healed? These miracles are surely all the greater in that they are spiritual: they are all the greater in that through them it is not bodies but souls that are raised up.

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.