Morning Prayer: Wednesday 16 April 2025
This is the new revised order for Daily Prayer authorised for experimental use. You can find the 2006 Revised version here.
Wednesday of Holy Week
Lent
Wednesday of Holy Week
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:
Opening
Glory ...
or a suitable Hymn
(Or from Psalm 86)
1. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,*
nor anything like your works.
2. All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord,*
and glorify your name.
3. For you are great; you do wondrous things;*
and you alone are God.
4. Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;*
knit my heart to you that I may fear your name.
Glory ...
or a suitable hymn
because of your love and because of your faithfulness.
2. Why should the heathen say, *
”Where then is their God?”
3. Our God is in heaven; *
whatever God wills to do comes to pass.
4. Their idols are silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.
5. They have mouths, but they cannot speak; *
eyes have they, but they cannot see;
6. they have ears, but they cannot hear; *
noses, but they cannot smell;
7. they have hands, but they cannot feel; feet, but they cannot walk; *
they make no sound with their throat.
8. Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.
9. O Israel, trust in the Lord, *
who is your help and your shield.
10. O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord; *
who is your help and your shield.
11. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord; *
who is your help and your shield.
12. The Lord has been mindful of us and will bless us; *
blessing the house of Israel and the house of Aaron;
13. those who fear the Lord will be blessed, *
both small and great together.
14. May the Lord increase you more and more, *
you and your children after you.
15. May you be blessed by the Lord, *
the maker of heaven and earth.
16. The heaven of heavens is the Lord’s, *
but the Lord entrusted the earth to its peoples.
17.The dead do not praise the Lord, *
nor all those who go down into silence;
18. But we will bless the Lord, *
from this time forth for evermore. Hallelujah!
Glory ...
Conclusion
Lamentations 3
1. Remember my affliction and bitterness;*
the wormwood and the gall!
2. My soul continually thinks of it;*
and is bowed down within me.
3. But this I call to mind,*
and therefore I have hope –
4. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;*
God’s mercies never come to an end.
5. They are new every morning;*
great is God’s faithfulness.
6. ‘The Lord is my portion’, says my soul:*
‘therefore I will hope in God.’
Glory ...
O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you.
READING(S)
Jeremiah 17.5-10,14-17
Cursed are those who trust in mere mortals
and make mere flesh their strength,
whose hearts turn away from the Lord.
They shall be like a shrub in the desert,
and shall not see when relief comes.
They shall live in the parched places of the wilderness,
in an uninhabited salt land.
Blessed are those who trust in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
They shall be like a tree planted by water,
sending out its roots by the stream.
It shall not fear when heat comes,
and its leaves shall stay green;
in the year of drought it is not anxious,
and it does not cease to bear fruit.
The heart is devious above all else;
it is perverse—
who can understand it?
I the Lord test the mind
and search the heart,
to give to all according to their ways,
according to the fruit of their doings.
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved;
for you are my praise.
See how they say to me,
‘Where is the word of the Lord?
Let it come!’
But I have not run away from being a shepherd in your service,
nor have I desired the fatal day.
You know what came from my lips;
it was before your face.
Do not become a terror to me;
you are my refuge on the day of disaster;
Philippians 4.1-13
I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.
I rejoice in the Lord greatly that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned for me, but had no opportunity to show it. Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
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. Christ Jesus * humbled himself even to death.
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.
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. Christ Jesus * humbled himself even to death.
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 Lord God,whose blessed Son, our Saviour,gave his back to the smiters,
and did not hide his face from shame:
give us grace to endure the sufferings
of this present time,
and confidence in the glory that shall be revealed;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
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.
