Catholic Caucus: Daily Mass Readings 07-09-09,Opt Mem St. Augustine Zhao Rong/companions,martyrs

USCCB.org/New American Bible ^ | 07-09-09 | New American Bible

[annalex]

Christ in Majesty and Apostles

Unknown Spanish master

1200-20
Polychromed wood, 135 x 98 cm
Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya, Barcelona

[annalex]

Note the effective solution to depicting Judas: an empty niche.

[Salvation]

I’ve never seen anything like that. Inspirational on the artist’s part!

[Salvation]

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.

– O Lord, make haste to help me.

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

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 79 (80)

Lord, tend your vine

Awaken your power, Lord, and save us.

Shepherd of Israel, listen –

  you who take Joseph as your flock.

Shine out before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh –

  you who are enthroned upon the cherubim.

Awaken your power and come to us,

  come to us and save us.

Bring us back, O God:

  let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Lord God of hosts –

  how long will your anger endure

  against the prayers of your people?

You have given us tears for our bread,

  abundance of tears for us to drink.

You have made us a mockery among our neighbours,

  and our enemies laugh at us.

Bring us back, O God of hosts:

  let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;

  planted it, and drove out the nations.

You cleared the ground all about it,

  made firm its roots; and it filled the land.

Its shade covered mountains,

  its boughs shaded the cedars of God;

its leaves spread as far as the sea,

  its shoots as far as the River.

So why did you destroy its wall,

  so that anyone could pluck its fruit,

  whoever was passing by?

The wild boar of the forest broke it,

  every wild beast could graze off it.

Turn back, O God of hosts,

  look down from heaven and tend this vine.

Protect the vine, for your right hand planted it;

  and the son of man, whom you made strong.

The vine is burnt and dug up;

  and they too will perish when they see you rebuke them.

Stretch out your hand over your chosen one

  over the son of man, whom you made strong –

and we will not forsake you, and you will give us life;

  and we will call on your name.

Bring us back, Lord God of hosts:

  let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

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.

Awaken your power, Lord, and save us.

---

Canticle	Isaiah 12
The rejoicing of a redeemed people
Let all the world know the great things the Lord has done.
I will praise you, Lord, for when you were angry with me   you calmed your rage and turned again to console me. Behold, God is my salvation:   I will be confident, I will not fear; for the Lord is my strength and my joy,   he has become my saviour. And you will rejoice as you draw water   from the wells of salvation. And then you will say:   “Praise the Lord and call upon his name. Tell the peoples what he has done,   remember always the greatness of his name. Sing to the Lord, for he has done great things:   let this be known throughout the world. Cry out with joy and gladness, you who dwell in Zion.   Great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.” 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.
Let all the world know the great things the Lord has done.

---

Psalm 80 (81)

Solemn renewal of the covenant

Shout with joy to God our helper.

Shout with joy to God our helper,

  rejoice in the God of Jacob.

Take up the song, sound the timbrel,

  play on the lyre and the harp.

At the start of the month, sound the trumpet,

  at the full moon, at our festival.

For this is the law for Israel,

  the decree of the God of Jacob.

He gave it to Joseph, for a witness,

  when he went out of the land of Egypt;

  with words that had never been heard:

“I freed his back from burdens;

  his hands were freed from heavy loads.

In your tribulation you called on me and I freed you,

  I heard you from the heart of the storm,

  I tested you at the waters of Meribah.

Listen, my people, and I will put my case –

  Israel, if you would only hear me!

You shall not have any strange god,

  you shall not worship the gods of foreigners.

For I am the Lord, your God,

  who led you out of the land of Egypt.

  Open wide your mouth and I shall fill it.

But my people did not hear my voice:

  Israel did not turn to me.

So I let them go on in the hardness of their hearts,

  and follow their own counsels.

If my people had heard me,

  if only they had walked in my ways –

I would swiftly have crushed their enemies,

  stretched my hand over those who persecuted them.

The enemies of the Lord would be overcome with weakness,

  Israel’s would be the good fortune, for ever:

  I would feed them full of richest wheat

and give them honey from the rock,

  to their heart’s content.

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.

Shout with joy to God our helper.

---

Short reading	Romans 14:17-19 ©
The kingdom of God does not mean eating or drinking this or that, it means righteousness and peace and joy brought by the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way you will please God and be respected by men. So let us adopt any custom that leads to peace and our mutual improvement.

