Fourth Sunday of Advent: Liturgy of the Hours

Evening Prayer I


The Advent Vesper Office Hymn for the Greater Advent Days is "Verbum salutis omnium."

The psalms from Sunday EP I, Week Four of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service, reflecting on the Savior's coming at Christmas:

(1) He comes, the desire of all human hearts;
his dwelling place shall be resplendent with glory, alleluia.
(2) Come, Lord, do not delay;
free your people from their sinfulness.
(3) The fullness of time has come upon us at last;
God sends his Son into the world.

[N.B. All the antiphons given here and throughout the Advent season have been set to their traditional Gregorian melodies by J. Michael Thompson. You can obtain a copy (snail-mail only) from chantermt@yahoo.com]

The Reading (I Thess. 5: 19-24) is read each Saturday at Evening Payer

The Responsory is the one sung on all Saturday evenings in this season.

The Antiphon on the Magnificat for December 20 is sung tonight:

O Key of David,
O royal Power of Israel,
controlling at your will the gate of heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls of death
for those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death;
and lead your captive people into freedom.

The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.

Morning Prayer

Unless the Office of Readings has already been celebrated, Morning Prayer begins with the Invitatory:

The Lord is close at hand:
come let us worship him!

The Advent Morning Office Hymn is Magnis prophetae vocibus.

The psalms are from Sunday, Week Four of the four-week Psalter.
The antiphons are proper:

(1) Sound the trumpet in Zion, the day of the Lord is near;
he comes to save us, alleluia.
(2) The Lord is here, go out to meet him, saying:
great his birth, eternal his kingdom--
strong God, Ruler of all, Prince of Peace, alleluia.
(3) Your all-powerful Word, O Lord,
will come to earth from his throne of glory, alleluia.

The Reading (Rom. 13: 11-14) is read each Advent Sunday at MP.

The Responsory is the one sung each Advent Sunday at MP.

The Benedictus antiphon (for Year B) is:

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.

The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.

Evening Prayer II

The Advent Vesper Office Hymn during the Greater Advent Days is "Verbum salutis omnium."

The Psalms from Week 4 of the Four-Week Psalter are used. The antiphons are proper to this service:

(1) See how glorious he is,
coming forth as the Savior of all peoples.
(2) Crooked paths will be straightened and rough ways smooth.
Come, O Lord, and do not delay, alleluia.
(3) Ever wider will his kingdom spread,
eternally at peace.

The Reading (Phil. 4: 4-7) is read each Sunday at Evening Prayer.

The Responsory is the one sung on all Sunday evenings in this season.

The Great O Antiphon on the Magnificat is that for December 21, the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere:

O Radiant Dawn,
splendor of eternal light,
sun of justice:
Come, shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death.

The Intercessions and the Prayer are both proper to the Sunday.