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
O fathers of our ancient faith,
With all the heav’ns we sing your fame
Whose sound went forth in all the earth
To tell of Christ and bless His name.
You took the gospel to the poor,
The word of God alight in you,
Which in our day is told again:
That timeless word, forever new.
You told of God who died for us
And out of death triumphant rose,
Who gave the truth that made us free,
And changeless through the ages goes.
Like sparks among the straw, you ran
To set the universe ablaze,
To kindle love of Christ the Lord
And take his peace on all your ways.
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost
Whose gift is faith that never dies:
A light in darkness now, until
The day-star in our hearts arise.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
Psalm 62 (63)
Thirsting for God
This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.
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.
This is my commandment: love one another as I have loved you.
Canticle
Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
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.
A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.
Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
You are my friends if you do what I command you, says the Lord.
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.
You are my friends if you do what I command you, says the Lord.
Short Reading
Ephesians 2:19-22
©
You are no longer aliens or foreign visitors: you are citizens like all the saints, and part of God’s household. You are part of a building that has the apostles and prophets for its foundations, and Christ Jesus himself for its main cornerstone. As every structure is aligned on him, all grow into one holy temple in the Lord; and you too, in him, are being built into a house where God lives, in the Spirit.
Short Responsory
You will make them rulers over all the land.
– You will make them rulers over all the land.
Your name, Lord, will be remembered.
– You will make them rulers over all the land.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– You will make them rulers over all the land.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Jesus saw a man called Matthew seated at the tax office and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.
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.
Jesus saw a man called Matthew seated at the tax office and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he rose and followed him.
Prayers and intercessions
Since we have received from the apostles our heavenly inheritance, let us thank our Father for all his blessings.
– Lord, the apostles sing your praises.
Praise to you Lord God, for the gift of Christ’s body and blood, handed on by the apostles, to give us strength and life;
– Lord, the apostles sing your praises.
For the table of your word, served by the apostles, to bring us light and joy;
– Lord, the apostles sing your praises.
For your holy Church, built on the apostles, to make us all one body;
– Lord, the apostles sing your praises.
For the washing of baptism and penance, entrusted to the apostles, to cleanse our hearts from sin;
– Lord, the apostles sing your praises.
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,
you showed your great mercy to Matthew the tax-gatherer
by calling him to become your apostle.
Supported by his prayer and example,
may we always answer your call
and live in close union with you.
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.
