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.
Sing my tongue, the glorious battle,
Sing the ending of the fray;
To the Cross, our noble trophy,
Here a fitting tribute pay,
Telling how the world’s Redeemer,
Slain as victim, won the day.
Tell how, when at length the fullness
Of the appointed time was come,
He, the Word, was born of woman,
Left for us his Father’s home,
Showed to men the perfect manhood,
Shone as light amidst the gloom.
Now the thirty years are ended
Which on earth he willed to see,
Willingly he meets his Passion,
Born to set his people free;
On the Cross the Lamb is lifted,
There the sacrifice to be.
Faithful Cross, above all other,
One and only noble Tree,
None in foliage, none in blossom,
None in fruit thy peer may be;
Sweet the wood and sweet the iron,
And the load, most sweet is he.
Unto God be praise and glory:
To the Father and the Son,
To the eternal Spirit, honour
Now and evermore be done;
Praise and glory in the highest,
While the timeless ages run.
Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me |
God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.
Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy;
in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.
Wash me ever more from my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know how guilty I am:
my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone have I sinned,
and I have done evil in your sight.
Know this, so that you may give just sentence
and an unbiased judgement.
See, I was conceived in guilt,
in sin my mother conceived me;
but you love truth in the heart,
and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.
You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean;
you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness;
the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
Turn your face away from my sins
and wipe out all my transgressions;
create a pure heart in me, God,
put a steadfast spirit into me.
Do not send me away from your presence,
or withdraw your holy spirit from me;
give me again the joy of your salvation,
and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.
I will teach the unjust your ways,
and the impious will return to you.
Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour,
and my voice will glory in your justice.
Open my lips, Lord,
and my mouth will proclaim your praise;
for you do not delight in sacrifices:
if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.
The true sacrifice is a broken spirit:
a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.
Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Zion,
so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,
Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings;
then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.
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.
God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all.
| The Lord will appear in judgement |
Jesus Christ showed his love for us and freed us from our sins with his life’s blood.
Lord, I heard what you gave me to hear,
and I was struck with awe of your work.
In the midst of the years, bring it to life;
in the midst of the years you will make it known.
When you are angry, you will remember your mercy.
God will come from Theman,
the holy one from the mountain of Pharan.
His glory has covered the heavens
and the earth is full of his praise.
His brightness shall be like light itself,
rays shining from his hands –
there is his strength hidden.
You went forth for the salvation of the people,
for salvation with your anointed one.
You made a way through the sea for your horses,
in the silt of many waters.
I have heard you, Lord,
and my stomach churns within me;
at the sound of your voice my lips tremble.
My bones rot away, my steps stumble.
I will rest and be quiet on the day of tribulation
and let it overtake those who have invaded us.
For the fig will not flower,
the vines will not fruit,
the work of the olive will be lost.
The fields will yield no food,
the flocks will be cut off from the sheepfold,
there will be no cattle in the stalls.
But I will rejoice in the Lord, take joy in God my saviour.
The Lord God is my strength.
He will make me as sure-footed as the deer.
He will lead me up to the heights.
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.
Jesus Christ showed his love for us and freed us from our sins with his life’s blood.
Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem |
We venerate your Cross, Lord; we praise and glorify your holy resurrection. Because of the tree joy has come into the whole world.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem
— Zion, praise your God.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,
he has blessed your children.
He keeps your borders in peace,
he fills you with the richest wheat.
He sends out his command over the earth,
and swiftly runs his word.
He sends down snow that is like wool,
frost that is like ashes.
He sends hailstones like crumbs
— who can withstand his cold?
He will send out his word, and all will be melted;
his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow.
He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his laws and judgements to Israel.
He has not done this for other nations:
he has not shown them his judgements.
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.
We venerate your Cross, Lord; we praise and glorify your holy resurrection. Because of the tree joy has come into the whole world.
| Short reading |
Isaiah 52:13-15 © |
See, my servant will prosper, he shall be lifted up, exalted, rise to great heights. As the crowds were appalled on seeing him – so disfigured did he look that he seemed no longer human – so will the crowds be astonished at him, and kings stand speechless before him; for they shall see something never told and witness something never heard before.
I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.
– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.
He will send help from heaven and set me free.
– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.
| The Messiah and his forerunner |
Above his head was placed the charge against him. it read: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.’
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.
Above his head was placed the charge against him. it read: ‘Jesus the Nazarene, the King of the Jews.’
| Prayers and Intercessions |
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Our Redeemer suffered and was buried for us, later to rise again. With sincere devotion we worship him and bring him our petitions:
– Lord, have mercy on us.
O Lord and Master, for our sake you became obedient even to death:
teach us always to obey the will of the Father.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
You are our life, who died on the cross and destroyed death and Hell.
Grant that we may die with you, and with you be raised up in glory.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
You are our King and became the most despised of men, like a worm trodden underfoot:
help us to acquire humility and be saved.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
O Saviour, you stretched out your arms on the cross and drew all ages into your embrace:
gather into your kingdom all the scattered children of God.
– Lord, have mercy on us.
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.
Be mindful, Lord, of this your family,
for whose sake our Lord Jesus Christ, when betrayed,
did not hesitate to yield himself into his enemies’ hands
and undergo the agony of the cross:
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.
AMEN