Morning Prayer: Thursday 1st June 2017

June 1, 2017

Justin of Rome, Martyr, c.165
Thursday after Seventh Sunday of Easter
Morning Prayer – New Life – The Spirit

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

Glory 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.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,* and
your glory over all the earth. (Ps. 57.11)

Opening – Easter Anthems

1 You look for truth deep within me,*
and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
2 Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure;*
wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
3 Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
4 Cast me not away from your presence*
and take not your holy Spirit from me

Glory to the Father…

or a suitable hymn

Psalm 104.1-25

1 Bless the Lord, O my soul;*
O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!
you are clothed with majesty and splendour.
2 You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak*
and spread out the heavens like a curtain.
3 You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above;*
you make the clouds your chariot;
you ride on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers*
and flames of fire your servants.
5 You have set the earth upon its foundations,*
so that it never shall move at any time.
6 You covered it with the deep as with a mantle;*
the waters stood higher than the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they fled;*
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
8 They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath,*
to the places you had appointed for them.
9 You set the limits that they should not pass;*
they shall not again cover the earth.
10 You send the springs into the valleys;*
they flow between the mountains.
11 All the beasts of the field drink their fill from them,*
and the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the air make their nests*
and sing among the branches.
13 You water the mountains from your dwelling on high;*
the earth is fully satisfied by the fruit of your works.
14 You make grass grow for flocks and herds*
and plants to serve mankind;
15 That they may bring forth food from the earth,*
and wine to gladden our hearts,
16 Oil to make a cheerful countenance,*
and bread to strengthen the heart.
17 The trees of the Lord are full of sap,*
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
18 In which the birds build their nests,*
and in whose tops the stork makes his dwelling.
19 The high hills are a refuge for the mountain goats,*
and the stony cliffs for the rock badgers.
20 You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,*
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
21 You make darkness that it may be night,*
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
22 The lions roar after their prey*
and seek their food from God.
23 The sun rises, and they slip away*
and lay themselves down in their dens .
24 Man goes forth to his work*
and to his labour until the evening.
25 O Lord, how manifold are your works!*
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.

O God of eternal light, heaven and earth are the work of your hands, and all creation sings your praise and beauty. As in the beginning, by your Spirit, you gave life and order to all that is, so by the same Spirit redeem us and all things, through Christ our Lord.

Conclusion (From Isaiah 61/Luke 4)

1 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,*
because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor,
2 and has sent me to proclaim release to the captives;*
recovery of sight to the blind;
3 to set at liberty those who are oppressed;*
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
4 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord;*
my soul shall exult in my God;
5 who has clothed me with the garment of salvation,*
and covered me with the robe of righteousness.
6 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,*
so the Lord will cause righteousness to spring forth before all nations.

Glory to the Father…

Antiphon: Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God,
and your glory over all the earth.

READING(S)

Acts 22:30; 23:6-11

Since he wanted to find out what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead.’ When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.) Then a great clamour arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks.

That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you have testified for me in Jerusalem, so you must bear witness also in Rome.’

Hebrews 7:18-28

There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual (for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope, through which we approach God.

This was confirmed with an oath; for others who became priests took their office without an oath, but this one became a priest with an oath, because of the one who said to him,
‘The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind,
“You are a priest for ever” ’—
accordingly Jesus has also become the guarantee of a better covenant.

Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues for ever. Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect for ever.

Silence

Response (PS 105.1)

Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name,
alleluia, alleluia.
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name,
alleluia, alleluia.

Make known his deeds among the peoples,
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his name,
alleluia, alleluia.

BENEDICTUS

Benedictus Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;* I will come to you; alleluia.

1 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,*
for he has come to his people and set them free.
2 He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,*
born of the house of his servant David.
3 Through his holy prophets he promised of old*
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us.
4 He promised to show mercy to our forebears,*
and to remember his holy covenant.
5 This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:*
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6 free to worship him without fear,*
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
7 You my child shall be called the prophet of the Most High,*
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8 to give his people knowledge of salvation*
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9 In the tender compassion of our God*
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10 to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,*
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father… (may be said by all)

Benedictus Antiphon: I will not leave you desolate, says the Lord;* I will come to you; alleluia.

PRAYERS

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our 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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen.

Collect of the Day
O God, the King of Glory, hear our prayer:
that as we believe your Son Jesus Christ
to be exalted with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven;
so also we may know his presence with us now,
and to the end of time;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end. Amen.

God most holy, we give you thanks for bringing us out of the shadow of night into the light of morning; and we ask you for the joy of spending this day in your service, so that when evening comes, we may once more give you thanks, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!

The Lord bless us and preserve us from all evil;
and bring us to life eternal.
Amen.