Morning Prayer: Wednesday 23 April 2025

Wednesday 23 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 Easter week
Easter

Wednesday of Easter 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: Christ has been raised from the dead:* the first fruits of those who sleep. (1 Corinthians 15-20)

Opening

Glory ...
or a suitable Hymn

(Or from Easter Anthems)

1. Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;*
so let us celebrate the feast.

2. Not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness,*
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

3. Christ once raised from the dead dies no more;*
death has no more dominion over him.

4. In dying, he died to sin once for all;*
in living, he lives to God.
5. See yourselves therefore as dead to sin,*
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.

6. Christ has been raised from the dead,*
the first fruits of those who sleep.

7. For as by man came death,*
by man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

8. For as in Adam all die,*
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Glory ...
or a suitable hymn

Psalm 127
1. Unless the Lord builds the house, *
their labour is in vain who build it.
2. Unless the Lord watches over the city, * in vain the sentinels keep their vigil.
It is in vain that we rise so early and go to bed so late; *vain, too, to eat the bread of toil, for you, O Lord, give to your beloved sleep.
3. Children are a heritage from the Lord, *
and the fruit of the womb is a gift.
4. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior *
are the children of one’s youth.
5. Happy are they whose quiver is full of them! *
They shall not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

Glory ...


Psalm 128

1. Happy are they all who fear the Lord, *
and who follow in the ways of God!
2. You shall eat the fruit of your labour; *
happiness and prosperity shall be yours.
3. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, *
your children like olive shoots round about your table.
4. The one who fears the Lord *
shall thus indeed be blessed.
5. The Lord bless you from Zion, *
and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6. May you live to see your children’s children; *
may peace be upon Israel.




Conclusion

Wisdom 10

1. Wisdom freed a holy people and a blameless race,*
from a nation of oppressors.

2. She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord,*
and withstood fearsome rulers with wonders and signs.

3. To the saints she gave the reward of their labours,*
and led them by a marvellous road.

4. She was their shelter by day,*
and a blaze of stars by night.

5. She brought them across the Red Sea;*
she led them through mighty waters.

6. She swallowed their enemies in the waves,*
and spat them out from the depths of the sea.

7. Then, Lord, the righteous sang the glories of your name,*
and praised together your protecting hand.

8. For wisdom opened the mouths of the silent*
and gave speech to the tongues of her children.

Glory ...

Christ has been raised from the dead:* the first fruits of those who sleep.


READING(S)

Micah 7.7-15

But as for me, I will look to the Lord,
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.


Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the Lord will be a light to me.
I must bear the indignation of the Lord,
because I have sinned against him,
until he takes my side
and executes judgement for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall see his vindication.
Then my enemy will see,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
‘Where is the Lord your God?’
My eyes will see her downfall;
now she will be trodden down
like the mire of the streets.


A day for the building of your walls!
In that day the boundary shall be far extended.
In that day they will come to you
from Assyria to Egypt,
and from Egypt to the River,
from sea to sea and from mountain to mountain.
But the earth will be desolate
because of its inhabitants,
for the fruit of their doings.


Shepherd your people with your staff,
the flock that belongs to you,
which lives alone in a forest
in the midst of a garden land;
let them feed in Bashan and Gilead
as in the days of old.
As in the days when you came out of the land of Egypt,
show us marvellous things.


Acts 3.1-10

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, ‘Look at us.’ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, ‘I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.’ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.


Silence

Response ((Psalm 96.4; 105.1))

Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, alleluia, alleluia.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, alleluia, alleluia.
Make known God’s deeds among the nations.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, alleluia, alleluia.


SONG OF ZECHARIAH

Song of Zechariah Antiphon: The Lord is risen indeed,* * 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 ... (may be said by all)

Song of Zechariah Antiphon: The Lord is risen indeed,* * 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 Lord of life and power,
who, through the mighty resurrection of your Son,
have overcome the old order of sin and death,
and have made all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin,
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
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.