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.
Our tongues’ first sound doth thee proclaim.
Our minds to thee first kindle flame:
Ensuing thence, O Holy One,
Be all our acts in thee begun.
As now the dark to light gives way,
And night gives place to dawn of day;
So may the errors of the night
Be shattered by the gift of light.
O hear us, as to thee we pray
That all our faults be cut away;
So may the tongues that sing to thee
Resound thy praise perpetually.
O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son,
Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee
Doth live and reign eternally.
Psalm 41 (42)
Longing for the Lord and his temple |
When can I enter and see the face of God?
Like a deer that longs for springs of water,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, the living God:
when shall I come and stand before the face of God?
My tears are my food, by day and by night,
and everyone asks, “where is your God?.”
I remember how I went up to your glorious dwelling-place
and into the house of God:
the memory melts my soul.
The sound of joy and thanksgiving,
the crowds at the festival.
Why are you so sad, my soul,
and anxious within me?
Put your hope in the Lord, I will praise him still,
my saviour and my God.
My soul is sad within me,
and so I will remember you
in the lands of Jordan and Hermon,
on the mountain of Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
in your rushing waters:
and all your torrents, all your waves
have flowed over me.
By day the Lord sends his kindness upon me;
by night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
I will say to God:
“You are my support, why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go in mourning, while the enemy persecutes me?.”
As my bones break,
my persecutors deride me,
all the time saying “where is your God?.”
Why are you so sad, my soul,
and anxious within me?
Put your hope in the Lord, I will praise him still,
my saviour and my God.
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.
When can I enter and see the face of God?
| Canticle |
Ecclesiasticus 36 |
| A prayer for Jerusalem, the holy city |
Show us, Lord, the light of your mercy.
God of all, have mercy on us, take notice of us,
and show us the light of your mercies.
Make the nations fear you, who have not sought you out,
make them know that there is no God except you,
let them tell of your wonders.
Lift up your hand over foreign nations, that they may see your power –
for just as in their sight you have been sanctified in us,
so in our sight you will be magnified in them.
Lift up your hand so that they may know, as we know,
that there is no God but you, Lord.
Bring forth new signs and repeat your wonders;
glorify your hand, show the strength of your arm.
Gather together all the tribes of Jacob,
give them back the inheritance they had from the beginning.
Take pity on your people, over whom we invoke your name,
and on Israel, whom you have made equal to your firstborn.
Take pity on the city you have sanctified,
Jerusalem, the place of your rest.
Fill Zion with your majesty;
fill your temple with your glory.
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.
Show us, Lord, the light of your mercy.
Psalm 18 (19)
Praise of God the creator |
Blessed are you, Lord, in the vault of heaven.
The skies tell the story of the glory of God,
the firmament proclaims the work of his hands;
day pours out the news to day,
night passes to night the knowledge.
Not a speech, not a word,
not a voice goes unheard.
Their sound is spread throughout the earth,
their message to all the corners of the world.
At the ends of the earth he has set up
a dwelling place for the sun.
Like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
it rejoices like an athlete at the race to be run.
It appears at the edge of the sky,
runs its course to the sky’s furthest edge.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
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.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the vault of heaven.
| Short reading |
Jeremiah 15:16 © |
When your words came, I devoured them: your word was my delight and the joy of my heart; for I was called by your name, Lord, God of hosts.
All you righteous, rejoice in the Lord: praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
– All you righteous, rejoice in the Lord: praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Sing a new song to the Lord.
– All you righteous, rejoice in the Lord: praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– All you righteous, rejoice in the Lord: praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
| The Messiah and his forerunner |
Blessed be the Lord, for he has come to us and freed us.
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.
Blessed be the Lord, for he has come to us and freed us.
| Prayers and Intercessions |
|
Our Saviour has made us into a royal priesthood offering acceptable sacrifices to God. Let us thank him and ask him:
– Lord, help us to serve God.
Christ, eternal Priest, you conferred your holy priesthood on your people.
Grant that we may ceaselessly offer acceptable sacrifices to God.
– Lord, help us to serve God.
Be generous with the gifts of your Spirit:
patience, kindness and gentleness.
– Lord, help us to serve God.
Give us the gift of loving you,
so that we may possess you, for you yourself are love.
– Lord, help us to serve God.
Give us the gift of doing good,
so that we may praise you simply by living.
– Lord, help us to serve God.
Grant that we may seek whatever is best for our brethren
and ease their path to salvation.
– Lord, help us to serve God.
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.
Lord God, you bestowed on Saint Antony the grace of serving you in the wilderness.
Grant that through his intercession we may deny ourselves and love you above all things.
[We make our prayer] 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