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 Righteousness

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 Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 5

Refrain: You, O Lord, will bless the righteous.

1 Give ear to my words, O Lord; ♦
consider my lamentation.

2 Hearken to the voice of my crying, my King and my God, ♦
for to you I make my prayer.

3 In the morning, Lord, you will hear my voice; ♦
early in the morning I make my appeal to you, and look up.

4 For you are the God who takes no pleasure in wickedness; ♦
no evil can dwell with you. R

5 The boastful cannot stand in your sight; ♦
you hate all those that work wickedness.

6 You destroy those who speak lies; ♦
the bloodthirsty and deceitful the Lord will abhor.

7 But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy,
I will come into your house; ♦
I will bow down towards your holy temple in awe of you. R

8 Lead me, Lord, in your righteousness,
because of my enemies; ♦
make your way straight before my face.

9 For there is no truth in their mouth,
in their heart is destruction, ♦
their throat is an open sepulchre,
and they flatter with their tongue.

10 Punish them, O God; ♦
let them fall through their own devices.

11 Because of their many transgressions cast them out, ♦
for they have rebelled against you. R

12 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; ♦
let them sing out their joy for ever.

13 You will shelter them, ♦
so that those who love your name may exult in you.

14 For you, O Lord, will bless the righteous; ♦
and with your favour you will defend them as with a shield.

Refrain: You, O Lord, will bless the righteous.

Lord, protect us from the deceit
of flattering tongues and lying lips;
give us words of life which speak your truth
and bless your name;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 6

Refrain: Turn again, O Lord, and deliver my soul.

1 O Lord, rebuke me not in your wrath; ♦
neither chasten me in your fierce anger.

2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am weak; ♦
Lord, heal me, for my bones are racked.

3 My soul also shakes with terror; ♦
how long, O Lord, how long?

4 Turn again, O Lord, and deliver my soul; ♦
save me for your loving mercy’s sake.

5 For in death no one remembers you; ♦
and who can give you thanks in the grave?

6 I am weary with my groaning; ♦
every night I drench my pillow
and flood my bed with my tears.

7 My eyes are wasted with grief ♦
and worn away because of all my enemies. R

8 Depart from me, all you that do evil, ♦
for the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my supplication; ♦
the Lord will receive my prayer.

10 All my enemies shall be put to shame and confusion; ♦
they shall suddenly turn back in their shame.

Refrain: Turn again, O Lord, and deliver my soul.

Lord Jesus Christ,
may the tears shed in your earthly life
be balm for all who weep,
and may the prayers of your pilgrimage
give strength to all who suffer;
for your mercy’s sake.

Psalm (8)

A second version of Psalm 8 can be found here.

1 O Lord our governor, ♦
how glorious is your name in all the world!

2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised ♦
out of the mouths of babes at the breast.

3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes, ♦
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, ♦
the moon and the stars that you have ordained,

5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him; ♦
the son of man, that you should seek him out?

6 You have made him little lower than the angels ♦
and crown him with glory and honour.

7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands ♦
and put all things under his feet,

8 All sheep and oxen, ♦
even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea ♦
and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our governor, ♦
how glorious is your name in all the world!

We bless you, master of the heavens,
for the wonderful order which enfolds this world;
grant that your whole creation
may find fulfilment in the Son of Man,
Jesus Christ our Saviour.

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.

Genesis 18.16-end

Then the men set out from there, and they looked towards Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do, seeing that Abraham shall become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him? No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice; so that the Lord may bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.’ Then the Lord said, ‘How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah and how very grave their sin! I must go down and see whether they have done altogether according to the outcry that has come to me; and if not, I will know.’

So the men turned from there, and went towards Sodom, while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Then Abraham came near and said, ‘Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city; will you then sweep away the place and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?’ And the Lord said, ‘If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will forgive the whole place for their sake.’ Abraham answered, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking? Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?’ And he said, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.’ Again he spoke to him, ‘Suppose forty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of forty I will not do it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak. Suppose thirty are found there.’ He answered, ‘I will not do it, if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.’ Then he said, ‘Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.’ He answered, ‘For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.’ And the Lord went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

Canticle

A Song of Peace, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 26 (page 577), may be said

Refrain:

AllSpirit of God, teach us your ways,
that we may walk in the paths of peace. Alleluia.

1Come, let us go up to the mountain of God, ♦
to the house of the God of Jacob;

2That God may teach us his ways, ♦
and that we may walk in his paths.

3For the law shall go out from Zion, ♦
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

4God shall judge between the nations, ♦
and shall mediate for many peoples.

5They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, ♦
and their spears into pruning hooks.

6Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, ♦
neither shall they learn war any more.

7O people of Jacob, come: ♦
let us walk in the light of the Lord.

Isaiah 2.3-5

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.

AllSpirit of God, teach us your ways,
that we may walk in the paths of peace. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

Matthew 27.27-44

Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole cohort around him. They stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’ They spat on him, and took the reed and struck him on the head. After mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

As they went out, they came upon a man from Cyrene named Simon; they compelled this man to carry his cross. And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And when they had crucified him, they divided his clothes among themselves by casting lots; then they sat down there and kept watch over him. Over his head they put the charge against him, which read, ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’

Then two bandits were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left. Those who passed by derided him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.’ In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking him, saying, ‘He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he wants to; for he said, “I am God’s Son.” ’ The bandits who were crucified with him also taunted him in the same way.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Open my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.
AllOpen my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.
Lead me in the path of your commandments
Allthat I may see the wonders of your law.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllOpen my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.

from Psalm 119

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or The Song of Christ's Glory (page 619) may be said

Refrain:

AllChrist gave them as a light to the nations
that his salvation might reach to the ends of the earth. 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:

AllChrist gave them as a light to the nations
that his salvation might reach to the ends of the earth. Alleluia.

Prayers

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

¶ All who are sick in body, mind or spirit
¶ Those in the midst of famine or disaster
¶ Victims of abuse and violence, intolerance and prejudice
¶ Those who are bereaved
¶ All who work in the medical and healing professions

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

God of grace and might,
who sent your servant Anskar
to spread the gospel to the Nordic peoples:
raise up, we pray, in our generation
      messengers of your good news
      and heralds of your kingdom
that the world may come to know
      the immeasurable riches of our Saviour 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 Conclusion

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.