Morning Prayer: Sunday 23 March 2025

Sunday 23 March 2025

This is the new revised order for Daily Prayer authorised for experimental use. You can find the 2006 Revised version here.

Third Sunday of Lent
Lent

Third Sunday of Lent

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

Glory to God, Source of all Being, * Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
Amen.

PSALMODY

Antiphon: O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you. (Psalm 63.1)

Opening

Glory ...
or a suitable Hymn

(Or from Psalm 63)

1. My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you,*
as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.

2. For your loving-kindness is better than life itself;*
my lips shall give you praise.

3. For you have been my helper,*
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.

4. My soul clings to you;*
your right hand holds me fast.

Glory ...
or a suitable hymn

Psalm 63

1. O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; *
my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren and dry land where there is no water.
2. Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, *
that I might behold your power and your glory.
3. For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; *
my lips shall give you praise.
4. So will I bless you as long as I live *
and lift up my hands in your name.
5. My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, *
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips,
6. when I remember you upon my bed, *
and meditate on you in the night watches.
7. For you have been my helper, *
and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice.
8. My soul clings to you; *
your mighty hand holds me fast.
9. May those who seek my life to destroy it *
go down into the depths of the earth;
10. let them fall upon the edge of the sword, *
and let them be food for jackals.
11. But the king will rejoice in God; all those who swear by God will be glad, *
for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped.

Glory ...

Psalm 64

1. Hear my voice, O God, when I complain; *
protect my life from fear of the enemy.
2. Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, *
from the mob of evildoers.
3. They sharpen their tongue like a sword, *
and aim their bitter words like arrows,
4. so that they may shoot down the blameless from ambush; *
they shoot without warning and are not afraid.
5. They hold fast to their evil course; *
they plan how they may hide their snares.
6. They say, “Who will see us? Who will find out our crimes? *
We have thought out a perfect plot.”
7. The human mind and heart are a mystery; *
but you, O God, will loose an arrow at them, and suddenly they will be wounded.
8. You will make them trip over their tongues, *
and all who see them will shake their heads.
9. Everyone will stand in awe and declare your deeds,
O God; *
they will recognize your works.
10. The righteous will rejoice in you, O Lord, in whom they put their trust*
and all who are true of heart will glory.

Conclusion

Song of Humility Hosea 6. 1-6

1. Come, let us return to the Lord *
who has torn us and will heal us.

2. God has stricken us*
and will bind up our wounds.

3. After two days, God will revive us
and on the third day will raise us up, that we may live in God’s presence.

4. Let us humble ourselves;*
let us strive to know our God,

5. Whose justice dawns like the morning star;*
its dawning is as sure as the sunrise.

6. God’s justice will come to us like the showers,*
like the spring rains that water the earth.

7. ‘O Ephraim, how shall I deal with you?*
How shall I deal with you, O Jacob?

8. ‘Your love for me is like the morning mist,*
like the dew that goes early away.

9. ‘Therefore, I have spoken to them by the prophets,*
and my judgement goes forth as the light.

10. ‘For faithfulness is my desire and not sacrifice,*
and the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.’

Glory ...

O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you.

READING(S)

Joshua 1.1-9

After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying, ‘My servant Moses is dead. Now proceed to cross the Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the Israelites. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and the Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, to the Great Sea in the west shall be your territory. No one shall be able to stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous; for you shall put this people in possession of the land that I swore to their ancestors to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, so that you may be successful wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful. I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.’

Ephesians 6.10-20

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armour of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand therefore, and fasten the belt of truth around your waist, and put on the breastplate of righteousness. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of these, take the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak.

Silence

Response ((Psalm 6.4))

Turn, O Lord, and deliver me.
Turn, O Lord, and deliver me.
Save me for your mercy’s sake.
And deliver me.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Turn, O Lord, and deliver me.

SONG OF ZECHARIAH

Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. Lord, you are indeed the Saviour of the world. * Give us living water, that we may not thirst.

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 ... (may be said by all)

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

Merciful Father,
we have no power in ourselves to help ourselves:
when we are discouraged by our weakness,
give us strength to follow Christ, our pattern and our hope;
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.