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
Light’s glittering morn bedecks the sky,
Heav’n thunders forth its victor cry:
The glad earth shouts her triumph high,
And groaning hell makes wild reply.
While he, the King of sovereign might,
Treads down death’s strength in death’s despite,
And trampling hell by victor’s right,
Brings forth his sleeping saints to light.
Fast barred beneath the stone of late,
In watch and ward where soldiers wait,
Now shining in triumphant state,
He rises victor from death’s gate.
Hell’s pains are loosed and tears are fled:
Captivity is captive led:
The angel, crowned with light, hath said:
‘The Lord is risen from the dead.’
Author of all, be thou our guide
In this our joy of Eastertide;
Whene’er assaults of death impend,
Thy people strengthen and defend.
To thee who, dead, again dost live,
All glory, Lord, thy people give:
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.
Psalm 23 (24)
The Lord comes to his temple
He who came down is he who has now risen higher than all the heavens. Alleluia.
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.
He who came down is he who has now risen higher than all the heavens. Alleluia.
Canticle
Tobit 13
God punishes and God saves
Keep these days with joy, and give glory to the Lord. Alleluia.
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.
Keep these days with joy, and give glory to the Lord. Alleluia.
Psalm 32 (33)
The Lord provides
The Lord fills the earth with his love. Alleluia.
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.
The Lord fills the earth with his love. Alleluia.
Short Reading
Acts 13:30-33
©
God raised Jesus from the dead, and for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied him from Galilee to Jerusalem: and it is these same companions of his who are now his witnesses before our people. We have come here to tell you the Good News. It was to our ancestors that God made the promise but it is to us, their children, that he has fulfilled it, by raising Jesus from the dead. As scripture says in the second psalm: You are my son: today I have become your father.
Short Responsory
The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
For our sake he died on the cross, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
‘Peace I leave you,’ alleluia; ‘it is my own peace I give 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.
‘Peace I leave you,’ alleluia; ‘it is my own peace I give you,’ alleluia.
Prayers and intercessions
By his own power Christ rebuilt the temple of his body, when it was torn down by death. Let us pray to him with joy.
– Lord, grant us the blessings of your resurrection.
Lord Jesus, in your risen body you brought the good news of salvation to the women and the apostles;
let us be your witnesses in this present age.
– Lord, grant us the blessings of your resurrection.
You gave all men the promise of rising from the dead;
make us heralds of your gospel, bringing men new hope.
– Lord, grant us the blessings of your resurrection.
You appeared to the apostles and breathed the Holy Spirit upon them;
pour out on us the Spirit who creates and renews.
– Lord, grant us the blessings of your resurrection.
You promised to be with your disciples to the end of time;
stay with us throughout this day and remain with us for ever.
– Lord, grant us the blessings of your resurrection.
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 our God,
in the resurrection of Christ
you create us anew for eternal life.
Grant your people firmness in faith and constancy in hope:
let us never doubt that you will fulfil
what we know you have promised.
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.
