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: The Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting.
1 O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth; ♦
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
2 Know that the Lord is God; ♦
it is he that has made us and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. R
3 Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise; ♦
give thanks to him and bless his name.
4 For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting, ♦
and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
Refrain: The Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting.
O Christ, door of the sheepfold,
may we enter your gates with praise
and go from your courts to serve you
in the poor, the lost and the wandering,
this day and all our days.
Refrain: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
1 Alleluia.
O praise God in his holiness; ♦
praise him in the firmament of his power.
2 Praise him for his mighty acts; ♦
praise him according to his excellent greatness. R
3 Praise him with the blast of the trumpet; ♦
praise him upon the harp and lyre.
4 Praise him with timbrel and dances; ♦
praise him upon the strings and pipe. R
5 Praise him with ringing cymbals; ♦
praise him upon the clashing cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath ♦
praise the Lord.
Alleluia.
Refrain: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
God of life and love,
whose Son was victorious over sin and death,
make us alive with his life,
that the whole world may resound with your praise;
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.
Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
‘Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
Gird up your loins like a man,
I will question you, and you shall declare to me.
‘Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
or who laid its cornerstone
when the morning stars sang together
and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?
‘Or who shut in the sea with doors
when it burst out from the womb?—
when I made the clouds its garment,
and thick darkness its swaddling band,
and prescribed bounds for it,
and set bars and doors,
and said, “Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
and here shall your proud waves be stopped”?
‘Have you commanded the morning since your days began,
and caused the dawn to know its place,
so that it might take hold of the skirts of the earth,
and the wicked be shaken out of it?
It is changed like clay under the seal,
and it is dyed like a garment.
Light is withheld from the wicked,
and their uplifted arm is broken.
‘Have you entered into the springs of the sea,
or walked in the recesses of the deep?
Have the gates of death been revealed to you,
or have you seen the gates of deep darkness?
Have you comprehended the expanse of the earth?
Declare, if you know all this.
‘Where is the way to the dwelling of light,
and where is the place of darkness,
that you may take it to its territory
and that you may discern the paths to its home?
Surely you know, for you were born then,
and the number of your days is great!
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.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
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
Almighty God,
you have created the heavens and the earth
and made us in your own image:
teach us to discern your hand in all your works
and your likeness in all your children;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns supreme over all things,
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.