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Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Lord, make your people know your salvation, and forgive us our sins.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,   for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation   in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,   his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies   and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,   to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,   that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear  – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him,   for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:   for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation,   so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God,   one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness,   who live in the shadow of death;   to lead our feet in the path of peace. 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.
Lord, make your people know your salvation, and forgive us our sins.

---

Prayers and Intercessions

?

Blessed be God our Father, who protects his children and does not spurn their prayers. Let us all humbly pray to him: – Lord, give us light to see by. We thank you, Lord, for sending us your only Son to enlighten us:   may his light fill us all day long. – Lord, give us light to see by. Lord, send your wisdom to lead us through the day:   let us walk in the purity of a new life. – Lord, give us light to see by. Give us the strength to endure adversity for your sake:   with courage let us serve you unceasingly. – Lord, give us light to see by. Guide our thoughts, our feelings and our actions today,   so that we may serve you and follow you. – Lord, give us light to see by.

---

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

  thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

  and forgive us our trespasses

  as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

We pray to you, Lord, the true Light and the creator of light.

  May we keep our minds on what is holy

  and live always in the brightness of your presence.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: Genesis 44:18-21,23-29; 45:1-5

Joseph’s reconciliation with his brothers is a beautiful example of forgiveness.

Where did Joseph get the ability to treat them with so much mercy and kindness? Most likely from his own experience of God saving him time and again from dangers and oppression. God’s mercy was Joseph’s resource of mercy toward his brothers.

We would all like to experience freedom from the burden of our sins and the suffering caused by others’ sins against us. Yet how many of us feel trapped in guilt, anger, or painful memories? As hard as we try, we cannot seem to shake the past. But there is hope. We have more to work with than our own limited ability to forgive and be forgiven. We have the grace of God, which is always flowing to us from the cross. God can do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. He can bring us the freedom we long for. He can heal broken hearts and broken relationships.

For repentance and forgiveness to bear the fruit of healing and reconciliation, we need to look to the power of the blood that Jesus shed for us. By his sacrifice, Jesus has already dealt with all of our sins and all of the sins committed against us. Not only has he removed the condemnation these sins warranted, he has also made it possible for us to be healed of the effects of these sins—the painful memories, the isolation, the mistrust, and the cynicism. Jesus’ cross is the source of freedom, the infinite resource of mercy from which we can draw.

Perhaps someone has hurt you. Perhaps you have done something you think can never be forgiven. Take a few minutes right now and bring these offenses to Jesus in prayer. Imagine him on the cross, and recall that he is dying to free you from the very things that are keeping you bound. Release the memory of these things to him. Ask him to take them and to give in exchange his forgiveness and his ability to forgive. Let his love cover and erase all of your sins. Take a cue from Joseph, and let God’s mercy take over where your mercy falls short.

“Jesus, I believe that you have forgiven my sins and empowered me to forgive those who have sinned against me. I praise and thank you that you made a way to freedom for me where there was no way.”

Psalm 105:16-21; Matthew 10:7-15

[Salvation]

Vespers -- Evening Prayer

Vespers (Evening Prayer)

O God, come to my aid.

– O Lord, make haste to help me.

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

  as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

  world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

---

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 71 (72)

The Messiah's royal power

I have made you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.

Give the king your judgement, O God,

  give the king’s son your righteousness.

Let him judge your people with justice

  and your poor ones with wisdom.

Let the mountains bring peace to your people,

  let the hills bring righteousness.

He will give his judgement to the poor among the people,

  he will rescue the children of the destitute,

  he will lay low the false accuser.

He will endure with the sun, beneath the moon,

  from generation to generation.

He will come down like rain on the pasture,

  like a shower that waters the earth.

In his time, righteousness will flourish

  and abundance of peace,

  until the moon itself is no more.

He will rule from coast to coast,

  from the world’s centre to its farthest edge.

The desert-dwellers will cast themselves down before him;

  his enemies will eat dust at his feet.

The kings of Tharsis and the islands will bring tribute,

  the kings of Arabia and Sheba will bring gifts.

All the kings will worship him,

  all nations will serve him.

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.

I have made you a light for the nations, to be my salvation to the ends of the earth.

---

Psalm 71 (72)

The Lord will save the children of the poor and rescue their lives from oppression.

Because he has given freedom to the destitute who called to him,

  to the poor, whom no-one will hear.

He will spare the poor and the needy,

  he will keep their lives safe.

