Morning Prayer integrated in the Mass for Holy Wednesday

MORNING PRAYER INTEGRATED IN THE MASS FOR HOLY WEDNESDAY

PSALMODY
Ant. 1 In the day of my distress, I reached out with my hands to seek the Lord’s help.

Psalm 77
Recalling God’s works

I cry aloud to God, *
cry aloud to God that he may hear me.

In the day of my distress I sought the Lord. †
My hands were raised at night without ceasing;
my soul refused to be consoled.
I remembered my God and I groaned. *
I pondered and my spirit fainted.

You withheld sleep from my eyes. *
I was troubled, I could not speak.
I thought of the days of long ago *
and remembered the years long past.
At night I mused within my heart. *
I pondered and my spirit questioned.

“Will the Lord reject us for ever? *
Will he show us his favor no more?
Has his love vanished for ever? *
Has his promise come to an end?
Does God forget his mercy *
or in anger withhold his compassion?”

I said: “This is what causes my grief; *
that the way of the Most High has changed.”
I remember the deeds of the Lord, *
I remember your wonders of old,
I muse on all your works *
and ponder your mighty deeds.

Your ways, O God, are holy. *
What god is as great as our God?
You are the God who works wonders. *
You showed your power among the peoples.
Your strong arm redeemed your people, *
the sons of Jacob and Joseph.

The waters saw you, O God, *
the waters saw you and trembled;
the depths were moved with terror. *
The clouds poured down rain,
the skies sent forth their voice; *
your arrows flashed to and fro.

Your thunder rolled round the sky, *
your flashes lighted up the world.
The earth was moved and trembled *
when your way led through the sea,
your path through the mighty waters *
and no one saw your footprints.

You guided your people like a flock *
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

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. In the day of my distress, I reached out with my hands to seek the Lord’s help.

Ant. 2 If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Christ.

Canticle: 1 Samuel 2:1-10
The humble find joy in God

My heart exults in the Lord, *
my horn is exalted in my God.

I have swallowed up my enemies; *
I rejoice in my victory.
There is no Holy One like the Lord; *
there is no Rock like our God.

Speak boastfully no longer, *
nor let arrogance issue from your mouths.
For an all-knowing God is the Lord, *
a God who judges deeds.

The bows of the mighty are broken, *
while the tottering gird on strength.
The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, *
while the hungry batten on spoil.
The barren wife bears seven sons, *
while the mother of many languishes.

The Lord puts to death and gives life; †
he casts down to the nether world; *
he raises up again.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich, *
he humbles, he also exalts.

He raises the needy from the dust; *
from the ash heap he lifts up the poor,
to seat them with nobles *
and make a glorious throne their heritage.

For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s. *
and he has set the world upon them.
He will guard the footsteps of his faithful ones, *
but the wicked shall perish in the darkness.
For not by strength does man prevail; *
the Lord’s foes shall be shattered.

The Most High in heaven thunders; *
the Lord judges the ends of the earth.
Now may he give strength to his king *
and exalt the horn of his anointed!

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. If we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Christ.

Ant. 3 God has made Christ Jesus our wisdom and our holiness. By him we have been sanctified and redeemed.

Psalm 97
The glory of the Lord in his decrees for the world

The Lord is king, let earth rejoice, *
let all the coastlands be glad.
Cloud and darkness are his raiment; *
his throne, justice and right.

A fire prepares his path; *
it burns up his foes on every side.
His lightnings light up the world, *
the earth trembles at the sight.

The mountains melt like wax *
before the Lord of all the earth.
The skies proclaim his justice; *
all peoples see his glory.

Let those who serve idols be ashamed, †
those who boast of their worthless gods. *
All you spirits, worship him.

Zion hears and is glad; †
the people of Judah rejoice *
because of your judgments, O Lord.

For you indeed are the Lord †
most high above all the earth, *
exalted far above all spirits.

The Lord loves those who hate evil; †
he guards the souls of his saints; *
he sets them free from the wicked.

Light shines forth for the just *
and joy for the upright of heart.
Rejoice, you just, in the Lord; *
give glory to his holy name.

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. God has made Christ Jesus our wisdom and our holiness. By him we have been sanctified and redeemed.

First Reading
Is 50:4-9a
A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah

The Lord GOD has given me
a well-trained tongue,
That I might know how to speak to the weary
a word that will rouse them.
Morning after morning
he opens my ear that I may hear;
And I have not rebelled,
have not turned back.
I gave my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who plucked my beard;
My face I did not shield
from buffets and spitting.

The Lord GOD is my help,
therefore I am not disgraced;
I have set my face like flint,
knowing that I shall not be put to shame.
He is near who upholds my right;
if anyone wishes to oppose me,
let us appear together.
Who disputes my right?
Let him confront me.
See, the Lord GOD is my help;
who will prove me wrong?

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 69:8-10, 21-22, 31 and 33-34
R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

For your sake I bear insult,
and shame covers my face.
I have become an outcast to my brothers,
a stranger to my mother’s sons,
because zeal for your house consumes me,
and the insults of those who blaspheme you fall upon me.R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Insult has broken my heart, and I am weak,
I looked for sympathy, but there was none;
for consolers, not one could I find.
Rather they put gall in my food,
and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

I will praise the name of God in song,
and I will glorify him with thanksgiving:
“See, you lowly ones, and be glad;
you who seek God, may your hearts revive!
For the LORD hears the poor,
and his own who are in bonds he spurns not.”R. Lord, in your great love, answer me.

Gospel Acclamation
Hail to you, our King;
you alone are compassionate with our errors.

Gospel
Mt 26:14-25
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

One of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot,
went to the chief priests and said,
“What are you willing to give me
if I hand him over to you?”
They paid him thirty pieces of silver,
and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread,
the disciples approached Jesus and said,
“Where do you want us to prepare
for you to eat the Passover?”
He said,
“Go into the city to a certain man and tell him,
‘The teacher says, “My appointed time draws near;
in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples.”’”
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered,
and prepared the Passover.

When it was evening,
he reclined at table with the Twelve.
And while they were eating, he said,
“Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
Deeply distressed at this,
they began to say to him one after another,
“Surely it is not I, Lord?”
He said in reply,
“He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me
is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him,
but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed.
It would be better for that man if he had never been born.”
Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply,
“Surely it is not I, Rabbi?”
He answered, “You have said so.”

The Gospel of the Lord.
---Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Canticle of Zechariah (After Communion)
Luke 1:68-79Ant. Through the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as the perfect sacrifice. His blood purifies us from sin and makes us fit servants of the living God.

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. Through the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as the perfect sacrifice. His blood purifies us from sin and makes us fit servants of the living God.