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 Christ, the Light of heaven
And of the world true Light,
You come in all your radiance
To cleave the web of night.
May what is false within us
Before your truth give way,
That we may live untroubled,
With quiet hearts this day.
May steadfast faith sustain us,
And hope made firm in you;
The love that we have wasted,
O God of love, renew.
Blest Trinity we praise you
In whom our quest will cease;
Keep us with you for ever
In happiness and peace.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal
Psalm 84 (85)
Our salvation is very near
Lord, you blessed your land; you forgave the guilt of your people.
You looked kindly, O Lord, on your land:
you ended the captivity of Jacob.
You forgave your people’s unrighteousness
and covered over their sins.
You reined back all of your anger
and renounced your indignant fury.
Rescue us, God, our saviour,
and turn your anger away from us.
Do not be angry for ever
– or will you let your wrath last from one generation to the next?
Surely you will turn round and give us life
– so that your people can rejoice in you?
Show us, Lord, your kindness
and give us your salvation.
I will listen to whatever the Lord God tells me,
for he will speak peace to his people and his chosen ones,
and to those who repent in their hearts.
Truly his salvation is close to those who fear him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.
Kindness and faithfulness have met together,
justice and peace have kissed.
Faithfulness has sprung from the earth,
and justice has looked down from heaven.
Truly the Lord will give generously,
and our land will be fruitful.
Justice will walk before him
and place its footsteps on his path.
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, you blessed your land; you forgave the guilt of your people.
Canticle
Isaiah 26
Thanksgiving for victory
At night my soul longs for you; I watch for you at daybreak.
The city is ours,
with its walls and ramparts,
a refuge and stronghold.
Open the gates, let the just people enter,
the nation that keeps faith.
The agreement is made: you will keep peace,
for peace is entrusted to you.
Trust in the Lord for all ages,
for the Lord is your strength for ever.
The way of the just is straight;
you smooth the straight path of the just.
As we follow the path of your judgements,
we put all our trust in you, Lord.
Our soul’s one desire
is your name and your memory.
My soul longs for you at night,
my desire for you leaves me breathless.
When your judgements shine out on the earth –
then the peoples of the world will know your justice.
Lord, you will give us peace,
for all you have done, you did for 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.
At night my soul longs for you; I watch for you at daybreak.
Psalm 66 (67)
All peoples, praise the Lord
Lord, let your face shed its light upon us.
O God, take pity on us and bless us,
and let your face shine upon us,
so that your ways may be known across the world,
and all nations learn of your salvation.
Let the peoples praise you, O God,
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and rejoice,
for you judge the peoples with fairness
and you guide the nations of the earth.
Let the peoples praise you, O God,
let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has produced its harvest:
may God, our God, bless us.
May God bless us,
may the whole world revere him.
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, let your face shed its light upon us.
Short Reading
1 John 4:14-15
©
We ourselves saw and we testify that the Father sent his Son as saviour of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God.
Short Responsory
My helper is my God; I will place my trust in him.
– My helper is my God; I will place my trust in him.
He is my refuge; he sets me free.
– My helper is my God; I will place my trust in him.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– My helper is my God; I will place my trust in him.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
The Lord has raised up a mighty saviour for us, as he promised through the lips of his prophets.
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.
The Lord has raised up a mighty saviour for us, as he promised through the lips of his prophets.
Prayers and intercessions
By shedding his blood for us, Christ gathered together a new people from every corner of the earth. Let us pray to him:
– Christ, be mindful of your people.
Christ, our king and redeemer:
help us to know your power and your love.
– Christ, be mindful of your people.
Christ, our hope and courage:
sustain us throughout the day.
– Christ, be mindful of your people.
Christ, our refuge and strength:
fight with us against our weakness.
– Christ, be mindful of your people.
Christ, our joy and solace:
stay with the poor and lonely.
– Christ, be mindful of your people.
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,
to whom this world with all its goodness and beauty belongs,
give us grace joyfully to begin this day in your name
and to fill it with an active love for you and our neighbour.
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.
