3rd Week after Holy Cross
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 forever. Amen
OPENING PRAYER
Lord,
on this morning may our praises and songs of acclamation
mingle with the voices of the heavenly hosts.
With them we hope to give glory to you at that spiritual Dawn which will have no night,
forever and 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 toward us,
and the truth of the Lord endures forever
.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever,
and peace on earth and good will to all.
PSALMODY
FIRST PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
O Holy One,
you sanctify the saints who, through the Holy Spirit,
proclaim your holiness;
sanctify us, that we also may acknowledge you as all holy.
Our Lord and God, in whom we place all our hope,
we praise and call upon you,
now and forever.
Amen.
PSALM OF THE DAY
Antiphon:
Cast your care upon the Lord,
and he will support you.
Psalm 55: 2-9, 18-19, 23
Hearken, O God, to my prayer;
turn not away from my pleading;
give heed to me, and answer me.
I rock with grief, and am troubled
at the voice of the enemy and the clamor of the wicked.
For they bring down evil upon me,
and with fury they persecute me.
My heart quakes within me;
the terror of death has fallen upon me.
Fear and trembling come upon me,
and horror overwhelms me,
And I say, “Had I but wings like a dove,
I would fly away and be at rest.
Far away I would flee;
I would lodge in the wilderness.
I would hasten to find shelter
from the violent storm and the tempest.”
In the evening, and at dawn, and at noon,
I will grieve and moan, and he will hear my voice.
He will give me freedom and peace
from those who war against me,
for many there are who oppose me.
Cast your care upon the Lord,
and he will support you;
never will he permit the just man to be disturbed.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
now and forever. Amen.
Antiphon:
Cast your care upon the Lord,
and he will support you.
SECOND PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
in your heavenly dwelling,
accept the prayers and intercessions offered to you this morning by your Church,
for the sick and sorrowful, the exiles and prisoners,
the poor and the wretched.
From the treasury of your mercy
give to each one according to his petition and needs.
Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to you be glory forever.
Amen.
NUHRO (LIGHT OF HYMN)
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 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 forever. Amen.
Alleluia.
THIRD PRAYER
Lord, have mercy on us and save us.
Lord,
grant peace to the world.
May wars and battles cease throughout the earth;
protect the churches and monasteries;
unite them in the unity of the true faith.
Support and care for the people you have acquired
through your precious blood.
Thus, strengthened by your calm and peace,
we shall render glory and thanksgiving to you,
now and forever.
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 sea 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 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 forever
.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.
Alleluia.
HOOSOYO
PROEMION
Praise, glory and honor to the sweet Fragrance emanating from the divinity on high;
the healing Balm that purifies the hearts of sinners;
the One known, praised and glorified in unity and Trinity.
To the Good One is due glory and honor this morning
and all the days of our lives,
now and forever.
Amen.
SEDRO
Glory to you, O Christ
Light of truth and Sun of justice.
You have come to dwell within your Church to be her light and joy.
Sinners have been drawn to you and purified.
Through you, the lost have found the right path;
the blind have met you and regained their sight;
those dwelling in darkness have seen the light;
the dead have heard your voice and come to life;
prisoners have been freed and exiled peoples brought back to
their homeland.
You are the Light that is never extinguished, the Day that never ends, the Morning that has no night.
Lord, may the eyes of our hearts be illumined by your light,
and the rising of your day be the source of all good.
May our minds be focused on your love.
In your kindness you free us from the darkness of night
and draw us to the light of day;
by the power of your word disperse the evils that come to us.
Thus, through your wisdom we will conquer the snares of
the evil one who dons the garb of an angel of light.
Guard us from works of darkness, and keep our gaze fixed
on your resplendent light.
Make firm our steps in the ways of your law,
that through your grace we may attain the great Morning
when the just find their true delight.
Then, with all the saints in the heavenly dwelling,
we shall sing with pure voices the praise of your goodness,
and give glory to your eternal Father and your Holy Spirit,
forever.
Amen.
QOLO
Lord, may our incense (prayer) be pleasing to you,
in remembrance of your Mother
obtain for us the forgiveness of our sins,
in heaven and on earth;
and in remembrance of your saints who have loved you and
observed your commandments,
and the dead who rest in your hope.
In your goodness, grant us pardon and the forgiveness of our sins.
ETRO
Merciful Lord,
in your mercy, accept this incense (prayer) which we offer,
that it may be pleasing to you.
Answer your servants who adore your majesty;
hear our prayer and our intercession.
Grant your help, not only to us,
but to all who take refuge in your holy name,
O Savior of all.
We shall give glory and thanksgiving to you,
now and forever.
Amen.
READINGS
MAZMOORO
Lord, when you come on that great Morning, escorted by the
heavenly angels, separating the just from the unjust, show
us your kindness.
On that Day when the hosts of Gabriel and Michael will appear, separating the just from the unjust, show us your kindness.
The Morning of the Lord is dawning;
light your lamps, and on the Day of judgment, you will
enter the paradise of light.
SCRIPTURE READINGS
A Reading from the Letter to the Romans
Romans 11: 1-36
I ask, then, has God rejected his people? Of course not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says about Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have torn down your altars, and I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” But what is God’s response to him? “I have left for myself seven thousand men who have not knelt to Baal.” So also at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if by grace, it is no longer because of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace. What then? What Israel was seeking it did not attain, but the elect attained it; the rest were hardened, as it is written: “God gave them a spirit of deep sleep, eyes that should not see and ears that should not hear, down to this very day.” And David says: “Let their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them; let their eyes grow dim so that they may not see, and keep their backs bent forever.” Hence I ask, did they stumble so as to fall? Of course not! But through their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make them jealous. Now if their transgression is enrichment for the world, and if their diminished number is enrichment for the Gentiles, how much more their full number. Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.
Inasmuch then as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them. For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? If the firstfruits are holy, so is the whole batch of dough; and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted in their place and have come to share in the rich root of the olive tree, do not boast against the branches. If you do boast, consider that you do not support the root; the root supports you. Indeed you will say,
“Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is so. They were broken off because of unbelief, but you are there because of faith. So do not become haughty, but stand in awe. For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you either.
See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who fell, but God’s kindness to you, provided you remain in his kindness; otherwise you too will be cut off.
And they also, if they do not remain in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated one, how much more will they who belong to it by nature be grafted back into their own olive tree. I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers, so that you will not become wise [in] your own estimation: a hardening has come upon Israel in part, until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, and thus all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come out of Zion, he will turn away godlessness from Jacob; and this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.” In respect to the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarchs. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may now receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
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 forever.
To you be glory, praise and exaltation, God of all,
Father of truth, with the only Son
and the living and Holy Spirit,
now and forever.
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 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 forever.
Amen.