¶ Morning Prayer
Epiphany Season
Friday, 9 January 2026

Preparation

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

Your light springs up for the righteous
Alland all the peoples have seen your glory.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
king of the nations,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
your name is proclaimed in all the world.
As the Sun of Righteousness dawns in our hearts
anoint our lips with the seal of your Spirit
that we may witness to your gospel
and sing your praise in all the earth.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

a suitable hymn, or Jubilate – A Song of Joy

1O be joyful in the Lord, all the earth; ♦
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

2Know 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.

3Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise; ♦
give thanks to him and bless his name.

4For the Lord is gracious; his steadfast love is everlasting, ♦
and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation.

Psalm 100

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 2

Refrain: The Lord is the strength of his people, a safe refuge for his anointed.

1 Why are the nations in tumult, ♦
and why do the peoples devise a vain plot?

2 The kings of the earth rise up,
and the rulers take counsel together, ♦
against the Lord and against his anointed:

3 ‘Let us break their bonds asunder ♦
and cast away their cords from us.’ R

4 He who dwells in heaven shall laugh them to scorn; ♦
the Lord shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak to them in his wrath ♦
and terrify them in his fury:

6 ‘Yet have I set my king ♦
upon my holy hill of Zion.’ R

7 I will proclaim the decree of the Lord; ♦
he said to me: ‘You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.

8 ‘Ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance ♦
and the ends of the earth for your possession.

9 ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron ♦
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ R

10 Now therefore be wise, O kings; ♦
be prudent, you judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and with trembling kiss his feet, ♦
lest he be angry and you perish from the way,
for his wrath is quickly kindled.

12 Happy are all they ♦
who take refuge in him.

Refrain: The Lord is the strength of his people, a safe refuge for his anointed.

Most high and holy God,
lift our eyes to your Son
enthroned on Calvary;
and as we behold his meekness,
shatter our earthly pride;
for he is Lord for ever and ever.

Psalm 148

Refrain: O praise the name of the Lord.

1 Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens; ♦
praise him in the heights.

2 Praise him, all you his angels; ♦
praise him, all his host.

3 Praise him, sun and moon; ♦
praise him, all you stars of light.

4 Praise him, heaven of heavens, ♦
and you waters above the heavens.

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord; ♦
for he commanded and they were created.

6 He made them fast for ever and ever; ♦
he gave them a law which shall not pass away. R

7 Praise the Lord from the earth, ♦
you sea monsters and all deeps;

8 Fire and hail, snow and mist, ♦
tempestuous wind, fulfilling his word;

9 Mountains and all hills, ♦
fruit trees and all cedars;

10 Wild beasts and all cattle, ♦
creeping things and birds on the wing;

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, ♦
princes and all rulers of the world;

12 Young men and women,
old and young together; ♦
let them praise the name of the Lord.

13 For his name only is exalted, ♦
his splendour above earth and heaven.

14 He has raised up the horn of his people
and praise for all his faithful servants, ♦
the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
Alleluia.

Refrain: O praise the name of the Lord.

O glorious God,
your whole creation sings your marvellous work;
may heaven’s praise so echo in our hearts
that we may be good stewards of the earth;
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.

Baruch 3.1-8

O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, the soul in anguish and the wearied spirit cry out to you. Hear, O Lord, and have mercy, for we have sinned before you. For you are enthroned for ever, and we are perishing for ever. O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the people of Israel, the children of those who sinned before you, who did not heed the voice of the Lord their God, so that calamities have clung to us. Do not remember the iniquities of our ancestors, but in this crisis remember your power and your name. For you are the Lord our God, and it is you, O Lord, whom we will praise. For you have put the fear of you in our hearts so that we call upon your name; and we will praise you in our exile, for we have put away from our hearts all the iniquity of our ancestors who sinned against you. See, we are today in our exile where you have scattered us, to be reproached and cursed and punished for all the iniquities of our ancestors, who forsook the Lord our God.

or Jeremiah 30.18 - 31.9

Canticle

A Song of the New Jerusalem, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 31 (page 582) or number 36 (page 587), may be said

Refrain:

AllAbove you the Holy One arises,
and above you God’s glory appears. Alleluia.

1Arise, shine out, for your light has come, ♦
the glory of the Lord is rising upon you.

2Though night still covers the earth, ♦
and darkness the peoples;

3Above you the Holy One arises, ♦
and above you God’s glory appears.

4The nations will come to your light, ♦
and kings to your dawning brightness.

5Your gates will lie open continually, ♦
shut neither by day nor by night.

6The sound of violence shall be heard no longer in your land, ♦
or ruin and devastation within your borders.

7You will call your walls, Salvation, ♦
and your gates, Praise.

8No more will the sun give you daylight, ♦
nor moonlight shine upon you;

9But the Lord will be your everlasting light, ♦
your God will be your splendour.

10For you shall be called the city of God, ♦
the dwelling of the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 60.1-3, 11a, 18, 19, 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.

AllAbove you the Holy One arises,
and above you God’s glory appears. 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 20.29-end

As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him. There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, ‘Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!’ The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, ‘Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!’ Jesus stood still and called them, saying, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, let our eyes be opened.’ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.

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

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
Alllet the whole earth tremble before him.
Tell it out among the nations that the Lord is King.
AllO worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
Tell out his salvation from day to day.
AllLet the whole earth tremble before him.
Declare his glory among the nations
and his wonders among all peoples.
AllO worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness;
let the whole earth tremble before him.

from Psalm 96

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said, or A Song of the Blessed (page 606) may be said

Refrain:

AllThis is the Christ, the Chosen of God,
the one who will bring healing to the nations.

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:

AllThis is the Christ, the Chosen of God,
the one who will bring healing to the nations.

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 unity of the Church
¶ The peace of the world
¶ The healing of the sick
¶ The revelation of Christ to those from whom his glory is hidden
¶ All who travel

A form of prayer found on page 379 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

O God,
who by the leading of a star
manifested your only Son to the peoples of the earth:
mercifully grant that we,
who know you now by faith,
may at last behold your glory 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

Believing the promises of God,
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)

Believing the promises of God,
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 sends us to the nations,
give us the power of his Spirit.
AllAmen.

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