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 23 (24)
The Lord comes to his temple
The man with clean hands and pure heart will climb the mountain of the Lord.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all who live in it.
He himself founded it upon the seas
and set it firm over the waters.
Who will climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
The one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,
who has not given himself to vanities or sworn falsely.
He will receive the blessing of the Lord
and be justified by God his saviour.
This is the way of those who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,
and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord of might and power.
The Lord, strong in battle.
Gates, raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,
and let the king of glory enter.
Who is the king of glory?
The Lord of hosts
– he is the king of glory.
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.
The man with clean hands and pure heart will climb the mountain of the Lord.
Canticle
Tobit 13
God punishes and God saves
Praise the king of the ages in all your deeds.
Blessed be God who lives for ever,
whose kingdom is eternal:
for he both punishes and takes pity,
he leads down to the underworld,
and rescues from perdition;
no one can escape him.
Give thanks to him before all nations, children of Israel:
he scattered you among them,
and there he has made known his greatness.
Give glory to him before all who live:
he is our Lord, our father,
and our God for ever.
He will punish you for your transgressions;
but he will take pity on all your sufferings,
and gather you together from all the nations
among whom he scattered you.
If you turn back to him
with all your heart and soul
– if you keep faithful to him –
he will turn back to you
and hide his face no longer.
So now look at what he has done with you,
and praise him with all your might.
Bless the Lord of justice,
and glorify the eternal King.
In the land of my captivity I trust in him;
I show his power and majesty to the sinful people.
Turn back, sinners,
and be upright in his presence
– perhaps he will forgive you and show you his favour.
I will rejoice in the Lord with all my soul,
my soul will rejoice as long as it lives.
Bless the Lord, all his chosen ones:
all people, praise his greatness.
Fill your days with joy
and proclaim his glory.
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 the king of the ages in all your deeds.
Psalm 32 (33)
The Lord provides
Praise is fitting for loyal hearts.
Rejoice in the Lord, you just:
it is good for the upright to praise him.
Proclaim the Lord on the lyre,
play his song on the ten-stringed harp.
Sing a new song to the Lord,
sing out your cries of triumph,
for the word of the Lord is truly just,
and all his actions are faithful.
The Lord loves justice and right judgement;
the earth is full of his loving kindness.
By the Lord’s word the heavens were made,
and all their array by the breath of his mouth.
He gathered the seas as if in a bag,
he stored up the depths in his treasury.
Let every land fear the Lord,
let all the world be awed at his presence.
For he spoke, and they came into being;
he commanded, and they were made.
The Lord confounds the counsel of the nations,
throws the thoughts of the peoples into confusion.
But the Lord’s own counsel stands firm for ever,
his thoughts last for all generations.
Happy the nation whose lord is God,
the people he has chosen as his inheritance.
The Lord looks down from the heavens
and sees all the children of men.
From his dwelling-place he looks
upon all who inhabit the earth.
He moulded each one of their hearts,
he understands all that they do.
The king will not be saved by his forces;
the abundance of his strength will not set the strong man free.
Do not trust a horse to save you,
whatever its swiftness and strength.
For see, the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
upon those who trust in his mercy,
hoping he will save their souls from death
and their bodies from hunger.
Our souls praise the Lord,
for he is our help and our protector,
for our hearts rejoice in him,
and we trust in his holy name.
Lord, show us your loving kindness,
just as we put our hope in you.
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 is fitting for loyal hearts.
Short Reading
Zechariah 12:10-11
©
Over the House of David and the citizens of Jerusalem I will pour out a spirit of kindness and prayer. They will look on the one whom they have pierced; they will mourn for him as for an only son, and weep for him as people weep for a first-born child. When that day comes, there will be great mourning in Judah.
Short Responsory
It is he who will free me from the snare of the hunters.
– It is he who will free me from the snare of the hunters.
And from the evil word.
– It is he who will free me from the snare of the hunters.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– It is he who will free me from the snare of the hunters.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, says the Lord.
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.
When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, says the Lord.
Prayers and intercessions
Let us bless Christ, who is our bread from heaven.
– Christ, bread of life, strengthen us.
Lord, give us a share in the bread of the eucharist,
fill us with the blessings of your paschal sacrifice.
– Christ, bread of life, strengthen us.
May we take your word to our hearts in faith and obedience;
yield a harvest in us through our perseverance.
– Christ, bread of life, strengthen us.
Make us eager to fulfil your plan for the world
that the Church may spread the great message of peace.
– Christ, bread of life, strengthen us.
We have sinned, Lord, we have sinned;
take away our guilt by your saving grace.
– Christ, bread of life, strengthen 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.
May your people, Lord,
persevere in obedience to your will,
so that through this obedience
your Church in our time
may grow in grace and increase in numbers.
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.
