this day:
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one day back:
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one day forward:
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Today (Tuesday, December 30, 2025):
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Friday, December 26, 2025
Saint Stephen, Deacon and Martyr
Lauds
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide all the nations upon earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has brought forth her increase;
may God, our own God, give us his blessing.
May God give us his blessing,
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.
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.
Antiphon 1
They stoned Stephen, and he called on the Lord, saying: Do not hold this sin against them.
He has made the whole world so sure
that it cannot be moved;
Ever since the world began, your throne has been established;
you are from everlasting.
The waters have lifted up, O Lord,
the waters have lifted up their voice;
the waters have lifted up their pounding waves.
Mightier than the sound of many waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea,
mightier is the Lord who dwells on high.
Your testimonies are very sure,
and holiness adorns your house, O Lord,
for ever and for evermore.
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.
Antiphon
They stoned Stephen, and he called on the Lord, saying: Do not hold this sin against them.
Antiphon 2
The torrent of stones was sweet to him: all the souls of the righteous followed him.
Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
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.
Antiphon
The torrent of stones was sweet to him: all the souls of the righteous followed him.
Antiphon 3
My soul clings to you, for my flesh was stoned for you, O my God.
For your loving-kindness is better than life itself;
my lips shall give you praise.
So will I bless you as long as I live
and lift up my hands in your Name.
My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness,
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
When I remember you upon my bed,
and meditate on you in the night watches.
For you have been my helper,
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
May those who seek my life to destroy it
go down into the depths of the earth;
let them fall upon the edge of the sword,
and let them be food for jackals.
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.
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.
Antiphon
My soul clings to you, for my flesh was stoned for you, O my God.
Antiphon 4
Stephen saw the heavens opened, he saw, and he entered: blessed is the man to whom the heavens are opened.
Blessed are you, glorious in your holy temple;
most worthy to be glorified in hymns for ever.
Blessed are you, for, enthroned on the cherubim,
you behold the depths,
worthy of praise, highly exalted for ever.
Blessed are you on your royal throne;
most worthy to be hymned, highly exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the vault of heaven;
worthy to be glorified in hymns for ever.
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you his angels,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all waters above the heavens,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all powers of the Lord,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, stars of the sky,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all winds,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, winter and summer,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, drops of dew and flakes of snow,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, nights and days,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, shining light and enfolding dark,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, frost and cold,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, ice and sleet,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, storm clouds and thunderbolts,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all the earth,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all that grows upon the earth,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, springs of water,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, seas and streams,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, whales and all that move in the waters,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, all birds of the air,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, beasts of the wild and all you flocks and herds,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, men and women everywhere,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, Israel,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you his priests,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you his servants,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, holy and humble of heart,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael,
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
He has rescued us from the grave,
he has saved us from the power of death,
he has delivered us from the furnace of burning flame,
from the very heart of the fire.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious,
for his mercy endures for ever.
All who worship the Lord, bless the God of gods,
sing his praise and give him thanks,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Let us bless the Lord, Father and Son, with the Holy Spirit,
let us praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Blessed are you in the vault of heaven,
worthy to be glorified in hymns and highly exalted for ever.
Antiphon
Stephen saw the heavens opened, he saw, and he entered: blessed is the man to whom the heavens are opened.
Antiphon 5
Look, I see the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him all you angels of his;
praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, heaven of heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord;
for he commanded, and they were created.
He made them stand fast for ever and ever;
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea-monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and fog,
tempestuous wind, doing his will;
Mountains and all hills,
fruit-trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,
creeping things and wingèd birds;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and maidens,
old and young together.
Let them praise the Name of the Lord,
for his Name only is exalted,
his splendor is over earth and heaven.
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.
Alleluia!
Sing to the Lord a new song;
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in his Maker;
let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
Let them praise his Name in the dance;
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people
and adorns the poor with victory.
Let the faithful rejoice in triumph;
let them be joyful on their beds.
Let the praises of God be in their throat
and a two-edged sword in their hand;
To wreak vengeance on the nations
and punishment on the peoples;
To bind their kings in chains
and their nobles with links of iron;
To inflict on them the judgment decreed;
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Alleluia!
Praise God in his holy temple;
praise him in the firmament of his power.
Praise him for his mighty acts;
praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the blast of the ram’s-horn;
praise him with lyre and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;
praise him with loud-clanging cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the Lord.
Alleluia!
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.
Antiphon
Look, I see the heavens opened and Jesus standing at the right hand of God!
Grant us the favor of your prayer
and ease the burden of our guilt;
hold back the tide of wickedness
and drive away distaste for life.
Now all your fetters are undone,
the chains that bound your holy flesh;
free us from bondage to the world
for love of Christ, the Son of God.
Praise to the Father and the Son
and to the Spirit Paraclete,
who crown you with a lasting crown
in heaven’s glorious court on high. Amen.
Antiphon
The gates of heaven were opened to the martyr of Christ, Stephen, who was the first found in the number of the saints, and therefore triumphed, crowned in heaven, alleluia.
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.
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.
Antiphon
The gates of heaven were opened to the martyr of Christ, Stephen, who was the first found in the number of the saints, and therefore triumphed, crowned in heaven, alleluia.
Litany
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.
Lord’s Prayer
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.
Collect
We give you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen,
who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son Jesus Christ,
who stands at your right hand;
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting.
Amen.
Conclusion
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.