Prodigal Son Wednesday Morning

WEDNESDAY Safro

INTRODUCTION

DOXOLOGY

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as we begin and until we conclude.
May mercy and compassion be poured forth upon us
in this world and the next.
O Lord, our God, to you be glory for ever. Amen.

OPENING PRAYER
Lord God,
grant that this morning we may call upon you with pure hearts and souls,
and that we may treat the wounds of our sins with the tears of penance and repentance.
Thus we shall prepare ourselves for your glorious Easter and triumphal resurrection,
and we shall praise you,
now and for ever. Amen.

GREETING
Peace be with the Church and her children.

PRAISE OF THE ANGELS

Glory to God in the highest,
and peace on earth and good will to all.

Praise the Lord all you nations,
glorify him all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy towards us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
and peace on earth and good will to all.

PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Good One, the Lover of all,
make your glorious light shine on us
so that we may come to you with a childlike confidence.
Do not leave us alone to fight the enemy,
who spies on us in order to suffocate the word of life within us,
but be with us this morning,
and all the days of our lives,
and we shall praise you, for ever. Amen.

PSALM OF THE DAY

Antiphon:
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

Psalm 16
Keep me, O God, for in you I take refuge;
I say to the LORD, “My Lord are you.
Apart from you I have no good.”

How wonderfully has he made me cherish
the holy ones who are in his land!

They multiply their sorrows
who court other gods.

Blood libations to them I will not pour out,
nor will I take their names upon my lips.

O LORD, my allotted portion and my cup,
you it is who hold fast my lot.

For me the measuring lines have fallen on pleasant sites;

fair to me indeed is my inheritance.

I bless the LORD who counsels me;
even in the night my heart exhorts me.

I set the LORD ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be
disturbed.

Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices,
my body, too, abides in confidence;

Because you will not abandon my soul to the
nether world,
nor will you suffer your faithful one to
undergo corruption.

You will show me the path to life,
fullness of joys in your presence,
the delights at your right hand forever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Antiphon:
I set the Lord ever before me;
with him at my right hand I shall not be disturbed.

[HYMN]
Blessed are you, O Church, garden of the Beloved!
From a mustard seed, the smallest of all seeds, you have grown.
Your roots are in firm soil, sheltered from the winds; In your branches are the martyrs, they are a display of blood shed for the faith.
The birds quench their thirst at this marvel.
Psalms and prophecies fill your vast space.
You are the land of the Spirit, the meeting place of the nations.
Blessed are you, dwelling place of the guest, neighbor of the One who is near.

SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
make the light of your face shine in our hearts and souls and on this day of Lent, we shall walk in the brightness of your light.
We shall fulfill your will, our actions will be pleasing to you and one day we shall meet you with joy and gladness,
and sing to you the hymn of the angels, for ever. Amen.

NUHRO (HYMN OF LIGHT)
The Light of the just and joy of the upright is Christ Jesus, our Lord, Begotten of the Father, he manifested himself to us.
He came to rescue us from darkness and to fill us with the radiance of his light.

Day is dawning upon us; the power of darkness is fading away.
From the true Light there arises for us the light which illumines our darkened eyes.

His glory shines upon the world and enlightens the very depths of the abyss.
Death is annihilated, night has vanished, and the gates of Sheol are broken.

Creatures lying in darkness from ancient times are clothed in light.
The dead arise from the dust and sing because they have a Savior.

He brings salvation and grants us life.
He ascends to his Father on high.
He will return in glorious splendor and shed his light on those gazing upon him.

Our King comes in majestic glory,
Let us light our lamps and go forth to meet him.
Let us find our joy in him, for he has found joy in us.
He will indeed rejoice us with his marvelous light.

Let us glorify the majesty of the Son and give thanks to the almighty Father, who,
in an outpouring of love, sent him to us, to fill us with hope and salvation.

When he manifests himself, the saints awaiting him in weariness and sorrow,
will go forth to meet him with lighted lamps.

The angels and guardians of heaven will rejoice in the glory of the just and upright people of the earth;
together, crowned with victory, they will sing hymns and psalms.

Stand up then and be ready!
Give thanks to our King and Savior, who will come in great glory to gladden us with his marvelous light in his kingdom.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

[HYMN]
Glory to you, O marvelous One, our Light,
Your pure light has dispersed the darkness,
And creatures are illumined by the glow of your countenance.
We raise our plea to Christ, the Most High,
Who manifested himself to us in his hidden glory.
Let us rejoice together in sweet hope;
Our night will end and the dawn will appear.
Then we shall behold your splendid light.

THIRD PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Lord,
be our strength and our help.
May your right hand sustain us and your strength support us; we shall fight the good fight, obtain victory, and merit the crown of glory with your saints.
Then we shall ceaselessly praise you, your Father and your living and Holy Spirit,
now and for ever. Amen.

MORNING PSALMS
Psalm 148
Alleluia.

Praise the LORD from the heavens,
praise him in the heights;

Praise him, all you his angels,
praise him, all you his hosts.

Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.

Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created;

He established them forever and ever;
he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth;
you see monsters and all depths;

Fire and hail, snow and mist,
storm winds that fulfill his word;

You mountains and all you hills,
you fruit trees and all you cedars;

You wild beasts and all tame animals,
you creeping things and you winged fowl.

Let the kings of the earth and all peoples,
the princes and all the judges of the earth,

Young men too, and maidens,
old men and boys,

Praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;

His majesty is above earth and heaven,
and he has lifted up the horn of his people.

Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.

Alleluia.

Psalm 149: 1-6
Alleluia.

Sing to the LORD a new song
of praise in the assembly of the faithful.

Let Israel be glad in their maker,
let the children of Zion rejoice in their king.

