Lauds for the Dead
Psalter
The bones which you have broken shall rejoice in the Lord.
Psalm 51 Miserere mei, Deus
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your loving-kindness; *in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
2 Wash me through and through from my wickedness *
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, *
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you only have I sinned *
and done what is evil in your sight.
5 And so you are justified when you speak *
and upright in your judgment.
6 Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *
a sinner from my mother's womb.
7 For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
8 Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; *
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
9 Make me hear of joy and gladness, *
that the body you have broken may rejoice.
10 Hide your face from my sins *
and blot out all my iniquities.
11 Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
and renew a right spirit within me.
12 Cast me not away from your presence *
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
13 Give me the joy of your saving help again *
and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
14 I shall teach your ways to the wicked, *
and sinners shall return to you.
15 Deliver me from death, O God, *
and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness, O God of my salvation.
16 Open my lips, O Lord, *
and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
17 Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, *
but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.
18 The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; *
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
19 Be favorable and gracious to Zion, *
and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
20 Then you will be pleased with the appointed sacrifices, with burnt-offerings and oblations; *
then shall they offer young bullocks upon your altar.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
The bones which you have broken shall rejoice in the Lord.
To you, O Lord, that hear prayer shall all flesh come.
Psalm 65 Te decet hymnus
1 You are to be praised, O God, in Zion; *to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
2 To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come, *
because of their transgressions.
3 Our sins are stronger than we are, *
but you will blot them out.
4 Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there! *
they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple.
5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation, *
O Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away.
6 You make fast the mountains by your power; *
they are girded about with might.
7 You still the roaring of the seas, *
the roaring of their waves, and the clamor of the peoples.
8 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvelous signs; *
you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly; you make it very plenteous; *
the river of God is full of water.
10 You prepare the grain, *
for so you provide for the earth.
11 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; *
with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase.
12 You crown the year with your goodness, *
and your paths overflow with plenty.
13 May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, *
and the hills be clothed with joy.
14 May the meadows cover themselves with flocks, and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; *
let them shout for joy and sing.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
To you, O Lord, that hear prayer shall all flesh come.
Your right hand holds me fast, O Lord.
Psalm 63 Deus, Deus meus
1 O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; *my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
2 Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, *
that I might behold your power and your glory.
3 For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *
my lips shall give you praise.
4 So will I bless you as long as I live *
and lift up my hands in your Name.
5 My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, *
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6 When I remember you upon my bed, *
and meditate on you in the night watches.
7 For you have been my helper, *
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8 My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.
9 May those who seek my life to destroy it *
go down into the depths of the earth;
10 Let them fall upon the edge of the sword, *
and let them be food for jackals.
11 But the king will rejoice in God; all those who swear by him will be glad; *
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
And let light perpetual shine upon them.
Your right hand holds me fast, O Lord.
From the gate of hell, deliver my soul, O Lord.
Canticle of Hezekiah Ego dixi in dimidio
Is. 38:10-20
I said: In the noontide of my days *
I must depart for the gates of hell.
I sought for the remainder of my years. *
I said, I shall not see the Lord in the land of the living.
I shall look upon mortals no more, *
nor the inhabitants of the land of rest.
My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me *
as if it were a shepherd's tent.
My life has been rolled up as if by a weaver, he cuts me off from the loom: *
from day to night you bring me to an end.
I cry for help until morning, *
Like a lion he breaks all my bones.
From day to night you bring me to an end: *
Like a swallow or a crane I will clamor, I will moan like a dove.
My eyes are weary *
with looking upward.
O Lord, I am oppressed; be my security! *
What can I say, or what can he answer, because he himself has done it?
Before you I will call to mind all my years *
in the bitterness of my soul.
O Lord, if by these things people live, and in all these is the life of my spirit,
you shall restore me to health and make me live. *
Behold, in peace my bitterness is most bitter.
You have held back my life from the pit of destruction: *
You have cast all my sins behind your back.
For hell cannot thank you, death cannot praise you; *
those who go down to the pit cannot hope for your faithfulness.
The living, the living, they thank you, as I do this day; *
fathers make known to the children your faithfulness.
O Lord, save me, *
and we will sing our psalms all the days of our lives, in the house of the Lord.
Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord, *
and let light perpetual shine upon them.
From the gate of hell, deliver my soul, O Lord.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
Psalm 148 Laudate Dominum
1 Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from the heavens; *praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all you angels of his; *
praise him, all his host.
3 Praise him, sun and moon; *
praise him, all you shining stars.
4 Praise him, heaven of heavens, *
and you waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the Name of the LORD; *
for he commanded, and they were created.
6 He made them stand fast for ever and ever; *
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, *
you sea-monsters and all deeps;
8 Fire and hail, snow and fog, *
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
9 Mountains and all hills, *
fruit trees and all cedars;
10 Wild beasts and all cattle, *
creeping things and wingèd birds;
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, *
princes and all rulers of the world;
12 Young men and maidens, *
old and young together.
13 Let them praise the Name of the LORD, *
for his Name only is exalted, his splendor is over earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up strength for his people and praise for all his loyal servants, *
the children of Israel, a people who are near him. Hallelujah!
Psalm 149 Cantate Domino
1 Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song; *sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; *
let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his Name in the dance; *
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people *
and adorns the poor with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; *
let them be joyful on their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their throat *
and a two-edged sword in their hand;
7 To wreak vengeance on the nations *
and punishment on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles with links of iron;
9 To inflict on them the judgment decreed; *
this is glory for all his faithful people. Hallelujah!
Psalm 150 Laudate Dominum
1 Hallelujah! Praise God in his holy temple; *praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts; *
praise him for his excellent greatness.
3 Praise him with the blast of the ram's-horn; *
Praise him with lyre and harp.
4 Praise him with timbrel and dance; *
praise him with strings and pipe.
5 Praise him with resounding cymbals; *
praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath *
praise the Lord. Hallelujah!
Rest eternal * grant to them, O Lord.
And let light perpetual * shine upon them.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord
V. Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord
R. And let light perpetual shine upon them.
I am * the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
The Song of Zechariah Benedictus Dominus Deus
Luke 1: 68-79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Rest eternal * grant to them, O Lord.
And let light perpetual * shine upon them.
I am * the resurrection and the life: he that believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.
The Prayers
V. Lord, have mercy.
R. Christ, have mercy.
V. Lord, have mercy.
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Psalm 142 Voce mea ad Dominum
1 I cry to the LORD with my voice; *to the LORD I make loud supplication.
2 I pour out my complaint before him *
and tell him all my trouble.
3 When my spirit languishes within me, you know my path; *
in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4 I look to my right hand and find no one who knows me; *
I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for me.
5 I cry out to you, O LORD; *
I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
6 Listen to my cry for help, for I have been brought very low; *
save me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your Name; *
when you have dealt bountifully with me, the righteous will gather around me.
V. Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord.
R. And let light perpetual shine upon them.
V. From the gate of hell.
R. Deliver their souls, O Lord.
V. I believe I shall see the goodness of the Lord.
R. In the land of the living.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And also with you.
V. Let us pray.
May the prayer of your suppliants, we pray, O Lord, avail the souls of all the faithful departed; that you may deliver them from all their sins and make them partakers in your redemption, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns, one God, world without end. Amen.
May they rest in peace. Amen.