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.
Hymn
Lord, who throughout these forty days
For us didst fast and pray,
Teach us with thee to mourn our sins,
And close by thee to stay.
As thou with Satan didst contend,
And didst the victory win,
O give us strength in thee to fight,
In thee to conquer sin.
As thirst and hunger thou didst bear,
So teach us, gracious Lord,
To die to self, and daily live
By thy most holy word.
And through these days of penitence,
And through thy Passiontide,
Yea, evermore, in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.
Psalm 117 (118)
A cry of rejoicing and triumph
You are my God: I thank you. My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
and his kindness is for ever.
Now let Israel say, he is good
and his kindness is for ever.
Now let the house of Aaron say it too:
that his kindness is for ever.
Now let all who fear the Lord say it too:
that his kindness is for ever.
In my time of trial I called out to the Lord:
he listened, and led me to freedom.
The Lord is with me,
I will fear nothing that man can do.
The Lord, my help, is with me,
and I shall look down upon my enemies.
It is good to seek shelter in the Lord,
better than to trust in men.
It is good to seek shelter in the Lord,
better than to trust in the leaders of men.
All the nations surrounded me,
and in the Lord’s name I slew them.
They crowded in and besieged me,
and in the Lord’s name I slew them.
They surrounded me like swarms of bees,
they burned like a fire of dry thorns,
and in the Lord’s name I slew them.
They chased and pursued me, to make me fall,
and the Lord came to my help.
The Lord is my strength and my rejoicing:
he has become my saviour.
A cry of joy and salvation
in the dwellings of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand has triumphed!
The Lord’s right hand has raised me up;
the Lord’s right hand has triumphed.”
I shall not die, but live,
and tell of the works of the Lord.
The Lord chastised me severely
but did not let me die.
Open the gates of righteousness:
I will go in, and thank the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
it is the upright who enter here.
I will thank you, for you listened to me,
and became my saviour.
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the corner-stone.
It was the Lord who did this –
it is marvellous to behold.
This is the day that was made by the Lord:
let us rejoice today, and be glad.
Lord, keep me safe;
O Lord, let me prosper!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
We bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, he shines upon us!
Arrange the procession, with close-packed branches,
up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, I will give thanks to you;
my God, I will give you praise.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is good,
and his kindness is 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.
You are my God: I thank you. My God, I praise you.
Canticle
Daniel 3
Let every creature praise the Lord
Lord, you can deliver us from the hand of the one who is stronger than we are: save us, Lord, our God.
Blessed are you, Lord God of our fathers,
praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed is the holy name of your glory
praised above all things and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory
praised and glorious above all things for ever.
Blessed are you who gaze on the depths,
seated on the cherubim,
praised and exalted for ever.
Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven
praised and glorious for ever.
Bless the Lord, all his works,
praise and exalt him 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.
Lord, you can deliver us from the hand of the one who is stronger than we are: save us, Lord, our God.
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord
Praise God in his wonderful works.
Praise the Lord in his sanctuary,
praise him in his mighty firmament.
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him for all his greatness.
Praise him with trumpet-blasts,
praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes,
praise him with cymbals resounding,
praise him with cymbals of jubilation.
All that breathes, praise the Lord!
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.
Praise God in his wonderful works.
Short Reading
Nehemiah 8:9,10
©
This day is sacred to the Lord your God. Do not be mournful, do not weep. For this day is sacred to our Lord. Do not be sad: the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.
Short Responsory
Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
You were wounded because of our sins.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found. (Year C)
Or: Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind. Only Christ, the son of God, has done this.
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.
Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the calf we have been fattening, and kill it; we are going to have a feast, a celebration, because this son of mine was dead and has come back to life; he was lost and is found. (Year C)
Or: Ever since the world began it is unheard of for anyone to open the eyes of a man who was born blind. Only Christ, the son of God, has done this.
Prayers and intercessions
Let us glorify God for his wealth of goodness and pray to him through Jesus Christ, who is always living to intercede for us.
– Inflame our hearts with your love.
God of mercy, help us to enrich this day with deeds of kindness;
let men know by our actions that we are all one family.
– Inflame our hearts with your love.
At the time of the flood you saved Noah through the ark;
grant salvation through water to those preparing for baptism.
– Inflame our hearts with your love.
May we never live by bread alone;
give us life by every word you speak.
– Inflame our hearts with your love.
Help us to avoid all anger and dissension;
let us find joy in your peace and love.
– Inflame our hearts with your love.
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, in your surpassing wisdom
you reconcile man to yourself through your Word.
Grant that your Christian people may come with eager faith and ready will
to celebrate the Easter festival.
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.
