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 the Benedicite – a Song of Creation (shorter version)
1Bless the Lord all you
works of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
2Bless the Lord you heavens:
♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
3Bless the Lord you angels
of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
4Bless the Lord all people
on earth: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
5O people of God bless
the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
6Bless the Lord you priests
of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
7Bless the Lord you servants
of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
8Bless the Lord all you
of upright spirit: ♦
bless the Lord you that are holy and humble in heart.
The Song of the Three 35-37, 60-65
AllBless the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
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 deal with your servant according to your faithful love.
105 Your word is a lantern to my feet ♦
and a light upon my path.
106 I have sworn and will fulfil it, ♦
to keep your righteous judgements.
107 I am troubled above measure; ♦
give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept the freewill offering of my mouth, O Lord, ♦
and teach me your judgements. R
109 My soul is ever in my hand, ♦
yet I do not forget your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me, ♦
but I have not strayed from your commandments.
111 Your testimonies have I claimed as my heritage for ever; ♦
for they are the very joy of my heart.
112 I have applied my heart to fulfil your statutes: ♦
always, even to the end. R
113 I hate those who are double-minded, ♦
but your law do I love.
114 You are my hiding place and my shield ♦
and my hope is in your word.
115 Away from me, you wicked! ♦
I will keep the commandments of my God.
116 Sustain me according to your promise, that I may live, ♦
and let me not be disappointed in my hope. R
117 Hold me up and I shall be saved, ♦
and my delight shall be ever in your statutes.
118 You set at nought those who depart from your statutes, ♦
for their deceiving is in vain.
119 You consider all the wicked as dross; ♦
therefore I love your testimonies.
120 My flesh trembles for fear of you ♦
and I am afraid of your judgements. R
121 I have done what is just and right; ♦
O give me not over to my oppressors.
122 Stand surety for your servant’s good; ♦
let not the proud oppress me.
123 My eyes fail with watching for your salvation ♦
and for your righteous promise.
124 O deal with your servant according to your faithful love ♦
and teach me your statutes. R
125 I am your servant; O grant me understanding, ♦
that I may know your testimonies.
126 It is time for you to act, O Lord, ♦
for they frustrate your law.
127 Therefore I love your commandments ♦
above gold, even much fine gold.
128 Therefore I direct my steps by all your precepts, ♦
and all false ways I utterly abhor.
Refrain: O deal with your servant according to your faithful love.
O God, save us from ourselves,
from double standards
and divided hearts,
and give us light and life
in 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.
Therefore justice is far from us,
and righteousness does not reach us;
we wait for light, and lo! there is darkness;
and for brightness, but we walk in gloom.
We grope like the blind along a wall,
groping like those who have no eyes;
we stumble at noon as in the twilight,
among the vigorous as though we were dead.
We all growl like bears;
like doves we moan mournfully.
We wait for justice, but there is none;
for salvation, but it is far from us.
For our transgressions before you are many,
and our sins testify against us.
Our transgressions indeed are with us,
and we know our iniquities:
transgressing, and denying the Lord,
and turning away from following our God,
talking oppression and revolt,
conceiving lying words and uttering them from the heart.
Justice is turned back,
and righteousness stands at a distance;
for truth stumbles in the public square,
and uprightness cannot enter.
Truth is lacking,
and whoever turns from evil is despoiled.
The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.
He saw that there was no one,
and was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
so his own arm brought him victory,
and his righteousness upheld him.
He put on righteousness like a breastplate,
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing,
and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle.
According to their deeds, so will he repay;
wrath to his adversaries, requital to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render requital.
So those in the west shall fear the name of the Lord,
and those in the east, his glory;
for he will come like a pent-up stream
that the wind of the Lord drives on.
And he will come to Zion as Redeemer,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says the Lord.
A Song of David, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 32 (page 583) or number 50 (page 602), may be said
Refrain:
AllSplendour and majesty are
yours, O God;
you are exalted as head over all. Alleluia.
1Blessed are you, God
of Israel, for ever and ever, ♦
for yours is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour and the majesty.
2Everything in heaven
and on earth is yours; ♦
yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
and you are exalted as head over all.
3Riches and honour come
from you ♦
and you rule over all.
4In your hand are power
and might; ♦
yours it is to give power and strength to all.
5And now we give you
thanks, our God, ♦
and praise your glorious name.
6For all things come
from you, ♦
and of your own have we given you.
1 Chronicles 29.10b-13, 14b
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.
AllSplendour and majesty are
yours, O God;
you are exalted as head over all. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely. Just then, in front of him, there was a man who had dropsy. And Jesus asked the lawyers and Pharisees, ‘Is it lawful to cure people on the sabbath, or not?’ But they were silent. So Jesus took him and healed him, and sent him away. Then he said to them, ‘If one of you has a child or an ox that has fallen into a well, will you not immediately pull it out on a sabbath day?’ And they could not reply to this.
When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honour, he told them a parable. ‘When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honour, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, “Give this person your place”, and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, “Friend, move up higher”; then you will be honoured in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.’
He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead
AllAnd Christ shall give
you light.
You have died and your life is hid with Christ in God.
AllAwake, O sleeper, and
arise from the dead.
Set your minds on things that are above,
not on things that are on the earth.
AllAnd Christ shall give
you light.
When Christ our life appears you will appear with him in glory.
AllAwake, O sleeper, and
arise from the dead,
and Christ shall give you light.
from Colossians 3
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said, or the Easter Anthems (page 634) may be said
Refrain:
AllYou have raised up for us
a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of your servant David.
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 raised up for us
a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of your servant David.
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 universal Church
¶ Bishops, synods and all who lead the Church
¶ The leaders of the nations
¶ The natural world and the resources of the
earth
¶ All who are in any kind of need
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
Blessed Lord,
who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning:
help us so to hear them,
to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them
that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word,
we may embrace and for ever hold fast
the hope of everlasting life,
which you have given us in 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 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.