August 10th
19th Week
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Saint Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr
Feast
St. Lawrence was a deacon in the 3rd century. He suffered martyrdom during Emperor Valerian’s persecution, shortly after Pope Saint Sixtus II and Companions were killed. St. Ambrose of Milan wrote about St. Lawrence and said when the prefect of Rome demanded the Church’s treasures, St. Lawrence brought forth the poor, widowed, maimed and lepers. He declared these people greater than any treasure the emperor could possess. Constantine the Great built an oratory over his burial site which has been enlarged and beautified by successive rulers. It remains today as the basilica of San Lorenzo.
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Wednesday Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
God’s holy martyr, who disdained
And overcame all pains and death,
Your faithful following of Christ
Has led you to the Father’s home.
By your incessant prayer for us,
Obtain forgiveness for our sins;
Protect us from the pow’rs of ill,
Relieve us in our daily cares.
For you are free from every bond
That bound you once to things of earth,
By your own ardent love for Christ,
Free us from all that drags us down.
All honor to our Father, God,
Who with the Spirit and the Son
Awarded you a deathless crown
In heaven’s court of glory blest. Amen.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 My soul clings to you, my God, because I endured death by fire for your sake.
Psalm 63
O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you.
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. My soul clings to you, my God, because I endured death by fire for your sake.
Ant. 2 The Lord sent his angel to free me from the fire, and I escaped the flames unharmed.
Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord.
You heavens, bless the Lord,
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord.
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord.
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord.
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord.
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord.
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord.
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord.
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord.
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord.
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord.
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord.
You sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord.
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord.
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven.
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all for ever.
Ant. The Lord sent his angel to free me from the fire, and I escaped the flames unharmed.
Ant. 3 Blessed Lawrence prayed: I thank you, Lord, for permitting me to enter the gates of your kingdom.
Psalm 149
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people.
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory,
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained;
this honor is for all his faithful.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Blessed Lawrence prayed: I thank you, Lord, for permitting me to enter the gates of your kingdom.
READING 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Praised be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation! He comforts us in all our afflictions and thus enables us to comfort those who are in trouble, with the same consolation we have received from him. As we have shared much in the sufferings of Christ, so through Christ do we share abundantly in his consolation.
RESPONSORY
The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.
— The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.
The Lord is my savior,
— and I shall sing his praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— The Lord is my strength, and I shall sing his praise.
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Ant. Do not be afraid, my son, for I am with you; if you should walk through the fire, the flames will not harm you, nor will the odor of burning cling to you.
Luke 1:68-79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Do not be afraid, my son, for I am with you; if you should walk through the fire, the flames will not harm you, nor will the odor of burning cling to you.
INTERCESSIONS
Our Savior’s faithfulness is mirrored in the fidelity of his witnesses who shed their blood for the word of God. Let us praise him in remembrance of them:
You redeemed us by your blood.
Your martyrs freely embraced death in bearing witness to the faith,
— give us the true freedom of the Spirit, O Lord.
You redeemed us by your blood.
Your martyrs professed their faith by shedding their blood,
— give us a faith, O Lord, that is constant and pure.
You redeemed us by your blood.
Your martyrs followed in your footsteps by carrying the cross,
— help us to endure courageously the misfortunes of life.
You redeemed us by your blood.
Your martyrs washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb,
— help us to avoid the weaknesses of the flesh and worldly allurements.
You redeemed us by your blood.
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.
Concluding Prayer
O God,
giver of that ardor of love for you
by which Saint Lawrence
was outstandingly faithful in service
and glorious in martyrdom,
grant that we may love what he loved
and put into practice what he taught.
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.
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Wednesday Evening Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
O God, the crown and great reward
Of all your soldiers brave and true,
Absolve us from all bonds of sin
Who sing your loyal martyr’s praise.
He spoke up fearlessly to prove
The steadfast faith deep in his heart,
So closely following our Lord
Like him, he gladly shed his blood.
Despising all the world could give
Its pleasures which can lead to harm,
Quite rightly counting them as dross,
He chose full happiness above.
With strength and courage he endured
The horrors of a cruel death,
And gave his life with joy to prove
His love for you, and life to gain.
