Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted here.

Psalm 56 (57) Morning prayer in time of affliction

Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy.

My soul flies to you for refuge.

I will hide in the shelter of your wings

until the time of ambush is past.

I will cry to God the Most High,

to the God who cares for me.

He will send help from heaven to set me free.

He will disgrace those who trample me underfoot.

He will send forth his mercy and faithfulness.

My soul lies among lion-cubs

that would devour the children of men.

Their teeth are spears and arrows,

their tongues are pointed swords.

May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;

let your glory cover the whole earth.

They prepared a trap for my feet;

my soul was bent double under its burden;

they dug a pit in front of me

– but they fell into it themselves.

My heart is ready, God.

My heart is ready.

I will offer you music and song.

Awake, my glory,

awake, lyre and harp.

I will awaken the dawn.

I will proclaim you among the peoples, Lord,

and make music for you among the nations,

for your mercy reaches as high as the heavens,

your faithfulness to the clouds.

May you be exalted above the heavens, O God;

let your glory cover the earth.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Awake, lyre and harp: I will awaken the dawn.

Canticle	Jeremiah 31

The joy of those whom God sets free

Good things will fill my people to overflowing, says the Lord.

All you nations, listen to the word of the Lord,

proclaim it in the farthest islands:

“He who scattered his people Israel

has brought them back together.

He will care for them as a shepherd tends his flock.”

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob

and freed him from the hand of his conqueror.

They will come and sing praises on Mount Zion,

they will flood in to receive the good things of the Lord,

grain, and wine, and oil,

and the young of both herd and flock.

Their spirit will be like a richly watered garden,

and they will hunger no more.

The young girl will dance for joy,

young men and old men too.

“I will turn their weeping into gladness,” says the Lord,

“I will comfort them and give them joy after sorrow.

I will overwhelm my priests with rich food,

and my good things will fill my people to overflowing.”

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Good things will fill my people to overflowing, says the Lord.

Psalm 47 (48) Thanksgiving for the safety of the people

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised

in the city of our God.

His holy mountain is a beautiful sight,

the joy of all the earth.

Mount Zion is at its northernmost edge,

the city of the great king.

Here among its palaces,

God has shown himself as its refuge.

For the kings assembled,

made alliance against it –

but when they saw it, they were amazed.

Panic took them and they scattered.

Trembling took hold of them,

pain like that of childbirth.

With the east wind

you will destroy the ships of Tarshish.

What we had heard, we saw in the city of the Lord of hosts,

in the city of our God,

which God has founded for ever.

We ponder your mercy, O God,

as we stand in your temple.

Your name, O Lord, and your praise

will reach to the ends of the earth.

Your right hand delivers justice.

Let Mount Zion be glad

and the daughters of Judah rejoice,

because of your judgements.

Go round Zion, see it all,

count every tower.

Feel its strength,

visit its palaces,

so that you can tell the next generation –

Here is God, our God,

here he remains for ever;

and for ever he will lead us and guide us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.

Short reading	Isaiah 66:1-2 ©

Thus says the Lord:

With heaven my throne

and earth my footstool,

what house could you build me,

what place could you make for my rest?

All of this was made by my hand

and all this is mine – it is the Lord who speaks.

But my eyes are drawn to the man

of humbled and contrite spirit,

who trembles at my word.

Short Responsory

I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

I will keep your commandments.

– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– I cry to you from the bottom of my heart: hear me, Lord.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will free us from our enemies.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.

He has raised up the sign of salvation

in the house of his servant David,

as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,

his prophets through the ages:

to rescue us from our enemies

and all who hate us,

to take pity on our fathers,

to remember his holy covenant

and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that he would give himself to us,

that we could serve him without fear

– freed from the hands of our enemies –

in uprightness and holiness before him,

for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:

for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,

to let his people know their salvation,

so that their sins may be forgiven.

Through the bottomless mercy of our God,

one born on high will visit us

to give light to those who walk in darkness,

who live in the shadow of death;

to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Let us serve the Lord in holiness, and he will free us from our enemies.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us thank Christ who has given us the light of this day, and let us pray to him: