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To: All
Lauds -- Morning Prayer

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 62 (63)
Thirsting for God
O God, I watch for you from the dawn, to see your mighty power.
O God, you are my God, I watch for you from the dawn.
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.
I came to your sanctuary,
  as one in a parched and waterless land,
  so that I could see your might and your glory.
My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself.
Thus I will bless you throughout my life,
  and raise my hands in prayer to your name;
my soul will be filled as if by rich food,
  and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice.
I will remember you as I lie in bed,
  I will think of you in the morning,
for you have been my helper,
  and I will take joy in the protection of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up.
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.
O God, I watch for you from the dawn, to see your mighty power.

Canticle Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
The three youths in the fiery furnace shouted with one voice: ‘Blessed be God, alleluia.’
Bless the Lord, all his works,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens;
  all his angels, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens;
  all his powers, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon;
  all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, rain and dew;
  all you winds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat;
  cold and warmth, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, dew and frost;
  ice and cold, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, ice and snow;
  day and night, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
  lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, all the earth,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills;
  all growing things, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers;
  springs and fountains, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, whales and fish;
  birds of the air, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame;
  sons of men, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O Israel,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, his priests;
  all his servants, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the just;
  all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord,
  praise and exalt him for ever.
Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
  praise and exalt them for ever.
Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven,
  praise and glorify him for ever.
The three youths in the fiery furnace shouted with one voice: ‘Blessed be God, alleluia.’

Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
Let the sons of Zion delight in their king.
Sing a new song to the Lord,
  his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
  and the sons of Zion delight in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing,
  sing to him with timbrel and lyre,
for the Lord’s favour is upon his people,
  and he will honour the humble with victory.
Let the faithful celebrate his glory,
  rejoice even in their beds,
the praise of God in their throats;
  and swords ready in their hands,
to exact vengeance upon the nations,
  impose punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings in fetters
  and their nobles in manacles of iron,
to carry out the sentence that has been passed:
  this is the glory prepared for all his faithful.
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 the sons of Zion delight in their king.

Short reading Apocalypse 7:10,12 ©
Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Canticle Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all.
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.
Anyone who wants to become great among you must be your servant, and anyone who wants to be first among you must be slave to all.

Prayers and Intercessions ?
Christ the Lord is our day and our sunlight, shining on all men and never setting. Let us praise him, saying:
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
Creator of the stars, we offer you in gratitude the first-fruits of this day,
  and we commemorate your resurrection.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
May your Spirit guide us today to do what is pleasing to you:
  may your Wisdom lead us always.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
Let us join together with joy at Mass this Sunday,
  at the table of your word and your Body and Blood.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!
Our souls give you thanks
  for your immeasurable kindness.
O Lord, you are our life and our salvation!

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 who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
  but deliver us from evil.

Almighty and ever-living God,
  make us devoted to doing your will
  and serving you in your majesty with sincere hearts.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
  who 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

25 posted on 10/18/2009 2:33:30 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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To: All
The Word Among Us

Meditation: Hebrews 4:14-16

Let us confidently approach the throne of grace. (Hebrews 4:16)

“Can you come to my birthday party?” “I have two tickets to the game; can you make it?” “We’re going on a boat trip next week. Do you want to join us?” We all love to receive invitations, and here is one that is hard to refuse: “Can you come to the throne of grace?”

Every day, God invites us to come and receive gifts from him. Today’s reading from Hebrews mentions specifically the gifts of mercy and help in time of need, but God’s invitation includes a much wider array of gifts than the ones we seek at crisis points. Every day, he wants to give us gifts like peace, encouragement, hope, joy, grace to forgive, and insights into his path for our lives. There is no end to the gifts God wants to give us!

If God is so generous, and if his invitation is so warm and open, why do we hesitate? Could it be fear? In the ancient Near East, it was often considered dangerous to approach the throne of a king. The Book of Esther reflects a Persian tradition that daring even to come into the king’s presence could lead to death (Esther 4:11). Certainly God is more awe inspiring and fearsome than an earthly emperor! It’s instructive that the warning didn’t stop Esther: She took the risk in order to intercede for her people. And the king heard her, granted her request, and even raised her above all other people.

This is how it will be for us when we accept God’s invitation and place ourselves in his presence. He will put his arms around us, draw us to himself, and ask us what we need. Then, with a knowing smile on his face, he will open his box of treasures and give us exactly the right gifts—even gifts we didn’t think we needed.

So what are you waiting for? On this day of sabbath blessing, don’t be afraid to approach Almighty God. He is your Father!

“Lord, I come to your throne with confidence, knowing that I can ask you for gifts of grace to help me today.”

Isaiah 53:10-11; Psalm 33:4-5,18-20,22; Mark 10:35-45


26 posted on 10/18/2009 2:44:55 PM PDT by Salvation ("With God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26)
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