Psalmody

PSALMODY

Ant. 1 Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.

Psalm 87
Jerusalem is mother of us all



On the holy mountain is his city *
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Zion *
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things, *
O city of God!

“Babylon and Egypt I will count *
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, *
these will be her children
and Zion shall be called ‘Mother’ *
for all shall be her children.”

It is he, the Lord Most High, *
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes: *
“These are her children,”
and while they dance they will sing: *
“In you all find their home.”

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.

Psalm Prayer

Lord God, your only Son wept over ancient Jerusalem, soon to be destroyed for its lack of faith. He established the new Jerusalem firmly upon rock and made it the mother of the faithful. Make us rejoice in your Church and grant that all people may be reborn into the freedom of your Spirit.

Ant. Glorious things are said of you, O city of God.

Ant. 2 The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.

Canticle: Isaiah 40:10-17
The Good Shepherd: God most high and most wise



Here comes with power †
the Lord God, *
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him, *
his recompense before him.

Like a shepherd he feeds his flock; *
in his arms he gathers the lambs,
carrying them in his bosom, *
and leading the ewes with care.

Who has cupped in his hand the waters of the sea, *
and marked off the heavens with a span?
Who has held in a measure the dust of the earth, †
weighed the mountains in scales *
and the hills in a balance?

Who has directed the spirit of the Lord, *
or has instructed him as his counselor?
Whom did he consult to gain knowledge? †
Who taught him the path of judgment, *
or showed him the way of understanding?

Behold, the nations count as a drop of the bucket, †
as rust on the scales; *
the coastlands weigh no more than powder.

Lebanon would not suffice for fuel, *
nor its animals be enough for holocausts.
Before him all the nations are as nought, *
as nothing and void he accounts them.

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. The Lord, the mighty conqueror, will come; he will bring with him the prize of victory.

Ant. 3 Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.

Psalm 99
Holy is the Lord our God



The Lord is king; the peoples tremble. †
He is throned on the cherubim; the earth quakes. *
The Lord is great in Zion.

He is supreme over all the peoples. †
Let them praise his name, so terrible and great. *
He is holy, full of power.

You are a king who loves what is right; †
you have established equity, justice and right; *
you have established them in Jacob.

Exalt the Lord our God; †
bow down before Zion, his footstool. *
He the Lord is holy.

Among his priests were Aaron and Moses, †
among those who invoked his name was Samuel. *
They invoked the Lord and he answered.

To them he spoke in the pillar of cloud. †
They did his will; they kept the law, *
which he, the Lord, had given.

O Lord our God, you answered them. †
For them you were a God who forgives; *
yet you punished all their offenses.

Exalt the Lord our God; †
bow down before his holy mountain *
for the Lord our God is holy.

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.

Psalm Prayer

God, you are the source of all holiness. Though no one can see you and live, you give life most generously, and in an even greater way restore it. Sanctify your priests through your life-giving Word, and consecrate your people in his blood until our eyes see your face.

Ant. Give praise to the Lord our God, bow down before his holy mountain.

1st Reading

1 Sam 7:18-19, 224-29

A reading from the second Book of Samuel

After Nathan had spoken to King David,
   the king went in and sat before the LORD and said,
   “Who am I, Lord GOD, and who are the members of my house,
   that you have brought me to this point?
Yet even this you see as too little, Lord GOD;
   you have also spoken of the house of your servant
   for a long time to come:
   this too you have shown to man, Lord GOD!

“You have established for yourself your people Israel as yours forever,
   and you, LORD, have become their God.
And now, LORD God, confirm for all time the prophecy you have made
   concerning your servant and his house,
   and do as you have promised.
Your name will be forever great, when men say,
   ‘The LORD of hosts is God of Israel,’
   and the house of your servant David stands firm before you.
It is you, Lord of hosts, God of Israel,
   who said in a revelation to your servant,
   ‘I will build a house for you.’
Therefore your servant now finds the courage to make this prayer to you.
And now, Lord GOD, you are God and your words are truth;
   you have made this generous promise to your servant.
Do, then, bless the house of your servant
   that it may be before you forever; for you, Lord GOD, have promised,
   and by your blessing the house of your servant
    shall be blessed forever.”