¶ Morning Prayer
Passiontide
Monday, 30 March 2020

Preparation

O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Let your ways be known upon earth,
Allyour saving power among the nations.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief
your only Son was lifted up
that he might draw the whole world to himself.
May we walk this day in the way of the cross
and always be ready to share its weight,
declaring your love for all the world.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

a suitable hymn, or A Song of Lamentation

1Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by? ♦
Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow,

2Which was brought upon me, ♦
which the Lord inflicted
on the day of his fierce anger.

3For these things I weep;
my eyes flow with tears; ♦
for a comforter is far from me,
one to revive my courage.

4Remember my affliction and my bitterness, ♦
the wormwood and the gall!

5But this I call to mind, ♦
and therefore I have hope:

6The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, ♦
his mercies never come to an end;

7They are new every morning; ♦
great is your faithfulness.

8‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ♦
‘therefore I will hope in him.’

9The Lord is good to those who wait for him, ♦
to the soul that seeks him.

10It is good that we should wait quietly ♦
for the salvation of the Lord.

11For the Lord will not reject for ever; ♦
though he causes grief, he will have compassion,

12According to the abundance of his steadfast love; ♦
for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.

Lamentations 1.12, 16a,b; 3.19, 21-26, 31-33

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 Word of God

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 73

Refrain: In the Lord God have I made my refuge.

1 Truly, God is loving to Israel, ♦
to those who are pure in heart.

2 Nevertheless, my feet were almost gone; ♦
my steps had well-nigh slipped.

3 For I was envious of the proud; ♦
I saw the wicked in such prosperity;

4 For they suffer no pains ♦
and their bodies are sleek and sound;

5 They come to no misfortune like other folk; ♦
nor are they plagued as others are;

6 Therefore pride is their necklace ♦
and violence wraps them like a cloak.

7 Their iniquity comes from within; ♦
the conceits of their hearts overflow. R

8 They scoff, and speak only of evil; ♦
they talk of oppression from on high.

9 They set their mouth against the heavens, ♦
and their tongue ranges round the earth;

10 And so the people turn to them ♦
and find in them no fault.

11 They say, ‘How should God know? ♦
Is there knowledge in the Most High?’

12 Behold, these are the wicked; ♦
ever at ease, they increase their wealth.

13 Is it in vain that I cleansed my heart ♦
and washed my hands in innocence?

14 All day long have I been stricken ♦
and chastened every morning.

15 If I had said, ‘I will speak as they do,’ ♦
I should have betrayed the generation of your children. R

16 Then thought I to understand this, ♦
but it was too hard for me,

17 Until I entered the sanctuary of God ♦
and understood the end of the wicked:

18 How you set them in slippery places; ♦
you cast them down to destruction.

19 How suddenly do they come to destruction, ♦
perish and come to a fearful end!

20 As with a dream when one awakes, ♦
so, Lord, when you arise you will despise their image.

21 When my heart became embittered ♦
and I was pierced to the quick,

22 I was but foolish and ignorant; ♦
I was like a brute beast in your presence. R

23 Yet I am always with you; ♦
you hold me by my right hand.

24 You will guide me with your counsel ♦
and afterwards receive me with glory.

25 Whom have I in heaven but you? ♦
And there is nothing upon earth that I desire
in comparison with you.

26 Though my flesh and my heart fail me, ♦
God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

27 Truly, those who forsake you will perish; ♦
you will put to silence the faithless who betray you.

28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; ♦
in the Lord God have I made my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

Refrain: In the Lord God have I made my refuge.

Holy God,
may we find wisdom in your presence
and set our hope not on uncertain riches
but on the love that holds us to the end;
in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Psalm 121

Refrain: The Lord shall keep you from all evil.

1 I lift up my eyes to the hills; ♦
from where is my help to come?

2 My help comes from the Lord, ♦
the maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not suffer your foot to stumble; ♦
he who watches over you will not sleep.

4 Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel ♦
shall neither slumber nor sleep. R

5 The Lord himself watches over you; ♦
the Lord is your shade at your right hand,

6 So that the sun shall not strike you by day, ♦
neither the moon by night.

7 The Lord shall keep you from all evil; ♦
it is he who shall keep your soul.

8 The Lord shall keep watch over your going out
and your coming in, ♦
from this time forth for evermore.

Refrain: The Lord shall keep you from all evil.

Lord, ever watchful and faithful,
we look to you to be our defence
and we lift our hearts to know your help;
through 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.

Exodus 8.1-19

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh and say to him, “Thus says the Lord: Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs. The river shall swarm with frogs; they shall come up into your palace, into your bedchamber and your bed, and into the houses of your officials and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials.” ’ And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.” ’ So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs up on the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, ‘Pray to the Lord to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.’ Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Kindly tell me when I am to pray for you and for your officials and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.’ And he said, ‘Tomorrow.’ Moses said, ‘As you say! So that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God, the frogs shall leave you and your houses and your officials and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile.’ Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs that he had brought upon Pharaoh. And the Lord did as Moses requested: the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, “Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.” ’ And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt. The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God!’ But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

Canticle

A Song of the Lord’s Gracious Deeds, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 23 (page 574), number 42 (page 593) or number 43 (page 594), may be said

Refrain:

AllI will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praises of the Most High. Alleluia.

1Who is this that comes from Edom, ♦
coming from Bozrah, his garments stained crimson?

2Who is this in glorious apparel, ♦
marching in the greatness of his strength?

3‘It is I, who announce that right has won the day, ♦
it is I,’ says the Lord, ‘for I am mighty to save.’

4Why are your robes all red, O Lord, ♦
and your garments like theirs who tread the winepress?

5‘I have trodden the winepress alone, ♦
and from the peoples no one was with me.’

6I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, ♦
the praises of the Most High;

7All that God has done for us in his mercy, ♦
by his many acts of love.

8For God said, ‘Surely, they are my people,
my children who will not deal falsely,’ ♦
and he became their Saviour in all their distress.

9So God redeemed them by his love and pity; ♦
he lifted them up and carried them
through all the days of old.

Isaiah 63.1-3a, 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.

AllI will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord,
the praises of the Most High. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

Hebrews 11.17-31

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, ‘It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named after you.’ He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, ‘bowing in worship over the top of his staff.’ By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.

By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.

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

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you;
Allby your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
AllWe adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
We preach Christ crucified,
the power of God and the wisdom of God.
AllBy your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
God forbid that I should glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
AllWe adore you, O Christ, and we bless you;
by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.

cf 1 Corinthians 1 and Galatians 6

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or Saviour of the World (page 644) may be said

Refrain:

AllThe word of the cross is folly
to those who are perishing,
but to those who are being saved
it is the power of God.

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:

AllThe word of the cross is folly
to those who are perishing,
but to those who are being saved
it is the power of God.

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 364–365

¶ The persecuted Church
¶ The oppressed peoples of the world
¶ All who are lonely
¶ All who are near to death
¶ All who are facing loss

A form of prayer found on page 381 may be used.

The Litany on pages 400-403 may be said instead of the Prayers.

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

Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
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

Standing at the foot of the cross,
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)

Standing at the foot of the cross,
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

May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
set us free to serve him with joy.
AllAmen.

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.