Monday Vespers

The first part of Vespers is in the Ordinary

COMMENTARY

Psalmus 114.  Dilexi, quoniam

Diléxi, quóniam exáudiet Dóminus * vocem oratiónis meæ.
2  Quia inclinávit aurem suam mihi: * et in diébus meis invocábo.
3  Circumdedérunt me dolóres mortis: * et perícula inférni invenérunt me.
4  Tribulatiónem et dolórem invéni: * et nomen Dómini invocávi.
5  O Dómine, líbera ánimam meam: * miséricors Dóminus, et justus, et Deus noster miserétur.
6  Custódiens párvulos Dóminus: * humiliátus sum, et liberávit me.
7  Convértere, ánima mea, in réquiem tuam: * quia Dóminus benefécit tibi.
8  Quia erípuit ánimam meam de morte: * óculos meos a lácrimis, pedes meos a lapsu.
9  Placébo Dómino * in regióne vivórum.

I am well pleased, because the Lord hath heard * the voice of my prayer;
2  Because he hath inclined his ear unto me; * therefore will I call upon him all my days.
3  The sorrows of death compassed me round about, * and the perils of hell gat hold upon me.
4  Sorrow and trouble did I find; * then called I upon the Name of the Lord.
5  O Lord, deliver my soul : * gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.
6  The Lord preserveth the simple: * I was brought low, and he delivered me.
7  Return unto thy rest, O my soul; * for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.
8  For he hath delivered my soul from death, * mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.
9  I will walk before the Lord * in the land of the living.

Psalmus 115.  Credidi

Crédidi, propter quod locútus sum: * ego autem humiliátus sum nimis.
2  Ego dixi in excéssu meo: * Omnis homo mendax.
3  Quid retríbuam Dómino, * pro ómnibus, quæ retríbuit mihi?
4  Cálicem salutáris accípiam: * et nomen Dómini invocábo.
5  Vota mea Dómino reddam coram omni pópulo ejus: * pretiósa in conspéctu Dómini mors sanctórum ejus:
6  O Dómine, quia ego servus tuus: * ego servus tuus, et fílius ancíllæ tuæ.
7  Dirupísti víncula mea: * tibi sacrificábo hóstiam laudis, et nomen Dómini invocábo.
8  Vota mea Dómino reddam in conspéctu omnis pópuli ejus: * in átriis domus Dómini, in médio tui, Jerúsalem.

Psalm 115.  Credidi

I believed, and therefore have I spoken; * but I was sore afflicted.
2  I said in my haste, * All men are liars.
3  What shall I render unto the Lord * for all the benefits that he hath rendered unto me?
4  I will take the chalice of salvation, * and call upon the Name of the Lord.
5  I will pay my vows unto the Lord in the presence of all his people: * right dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.
6  Behold, O Lord, how that I am thy servant; * I am thy servant, and the son of thine handmaid.
7  Thou hast broken my bonds in sunder : * I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the Name of the Lord.
8  I will pay my vows unto the Lord, in the sight of all his people, * in the courts of the house of the Lord; even in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem.

Psalmus 119.  Ad Dominum

Ad Dóminum cum tribulárer clamávi: * et exaudívit me.
2  Dómine, líbera ánimam meam a lábiis iníquis, * et a lingua dolósa.
3  Quid detur tibi, aut quid apponátur tibi * ad linguam dolósam?
4  Sagíttæ poténtis acútæ, * cum carbónibus desolatóriis.
5  Heu mihi, quia incolátus meus prolongátus est: habitávi cum habitántibus Cedar: * multum íncola fuit ánima mea.
6  Cum his, qui odérunt pacem, eram pacíficus: * cum loquébar illis, impugnábant me gratis.

Psalm 119.  Ad Dominum

When I was in trouble, I called upon the Lord, * and he heard me.
2  Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips, * and from a deceitful tongue.
3  What shall be given unto thee, or what shall be added unto thee, * to a deceitful tongue?
4  Even the sharp arrows of the mighty, * with hot burning coals.
5  Woe is me, that I sojourning is prolonged; I have dwelt with the inhabitants of Kedar : * my soul hath long dwelt among them.
6  With them that hated peace I was peaceable : * when I spake unto them, they fought against me without cause.

