PRAYER FOR THIS EVENING (THURSDAY, JULY 23)

Prayer for the Evening

Let us bless the Lord

in the communion of the saints!

Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!

HYMN

For your dear saints, O Lord,

Who strove in you to live,

Who followed you, obeyed, adored,

Our grateful hymn receive.

They all, in life or death,

With you, their Lord, in view,

Learned from your Holy Spirit’s breath

To suffer and to do.

For this, your name we bless,

And humbly pray that we

May follow them in holiness,

And live eternally.

PSALM 26

May my thoughts be pleasing to him. (Ps 104:34)

Most of us would feel like the hypocrites and liars of the third stanza if we were to pray this psalm on our own merits, but Christ prays the psalms in and with us, his body, as he works to bring us to full maturity in him, together with all his saints, known and unknown. Let us strive to take our place with them, relying on their prayers as we journey toward their great assembly.

Give judgment for me, O Lord:

for I walk the path of perfection.

I trust in the Lord; I have not wavered.

Examine me, Lord, and try me;

O test my heart and my mind,

for your love is before my eyes

and I walk according to your truth.

I never take my place with liars

and with hypocrites I shall not go.

I hate the evil-doer’s company:

I will not take my place with the wicked.

To prove my innocence I wash my hands

and take my place around your altar,

singing a song of thanksgiving,

proclaiming all your wonders.

O Lord, I love the house where you dwell,

the place where your glory abides.

Do not sweep me away with sinners,

nor my life with bloodthirsty men

in whose hands are evil plots,

whose right hands are filled with gold.

As for me, I walk the path of perfection.

Redeem me and show me your mercy.

My foot stands on level ground:

I will bless the Lord in the assembly.

Glory to the Father….

Word of God (Ephesians 4:7, 12b-13)

Grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift…for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ.

In him we live and move and have our being.

(Acts 17:28)

CANTICLE OF MARY

Since we have God’s promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of flesh and spirit, making holiness perfect in the fear of God. (cf. 2 Cor 7:1)

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…

INTERCESSIONS

The Lord has chosen us to be holy and blameless in his sight. Let us pray:

R/Abide with us, O Lord!

Make us walk according to your truth, O Lord: R/

Let us not go with hypocrites, O Lord: R/

Keep us from the company of evildoers, O Lord: R/

Redeem us and show us your mercy, O Lord: R/

Personal intentions

Our Father….

May grace and peace from God our Father descend upon all the faithful who desire to be holy. Amen.

MARIAN ANTIPHON

Antiphon for the Memorial of

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, July 16,

from the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite

Your head is like Carmel,

and the hairs of your head,

bound in tresses,

even as royal purple, alleluia.

Salve, Regina, mater misericordiae;

vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve.

Ad te clamamus, exsules filii Evae.

Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes

in hac lacrimarum valle.

Eia ergo, advocata nostra,

illos tuos misericordes oculos

ad nos converte.

Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui,

nobis post hoc exsilium ostende.

O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria.

Hail, holy Queen, mother of mercy,

our life, our sweetness, and our hope.

To you do we cry,

poor banished children of Eve.

To you do we send up our sighs,

mourning and weeping in this valley of tears.

Turn then, O most gracious advocate,

your eyes of mercy toward us,

and after this our exile

show unto us the blessed fruit of your womb, Jesus.

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.

V/ Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,

R/ That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.