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.
Eternal Monarch, King most high,
Whose Blood hath brought redemption nigh,
By whom the death of Death was wrought,
And conquering Grace’s battle fought.
Ascending to the throne of might,
And seated at the Father’s right,
All power in heaven is Jesu’s own,
That here his manhood had not known.
That so, in nature’s triple frame,
Each heavenly and each earthly name,
And things in hell’s abyss abhorred
May bend the knee and own him Lord.
Yea, Angels tremble when they see
How changed is our humanity;
That flesh hath purged what flesh had stained
And God, the Flesh of God, hath reigned.
Be thou our joy and strong defence,
Who art our future recompense;
So shall the light that springs from thee
Be ours through all eternity.
Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me |
Have courage, my son: your sins are forgiven you. Alleluia.
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.
Have courage, my son: your sins are forgiven you. Alleluia.
| The Lord will appear in judgement |
Lord, you came forth with strength to save your people; you came with your Anointed One, alleluia.
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.
Lord, you came forth with strength to save your people; you came with your Anointed One, alleluia.
Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem |
Sion, praise your God, for he has established peace in your land, alleluia.
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.
Sion, praise your God, for he has established peace in your land, alleluia.
| Short reading |
Acts 5:30-32 © |
It was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.
The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
He who hung on the tree for our sake, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has risen from the tomb, alleluia, alleluia.
| The Messiah and his forerunner |
We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour because of his passion and death. 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.
We see Jesus crowned with glory and honour because of his passion and death. Alleluia.
| Prayers and Intercessions |
|
Christ has ascended into heaven and is ready to send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles. Let us celebrate his greatness and turn to him in prayer:
– Send us your Spirit.
Christ, risen into the heaven, send the Promised One from the Father down to us,
so that we may be clothed in power from on high.
– Send us your Spirit.
You willed that your disciples should be wise as serpents and innocent as doves:
through your Spirit, teach us both wisdom and innocence.
– Send us your Spirit.
You sit at the right hand of the Father: pray for us as our High Priest;
pray for us as our Head.
– Send us your Spirit.
Give us a share in your tribulations
and a share in your glory.
– Send us your Spirit.
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 the blood of martyrs become the seed of Christians.
In your love, grant that your Church, the field that was moistened by the blood of Saint Charles and his companions, may always yield a fertile harvest for you.
[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
3rd 
Mwanga was a superstitious pagan king who originally was tolerant of Catholicism. However, his chief assistant, Katikiro, slowly convinced him that Christians were a threat to his rule. The premise was if these Christians would not bow to him, nor make sacrifices to their pagan god, nor pillage, massacre, nor make war, what would happen if his whole kingdom converted to Catholicism? 
St. Clotilde was Queen of the Franks, born in Lyons France, probably around the year 470. In 492 or 493, she married Clovis, king of the Franks, converting him to Christianity on Christmas Day. When Clovis died in 511, Clotilde had to deal with feuds and murders conducted by her sons: Clodomir, king of Orleans; Childebert I, king of Paris; and Clotaire, king of Soissons and the Franks. When Clotaire killed two of his nephews, who were the brothers of St. Clodoald (Cloud), Clotilde left Paris and resided thereafter in Tours.