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
The holy evangelists sought out the wisdom of the ancients: in their gospels they confirmed the prophecies of old.
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.
The holy evangelists sought out the wisdom of the ancients: in their gospels they confirmed the prophecies of old.
Canticle
Daniel 3
All creatures, bless the Lord
Through the gospel, God called us to faith in the truth so that we might share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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.
Through the gospel, God called us to faith in the truth so that we might share the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 149
The saints rejoice
Many will praise their wisdom, and it will never be forgotten.
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.
Many will praise their wisdom, and it will never be forgotten.
Short Reading
1 Corinthians 15:1-2,3-4
©
Brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, the gospel that you received and in which you are firmly established, the gospel that brings you salvation. In the first place, I taught you what I had been taught myself, namely that Christ died for our sins, in accordance with the scriptures; that he was buried; and that he was raised to life on the third day, in accordance with the scriptures.
Short Responsory
They told of the glories of the Lord and of his might.
– They told of the glories of the Lord and of his might.
They spoke of the marvellous deeds he had done.
– They told of the glories of the Lord and of his might.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– They told of the glories of the Lord and of his might.
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
By giving us the gospel of Christ, Saint Luke proclaimed the rising of the Sun from on high.
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.
By giving us the gospel of Christ, Saint Luke proclaimed the rising of the Sun from on high.
Prayers and intercessions
Our Saviour destroyed death and through the gospel revealed eternal life to us. With joyful praises let us make him known, and let us say:
– Strengthen your Church in faith and love.
Lord Jesus, in times past you have lighted the way for your people through wise and holy leaders;
may Christians always enjoy this sign of your loving kindness.
– Strengthen your Church in faith and love.
You forgave the sins of your people when holy pastors prayed;
continually cleanse your Church through their powerful intercession.
– Strengthen your Church in faith and love.
In the presence of their brothers, you anointed your holy ones and poured on them your Spirit;
fill with your Holy Spirit all the leaders of your people.
– Strengthen your Church in faith and love.
Nothing could ever separate the holy pastors from your love;
do not lose even one of those whom you redeemed by your passion.
– Strengthen your Church in faith and love.
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 God,
you chose Saint Luke to reveal the mystery of your love for the poor
in his preaching and his writings.
Grant that those who already acknowledge your name
may continue to be one in mind and heart,
and that all the nations may see your salvation.
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.