He will rescue their lives from oppression and violence,

  their blood will be precious in his sight.

He will live long, and receive gifts of gold from Arabia;

  they will pray for him always,

  bless him all through the day.

There will be abundance of grain in the land,

  it will wave even from the tops of the mountains;

its fruit will be richer than Lebanon.

  The people will flourish as easily as grass.

Let his name be blessed for ever,

  let his name endure beneath the sun.

All the nations of the earth will be blessed in him,

  all nations will acclaim his greatness.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

  who alone works wonders.

Let his majesty be blessed for ever;

  let it fill all the earth. 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.

The Lord will save the children of the poor and rescue their lives from oppression.

---

Canticle	Apocalypse 11
The Judgement
Now have come the salvation and kingdom of our God.
We thank you,   Lord God Almighty, who are and who were,   that you have taken up your great power and begun to reign. The nations were angered,   but your anger came, the time for the dead to be judged, the time to reward the prophets and saints, your servants,   and those who feared your name, both great and small. Now have come the salvation and might and kingdom of our God,   and the power of his Anointed, for the accuser of our brethren has been brought down,   who accused them day and night in the sight of God. But they vanquished him through the blood of the Lamb   and through their own witness. They did not cling to life,   even in the face of death. Therefore rejoice, heavens,   and you who dwell in them. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,   world without end. Amen.
Now have come the salvation and kingdom of our God.

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Short reading	1 Peter 1:22-23 ©
You have been obedient to the truth and purified your souls until you can love like brothers, in sincerity; let your love for each other be real and from the heart – your new birth was not from any mortal seed but from the everlasting word of the living and eternal God.

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Canticle	Magnificat
My soul rejoices in the Lord
The Lord has filled with good things all who hungered for justice.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,   and my spirit rejoices in God, my salvation. For he has shown me such favour –   me, his lowly handmaiden. Now all generations will call me blessed,   because the mighty one has done great things for me. His name is holy,   his mercy lasts for generation after generation   for those who revere him. He has put forth his strength:   he has scattered the proud and conceited,   torn princes from their thrones;   but lifted up the lowly. He has filled the hungry with good things;   the rich he has sent away empty. He has come to the help of his servant Israel,   he has remembered his mercy as he promised to our fathers,   to Abraham and his children for ever. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,   world without end. Amen.
The Lord has filled with good things all who hungered for justice.

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Prayers and Intercessions

?

Full of gratitude, let us lift up our souls to our Lord and Saviour, who has blessed his people with every spiritual blessing. Let us ask him for his help: – Lord, bless your people. O God, look with compassion on our Pope N. and our bishop N.,   and keep them safe in your church. – Lord, bless your people. Lord, in your kindness protect this land we live in,   and keep us free from all evil. – Lord, bless your people. Call your children to join you at your table:   make them follow you more closely, poor, chaste and obedient. – Lord, bless your people. Care for your maidservants who have embraced the vocation of virginity:   let them follow you, Lamb of God, wherever you may go. – Lord, bless your people. Give the dead rest in your eternal peace,   by the sharing of spiritual blessings, keep our bonds with them secure. – Lord, bless your people.

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Our Father, who art in Heaven,

  hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come,

  thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread,

  and forgive us our trespasses

  as we forgive those who trespass against us,

and lead us not into temptation,

  but deliver us from evil.

---

As we offer our evening praises we ask you, gentle Lord:

  do not let our hearts fall away from contemplation of your Law;

  and give us, at the end, the bright reward of eternal life.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

---

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

[Salvation]

Regnum Christi

The King’s Commands
July 9, 2009

| SPIRITUAL LIFE | SPIRITUALITY

Thursday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

Father Jeffrey Bowker, LC

Matthew 10:7-15

Jesus sent out the Twelve with the following instructions, “As you go, make this proclamation: ´The kingdom of heaven is at hand.´ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. Do not take gold or silver or copper for your belts; no sack for the journey, or a second tunic, or sandals, or walking stick. The laborer deserves his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it, and stay there until you leave. As you enter a house, wish it peace. If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it; if not, let your peace return to you. Whoever will not receive you or listen to your words -- go outside that house or town and shake the dust from your feet. Amen, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the Day of Judgment than for that town.”

