[Officium]
Vigil of St. Lawrence, Martyr

[Introitus]
!Ps 111:9
v. Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory.
!Ps 111:1
Happy the man who fears the Lord, who greatly delights in His commands.
&Gloria
v. Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever; his horn shall be exalted in glory.

[Oratio]
Heed our prayers, O Lord, and by the intercession of Your blessed Martyr Lawrence, whose feast we anticipate, graciously grant us Your everlasting mercy.
$Per Dominum

[Lectio]
Lesson from the book of Ecclesiasticus
!Ecclus 51:1-8, 12
I will give You thanks, O Lord, O King; I will praise You, O God my Saviour! I will make known Your name; for You have been my helper and protector, and have preserved my body from destruction, from the scourge of a slanderous tongue, and from lips that went over to falsehood; and in the sight of those who stood by You have been my helper. And You have delivered me, according to the multitude of the mercy of Your name, from those who did roar, prepared to devour; from the power of those who sought my life, and from the gates of afflictions which compassed me about; from the oppression of the flames which hemmed me in on every side, and in the midst of the fire I was not burnt; from the deep belly of the nether world, and from an unclean tongue, and from lying words, from an unjust king, and from dishonest tongues. My soul shall praise the Lord even to death; because You, O Lord our God, save those who take refuge in You, and rescue them out of the hands of the nations.

[Graduale]
!Ps 111:9, 2
Lavishly he gives to the poor; his generosity shall endure forever.
V. His posterity shall be mighty upon the earth; the upright generation shall be blessed.

[Evangelium]
Continuation + of the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
!Matt 16:24-27
At that time, Jesus said to His disciples, If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For he who would save his life will lose it; but he who loses his life for My sake will find it. For what does it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, but suffer the loss of his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will render to everyone according to His conduct.

[Offertorium]
!Job 16:20
My prayer is pure, and therefore I ask that a place may be given to my voice in heaven; for there is my judge, and He Who knows my conscience is on high. Let my prayer ascend to the Lord.

[Communio]
!Matt 16:24
He who wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

[Postcommunio]
Grant, we beseech You, O Lord, our God, that as we joyfully commemorate St. Lawrence, Your Martyr, in this life, so may we rejoice by beholding him in eternity.
$Per Dominum