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: O God, be not far from me.
1 In you, O Lord, do I seek refuge; ♦
let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; ♦
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be for me a stronghold to which I may ever resort; ♦
send out to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, ♦
from the grasp of the evildoer and the oppressor.
5 For you are my hope, O Lord God, ♦
my confidence, even from my youth.
6 Upon you have I leaned from my birth,
when you drew me from my mothers womb; ♦
my praise shall be always of you. R
7 I have become a portent to many, ♦
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8 Let my mouth be full of your praise ♦
and your glory all the day long.
9 Do not cast me away in the time of old age; ♦
forsake me not when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies are talking against me, ♦
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together.
11 They say, God has forsaken him;
pursue him and take him, ♦
because there is none to deliver him.
12 O God, be not far from me; ♦
come quickly to help me, O my God.
13 Let those who are against me
be put to shame and disgrace; ♦
let those who seek to do me evil
be covered with scorn and reproach. R
14 But as for me I will hope continually ♦
and will praise you more and more.
15 My mouth shall tell of your righteousness
and salvation all the day long, ♦
for I know no end of the telling.
16 I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord God; ♦
I will recall your righteousness, yours alone. R
17 O God, you have taught me since I was young, ♦
and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
18 Forsake me not, O God,
when I am old and grey-headed, ♦
till I make known your deeds to the next generation
and your power to all that are to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; ♦
in the great things you have done, who is like you, O God?
20 What troubles and adversities you have shown me, ♦
and yet you will turn and refresh me
and bring me from the deep of the earth again.
21 Increase my honour; ♦
turn again and comfort me. R
22 Therefore will I praise you upon the harp
for your faithfulness, O my God; ♦
I will sing to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will sing out as I play to you, ♦
and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
24 My tongue also will tell of your righteousness all the day long, ♦
for they shall be shamed and disgraced
who sought to do me evil.
Refrain: O God, be not far from me.
Faithful Lord, living Saviour,
in youth and old age,
from the womb to the grave,
may we know your protection
and proclaim your great salvation
to the glory of God the Father.
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.
Faithful friends are a sturdy shelter:
whoever finds one has found a treasure.
Faithful friends are beyond price;
no amount can balance their worth.
Faithful friends are life-saving medicine;
and those who fear the Lord will find them.
Those who fear the Lord direct their friendship aright,
for as they are, so are their neighbours also.
My child, from your youth choose discipline,
and when you have grey hair you will still find wisdom.
Come to her like one who ploughs and sows,
and wait for her good harvest.
For when you cultivate her you will toil but little,
and soon you will eat of her produce.
She seems very harsh to the undisciplined;
fools cannot remain with her.
She will be like a heavy stone to test them,
and they will not delay in casting her aside.
For wisdom is like her name;
she is not readily perceived by many.
Listen, my child, and accept my judgement;
do not reject my counsel.
Put your feet into her fetters,
and your neck into her collar.
Bend your shoulders and carry her,
and do not fret under her bonds.
Come to her with all your soul,
and keep her ways with all your might.
Search out and seek, and she will become known to you;
and when you get hold of her, do not let her go.
For at last you will find the rest she gives,
and she will be changed into joy for you.
Then her fetters will become for you a strong defence,
and her collar a glorious robe.
Her yoke is a golden ornament,
and her bonds a purple cord.
You will wear her like a glorious robe,
and put her on like a splendid crown.
If you are willing, my child, you can be disciplined,
and if you apply yourself you will become clever.
If you love to listen you will gain knowledge,
and if you pay attention you will become wise.
Stand in the company of the elders.
Who is wise? Attach yourself to such a one.
Be ready to listen to every godly discourse,
and let no wise proverbs escape you.
If you see an intelligent person, rise early to visit him;
let your foot wear out his doorstep.
Reflect on the statutes of the Lord,
and meditate at all times on his commandments.
It is he who will give insight to your mind,
and your desire for wisdom will be granted.
A Song of Deliverance, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 40 (page 591), may be said
Refrain:
AllAll the earth, shout and
sing for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One. Alleluia.
1‘Behold, God is my salvation;
♦
I will trust and will not be afraid;
2‘For the Lord
God is my strength and my song, ♦
and has become my salvation.’
3With joy you will draw
water ♦
from the wells of salvation.
4On that day you will
say, ♦
‘Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name;
5‘Make known his deeds
among the nations, ♦
proclaim that his name is exalted.
6‘Sing God’s praises,
who has triumphed gloriously; ♦
let this be known in all the world.
7‘Shout and sing for
joy, you that dwell in Zion, ♦
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.‘
Isaiah 12.2-6
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.
AllAll the earth, shout and
sing for joy,
for great in your midst is the Holy One. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
It was two days before the Passover and the festival of Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the scribes were looking for a way to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him; for they said, Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.
While he was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at the table, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment of nard, and she broke open the jar and poured the ointment on his head. But some were there who said to one another in anger, Why was the ointment wasted in this way? For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor. And they scolded her. But Jesus said, Let her alone; why do you trouble her? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, and you can show kindness to them whenever you wish; but you will not always have me. She has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand for its burial. Truly I tell you, wherever the good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.
Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, went to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. When they heard it, they were greatly pleased, and promised to give him money. So he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.
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 have set us free to
worship you without fear,
holy and righteous in your sight.
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 have set us free to
worship you without fear,
holy and righteous in your sight.
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
Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless till they find their rest in you:
pour your love into our hearts and draw us to yourself,
and so bring us at last to your heavenly city
where we shall see you face to face;
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
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.