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Today (Friday, January 2, 2026): vigils lauds prime terce sext none vespers compline

Wednesday, February 18, 2026
The First Day of Lent, or Ash Wednesday
Vespers

Introduction
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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 The Lord does whatever pleases him.

Psalm 134 (135)    Laudate nomen
Praise the Name of the Lord;
give praise, you servants of the Lord,
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing praises to his Name for it is lovely.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself
and Israel for his own possession.

For I know that the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
The Lord does whatever pleases him, in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the deeps.

He brings up rain clouds from the ends of the earth;
he sends out lightning with the rain,
and brings the winds out of his storehouse.

It was he who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
the firstborn both of man and beast.
He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
He overthrew many nations
and put mighty kings to death:

Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, the king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
He gave their land to be an inheritance,
an inheritance for Israel his people.

O Lord, your Name is everlasting;
your renown, O Lord, endures from age to age,
For the Lord gives his people justice
and shows compassion to his servants.

The idols of the heathen are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
They have mouths but they cannot speak;
eyes have they but they cannot see.

They have ears, but they cannot hear;
neither is there any breath in their mouth.
Those who make them are like them,
and so are all who put their trust in them.

Bless the Lord, O house of Israel;
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O house of Levi;
you who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
who dwells in Jerusalem.

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 Lord does whatever pleases him.

Antiphon 2 For his mercy endures for ever.

Psalm 135 (136)    Confitemini
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who only does great wonders,
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who by wisdom made the heavens,
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who spread out the earth upon the waters,
for his mercy endures for ever;

Who created great lights,
for his mercy endures for ever;
The sun to rule the day,
for his mercy endures for ever;
The moon and the stars to govern the night,
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his mercy endures for ever;
And brought out Israel from among them,
for his mercy endures for ever;
With a mighty hand and a stretched-out arm,
for his mercy endures for ever;

Who divided the Red Sea in two,
for his mercy endures for ever;
And made Israel to pass through the midst of it,
for his mercy endures for ever;

But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,
for his mercy endures for ever;
Who led his people through the wilderness,
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who struck down great kings,
for his mercy endures for ever;
And slew mighty kings,
for his mercy endures for ever;

Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his mercy endures for ever;
And Og, the king of Bashan,
for his mercy endures for ever;

And gave away their lands for an inheritance,
for his mercy endures for ever,
An inheritance for Israel his servant,
for his mercy endures for ever.

Who remembered us in our low estate,
for his mercy endures for ever;
And delivered us from our enemies,
for his mercy endures for ever;

Who gives food to all creatures,
for his mercy endures for ever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his mercy endures for ever.

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 For his mercy endures for ever.

Antiphon 3 Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

Psalm 136 (137)    Super flumina
By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept,
when we remembered you, O Zion.
As for our harps, we hung them up
on the trees in the midst of that land.

For those who led us away captive asked us for a song,
and our oppressors called for mirth:
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion.”

How shall we sing the Lord’s song
upon an alien soil?
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand forget its skill.

Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.

Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord,
against the people of Edom,
who said, “Down with it! down with it!
even to the ground!”

O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy the one who pays you back
for what you have done to us!
Happy shall he be who takes your little ones,
and dashes them against the rock!

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 Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

Antiphon 4 Before the gods I will sing your praise, O my God.

Psalm 137 (138)    Confitebor tibi
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I will sing your praise;
I will bow down toward your holy temple
and praise your Name,
because of your love and faithfulness.

For you have glorified your Name
and your word above all things.
When I called, you answered me;
you increased my strength within me.

All the kings of the earth will praise you, O Lord,
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
They will sing of the ways of the Lord,
that great is the glory of the Lord.

Though the Lord be high, he cares for the lowly;
he perceives the haughty from afar.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you keep me safe;
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.

The Lord will make good his purpose for me;
O Lord, your love endures for ever;
do not abandon the works of your hands.

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 Before the gods I will sing your praise, O my God.

Short Lesson: Philippians 2:12b-15a
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Do all things without murmuring and arguing, so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God.

Responsory
I said, Lord, be merciful to me.
I said, Lord, be merciful to me.
Heal me, for I have sinned against you, be merciful to me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
I said, Lord, be merciful to me.

Hymn     Iesu quadragenariae
O Jesus, who have set apart
these forty days for abstinence
and have decreed a holy fast
to heal and save our mind and heart:

Now come, be present to your Church,
be near and aid our penitence,
that we may bow before you, Lord,
and beg you wash away our sins.

Remit and pardon with your grace
misdeeds from which we turn aside;
from future perils keep us safe
by your most meek and gentle guard,

That through our yearly Lenten fast
and by compunction purified,
we may press on to celebrate
the paschal feast with worthy praise.

Let all your works adore you, Lord,
O merciful and triune God.
Renewed by pardon, let us sing
a new song to your holy name. Amen.

Verse
He shall cover you with his pinions.
And you shall find refuge under his wings.

Antiphon When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

Canticle: Luke 1:46-55    Magnificat anima mea
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

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 When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

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
Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Conclusion
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.