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 A Song of God’s Righteousness
1Bless the Lord, O my
soul, ♦
and all that is within me bless his holy name.
2Bless the Lord, O my
soul, ♦
and forget not all his benefits;
3Who forgives all your
sins ♦
and heals all your infirmities;
4Who redeems your life
from the Pit ♦
and crowns you with faithful love and compassion;
5Who satisfies you with
good things, ♦
so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6The Lord executes righteousness
♦
and judgement for all who are oppressed.
7He made his ways known
to Moses ♦
and his works to the children of Israel.
8The Lord has established
his throne in heaven, ♦
and his kingdom has dominion over all.
9Bless the Lord, you
angels of his, ♦
you mighty ones who do his bidding
and hearken to the voice of his word.
10Bless the Lord, all
you his hosts, ♦
you ministers of his who do his will.
11Bless the Lord, all
you works of his,
in all places of his dominion; ♦
bless the Lord, O my soul.
Psalm 103.1-7, 19-22
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 appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: Arise, O Lord, into your resting place.
1 Lord, remember for David ♦
all the hardships he endured;
2 How he swore an oath to the Lord ♦
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 ‘I will not come within the shelter of my house, ♦
nor climb up into my bed;
4 ‘I will not allow my eyes to sleep, ♦
nor let my eyelids slumber,
5 ‘Until I find a place for the Lord, ♦
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.’ R
6 Now, we heard of the ark in Ephrathah ♦
and found it in the fields of Ja-ar.
7 Let us enter his dwelling place ♦
and fall low before his footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, into your resting place, ♦
you and the ark of your strength.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness ♦
and your faithful ones sing with joy.
10 For your servant David’s sake, ♦
turn not away the face of your anointed. R
11 The Lord has sworn an oath to David, ♦
a promise from which he will not shrink:
12 ‘Of the fruit of your body ♦
shall I set upon your throne.
13 ‘If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, ♦
their children also shall sit upon your throne for evermore.’
14 For the Lord has chosen Zion for himself; ♦
he has desired her for his habitation: R
15 ‘This shall be my resting place for ever; ♦
here will I dwell, for I have longed for her.
16 ‘I will abundantly bless her provision; ♦
her poor will I satisfy with bread.
17 ‘I will clothe her priests with salvation, ♦
and her faithful ones shall rejoice and sing.
18 ‘There will I make a horn to spring up for David; ♦
I will keep a lantern burning for my anointed.
19 ‘As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; ♦
but on him shall his crown be bright.’
Refrain: Arise, O Lord, into your resting place.
Jesus, Son of David,
make us a priestly people;
clothe us in righteousness,
make us fruitful,
and give us hearts to shout for joy in your salvation;
we pray in the power of the Spirit.
Refrain: Mercy
and truth are met together,
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
1 Behold how good and pleasant it is ♦
to dwell together in unity.
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head, ♦
running down upon the beard,
3 Even on Aaron’s beard, ♦
running down upon the collar of his clothing.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon ♦
running down upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the Lord has promised his blessing: ♦
even life for evermore.
Refrain: Mercy
and truth are met together,
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Grant to your people, good Lord,
the spirit of unity,
that they may dwell together in your love,
and so bear to the world
the ointment of your healing and the
dew of your blessing;
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.
Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign; he reigned for thirty-one years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath. He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of his father David; he did not turn aside to the right or to the left.
In the eighteenth year of King Josiah, the king sent Shaphan son of Azaliah, son of Meshullam, the secretary, to the house of the Lord, saying, ‘Go up to the high priest Hilkiah, and have him count the entire sum of the money that has been brought into the house of the Lord, which the keepers of the threshold have collected from the people; let it be given into the hand of the workers who have the oversight of the house of the Lord; let them give it to the workers who are at the house of the Lord, repairing the house, that is, to the carpenters, to the builders, to the masons; and let them use it to buy timber and quarried stone to repair the house. But no account shall be asked from them for the money that is delivered into their hand, for they deal honestly.’