Psalmus 120.  Levavi oculos

Levávi óculos meos in montes, * unde véniet auxílium mihi.
2  Auxílium meum a Dómino, * qui fecit cælum et terram.
3  Non det in commotiónem pedem tuum: * neque dormítet qui custódit te.
4  Ecce, non dormitábit neque dórmiet, * qui custódit Israël.
5  Dóminus custódit te, Dóminus protéctio tua, * super manum déxteram tuam.
6  Per diem sol non uret te: * neque luna per noctem.
7  Dóminus custódit te ab omni malo: * custódiat ánimam tuam Dóminus.
8  Dóminus custódiat intróitum tuum, et éxitum tuum: * ex hoc nunc, et usque in sæculum.

Psalm 120.  Levavi oculos

I have lifted up mine eyes unto the hills; * from whence cometh my help.
2  My help cometh even from the Lord, * who hath made heaven and earth.
3  May he not suffer thy foot to be moved; * neither let him slumber that keepeth thee.
4  Behold, he that keepeth Israel * shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5  The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy defence * upon thy right hand.
6  The sun shall not burn thee by day, * neither the moon by night.
7  The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; * yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
8  The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in, * from this time forth for evermore.

Psalmus 121.  Lætatus sum

Lætátus sum † in his, quæ dicta sunt mihi: * †† In domum Dómini íbimus.
2  Stantes erant pedes nostri, * in átriis tuis, Jerúsalem.
3  Jerúsalem, quæ ædificátur ut cívitas: * cujus participátio ejus in idípsum.
4  Illuc enim ascendérunt tribus, tribus Dómini: * testimónium Israël ad confiténdum nómini Dómini.
5  Quia illic sedérunt sedes in judício, * sedes super domum David.
6  Rogáte quæ ad pacem sunt Jerúsalem: * et abundántia diligéntibus te:
7  Fiat pax in virtúte tua: * et abundántia in túrribus tuis.
8  Propter fratres meos, et próximos meos, * loquébar pacem de te:
9  Propter domum Dómini, Dei nostri, * quæsívi bona tibi.

Psalm 121.  Lætatus sum

I was glad † at the things that were said unto me, * †† We will go into the house of the Lord.
2  Our feet shall stand * in thy gates, O Jerusalem.
3  Jerusalem is built as a city * that is at unity in itself.
4  For thither did the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord, * to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.
5  For their seats have sat in judgment, * even the seats upon the house of David.
6  O pray for the peace of Jerusalem; * they shall prosper that love thee.
7  Peace be within thy walls, * and plenteousness within thy palaces.
8  For my brethren and companions' sakes, * I spake peace of thee.
9  Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God, * I have sought to do thee good.

On Mondays after the Octave of the Epiphany, on the three Pre-Lenten Mondays, and on those after Pentecost, except those that fall in a privileged Octave, is said:

Benedíctus Deus, et Pater Dómini nostri Jesu Christi, Pater misericordiárum, et Deus totíus consolatiónis, qui consolátur nos in omni tribulatióne nostra.
R.  Deo grátias.

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulations.
R.  Thanks be to God.

Imménse cæli Cónditor,
Qui mixta ne confúnderent,
Aquæ fluénta dívidens,
Cælum dedísti límitem.

Firmans locum cæléstibus,
Simúlque terræ rívulis;
Ut unda flammas témperet,
Terræ solum ne díssipent.

Infúnde nunc, piíssime,
Donum perénnis grátiæ :
Fraudis novæ ne cásibus
Nos error átterat vetus.

Lucem fides adáugeat :
Sic lúminis jubar ferat :
Hæc vana cuncta próterat :
Hanc falsa nulla cómprimant.

* Præsta, Pater piíssime,
Patríque compar Unice,
Cum Spíritu Paráclito
Regnans per omne sæculum.  Amen.

O great Creator of the sky,
Who wouldest not the floods on high
With earthly water to confound,
But mad'st the firmament their bound.

The floods above thou didst ordain;
The floods below thou didst restrain;
That moisture might attemper heat,
Lest the parched earth should ruin meet.

Upon our souls, good Lord, bestow
The gift of grace in endless flow:
Lest some renew'd deceit or wile
Of former sin should us beguile.

Let Faith discover heav'nly light;
So shall her ray direct us right:
And let this Faith each error chase,
And never give to falsehood place.

Ordinary Doxology:
Almighty Father, hear our cry
Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high,
Who with the Holy Ghost and thee
Doth live and reign eternally.  Amen.

COMMEMORATIONS, if there be any

CLOSING VERSICLES AND THAT WHICH FOLLOWETH