O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall
proclaim your praise.
The Acclamation of Christ at the Dawning of the Day (page 108) may replace the Preparation as the start of Morning Prayer on any occasion.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
One of these prayers of thanksgiving (page 109),
Blessed are you, Sovereign God, creator of all,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
You founded the earth in the beginning
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
In the fullness of time you made us in your image,
and in these last days you have spoken to us
in your Son Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh.
As we rejoice in the gift of your presence among us
let the light of your love always shine in our hearts,
your Spirit ever renew our lives
and your praises ever be on our lips.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
(or)
Blessed are you, creator of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your dawn renews the face of the earth
bringing light and life to all creation,
may we rejoice in this day you have made;
as we wake refreshed from the depths of sleep,
open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
after Lancelot Andrewes (1626)
or a suitable hymn,
or A Song of God’s Compassion
1The Lord is full of
compassion and mercy, ♦
slow to anger and of great kindness.
2He will not always accuse
us, ♦
neither will he keep his anger for ever.
3He has not dealt with
us according to our sins, ♦
nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
4For as the heavens are
high above the earth, ♦
so great is his mercy upon those who fear him.
5As far as the east is
from the west, ♦
so far has he set our sins from us.
6As a father has compassion
on his children, ♦
so is the Lord merciful towards those who fear him.
7For he knows of what
we are made; ♦
he remembers that we are but dust.
8Our days are but as
grass; ♦
we flourish as a flower of the field;
9For as soon as the wind
goes over it, it is gone, ♦
and its place shall know it no more.
10But the merciful goodness
of the Lord is from of old
and endures for ever on those who fear him, ♦
and his righteousness on children’s children;
11On those who keep his
covenant ♦
and remember his commandments to do them.
Psalm 103.8-18
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: Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
1 Hear this, all you peoples; ♦
listen, all you that dwell in the world,
2 You of low or high degree, ♦
both rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak of wisdom ♦
and my heart shall meditate on understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a parable; ♦
I will unfold my riddle with the lyre. R
5 Why should I fear in evil days, ♦
when the malice of my foes surrounds me,
6 Such as trust in their goods ♦
and glory in the abundance of their riches?
7 For no one can indeed ransom another ♦
or pay to God the price of deliverance.
8 To ransom a soul is too costly; ♦
there is no price one could pay for it,
9 So that they might live for ever, ♦
and never see the grave.
10 For we see that the wise die also;
with the foolish and ignorant they perish ♦
and leave their riches to others.
11 Their tomb is their home for ever,
their dwelling through all generations, ♦
though they call their lands after their own names.
12 Those who have honour, but lack understanding, ♦
are like the beasts that perish. R
13 Such is the way of those who boast in themselves, ♦
the end of those who delight in their own words.
14 Like a flock of sheep they are destined to die;
death is their shepherd; ♦
they go down straight to the Pit.
15 Their beauty shall waste away, ♦
and the land of the dead shall be their dwelling.
16 But God shall ransom my soul; ♦
from the grasp of death will he take me. R
17 Be not afraid if some grow rich ♦
and the glory of their house increases,
18 For they will carry nothing away when they die, ♦
nor will their glory follow after them.
19 Though they count themselves happy while they live ♦
and praise you for your success,
20 They shall enter the company of their ancestors ♦
who will nevermore see the light.
21 Those who have honour, but lack understanding, ♦
are like the beasts that perish.
Refrain: Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
Save us from envy, God our Redeemer,
and deliver us from the chains of wealth,
that, ransomed through your Son,
we may inherit the crown of everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Refrain: Alleluia.
1 O praise the Lord, all you nations; ♦
praise him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his steadfast love towards us, ♦
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Alleluia.
Refrain: Alleluia.
Gracious God,
we praise you for your faithfulness
and pray that every nation may find your blessing
in the face of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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.
Then the Lord said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.’
So he set out from there, and found Elisha son of Shaphat, who was ploughing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle over him. He left the oxen, ran after Elijah, and said, ‘Let me kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow you.’ Then Elijah said to him, ‘Go back again; for what have I done to you?’ He returned from following him, took the yoke of oxen, and slaughtered them; using the equipment from the oxen, he boiled their flesh, and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he set out and followed Elijah, and became his servant.
The following, or another suitable canticle, may be said or sung
Refrain:
AllThe Lord has anointed me
and sent me to bring good news to the oppressed. Alleluia.
1The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me ♦
because he has anointed me.
2He has sent me to bring
good news to the oppressed, ♦
to bind up the broken-hearted,
3To proclaim liberty
to the captives, ♦
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
4To proclaim the year
of the Lord’s favour, ♦
to comfort all who mourn,
5To give them a garland
instead of ashes, ♦
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit,
6That they may be called
oaks of righteousness, ♦
the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.
7For as the earth puts
forth her blossom, ♦
and as seeds in the garden spring up,
8So shall the Lord God
make righteousness and praise ♦
blossom before all the nations.
9You shall be called
priests of the Lord; ♦
they shall speak of you as ministers of our God.
Isaiah 61.1-3, 11, 6a
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.
AllThe Lord has anointed me
and sent me to bring good news to the oppressed. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
AllTrust in the Lord with
all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
In all your ways acknowledge him
and he will make straight your paths.
AllTrust in the Lord with
all your heart.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
AllTrust in the Lord with
all your heart;
and be not wise in your own sight.
from Proverbs 3
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:
AllYou did not choose me but I chose you
and I appointed you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that shall last. 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:
AllYou did not choose me but I chose you
and I appointed you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that shall last. 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 362–363
¶ The media and the arts
¶ Farming and fishing
¶ Commerce and industry
¶ Those whose work is unfulfilling, stressful
or fraught with danger
¶ All who are unemployed
One of the forms of prayer found on pages 362–371 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
O Almighty God,
whose blessed Son called Matthew the tax collector
to be an apostle and evangelist:
give us grace to forsake the selfish pursuit of gain
and the possessive love of riches
that we may follow in the way of your Son Jesus Christ,
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
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)
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.
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
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.