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
To Christ, the Prince of Peace,
And Son of God most high,
The father of the world to come,
Sing we with holy joy.
Deep in his heart for us
The wound of love he bore;
That love wherewith he still inflames
The hearts that him adore.
O Jesu! Victim blest!
What else but love divine
Could thee constrain to open thus
That sacred heart of thine?
O fount of endless life!
O spring of water clear!
O flame celestial, cleansing all
Who unto thee draw near!
Praise to the Father be,
And sole-begotten Son;
Praise, holy Paraclete, to thee
While endless ages run.
Psalm 62 (63)
Thirsting for God
Jesus stood and cried out: ‘If any man thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’
O God, you are my God, I watch for you from the dawn.
My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you.
I came to your sanctuary,
as one in a parched and waterless land,
so that I could see your might and your glory.
My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself.
Thus I will bless you throughout my life,
and raise my hands in prayer to your name;
my soul will be filled as if by rich food,
and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice.
I will remember you as I lie in bed,
I will think of you in the morning,
for you have been my helper,
and I will take joy in the protection of your wings.
My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up.
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.
Jesus stood and cried out: ‘If any man thirsts, let him come to me and drink.’
Canticle
Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Bless the Lord, all his works,
praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, you heavens;
all his angels, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, you waters above the heavens;
all his powers, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, sun and moon;
all stars of the sky, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, rain and dew;
all you winds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, fire and heat;
cold and warmth, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, dew and frost;
ice and cold, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, ice and snow;
day and night, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
lightning and storm-clouds, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, all the earth,
praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, mountains and hills;
all growing things, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, seas and rivers;
springs and fountains, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, whales and fish;
birds of the air, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, wild beasts and tame;
sons of men, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, O Israel,
praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Lord, his priests;
all his servants, bless the Lord.
Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the just;
all who are holy and humble, bless the Lord.
Ananias, Azarias, Mishael, bless the Lord,
praise and exalt him for ever.
Let us bless Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
praise and exalt them for ever.
Bless the Lord in the firmament of heaven,
praise and glorify him for ever.
Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest.
Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
My son, let your heart attend to me; keep your eyes fixed on my advice.
Sing a new song to the Lord,
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker,
and the sons of Zion delight in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing,
sing to him with timbrel and lyre,
for the Lord’s favour is upon his people,
and he will honour the humble with victory.
Let the faithful celebrate his glory,
rejoice even in their beds,
the praise of God in their throats;
and swords ready in their hands,
to exact vengeance upon the nations,
impose punishment on the peoples,
to bind their kings in fetters
and their nobles in manacles of iron,
to carry out the sentence that has been passed:
this is the glory prepared for all his faithful.
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.
My son, let your heart attend to me; keep your eyes fixed on my advice.
Short Reading
Jeremiah 31:33
©
This is the covenant I will make with the House of Israel when those days arrive – it is the Lord who speaks. Deep within them I will plant my Law, writing it on their hearts. Then I will be their God and they shall be my people.
Short Responsory
Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
– Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
I am meek and humble of heart.
– Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
In his tender mercy God has visited us; he has redeemed his people, 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.
In his tender mercy God has visited us; he has redeemed his people, alleluia.
Prayers and intercessions
We make our prayers to Jesus, who is meek and humble of heart, and we say to him:
– Beloved Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, in you abides the fullness of godhead:
let us share in your divine nature.
– Beloved Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, in you are found all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge:
through your Church reveal to us the manifold wisdom of God.
– Beloved Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, in you the Father was well pleased:
make us persevere in following your teaching.
– Beloved Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, of your fullness we have all received:
pour out upon us in abundance the grace and truth of the Father.
– Beloved Lord, have mercy on us.
Jesus, you are the source of life and holiness:
make us holy and perfect in charity.
– Beloved Lord, have mercy on 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.
Let us pray.
Almighty God and Father,
we glory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, your beloved Son,
as we call to mind the great things his love has done for us.
Fill us with the grace that flows in abundance
from the Heart of Jesus, the source of heaven’s gifts.
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.