Introductory Prayer: Lord, in your presence I break away from the spiritual laziness and indifference that deprives me of the fruit of this prayer which I need so much. I know my poverty, and you are immensely rich in all that I need. I am so slow to give, whereas you are prompt and total in your gifts to me. I offer you this unruly heart of mine to do all that you wish of me today.

Petition: Lord, please grant me the grace to be a better apostle today than I was yesterday.

1. Go, Proclaim, Cure… The command is “Go.” The Kingdom cannot be spread while sitting in an easy chair. We cannot wait for the world that needs Christ to come to our door. Letting opportunities where we can serve pass by, hoping someone else will take the initiative, is simply a “no” to Christ’s command. “Go” means sensitizing our heart and eyes to those who are hungry for Christ, seeing in the faces of our family members and co-workers a hunger for his power and grace. In this culture that is sick and waning, “go” means reaching out to those who need to know Christ, so that his Kingdom will expand. We cannot take the easy route of preaching to the choir; we must reach out to those professions and fields of study that have lost all sense of the dignity of the human person – especially medicine, law, politics and education. This is what the King is asking. What is the response I am giving to my King?

2. “Without Cost You Have Received; Without Cost You Must Give.” Christ’s command is to give from what we have received. If every day we make ourselves more aware of the gifts we have been given through Christ’s power, we will be better at giving Christ to others. As apostles, we go not with our own power; rather, we carry Christ’s power to heal, save and conquer evil. It is he who drives the mission, who makes the apostles a team. How often do I calculate what I can contribute to the mission based only on the strength of my human qualities? How often do I give only from what is just me, rather than from the graces I have received from the Holy Spirit? Moreover, do I measure my effectiveness solely from an individual perspective, rather than from that of the whole body of the Church, in which other apostles are locked arm-in-arm with me for the cause of Christ? God’s saving power is found where obedience and unity are, not where only natural talents, gifts and abilities are at play.

3. If a House is Worthy… Christ affirms that when we reach an impasse in our lives, this is, in and of itself, no sign of the lack of the authenticity of our mission. Its results are tied to the free-will choices of others, as well as to a plan where apparent barrenness is part of God’s economy of salvation. A period of few fruits in the mission can be a period of consolidation of our commitment to follow him in season and out of season. Take this time to repel all discouragement and doubt and to prove how authentic our “yes” is. A pure “yes” will seek God’s will and the mission at hand simply because he wants it, not for any easy or short-term results.

Conversation with Christ: Jesus, I wish to ignite my own zeal for your Kingdom from the furnace of divine love which burns in your heart. I offer you the promise of a soldier in combat: to be courageous, honorable, persevering, and worthy of the name I bear – “Apostle of the Kingdom of Christ.” I work aware of the fact that I have only one life to live on this earth. Not one minute must be wasted in comfort-seeking and selfishness. My heart is ready for the mission, Lord; please sustain it today with the strength of your own.

Resolution: Today I will review my daily and weekly time commitments before Christ, and I will ensure that I am using my time as fruitfully as I can to expand his Kingdom in the world.

[Salvation]

Homily of the Day

Give Them to God and Let Go!

July 9th, 2009 by Monsignor Dennis Clark, Ph.D.

Gn 44:18-21, 23b-29, 5:1-5 / Mt 10:7-15

Some problems have no easy solutions, but that doesn’t stop the toughest of us from continuing to try, and try, and try again.  “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”  And more often than not, persistence pays off.

But there are few problems that can be more intractable than matters of the heart and the challenges of changing hearts.  So what are we to do when hearts are frozen in place, and not a good place at that?  Jesus addressed this very matter a number of times, and He gives us part of the answer in today’s gospel.

In essence, He tells us never to give up on people, but to recognize that sometimes, no matter what we say or do, certain folks just aren’t ready yet to move forward or to hear the Good News.  In that circumstance, Jesus tells us not to badger, get angry, or condemn.  Just move on.  Shake the dust from your feet and move on.  Hold those folks always in prayer, and hope for the future, but let them be.

It’s hard to do, but in the long run, the best gift we have for such folks is our silent, respectful caring and hoping.  So when that moment comes, don’t judge, just commend them into God’s hands and let go!