Let them praise his name in the festive dance,
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

For the LORD loves his people,
and he adorns the lowly with victory.

Let the faithful exult in glory;
let them sing for joy upon their couches;

Let the high praises of God be in their throats.

Alleluia.

Psalm 150
Alleluia.

Praise the LORD in his sanctuary,
praise him in the firmament of his strength.

Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for his sovereign majesty.

Praise him with the blast of the trumpet,
praise him with lyre and harp.

Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipe.

Praise him with sounding cymbals,
praise him with clanging cymbals.

Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD!

Alleluia.

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all you nations;
glorify him, all you peoples!

For steadfast is his mercy toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures for ever.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

Alleluia.

HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the merciful and compassionate One, who incline himself to wounded humanity to nurse it with his balm;
to Christ our Savior, who granted his Church the medicine that heals sins,
and the spiritual food which procures health and immortality.
To the Good One is due glory and honor this morning,
and all the days of our lives,
now and for ever. Amen.

SEDRO
Blessed are you, heavenly King,
worshiped, honored and magnified with the Father and Holy Spirit.
With your resplendent light you enlightened creatures and gave us the blessed Lent which obliges us to renounce ourselves and follow you on the way to the truth.
By fasting and prayer, you make the creature return to its source and Creator;
by fasting and prayer, we know ourselves and master our passions and desires;
disputes cease and peace reigns among individuals, in families and among the nations.
Fasting is the weapon of fighters and the shield of believers; fasting is the strength of Christians and food for their souls.
And now, we implore you, Christ our God,
teach us the meaning of sacrifice and the cross in our lives.
Let us see the great riches and the abundance of goods which flow from them.
Make us esteem evangelical poverty, and may the deceiving pleasures of this world not seduce us.
Confirm us in your love and may carelessness and illusion not dominate us.
Grant us the living Spirit, the spirit of wisdom and knowledge; may they fill our minds and hearts,
so that we may distinguish between substance and appearances, spirit and matter.
May your gaze be upon us and your hand guide us.
Then we shall walk towards you in uprightness
and meet you with joy,
glorifying you, with your Father and your Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

QOLO
How beautiful are pure fasts, vigils and prayers and how precious is fraternal love. The one who practices them will become the temple of the Lord, where the Holy spirit dwells.

Come, brothers and sisters, take refuge in penance and beseech the Lord for forgiveness. Let us offer to the Lord praise and thanksgiving for his precious gifts. Blessed are you, O Lord, and may your name be sanctified for ever.

ETRO
Christ our God,
your fasted and opened for us the way to life
and victory;
accept our incense (prayer),
extend your right hand and bless us.
Grant us to walk victoriously towards your Easter and resurrection and then we shall glorify you with all the saints, for ever. Amen.

READINGS
MAZMOORO
Take refuge, brothers and sisters, in fasting and prayer, as did the holy fathers, and you will have a part in their reward.

By fasting, sins are forgiven, by prayer, we draw closer to God.
Come, brothers and sisters, take refuge in fasting and prayer.

Repent sinners, repent while there is still time. On the day of judgement, you will enter with the just the paradise of light.

SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Book of Job
Job 3: 1-26
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed his day. Job spoke out and said: Perish the day on which I was born, the night when they said, “The child is a boy!” May that day be darkness: let not God above call for it, nor light shine upon it! May darkness and gloom claim it, clouds settle upon it, the blackness of night affright it! May obscurity seize that day; let it not occur among the days of the year, nor enter into the count of the months!
May that night be barren; let no joyful outcry greet it!

Let them curse it who curse the sea, the appointed disturbers of Leviathan! May the stars of its twilight be darkened; may it look for daylight, but have none, nor gaze on the eyes of the dawn, Because it kept not shut the doors of the womb to shield my eyes from trouble! Why did I not perish at birth, come forth from the womb and expire? 1 Or why was I not buried away like an untimely birth, like babes that have never seen the light? Wherefore did the knees receive me? or why did I suck at the breasts? For then I should have lain down and been tranquil; had I slept, I should then have been at rest With kings and counselors of the earth who built where now there are ruins Or with princes who had gold and filled their houses with silver. There the wicked cease from troubling, there the weary are at rest.
There the captives are at ease together, and hear not the voice of the slave driver. Small and great are there the same, and the servant is free from his master. Why is light given to the toilers, and life to the bitter in spirit? They wait for death and it comes not; they search for it rather than for hidden treasures, Rejoice in it exultingly, and are glad when they reach the grave: Men whose path is hidden from them, and whom God has hemmed in! For sighing comes more readily to me than food, and my groans well forth like water.
For what I fear overtakes me, and what I shrink from comes upon me. I have no peace nor ease; I have no rest, for trouble comes!

HOOTOMO
GREAT DOXOLOGY
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and joy filled hope to all.
We praise you, we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord and Creator, King of heaven, God the Father almighty, Lord God, only Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son and Word of the Father,
you take away the sin of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sin of the world, hear us and receive our prayer.
You are seated in glory at the right hand of your Father, forgive us and have mercy on us;
For you alone are holy,
you alone are the Lord, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father.
At all times, and all the days of our lives, we worship you and praise your holy and blessed name,
which is and has been from age to age.
Blessed are you, Lord almighty, God of our fathers.
May your name be glorified, praised and exalted for ever.
To you be glory, praise an exaltation, God of all,
Father of truth, with the only Son and the living and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
O God,
you are before all ages and exist from age to age;
you are resplendent and glorified in unsearchable light; through your word, you bring forth light and give us a new day.
O radiant Day and source of all light,
we glorify you, adore you and offer you praise night and day; accept our praise and answer our prayer.
Send us your abundant blessings, through the mercy of your Christ.
To him, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be glory, honor and power,
now and for ever. Amen.