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.

Hymn

Behold the golden dawn arise;

The paling night forsakes the skies:

Those shades that hid the world from view,

And us to dangerous error drew.

May this new day be calmly passed,

May we keep pure while it shall last:

Nor let our lips from truth depart,

Nor dark designs engage the heart.

So may the day speed on; the tongue

No falsehood know, the hands no wrong:

Our eyes from wanton gaze refrain,

No guilt our guarded bodies stain.

For God all-seeing from on high

Surveys us with a watchful eye:

Each day our every act he knows

From early dawn to evening’s close.

All laud to God the Father be;

All praise, eternal Son, to thee;

All glory, as is ever meet,

To God the Holy Paraclete.

Psalm 62 (63) Thirsting for God

Early on the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb.

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.

Early on the morning of the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb.

Canticle	Daniel 3

All creatures, bless the Lord

My heart is on fire: I long to see my Lord. I am seeking him, but I do not know where they have put him. 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.

My heart is on fire: I long to see my Lord. I am seeking him, but I do not know where they have put him. Alleluia.

Psalm 149 The saints rejoice

Still weeping, Mary stooped to look inside the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting there. Alleluia.

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.

Still weeping, Mary stooped to look inside the tomb, and she saw two angels in white sitting there. Alleluia.

Short reading	Romans 12:1-2 ©

Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.

Short Responsory

Mary, stop your weeping: the Lord has risen from the dead.

– Mary, stop your weeping: the Lord has risen from the dead.

Go to my brethren and say the Lord has risen from the dead.

– Mary, stop your weeping: the Lord has risen from the dead.

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

– Mary, stop your weeping: the Lord has risen from the dead.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Having risen on the morning of the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had cast out seven devils.

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.

Having risen on the morning of the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had cast out seven devils.

Prayers and Intercessions

God has sent salvation to his people. Let us pray to him with joy:

– Lord, you are our life.

Blessed are you, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for in your compassion you have renewed us and given us living hope

by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

– Lord, you are our life.

You created man in your image and in Christ you renewed us:

shape us in the image of your Son.

– Lord, you are our life.

Our hearts are wounded by envy and hate:

fill them with the love that comes from the Holy Spirit.

– Lord, you are our life.

Give work to labourers today, bread to the hungry, consolation to the sad,

and grace and salvation to all men.

– Lord, you are our life.

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, ever-living God, your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ made Mary Magdalen the first herald of Easter joy.

Grant that, following her example and her prayers, we may, in this life, proclaim the living Christ, and come to see him reigning in your glory.

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.

AMEN

Mary! (John 20:16)

Mary Magdalene had been plagued by demons, and Jesus healed her. With gratitude, she joined the band of women who cared for his financial needs (Luke 8:2-3) and was among those who followed him from Galilee to Jerusalem (Matthew 27:55-56). Along with the twelve, she was privileged to hear his word and see his miracles every day. What’s more, while many fled in fear at the garden of Gethsemane, she stayed with him, a true disciple to the end (John 19:25).

Grief-stricken, Mary went to mourn at Jesus’ grave, out of respect and gratitude for all he had done for her. But her sorrow was turned into joy when she saw the empty tomb and then Jesus, risen from the dead! Calling her by name, Jesus freed Mary again—this time from the grief that had overcome her as she watched him die. With a single word, “Mary,” she was revived. And her reply, “Rabbouni,” Master, contained not only relief and joy but a pledge of faith in him and his gospel.

Just think: Jesus first appeared not to the priests and rulers of Israel, nor to the twelve apostles, but to a woman with a disturbed past. This was the person Jesus chose to be the first witness of the resurrection. This was the one he decided would have the honor of being the “apostle to the apostles,” the first evangelist.

God revealed himself to someone the world considered lowly and unlikely. Whatever kind of bondage Mary had suffered—whether she had been mentally ill, trapped in sin, or afflicted with a debilitating illness—it didn’t disqualify her. And neither are we disqualified, whether by past sins or current disabilities. Jesus came for just this reason, to deliver us from our sins and to fill us with the dignity of chosen and beloved children of God. He calls us each by name to share eternal life with him. He seeks to transform us, one and all, through his Holy Spirit so that we can be witnesses to his resurrection.

“Lord Jesus, you are the hope of glory! My heart rejoices at the sound of your voice. Thank you for awakening hope in me and lifting me up to new life in you.”

Jermiah 2:1-3,7-8,12-13; Psalm 36:6-11

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

AMEN

Meditation: John 20:1-2,11-18