Because of his great constancy,
We humbly beg, O Father kind,
On this your martyr’s festal day,
Forgive our failing and our falls.
That we at last may also share
All martyrs’ company on high,
Rejoicing with them evermore,
Enthroned with them in realms of light.
All praise and glory without end
Be yours, O Father, with the Son,
And with the Holy Spirit, too,
In time and in eternity. Amen.
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 By his martyrdom Lawrence gave witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and gained the reward of heaven.
Psalm 116
I
I love the Lord for he has heard
the cry of my appeal;
for he turned his ear to me
in the day when I called him.
They surrounded me, the snares of death,
with the anguish of the tomb;
they caught me, sorrow and distress.
I called on the Lord’s name.
O Lord, my God, deliver me!
How gracious is the Lord, and just;
our God has compassion.
The Lord protects the simple hearts;
I was helpless so he saved me.
Turn back, my soul, to your rest
for the Lord has been good;
he has kept my soul from death,
my eyes from tears
and my feet from stumbling.
I will walk in the presence of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. By his martyrdom Lawrence gave witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and gained the reward of heaven.
Ant. 2 Blessed Lawrence cried out: I rejoice greatly because I have been considered worthy to be a sacrificial victim for Christ.
II
I trusted, even when I said:
“I am sorely afflicted,”
and when I said in my alarm:
“No man can be trusted.”
How can I repay the Lord
for his goodness to me?
The cup of salvation I will raise;
I will call on the Lord’s name.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people.
O precious in the eyes of the Lord
is the death of his faithful.
Your servant, Lord, your servant am I;
you have loosened my bonds.
A thanksgiving sacrifice I make:
I will call on the Lord’s name.
My vows to the Lord I will fulfill
before all his people,
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Blessed Lawrence cried out: I rejoice greatly because I have been considered worthy to be a sacrificial victim for Christ.
Ant. 3 I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for permitting me to enter the gates of your kingdom.
Canticle – Revelation 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12
O Lord our God, you are worthy
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you have created all things;
by your will they came to be and were made.
Worthy are you, O Lord,
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.
For you were slain;
with your blood you purchased for God
men of every race and tongue,
of every people and nation.
You made of them a kingdom,
and priests to serve our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength,
honor and glory and praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. I thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for permitting me to enter the gates of your kingdom.
READING 1 Peter 4:13-14
Rejoice, beloved, in the measure that you share Christ’s sufferings. When his glory is revealed, you will rejoice exultantly. Happy are you when you are insulted for the sake of Christ, for then God’s Spirit in its glory has come to rest on you.
RESPONSORY
You have tried us by fire, O God, then led us to a place of refreshment.
— You have tried us by fire, O God, then led us to a place of refreshment.
You refined us as silver in the furnace,
— then led us to a place of refreshment.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
— You have tried us by fire, O God, then led us to a place of refreshment.
CANTICLE OF MARY
Ant. Blessed Lawrence said: The night is not dark for me; all things shine as in the noonday light.
Luke 1:46-55
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Blessed Lawrence said: The night is not dark for me; all things shine as in the noonday light.
INTERCESSIONS
This is the hour when the King of martyrs offered his life in the upper room and laid it down on the cross. Let us thank him and say:
We praise you, O Lord.
We praise you, O Lord, our Savior, inspiration and example for every martyr, for loving us to the end:
We praise you, O Lord.
For calling all repentant sinners to the rewards of life:
We praise you, O Lord.
For entrusting to your Church the blood of the new and everlasting
covenant poured out for the remission of sin:
We praise you, O Lord.
For our perseverance in your grace today:
We praise you, O Lord.
For incorporating our dead brothers and sisters into your own death today:
We praise you, O Lord.
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.
Concluding Prayer
O God,
giver of that ardor of love for you
by which Saint Lawrence
was outstandingly faithful in service
and glorious in martyrdom,
grant that we may love what he loved
and put into practice what he taught.
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.
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Thursday Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Thursday Evening Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Friday Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Friday Evening Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Saturday Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Saturday Evening Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Sunday Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
Sunday Evening Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
day Morning Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
day Evening Prayer
God, come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Hymn
Blessing
May the Lord bless and keep us
May His face shine upon us and be gracious to us
May the Lord look upon us with kindness and give us his peace
May the Lord bless us, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit – Amen
