[Salvation]

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.

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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.

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Hymn

Father, we praise thee, now the night is over,

Active and watchful, stand we all before thee;

Singing we offer prayer and meditation:

  Thus we adore thee.

Monarch of all things, fit us for thy mansions;

Banish our weakness, health and wholeness sending;

Bring us to heaven, where thy saints united

  Joy without ending.

All-holy Father, Son and Equal Spirit,

Trinity blessed, send us thy salvation;

Thine is the glory, gleaming and resounding

  Through all creation.

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.

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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.’

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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.

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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.

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Short Responsory

Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

– Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

You are seated at the right hand of the Father.

– Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

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

– Christ, Son of the living God, take pity on us.

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Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great.

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.

The man who can be trusted in little things can be trusted in great.

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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 our Sunday gathering,

  around the table of your word and your body.

– 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!

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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.

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O God, you have summed up the entire Law as love of you and our neighour.

  Grant that we may obey your commandments

  and deserve to come to eternal life.

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.

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

AMEN

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Timothy 2:1-8

“I ask that … prayers … be offered for everyone.” (1 Timothy 2:1)

There are many forms of prayer, and as Paul says, they are all “good and pleasing to God” (1 Timothy 2:3). Let’s look at two forms of prayer that can help us lead a “quiet and tranquil life,” even in the midst of today’s rushing, anxious world (2:2).

One is the Lord’s Prayer. It’s perfect. The Lord’s Prayer proclaims the truths of our faith—that we were born to know, love, and serve our Father. It pleads for Jesus to come again in glory. It teaches us to pray that God’s plan, not ours, will be fulfilled in our lives and in the world. It asks God for his grace (“daily bread”) to help us make it through each day. It begs God for forgiveness and it urges us to forgive. It closes with a request for protection. The Lord’s Prayer contains all the ingredients that God wants us to live by.

Another way to pray is through the psalms—as Jesus did. Read them slowly as you begin your prayer, and agree—both in your heart and mind—to the words you read. The psalms contain both the words God wants to say to us and the words he wants us to say to him. It’s helpful to enter into the mind of the psalmist, and you can do that by asking three “R” questions as you read: Why and how is the psalmist rejoicing, repenting, and requesting?

Great saints like Gregory of Nyssa, Hilary, Chrysostom, Ambrose, and Augustine all preached on the psalms. St. Jerome also tells us that farmers prayed the psalms while they ploughed their fields, and workmen sang them in their shops. For so many people, the psalms provided a kind of spiritual rhythm to their day. And the same can happen for us. All it takes us that we learn to pray every day, “lifting up holy hands” to the Lord (1 Timothy 2:8).

“Lord Jesus, give me a heart of prayer. Teach me to stay close to you as I lift up my heart to your throne.”

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Questions for Individual Reflection or Group Discussion

(Amos 8:4-7, Psalm 113:1-2,4-8, 1 Timothy 2:1-8, Luke 16:1-13)

1. The first reading contains a strong warning to businessmen to be fair and not to “trample upon the needy and destroy the poor of the land” (Amos 8:4). In what ways do we “trample” and “destroy” the poor, when we simply ignore their plight?

2. In the responsorial psalm, we hear again how our God “raises up the lowly” and “lifts up the poor.” In light of these readings, what additional action(s) will you commit to in order to better serve those less fortunate?

3. In the second reading, St. Paul strongly encourages prayers for all in authority. He goes on to say that they are “good and pleasing to God.” Is your partisanship so full of “anger or argument” that you might be unable to heed his admonition? Are you willing to pray on a regular basis for the president and all your elected officials? If not, why not?

4. In the Gospel, Jesus tells of the steward who was asked for a “full account” of his stewardship. How would you respond if Christ were to ask you to account for what he has given you? Are you willing to take some additional steps to improve the stewardship of your time, talents, and treasures? Why or why not?

5. Jesus also warns those who are not trustworthy “in very small matters.” Can you identify any situations in business, or in your relationships, where you might excuse yourself by saying, “it’s so small it really doesn’t matter?”

6. The meditation describes some forms of prayer using the Lord’s Prayer and the psalms. If you are in a small group, why not experiment with these forms of prayer between now and your next meeting, and share the results.