[Salvation]

One Bread, One Body

One Bread, One Body

 

<< Thursday, July 9, 2009 >>

St. Augustine Zhao Rong & the Chinese Martyrs Saint of the Day

Genesis 44:18-21, 23-29; 45:1-5
View Readings

Psalm 105:16-21

Matthew 10:7-15

OUR FATHER

"Have you a father?" —Genesis 44:19

 

Joseph had everything. He was talented, handsome, and rich. He was one of the most important people in the world. However, all this meant almost nothing to him. Joseph was heartbroken, not so much because of being rejected by his brothers, but from being separated for twenty-five years from his father. Joseph expressed his longing for his father with loud sobs (Gn 45:2). As soon as Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, he first of all asked them: "Is my father still in good health?" (Gn 45:3)

We all were conceived with Joseph's problem. We were separated from our heavenly Father. No matter what we had, bought, possessed, or did, we could never be happy. Everything was ruined and life was empty without our Father. Then Jesus saved us. He is the only way to the Father (Jn 14:6) and "the exact Representation of the Father's being" (Heb 1:3). If we see Jesus, we see the Father (Jn 14:9). Jesus and the Father are One (Jn 10:30). Jesus taught us to pray to "our Father" (Mt 6:9) and reconciled us to our Father. As the Father loves Jesus, Jesus loves us (Jn 15:9).

 

Prayer: Abba...

Promise: "The gift you have received, give as a gift." —Mt 10:8

Praise: St. Augustine Zhao Rong could have had a longer, seemingly more prosperous life, but chose to die for his faith in Jesus, to live forever with his Father.

[Salvation]

Compline -- Night Prayer

Compline (Night Prayer)

Introduction
O God, come to my aid.   O Lord, make haste to help me. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,   as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,   world without end. Amen. Alleluia.

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This is an excellent moment for an examination of conscience. In a communal celebration of Compline, one of the penitential acts given in the Missal may be recited.

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Hymn

Christ, thou who art the light and day, Who chasest nightly shades away, Thyself the Light of Light confessed, And promiser of radiance blest: O holy Lord, we pray to thee, Throughout the night our guardian be; In thee vouchsafe us to repose, All peaceful till the night shall close. O let our eyes due slumber take, Our hearts to thee forever wake: And let thy right hand from above Shield us who turn to thee in love. O strong defender, hear our prayers, Repel our foes and break their snares, And govern thou thy servants here, Those ransomed with thy life-blood dear. Almighty Father, this accord Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who with the Holy Ghost and thee Doth reign through all eternity.

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Psalm 15 (16)
The Lord, my inheritance

My body will rest in calm and hope.

Preserve me, Lord,

  I put my hope in you.

I have said to the Lord

  “You are my Lord,

  in you alone is all my good.”

As for the holy and noble men of the land,

  in them is all my delight.

But for those who run to alien gods,

  their sorrows are many.

I will not share in their libations of blood.

  I will not speak their names.

You, Lord, are my inheritance and my cup.

  You control my destiny,

the lot marked out for me is of the best,

  my inheritance is all I could ask for.

I will bless the Lord who gave me understanding;

  even in the night my heart will teach me wisdom.

I will hold the Lord for ever in my sight:

  with him at my side I can never be shaken.

Thus it is that my heart rejoices,

  heart and soul together;

  while my body rests in calm hope.

You will not leave my soul in the underworld.

  You will not let your chosen one see decay.

You will show me the paths of life,

  the fullness of joy before your face,

  and delights at your right hand until the end of time.

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 body will rest in calm and hope.

---

Reading	1 Thessalonians 5:23
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you in every way and preserve your life and your soul and your body without blemish, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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Short Responsory
Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. – Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. You have redeemed us, Lord, God of faithfulness. – Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. – Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.

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Canticle

Nunc Dimittis

Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace. Now, Master, you let your servant go in peace.   You have fulfilled your promise. My own eyes have seen your salvation,   which you have prepared in the sight of all peoples. A light to bring the Gentiles from darkness;   the glory of your people Israel. 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. Keep us safe, Lord, while we are awake, and guard us as we sleep, so that we can keep watch with Christ and rest in peace.

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Let us pray.

Lord our God, we are tired by the work of the day. Refresh us with peaceful sleep and, forever renewed by the help you give, let us always be dedicated to you in body and mind.

Through Christ our Lord, Amen.

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May the almighty Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.

A M E N

	Salve Regina
Hail to you, O Queen, mother of loving kindness,   our life, our happiness, our hope. Hear us cry out to you,   children of Eve in our exile. Hear as we sigh, with groaning and weeping   in this life, this valley of tears. Come then, our Advocate, turn towards us   the gaze of your kind and loving eyes. And show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb,   when at last our exile here is ended.