Ribbon Placement: Liturgy of the Hours Vol. II: Ordinary: 1064 Proper of Seasons: 792 Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 1582 Christian Prayer: Ordinary: 694 Proper of Seasons: 513 Psalter: Thursday, Week IV, 973 Evening Prayer for Thursday in Week 4 of Easter God, come to my assistance. — Lord, make haste to help me. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia. PSALMODY Ant. 1 The Lord is my stronghold and my savior, alleluia. Psalm 144 Prayer for victory and peace Christ learned the art of warfare when he overcame the world, as he said: “I have overcome the world” (Saint Hilary). I Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my arms for battle, who prepares my hands for war. He is my love, my fortress; he is my stronghold, my savior my shield, my place of refuge. He brings peoples under my rule. Lord, what is man that you care for him, mortal man, that your keep him in mind; man, who is merely a breath whose life fades like a shadow? Lower your heavens and come down; touch the mountains; wreathe them in smoke. Flash your lightnings; rout the foe, shoot your arrows and put them to flight. Reach down from heaven and save me; draw me out from the mighty waters, from the hands of alien foes whose mouths are filled with lies, whose hands are raised in perjury. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Ant. The Lord is my stronghold and my savior, alleluia. Ant. 2 Thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, alleluia. II To you, O God, will I sing a new song; I will play on the ten-stringed Harp to you who give kings their victory, who set David your servant free. You set him free from the evil sword; you rescued him from alien foes whose mouths were filled with lies, whose hands were raised in perjury. Let our sons then flourish like saplings grown tall and strong from their youth, our daughters graceful as columns, adorned as though for a palace. Let our barns be filled to overflowing with crops of every kind; our sheep increasing by thousands, myriads of sheep in our fields, our cattle heavy with young, no ruined wall, no exile, no sound of weeping in our streets. Happy the people with such blessings; happy the people whose God is the Lord. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: — as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Psalm Prayer Lord, God of strength, You gave your Son victory over death. Direct Your Church’s fight against evil in the world. Clothe us with the weapons of light and unite us under one banner of love, that we may receive our eternal reward after the battle of earthly life. Ant. Thanks be to God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, alleluia. Ant. 3 Christ yesterday and today: he is the same for ever, alleluia. Canticle – Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a The judgment of God We praise you, the Lord God Almighty, who is and who was. You have assumed your great power, you have begun your reign. The nations have raged in anger,