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← Officium Divinum

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Wednesday · The ninth hour, 3 p.m.

The ninth hour: the hour of Christ’s death, remembered in the midst of the afternoon.

Psalmody

Psalm 58 (2–11)

Ant. My God, his mercy shall prevent me.

Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; and defend me from them that rise up against me.

Deliver me from them that work iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

For behold they have caught my soul: the mighty have rushed in upon me:

Neither is it my iniquity, nor my sin, O Lord: without iniquity have I run, and directed my steps.

Rise up thou to meet me, and behold: even thou, O Lord, the God of hosts, the God of Israel.

Attend to visit all the nations: have no mercy on all them that work iniquity.

They shall return at evening, and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.

Behold they shall speak with their mouth, and a sword is in their lips: for who, say they, hath heard us?

But thou, O Lord, shalt laugh at them: thou shalt bring all the nations to nothing.

I will keep my strength to thee: for thou art my protector: my God, his mercy shall prevent me.

Psalm 58 (12–18)

God shall let me see over my enemies: slay them not, lest at any time my people forget.

And scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord, my protector:

For the sin of their mouth, and the word of their lips: and let them be taken in their pride.

And for their cursing and lying they shall be talked of, when they are consumed: when they are consumed by thy wrath, and they shall be no more.

And they shall know that God will rule Jacob, and all the ends of the earth.

They shall return at evening and shall suffer hunger like dogs: and shall go round about the city.

They shall be scattered abroad to eat, and shall murmur if they be not filled.

But I will sing thy strength: and will extol thy mercy in the morning.

For thou art become my support, and my refuge, in the day of my trouble.

Unto thee, O my helper, will I sing, for thou art God my defence: my God my mercy.

Psalm 59

God, thou hast cast us off, and hast destroyed us; thou hast been angry, and hast had mercy on us.

Thou hast moved the earth, and hast troubled it: heal thou the breaches thereof, for it has been moved.

Thou hast shewn thy people hard things; thou hast made us drink the wine of sorrow.

Thou hast given a warning to them that fear thee: that they may flee from before the bow:

That thy beloved may be delivered. Save me with thy right hand, and hear me.

God hath spoken in his holy place: I will rejoice, and I will divide Sichem; and will mete out the vale of tabernacles.

Galaad is mine, and Manasses is mine: and Ephraim is the strength of my head.

Juda is my king: Moab is the pot of my hope.

Into Edom will I stretch out my shoe: to me the foreigners are made subject.

Who will bring me into the strong city? who will lead me into Edom?

Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off? and wilt not thou, O God, go out with our armies?

Give us help from trouble: for vain is the salvation of man.

Through God we shall do mightily: and he shall bring to nothing them that afflict us.

Hymn

O strength and stay upholding all creation,Who ever dost thyself unmoved abide,Yet day by day the light in due gradationFrom hour to hour through all its changes guide:

Grant to life’s day a calm unclouded ending,An eve untouched by shadows of decay,The brightness of a holy death-bed blendingWith dawning glories of th’ eternal day.

Hear us, O Father, gracious and forgiving,And thou, O Christ, the co-eternal Word,Who, with the Holy Ghost, by all things livingNow and to endless ages art adored.

Amen.

Short responsory

R.br. Redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me.

R. Redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me.

V. For my feet stood in the right way.

R. And have mercy on me.

R. Redeem me, O Lord, and have mercy on me.

Roman Breviary, 1962: the ferial and Sunday psalter and the fixed hymns and responsories (Divinum Officium). The propers of the season and of the saints, the readings and the prayers are not yet in the library.