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
All hail the power of Jesus’ name;
Let Angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
To crown him Lord of all.
Crown him, ye Martyrs of your God,
Who from his altar call;
Praise him whose way of pain ye trod,
And crown him Lord of all.
Hail him, ye heirs of David’s line,
Whom David Lord did call;
The God Incarnate, Man Divine,
And crown him Lord of all.
Let every tribe and every tongue
To him their hearts enthral,
Lift high the universal song,
And crown him Lord of all.
Psalm 5
A morning prayer for help
It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. In the morning you hear me.
Let my words come to your ears, O Lord:
hear my sighs.
Listen to the voice of my crying,
my King and my God.
As I make my prayer to you,
Lord, listen to my voice in the morning;
in the morning I will stand before you and await you.
You are not a God who loves evil.
The wicked cannot stay near you,
the unjust cannot remain in your presence.
You hate all who do evil –
you destroy all who speak falsehood –
the Lord abominates the bloody and deceitful man.
But in the abundance of your mercy you will admit me to your house:
I will worship you in your holy temple, with fear and reverence.
Lord, guide me in your justice, protect me from my enemies:
let me see the path I must follow.
For there is no truth in their mouth – their heart is a bottomless pit –
their throat is a wide open grave – their tongue seduces.
Punish them, Lord,
and let their own plans destroy them.
On account of their crimes, thrust them from your presence;
for they are rebels against you.
Let all who hope in you rejoice, triumph for ever.
You will shelter them and they will glory in you.
For you bless the just, O Lord,
and your good will surrounds them like a shield.
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.
It is you whom I invoke, O Lord. In the morning you hear me.
Canticle
1 Chronicles 29
To God alone be honour and glory
Lord our God, we praise the splendour of your name.
Blessed are you, Lord, God of our father Israel,
through all the ages.
All power and greatness are yours, O God;
glory, splendour, and majesty.
All things are yours, in the heavens and on the earth;
you rule over them, Lord, you are high above them all.
All riches and glory come from you,
you rule over all things.
In your hand lie strength and power,
your hand raises all things and sets them firm.
So now, our God, we give you thanks,
and praise your glorious name.
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 our God, we praise the splendour of your name.
Psalm 28 (29)
Praise the word of the Lord
Adore the Lord in his holy court.
Give to the Lord, all his children,
his glory and power,
give to the Lord the glory of his name.
Worship the Lord in holy splendour.
The voice of the Lord is heard over the waters:
the God of majesty thunders,
God above all the waters.
The voice of the Lord in his power,
the voice of the Lord in his greatness.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars,
the Lord breaks down the cedars of Lebanon.
The Lord makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
Sirion like a wild ox.
The voice of the Lord cuts flames in two;
the voice of the Lord beats on the desert,
the Lord stuns the desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord puts the deer to flight,
it empties the thickets;
in his sanctuary, all praise his glory.
The Lord dwells above the raging flood,
he is enthroned as king for ever.
The Lord will give strength to his people,
the Lord will bless his people with 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.
Adore the Lord in his holy court.
Short Reading
Romans 12:1-2
©
Think of God’s mercy, my brothers, and worship him, I beg you, in a way that is worthy of thinking beings, by offering your living bodies as a holy sacrifice, truly pleasing to God. Do not model yourselves on the behaviour of the world around you, but let your behaviour change, modelled by your new mind. This is the only way to discover the will of God and know what is good, what it is that God wants, what is the perfect thing to do.
Short Responsory
God is her help; she will not be moved.
– God is her help; she will not be moved.
The Lord is with her.
– God is her help; she will not be moved.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– God is her help; she will not be moved.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Martha said to Jesus, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, the One who has come into this world.’
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.
Martha said to Jesus, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God, the One who has come into this world.’
Prayers and intercessions
With all the holy women let us praise our Saviour and call on him in prayer.
– Come, Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus, you said of the woman who was a sinner, ‘Her many sins are forgiven, because she has loved much’;
grant us your forgiveness for our many sins.
– Come, Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus, women ministered to your needs on your saving journeys;
open our eyes to see you in those who need our help.
– Come, Lord Jesus.
Lord and master, Mary listened to your teaching and Martha did the serving;
may our faith grow ever deeper and our love go out to others.
– Come, Lord Jesus.
Lord Jesus, you called those who do God’s will your brother and sister and mother;
teach us to live as members of your family.
– Come, Lord Jesus.
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.
Almighty, ever-living God,
your Son graciously came as a guest to the home of Saint Martha.
By her prayers give us grace to serve Christ faithfully in our brethren,
and bring us to your home in heaven.
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.
