¶ Morning Prayer
from All Saints’ Day until
the day before the First Sunday of Advent
Wednesday, 12 November 2025

Preparation

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

Your faithful servants bless you.
AllThey make known the glory of your kingdom. Alleluia.

One or more of the following is said or sung:

this or another prayer of thanksgiving

Blessed are you, Sovereign God,
ruler and judge of all,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
In the darkness of this age that is passing away
may the light of your presence which the saints enjoy
surround our steps as we journey on.
May we reflect your glory this day
and so be made ready to see your face
in the heavenly city where night shall be no more.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.

a suitable hymn, or A Song of Trust in God

1As the deer longs for the water brooks, ♦
so longs my soul for you, O God.

2My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God; ♦
when shall I come before the presence of God?

3My tears have been my bread day and night, ♦
while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’

4Now when I think on these things, I pour out my soul: ♦
how I went with the multitude
and led the procession to the house of God,

5With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, ♦
among those who kept holy day.

6Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, ♦
and why are you so disquieted within me?

7O put your trust in God; ♦
for I will yet give him thanks,
who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Psalm 42.1-7

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 23

Refrain: I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

1 The Lord is my shepherd; ♦
therefore can I lack nothing.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures ♦
and leads me beside still waters. R

3 He shall refresh my soul ♦
and guide me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil; ♦
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.  R

5 You spread a table before me
in the presence of those who trouble me; ♦
you have anointed my head with oil
and my cup shall be full.

6 Surely goodness and loving mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life, ♦
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Refrain: I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

O God, our sovereign and shepherd,
who brought again your Son Jesus Christ
from the valley of death,
comfort us with your protecting presence
and your angels of goodness and love,
that we also may come home
and dwell with him in your house for ever.

Psalm 25

Refrain: Remember, Lord, your compassion and love.

1 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
O my God, in you I trust; ♦
let me not be put to shame;
let not my enemies triumph over me.

2 Let none who look to you be put to shame, ♦
but let the treacherous be shamed and frustrated.

3 Make me to know your ways, O Lord, ♦
and teach me your paths.

4 Lead me in your truth and teach me, ♦
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you have I hoped all the day long.

5 Remember, Lord, your compassion and love, ♦
for they are from everlasting. R

6 Remember not the sins of my youth
or my transgressions, ♦
but think on me in your goodness, O Lord,
according to your steadfast love.

7 Gracious and upright is the Lord; ♦
therefore shall he teach sinners in the way.

8 He will guide the humble in doing right ♦
and teach his way to the lowly.

9 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth ♦
to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies. R

10 For your name’s sake, O Lord, ♦
be merciful to my sin, for it is great.

11 Who are those who fear the Lord? ♦
Them will he teach in the way that they should choose.

12 Their soul shall dwell at ease ♦
and their offspring shall inherit the land.

13 The hidden purpose of the Lord is for those who fear him ♦
and he will show them his covenant.

14 My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, ♦
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net. R

15 Turn to me and be gracious to me, ♦
for I am alone and brought very low.

16 The sorrows of my heart have increased; ♦
O bring me out of my distress.

17 Look upon my adversity and misery ♦
and forgive me all my sin.

18 Look upon my enemies, for they are many ♦
and they bear a violent hatred against me.

19 O keep my soul and deliver me; ♦
let me not be put to shame, for I have put my trust in you.

20 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, ♦
for my hope has been in you.

21 Deliver Israel, O God, ♦
out of all his troubles.

Refrain: Remember, Lord, your compassion and love.

Free us, God of mercy,
from all that keeps us from you;
relieve the misery of the anxious and the ashamed
and fill us with the hope of peace;
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.

Isaiah 6

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.’
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ And he said, ‘Go and say to this people:
“Keep listening, but do not comprehend;
keep looking, but do not understand.”
Make the mind of this people dull,
   and stop their ears,
   and shut their eyes,
so that they may not look with their eyes,
   and listen with their ears,
and comprehend with their minds,
   and turn and be healed.’
Then I said, ‘How long, O Lord?’ And he said:
‘Until cities lie waste
   without inhabitant,
and houses without people,
   and the land is utterly desolate;
until the Lord sends everyone far away,
   and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land.
Even if a tenth part remains in it,
   it will be burned again,
like a terebinth or an oak
   whose stump remains standing
   when it is felled.’
The holy seed is its stump.

Canticle

A Song of the New Creation, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 28 (page 579), number 46 (page 598) or number 47 (page 599), may be said

Refrain:

AllI will make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert. Alleluia.

1‘I am the Lord, your Holy One, ♦
the Creator of Israel, your King.’

2Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, ♦
a path in the mighty waters,

3‘Remember not the former things, ♦
nor consider the things of old.

4‘Behold, I am doing a new thing; ♦
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

5‘I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert, ♦
to give drink to my chosen people,

6‘The people whom I formed for myself, ♦
that they might declare my praise.’

Isaiah 43.15, 16, 18, 19, 20c, 21

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 make a way in the wilderness,
and rivers in the desert. 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 5.21-37

Jesus said to the crowds, ‘You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not murder”; and “whoever murders shall be liable to judgement.” But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgement; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, “You fool”, you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall not commit adultery.” But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to lose one of your members than for your whole body to go into hell.

‘It was also said, “Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.” But I say to you that anyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

‘Again, you have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, “You shall not swear falsely, but carry out the vows you have made to the Lord.” But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let your word be “Yes, Yes” or “No, No”; anything more than this comes from the evil one.’

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

I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord,
Allmy lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.
The heavens bear witness to your wonders;
AllI will sing for ever of your love, O Lord.
The assembly of your saints proclaims your truth;
Allmy lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.
AllI will sing for ever of your love, O Lord,
my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness.

from Psalm 89

Gospel Canticle

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 will guide us with your counsel, O God,
and afterwards receive us with glory.

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 will guide us with your counsel, O God,
and afterwards receive us with glory.

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 saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven
¶ All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God
¶ All who fear the winter months
¶ All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ
¶ All who grieve or wait with the dying

A form of prayer found on page 384 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 Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
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

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
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)

Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven,
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 has opened the kingdom of heaven,
bring us to reign with him in glory.
AllAmen.

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