The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, ‘I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord.’ When Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, he read it. Then Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, ‘Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of the workers who have oversight of the house of the Lord.’ Shaphan the secretary informed the king, ‘The priest Hilkiah has given me a book.’ Shaphan then read it aloud to the king.
When the king heard the words of the book of the law, he tore his clothes. Then the king commanded the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary, and the king’s servant Asaiah, saying, ‘Go, inquire of the Lord for me, for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found; for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our ancestors did not obey the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.’
So the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to the prophetess Huldah the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; she resided in Jerusalem in the Second Quarter, where they consulted her. She declared to them, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me, Thus says the Lord, I will indeed bring disaster on this place and on its inhabitants—all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read. Because they have abandoned me and have made offerings to other gods, so that they have provoked me to anger with all the work of their hands, therefore my wrath will be kindled against this place, and it will not be quenched. But as to the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Regarding the words that you have heard, because your heart was penitent, and you humbled yourself before the Lord, when you heard how I spoke against this place, and against its inhabitants, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and because you have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. Therefore, I will gather you to your ancestors, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; your eyes shall not see all the disaster that I will bring on this place.’ They took the message back to the king.
Then the king directed that all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem should be gathered to him. The king went up to the house of the Lord, and with him went all the people of Judah, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the prophets, and all the people, both small and great; he read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the house of the Lord. The king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, keeping his commandments, his decrees, and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. All the people joined in the covenant.
A Song of Peace, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 26 (page 577), may be said
Refrain:
AllSpirit of God, teach us
your ways,
that we may walk in the paths of peace. Alleluia.
1Come, let us go up to
the mountain of God, ♦
to the house of the God of Jacob;
2That God may teach us
his ways, ♦
and that we may walk in his paths.
3For the law shall go
out from Zion, ♦
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4God shall judge between
the nations, ♦
and shall mediate for many peoples.
5They shall beat their
swords into ploughshares, ♦
and their spears into pruning hooks.
6Nation shall not lift
up sword against nation, ♦
neither shall they learn war any more.
7O people of Jacob, come:
♦
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
Isaiah 2.3-5
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.
AllSpirit of God, teach us
your ways,
that we may walk in the paths of peace. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
I am giving you these instructions, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies made earlier about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight,
having faith and a good conscience. By rejecting conscience, certain persons have suffered shipwreck in the faith;
among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have turned over to Satan, so that they may learn not to blaspheme.
First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings should be made for everyone,
for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity.
This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour,
who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
For
there is one God;
there is also one mediator between God and humankind,
Christ Jesus, himself human,
who gave himself a ransom for all
—this was attested at the right time.
For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.
I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument; also that the women should dress themselves modestly and decently in suitable clothing, not with their hair braided, or with gold, pearls, or expensive clothes, but with good works, as is proper for women who profess reverence for God. Let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent. For Adam was formed first, then Eve; and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. Yet she will be saved through childbearing, provided they continue in faith and love and holiness, with modesty.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Open my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.
AllOpen my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.
Lead me in the path of your commandments
Allthat I may see the wonders
of your law.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit.
AllOpen my eyes, O Lord
that I may see the wonders of your law.
from Psalm 119
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)
is normally said,
or The Song of Christ's Glory (page
619) may be said
Refrain:
All
Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the heavens,
and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars
for all eternity. Alleluia.
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:
All
Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the heavens,
and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars
for all eternity. Alleluia.
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
¶ All who are sick in body, mind or spirit
¶ Those in the midst of famine or disaster
¶ Victims of abuse and violence, intolerance
and prejudice
¶ Those who are bereaved
¶ All who work in the medical and healing professions
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
Merciful God,
who by your Spirit raised up your servant Teresa of Avila
to reveal to your Church the way of perfection:
grant that her teaching
may awaken in us a longing for holiness,
until we attain to the perfect union of love
in 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
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.