Morning Prayer

STAND

Invitatory

Leader: Lord, + open my lips.
All: And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Leader: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Psalm 95
A call to praise God

Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).

Leader: Come, let us sing to the Lord 
All: and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving 
  and sing joyful songs to the Lord.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: The Lord is God, the mighty God, 
  the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth 
  and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, 
  the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: Come, then, let us bow down and worship, 
  bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, 
  the flock he shepherds.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: 
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
  in the wilderness, 
when at Meriba and Massah
  they challenged me and provoked me, 
Although they had seen all of my works.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: Forty years I endured that generation. 
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
  and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, 
  “They shall not enter into my rest.”

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

All: 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.

All: Come, let us worship Christ the Lord, who for our sake endured temptation and suffering.

Hymn

Now Christ, O Sun of righteousness,
Let dawn our darkened spirits bless:
The light of grace to us restore
While day to earth returns once more.

To us you give the accepted time,
Give, too, a heart that mourns for crime,
Let those by mercy now be cured
Whom loving-kindness long endured.

Spare not, we pray, to send us here
Some penance kindly but severe,
So let your gift of pardoning grace
Our grievous sinfulness efface.

Soon will that day, your day, appear
And all things with its brightness cheer:
We will rejoice in it, as we
Return thereby to grace, and thee.

Let all the world from shore to shore
O gracious Trinity, adore;
Right soon your loving pardon grant,
That we our new-made song may chant. Amen.

Tune: Beatus Vir L.M.
Music: Slovak Hymn
Text: Iam, Christe, sol iustitiae, tenth century or possibly Ambrosian
Translation: The Primer of 1706, attributed to John Dryden, 1631-1701

SIT

Psalmody

Leader: Lord, you have blessed your land; you have forgiven the sins of your people.

Psalm 85
Our salvation is near

God blessed the land when our Savior came to earth (Origen).

Leader: O Lord, you once favored your land 
Side 1: and revived the fortunes of Jacob,
you forgave the guilt of your people 
and covered all their sins.
You averted all your rage, 
you calmed the heat of your anger.

Side 2: Revive us now, God, our helper!
Put an end to your grievance against us.
Will you be angry with us for ever, 
will your anger never cease?

Side 1: Will you not restore again our life 
that your people may rejoice in you?
Let us see, O Lord, your mercy 
and give us your saving help.

Side 2: I will hear what the Lord God has to say, 
a voice that speaks of peace,
peace for his people and his friends 
and those who turn to him in their hearts.
His help is near for those who fear him 
and his glory will dwell in our land.

Side 1: Mercy and faithfulness have met; 
justice and peace have embraced.
Faithfulness shall spring from the earth 
and justice look down from heaven.

Side 2: The Lord will make us prosper 
and our earth shall yield its fruit.
Justice shall march before him 
and peace shall follow his steps.

Side 1: 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. Lord, you have blessed your land; you have forgiven the sins of your people.

Leader: My soul has yearned for you in the night, and as morning breaks I watch for your coming.

Canticle: Isaiah 26:1-4, 7-9, 12
Hymn after the defeat of the enemy

The city wall had twelve foundation stones (see Revelation 21:14).

Leader: A strong city have we; 
Side 1: he sets up walls and ramparts to protect us.
Open up the gates
to let in a nation that is just, 
one that keeps faith.

Side 2: A nation of firm purpose you keep in peace; 
in peace, for its trust in you.
Trust in the Lord forever! 
For the Lord is an eternal Rock.

Side 1: The way of the just is smooth; 
the path of the just you make level.
Yes, for your way and your judgments, O Lord, 
we look to you;
your name and your title 
are the desire of our souls.

Side 2: My soul yearns for you in the night, 
yes, my spirit within me keeps vigil for you;
when your judgment dawns upon the earth, 
the world’s inhabitants learn justice.

Side 1: O Lord, you mete out peace to us, 
for it is you who have accomplished all we have done.

Side 2: 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. My soul has yearned for you in the night, and as morning breaks I watch for your coming.

Leader: Lord, let the light of your face shine upon us.

Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord.

You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).

Leader: O God, be gracious and bless us 
Side 1: and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth 
and all nations learn your saving help.

Side 2: Let the peoples praise you, O God; 
let all the peoples praise you.

Side 1: Let the nations be glad and exult 
for you rule the world with justice
With fairness you rule the peoples, 
you guide the nations on earth.

Side 2: Let the peoples praise you, O God; 
let all the peoples praise you.

Side 1: The earth has yielded its fruit 
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing
till the ends of the earth revere him.

Side 2: Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
All: as it was in the beginning, is now, 
and will be for ever. Amen.

Leader: Lord, let the light of your face shine upon us.

Reading

Joel 2:12-13

Lector: Return to me with your whole heart,
   with fasting, and weeping, and mourning;
Rend your hearts, not your garments,
   and return to the Lord, your God.
For gracious and merciful is he,
   slow to anger, rich in kindness,
   and relenting in punishment.

Responsory

Lector: God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.
All: God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.

Lector: From those who would trap me with lying words
All: and from the hunter’s snare.

Lector: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
All: God himself will set me free, from the hunter’s snare.

Gospel Canticle

Leader:The Lord said: Peter, I do not tell you to forgive only seven times, but seventy times seven.

Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner

Leader: Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; 
All: he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, 
born of the house of his servant David.

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.

Leader: The Lord said All: Peter, I do not tell you to forgive only seven times, but seventy times seven.

Intercessions

Leader: Praise to Christ, who has given us himself as the bread from heaven. Let us pray to him, saying:
All: Jesus, you feed and heal our souls; come to strengthen us.

Leader: Lord, feed us at the banquet of the Eucharist,
All: with all the gifts of your paschal sacrifice.

Leader: Give us a perfect heart to receive your word,
All: that we may bring forth fruit in patience.

Leader: Make us eager to work with you in building a better world,
All: so that it may listen to your Church and its gospel of peace.

Leader: We confess, Lord, that we have sinned,
All: wash us clean by your gift of salvation.

The Lord's Prayer

Leader: Remember us, Lord, when you come to your kingdom and teach us how to pray:

Leader: Our Father, All: who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Concluding Prayer

Leader: Lord,
you call us to your service
and continue your saving work among us.
May your love never abandon us.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
All: Amen.

Dismissal

If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:

Leader: The Lord be with you.
All: And with your spirit.

Leader: May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.

Leader: Go in peace.
All: Thanks be to God.

In the absence of a priest or deacon and in individual recitation, Morning Prayer concludes:

Leader: May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.