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

Finished the strife of battle now,

Gloriously crowned the victor’s brow:

Hence with sadness, sing with gladness:

Alleluia, alleluia.

After sharp death that him befell,

Jesus Christ hath harrowed hell:

Sing we lauding, and applauding:

Alleluia, alleluia.

On Easter morning he arose,

Shining with victory o’er his foes:

Earth is singing, heaven is ringing:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Closed hath he hell’s brazen door,

Heaven is open evermore:

Hence with sadness, sing with gladness:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Lord, by thy wounds we call on thee

So from ill death to set us free,

That our living be thanksgiving:

Alleluia, alleluia.

Psalm 62 (63) Thirsting for God

Christ has risen: he is the light of his people, whom he has redeemed with his blood. Alleluia.

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.

Christ has risen: he is the light of his people, whom he has redeemed with his blood. Alleluia.

Canticle	Daniel 3

All creatures, bless the Lord

Christ, our Redeemer, has risen from the tomb: let us sing a hymn to the Lord, our 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.

Christ, our Redeemer, has risen from the tomb: let us sing a hymn to the Lord, our God. Alleluia.

Psalm 149 The saints rejoice

Alleluia. The Lord has risen, as he promised. 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.

Alleluia. The Lord has risen, as he promised. Alleluia.

Short reading	Romans 8:10-11 ©

Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

Short Responsory

This is the day the Lord made: let us rejoice in it and be glad, alleluia.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Jesus stood among his disciples and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ Alleluia.

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.

Jesus stood among his disciples and said to them, ‘Peace be with you!’ Alleluia.

Prayers and Intercessions

Christ has risen from the dead and is always present in his Church. We reverently pray to him:

– Lord, remain with us.

Lord, Jesus, triumphant victor over sin and death,

you who live for ever and ever, be present among us.

– Lord, remain with us.

Come to us in your invincible power

and demonstrate God’s good will towards us.

– Lord, remain with us.

Come to the aid of this divided and discordant world,

for you alone have the power to renew souls and reconcile them.

– Lord, remain with us.

Keep strong our faith in final victory:

make us steadfast in hope for your coming.

– Lord, remain with 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.

Lord God,

you have made one people

out of many different races and nations,

united through confessing the glory of your name.

They were born to new life in baptism:

let there be one faith in their hearts,

one love in their Christian way of life.

[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

Peter and John had just healed a man by calling on the name of Jesus. Amazed by this miracle, a crowd gathered around them, and Peter knew that God was ready to do more than heal one man. He was ready to bring inner freedom and new life to everyone there. Quickly, Peter began to speak, turning everyone’s attention away from himself to Jesus. He reminded them that they had all denied Jesus, even allowing a murderer to be released from prison in his place.

Imagine what was running through Peter’s mind as he preached there at Solomon’s Portico. Was it all that long ago that he himself had stood in the Temple courts pretending that he didn’t know Jesus? If anyone had “denied the Holy and Righteous One,” surely he was just as guilty! But greater than the depth of Peter’s guilt on that fretful night was his experience of Jesus’ mercy and forgiveness. He knew firsthand Jesus’ ability to wash away his sins and failings. And nothing would stop him from proclaiming this truth!

Why did Peter speak such direct and convicting words? Couldn’t he just have reminded them of how Jesus healed people, and that he is still healing people now? No, he couldn’t. His own experience was too fresh in his memory—and it was too dramatic for him to brush aside. He himself had come face-to-face with his own sin, and in that moment, he also came face-to-face with Jesus’ forgiveness.

It’s also important to see that Peter was not singling out one group of people that day. Rather, he was speaking to everyone—even to all of us, because we have all sinned, and we are all covered by God’s incredible mercy.

Every time we celebrate Mass, we have the chance to recall our sins and lay them at the foot of the cross. The Penitential Rite is a perfect opportunity for us to open our hearts and let Jesus wash us clean. Our shame can be stripped away, and we can be set free. Yes, we have denied Jesus. But he will always remain faithful, “for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13)!

“Thank you, Lord, for your forgiveness! Even though I have denied you in so many ways, you still love me and welcome me back. You are the Holy and Righteous One, and I give you my life.”

Psalm 8:2,5-9; Luke 24:35-48

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

AMEN

Meditation: Acts 3:11-26