O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall
proclaim your praise.
Your faithful servants bless you.
AllThey make known the
glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
ruler and judge of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
In the darkness of this age that is passing away
may the light of your presence which the saints enjoy
surround our steps as we journey on.
May we reflect your glory this day
and so be made ready to see your face
in the heavenly city where night shall be no more.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
a suitable hymn, or A Song of Trust in God
1As the deer longs for
the water brooks, ♦
so longs my soul for you, O God.
2My soul is athirst for
God, even for the living God; ♦
when shall I come before the presence of God?
3My tears have been my
bread day and night, ♦
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’
4Now when I think on
these things, I pour out my soul: ♦
how I went with the multitude
and led the procession to the house of God,
5With the voice of praise
and thanksgiving, ♦
among those who kept holy day.
6Why are you so full
of heaviness, O my soul, ♦
and why are you so disquieted within me?
7O put your trust in
God; ♦
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.
Psalm 42.1-7
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
This opening prayer may be said
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: The Lord is the strength of his people, a safe refuge for his anointed.
1 Why are the nations in tumult, ♦
and why do the peoples devise a vain plot?
2 The kings of the earth rise up,
and the rulers take counsel together, ♦
against the Lord and against his anointed:
3 ‘Let us break their bonds asunder ♦
and cast away their cords from us.’ R
4 He who dwells in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; ♦
the Lord shall have them in derision.
5 Then shall he speak to them in his wrath ♦
and terrify them in his fury:
6 ‘Yet have I set my king ♦
upon my holy hill of Zion.’ R
7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord; ♦
he said to me: ‘You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.
8 ‘Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance ♦
and the ends of the earth for your possession.
9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron ♦
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ R
10 Now therefore be wise, O kings; ♦
be prudent, you judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear, and with trembling kiss his feet, ♦
lest he be angry and you perish from the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
12 Happy are all they ♦
who take refuge in him.
Refrain: The Lord is the strength of his people, a safe refuge for his anointed.
Most high and holy God,
lift our eyes to your Son
enthroned on Calvary;
and as we behold his meekness,
shatter our earthly pride;
for he is Lord for ever and ever.
Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever.
1 Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, O my soul:
while I live will I praise the Lord; ♦
as long as I have any being,
I will sing praises to my God.
2 Put not your trust in princes,
nor in any human power, ♦
for there is no help in them.
3 When their breath goes forth, they return to the earth; ♦
on that day all their thoughts perish. R
4 Happy are those who have the God of Jacob for their help, ♦
whose hope is in the Lord their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them; ♦
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those that suffer wrong ♦
and bread to those who hunger. R
7 The Lord looses those that are bound; ♦
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
8 The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; ♦
the Lord loves the righteous;
9 The Lord watches over the stranger in the land;
he upholds the orphan and widow; ♦
but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.
10 The Lord shall reign for ever, ♦
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Alleluia.
Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever.
Lord of all,
our breath and being come from you,
yet our earthly end is dust;
as you loose the bound and feed the hungry,
so bring us in your mercy through the grave and gate of death
to the feast of eternal life,
where you reign for evermore.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth;
for the Lord has spoken:
I reared children and brought them up,
but they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib;
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.
Ah, sinful nation,
people laden with iniquity,
offspring who do evil,
children who deal corruptly,
who have forsaken the Lord,
who have despised the Holy One of Israel,
who are utterly estranged!
Why do you seek further beatings?
Why do you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and bleeding wounds;
they have not been drained, or bound up,
or softened with oil.
Your country lies desolate,
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
aliens devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
And daughter Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a shelter in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
If the Lord of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we would have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.
Hear the word of the Lord,
you rulers of Sodom!
Listen to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the Lord;
I have had enough of burnt-offerings of rams
and the fat of fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
When you come to appear before me,
who asked this from your hand?
Trample my courts no more;
bringing offerings is futile;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and sabbath and calling of convocation—
I cannot endure solemn assemblies with iniquity.
Your new moons and your appointed festivals
my soul hates;
they have become a burden to me,
I am weary of bearing them.
When you stretch out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your doings
from before my eyes;
cease to do evil,
learn to do good;
seek justice,
rescue the oppressed,
defend the orphan,
plead for the widow.
Come now, let us argue it out,
says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be like snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.
If you are willing and obedient,
you shall eat the good of the land;
but if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by the sword;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
The following, or another suitable canticle, may be said or sung
Refrain:
AllMy prayer came to you in
your holy temple,
and you brought up my life from the depths. Alleluia.
1I called to you, O God,
out of my distress
and you answered me; ♦
out of the belly of Sheol I cried,
and you heard my voice.
2You cast me into the
deep,
into the heart of the seas, ♦
and the flood surrounded me,
all your waves and billows passed over me.
3Then I said, I am driven
away from your sight; ♦
how shall I ever look again upon your holy temple?
4The waters closed in
over me,
the deep was round about me; ♦
weeds were wrapped around my head
at the roots of the mountains.
5I went down to the land
whose bars closed upon me for ever, ♦
yet you brought up my life from the depths, O God.
6As my life was ebbing
away, I remembered you, O God, ♦
and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.
7With the voice of thanksgiving,
I will sacrifice to you; ♦
what I have vowed I will pay;
deliverance belongs to the Lord!
Jonah 2.2-7, 9
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
AllMy prayer came to you in
your holy temple,
and you brought up my life from the depths. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.
Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly.
But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’
All this took place to fulfil what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
‘Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall name him Emmanuel’,
which means, ‘God is with us.’
When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took her as his wife,
but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son; and he named him Jesus.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord,
Allmy lips shall proclaim
your faithfulness.
The heavens bear witness to your wonders;
AllI will sing for ever
of your love, O Lord.
The assembly of your saints proclaims your truth;
Allmy lips shall proclaim
your faithfulness.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
AllI will sing for ever
of your love, O Lord,
my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.
from Psalm 89
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or the Te Deum Laudamus (A Song
of the Church) (page 636) may be said
Refrain:
All
Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the heavens,
and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars
for all eternity. Alleluia.
1Blessed be the Lord
the God of Israel, ♦
who has come to his people and set them free.
2He has raised up for
us a mighty Saviour, ♦
born of the house of his servant David.
3Through his holy prophets
God promised of old ♦
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
4To show mercy to our
ancestors, ♦
and to remember his holy covenant.
5This was the oath God
swore to our father Abraham: ♦
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6Free to worship him
without fear, ♦
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
7And you, child, shall
be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8To give his people knowledge
of salvation ♦
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9In the tender compassion
of our God ♦
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10To shine on those who
dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, ♦
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1.68-79
AllGlory to the Father and
to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
All
Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the heavens,
and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars
for all eternity. Alleluia.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for the day and its tasks
¶ for the world and its needs
¶ for the Church and her life
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365
¶ The saints on earth, that they may live as
citizens of heaven
¶ All people, that they may hear and believe
the word of God
¶ All who fear the winter months
¶ All sovereigns and political leaders, that
they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ
¶ All who grieve or wait with the dying
A form of prayer found on page 384 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
God of peace, the bond of all love,
who in your Son Jesus Christ have made the human race
your inseparable dwelling place:
after the example of your servant Richard Hooker,
give grace to us your servants ever to rejoice
in the true inheritance of your adopted children
and to show forth your praises now and ever;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur 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.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven,
bring us to reign with him in glory.
AllAmen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from
Church House Publishing.
The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Implemented by Simon Kershaw at
Crucix.
Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002–2021.