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
Mary Immaculate, star of the morning,
Chosen before the creation began,
Chosen to bring in the light of thy dawning,
Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.
Here, in this world of both shadow and sadness
Veiling thy splendour, thy course hast thou run:
Now thou art throned in all glory and gladness,
Crowned by the hand of thy Saviour and Son.
Sinners, we worship thy sinless perfection;
Fallen and weak, for thy pity we plead:
Grant us the shield of thy sov’reign protection,
Measure thine aid by the depth of our need.
Bend from thy throne at the voice of our crying,
Bend to this earth which thy footsteps have trod:
Stretch out thine arms to us, living and dying,
Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.
Psalm 142 (143)
A prayer in time of trouble
In the morning let me know your love, O Lord.
Lord, listen to my prayer:
in your faithfulness turn your ear to my pleading;
in your justice, hear me.
Do not judge your servant:
nothing that lives can justify itself before you.
The enemy has hounded my spirit,
he has crushed my life to the ground,
he has shut me in darkness, like the dead of long ago.
So my spirit trembles within me,
my heart turns to stone.
I remind myself of the days of old,
I reflect on all your works,
I meditate once more on the work of your hands.
I stretch out my arms to you,
I stretch out my soul, like a land without water.
Come quickly and hear me, O Lord,
for my spirit is weakening.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not let me be like the dead,
who go down to the underworld.
Show me your mercy at daybreak,
because of my trust in you.
Tell me the way I should follow,
for I lift up my soul towards you.
Rescue me from my enemies:
Lord, I flee to you for refuge.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
Your good spirit will lead me to the land of justice;
for your name’s sake, Lord, you will give me life.
In your righteousness you will lead my soul
away from all tribulation.
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 the morning let me know your love, O Lord.
Canticle
(Isaiah 66)
Comfort and joy in the holy city
The Lord will send peace flowing like a river upon Jerusalem.
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all you who love her;
rejoice with her, rejoice, all you who mourned for her.
Suck and be filled at the breast of her consolation;
draw on the nipples of her glory, and overflow with delights.
For the Lord says this:
Behold, I will bring her peace as if it were a river;
like an overflowing torrent, the glory of the Gentiles.
You will suck, be borne on her hips,
and they will caress you as you lie in her lap.
As a mother comforts its child, so shall I comfort you:
you will be comforted in Jerusalem.
You will see, and your heart will rejoice,
and your bones will flourish like living grass.
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 will send peace flowing like a river upon Jerusalem.
Psalm 146 (147A)
The Lord's goodness and power
To our God be joyful praise.
Praise the Lord!
It is good to sing praise to our God;
it is a joy to sing his praises.
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem:
he will call back Israel from exile.
He heals broken hearts
and binds up their wounds.
He counts all the stars;
he calls each of them by name.
Our God is great and great is his strength,
his wisdom is not to be measured.
The Lord supports the needy,
but crushes the wicked to the ground.
Sing out to the Lord in thanksgiving,
sing praise to our God on the harp.
He covers the sky with his clouds,
he makes rain to refresh the earth.
He makes grass grow on the hills,
and plants for the service of man.
He gives food to grazing animals,
and feeds the young ravens that call on him.
He takes no delight in the strength of the horse,
no pleasure in the strength of a man.
The Lord is pleased by those who honour him,
by those who trust in his kindness.
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.
To our God be joyful praise.
Short Reading
(Isaiah 61:10)
©
I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
Short Responsory
The Lord chose her. He chose her before she was born.
– The Lord chose her. He chose her before she was born.
He made her live in his own dwelling-place.
– The Lord chose her. He chose her before she was born.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord chose her. He chose her before she was born.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Hail, O Queen of all the world, ever-virgin Mary. You bore Christ the Lord, the Saviour of all creation.
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.
Hail, O Queen of all the world, ever-virgin Mary. You bore Christ the Lord, the Saviour of all creation.
Prayers and intercessions
Let us proclaim the greatness of our Saviour who chose to be born of the Virgin Mary. Confident that he will hear us, we ask:
– Lord, may your mother pray for us.
Sun of justice, you showed your day was dawning in the immaculate Virgin Mary;
help us to walk in the daylight of your presence.
– Lord, may your mother pray for us.
Eternal Word, in the living flesh of Mary you found a dwelling place on earth;
remain with us for ever in hearts free from sin.
– Lord, may your mother pray for us.
Christ, our Saviour, you willed that your mother should be there when you died;
through her intercession may we rejoice to share your suffering.
– Lord, may your mother pray for us.
Loving Saviour, while hanging on the cross, you gave your mother Mary to be the mother of John;
let us be known as her children by our way of living.
– Lord, may your mother pray for 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.
Almighty God, our Father,
you have given us Mary, the Mother of your Son,
to be our Mother and Queen.
Grant that, supported by her prayers,
we may come to the kingdom of heaven
and to the glory destined for your children.
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.
