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 our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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
Breathe on me, breath of God
fill me with life anew,
that I may love what thou dost love,
and do what thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
until my heart is pure;
until with thee I have one will,
to do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God,
till I am wholly thine;
until this earthly part of me
glows with thy fire divine.
Breathe on me, breath of God:
so shall I never die,
but live with thee the perfect life
of thine eternity.
Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me
A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.
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.
A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.
Canticle
Tobit 13
Thanksgiving for the freeing of the people
Rejoice, O Jerusalem, since through you all men will be gathered together to the Lord.
Bless the Lord, his chosen ones: all of you, praise his greatness.
Keep feast-days of rejoicing and proclaim his holy name.
Jerusalem, holy city: he will punish you for what you have done.
Thank the Lord for his good deeds, and bless the eternal king,
so that in you, once more, with gladness, your tabernacle may be built,
so that in you he may make all exiles rejoice,
so that in you he may care for the distressed
for all ages, for ever.
Your bright light will shine out to the ends of the earth:
many nations will come to you from afar.
From the farthest corners of the world they will come to your holy name
carrying gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.
Generation on generation, they will proclaim their joy
and the name of the chosen city will endure for ever.
So rejoice and be glad among the children of the just,
for they will be brought together and bless the eternal Lord.
Happy are those who love you, fortunate those who rejoice in your peace.
My soul, bless the Lord, the great King,
for in Jerusalem his house will be built,
to stand for ever.
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.
Rejoice, O Jerusalem, since through you all men will be gathered together to the Lord.
Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem
Sion, praise your God, who has sent out his word to the earth.
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, who has sent out his word to the earth.
Short Reading
Galatians 2:19-20
©
I live now with the life of Christ who lives in me
Through the Law I am dead to the Law, so that now I can live with God. I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake.
Short Responsory
I call to the Lord, the Most High, for he has been my help.
– I call to the Lord, the Most High, for he has been my help.
May he send from heaven and save me.
– I call to the Lord, the Most High, for he has been my help.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– I call to the Lord, the Most High, for he has been my help.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Through the loving mercy of our God, the Rising Sun has come to visit 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.
Through the loving mercy of our God, the Rising Sun has come to visit us.
Prayers and intercessions
Christ is the image of the unseen God, the first-born of all creation, and the first to be born from the dead. All things are to be reconciled through him because he made peace by his death on the cross. We pray to him:
– Lord Jesus, come to us today.
We have been baptized into your death:
may we be cleansed of greed and envy, and clothed in the strength and gentleness of your love.
– Lord Jesus, come to us today.
We have been sealed with the Holy Spirit who has been given to us;
confirm us in your service, and help us to bear witness to you in the society in which we live.
– Lord Jesus, come to us today.
Before you suffered, you longed to eat the passover with your disciples:
as we take part in your eucharist, may we share in your resurrection.
– Lord Jesus, come to us today.
You continue to work in your faithful people:
create through them a new world where injustice and destruction will give way to growth, freedom and hope.
– Lord Jesus, come to us today.
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,
bestow a full measure of your grace on us
who are gathered here in prayer.
As you work within us to keep us in the path of your commandments,
may we receive consolation in this present life
and eternal joys in the next.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
