Morning Prayer (Lauds)

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

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 at this point.

Psalm 56 (57)
Morning prayer in time of affliction
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.

Psalm 56 (57)

Morning prayer in time of affliction

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.

Canticle	Jeremiah 31
The joy of those whom God sets free
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 Sion, 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.

Canticle

Jeremiah 31

The joy of those whom God sets free

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 Sion, 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.

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. His holy mountain is a beautiful sight, the joy of all the earth. Mount Sion 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 Sion be glad and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgements. Go round Sion, 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.

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.
His holy mountain is a beautiful sight, the joy of all the earth.
Mount Sion 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 Sion be glad and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgements.

Go round Sion, 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.

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 of 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.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
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.

Canticle

Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

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.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us thank Christ who has given us the light of this day, and let us pray to him: - Bless us, Lord, and sanctify us.
You offered yourself up for our sins:: accept all that we are doing and plan to do today.
Our eyes rejoice at the gift of a new day:: may our hearts rejoice as you dawn in them.
Grant us the gift today of being patient with everyone,: so that we can be like you.
This morning, Lord, make us understand your compassion:: may your joy give us strength through the day.

Our Father, 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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Almighty and ever-living God, we pray to you in your majesty morning, noon and night:
erase from our hearts the shadow of sin,
and fill them with the true light, which is Christ.

He lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

15 posted on 09/25/2008 7:46:16 PM PDT by Salvation ( Â†With God all things are possible.Â†)

Vanity of vanities… . All things are vanity! (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

“I can’t get no satisfaction” was the refrain of one of the most popular rock songs of all time. Isn’t it funny how similar today’s first reading sounds to this anguished anthem? Both seem to say that life is completely meaningless: We are born, we live a few short years, and then we die. We might wonder what these verses are even doing in the Bible.

But if we were to explore the Book of Ecclesiastes a little further, we would better understand where the author is coming from. The book was probably written around 250 b.c., when Israel was ruled by Hellenistic kings. It’s understandable that someone under foreign occupation might be pessimistic. Its author was Qoholeth (meaning “preacher”), a teacher of wisdom who had come to see that nothing in this world can truly fulfill us. And that’s an important lesson to learn.

Compared to the people of Qoholeth’s time, most of us live pretty well. Certainly it’s not wrong to try to better ourselves and our lot in this world. But sometimes we’re tempted to think that money and comfort are all we need. How easy it is to forget the eternal and look only at the good stuff we have here—and the good stuff we’re trying to attain. Viewed this way, the wisdom of Ecclesiastes helps us to see things clearly. As great as this life can be, it won’t last. So the most important thing we can do is to “fear God and keep his commandments” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

We are fortunate to have a perspective that Qoheleth didn’t have: We know the joy of the risen Savior, who came to redeem not just us but our fallen world as well. The grace he gives us can change our whole outlook. We don’t have to see the world as only a veil of tears, because Jesus has transformed it for us. Every moment can become an opportunity to love him and to share his love with our neighbor—if we just keep our eyes focused on him and our hearts open to the movements of his Holy Spirit!

“Lord, may I rejoice in all your gifts—and especially the gift of eternal life. Give me the joy of serving you with all that I am and all that I have.”

 Psalm 90:3-6,12-14,17;  Luke 9:7-9

16 posted on 09/25/2008 7:48:34 PM PDT by Salvation ( Â†With God all things are possible.Â†)

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Morning Prayer (Lauds)

Meditation: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11