¶ Morning Prayer
Saturday, 14 September 2024
Holy Cross Day

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 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 8

A second version of Psalm 8 can be found here.

1 O Lord our governor, ♦
how glorious is your name in all the world!

2 Your majesty above the heavens is praised ♦
out of the mouths of babes at the breast.

3 You have founded a stronghold against your foes, ♦
that you might still the enemy and the avenger.

4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, ♦
the moon and the stars that you have ordained,

5 What is man, that you should be mindful of him; ♦
the son of man, that you should seek him out?

6 You have made him little lower than the angels ♦
and crown him with glory and honour.

7 You have given him dominion over the works of your hands ♦
and put all things under his feet,

8 All sheep and oxen, ♦
even the wild beasts of the field,

9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea ♦
and whatsoever moves in the paths of the sea.

10 O Lord our governor, ♦
how glorious is your name in all the world!

We bless you, master of the heavens,
for the wonderful order which enfolds this world;
grant that your whole creation
may find fulfilment in the Son of Man,
Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Psalm 146

Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever.

1 Alleluia.
Praise the Lord, O my soul:
while I live will I praise the Lord; ♦
as long as I have any being,
I will sing praises to my God.

2 Put not your trust in princes,
nor in any human power, ♦
for there is no help in them.

3 When their breath goes forth, they return to the earth; ♦
on that day all their thoughts perish. R

4 Happy are those who have the God of Jacob for their help, ♦
whose hope is in the Lord their God;

5 Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them; ♦
who keeps his promise for ever;

6 Who gives justice to those that suffer wrong ♦
and bread to those who hunger. R

7 The Lord looses those that are bound; ♦
the Lord opens the eyes of the blind;

8 The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; ♦
the Lord loves the righteous;

9 The Lord watches over the stranger in the land;
he upholds the orphan and widow; ♦
but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.

10 The Lord shall reign for ever, ♦
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Alleluia.

Refrain: The Lord shall reign for ever.

Lord of all,
our breath and being come from you,
yet our earthly end is dust;
as you loose the bound and feed the hungry,
so bring us in your mercy through the grave and gate of death
to the feast of eternal life,
where you reign for evermore.

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.

Genesis 3.1-15

Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.” ’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.

They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ The Lord God said to the serpent,
‘Because you have done this,
   cursed are you among all animals
   and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
   and dust you shall eat
   all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
   and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
   and you will strike his heel.’

Canticle

The following, or another suitable canticle, may be said or sung

Refrain:

AllMany waters cannot quench love;
neither can the floods drown it. Alleluia.

1Set me as a seal upon your heart, ♦
as a seal upon your arm;

2For love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave; ♦
its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame.

3Many waters cannot quench love, ♦
neither can the floods drown it.

4If all the wealth of our house were offered for love, ♦
it would be utterly scorned.

cf Song of Solomon 8.6, 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.

AllMany waters cannot quench love;
neither can the floods drown it. Alleluia.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

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

John 12.27-36a

Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—“Father, save me from this hour”? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.’ Then a voice came from heaven, ‘I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.’ The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, ‘An angel has spoken to him.’ Jesus answered, ‘This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgement of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.’ He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. The crowd answered him, ‘We have heard from the law that the Messiah remains for ever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The light is with you for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.’

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:

All Far be it from me to glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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 Far be it from me to glory,
save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayers

Intercessions are offered
¶ for the day and its tasks
¶ for the world and its needs
¶ for the Church and her life

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,
who in the passion of your blessed Son
made an instrument of painful death
to be for us the means of life and peace:
grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ
that we may gladly suffer for his sake;
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.