Morning Prayer
Thursday after Fifth Sunday after Easter
Week 5 of Easter
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: Christ has been raised from the dead: the first fruits of those who sleep. (1 Corinthians 15-20)
Opening
The 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 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.
or a suitable hymn
Psalm 92
1 It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,*
and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 To tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning*
and of your faithfulness in the night season;
3 On the psaltery, and on the lyre,*
and to the melody of the harp.
4 For you have made me glad by your acts, O Lord;*
and I shout for joy because of the works of your hands.
5 Lord, how great are your works!*
your thoughts are very deep.
6 The dullard does not know, nor does the fool understand,*
that though the wicked grow like weeds,
and all the workers of iniquity flourish,
7 They flourish only to be destroyed for ever;*
but you, O Lord, are exalted for evermore.
8 For lo, your enemies, O Lord,
lo, your enemies shall perish,*
and all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.
9 But my horn you have exalted like the horns of wild bulls;*
I am anointed with fresh oil.
10 My eyes also gloat over my enemies,*
and my ears rejoice to hear the doom of the wicked who
rise up against me.
11 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,*
and shall spread abroad like a cedar of Lebanon.
12 Those who are planted in the house of the Lord*
shall flourish in the courts of our God;
13 They shall still bear fruit in old age;*
they shall be green and succulent;
14 That they may show how upright the Lord is,*
my rock, in whom there is no fault.
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.
O Most High, at all times and in all seasons you are worthy of our grateful praise; grant us the insight to perceive the greatness of your works, the certainty of being founded on you our eternal rock, and the wisdom to sing the praises of your name, in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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 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.
Antiphon: Christ has been raised from the dead: the first fruits of those who sleep.
Reading(s)
Leviticus 19.1-18
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy. You shall each revere your mother and father, and you shall keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the Lord your God.When you offer a sacrifice of well-being to the Lord, offer it in such a way that it is acceptable in your behalf. It shall be eaten on the same day you offer it, or on the next day; and anything left over until the third day shall be consumed in fire. If it is eaten at all on the third day, it is an abomination; it will not be acceptable. All who eat it shall be subject to punishment, because they have profaned what is holy to the Lord; and any such person shall be cut off from the people.When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not strip your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the alien: I am the Lord your God.You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; and you shall not lie to one another. And you shall not swear falsely by my name, profaning the name of your God: I am the Lord.You shall not defraud your neighbour; you shall not steal; and you shall not keep for yourself the wages of a labourer until morning. You shall not revile the deaf or put a stumbling-block before the blind; you shall fear your God: I am the Lord.You shall not render an unjust judgement; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbour. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbour: I am the Lord.You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbour, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbour as yourself: I am the Lord.
2 Thessalonians 1.1-12
Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.We must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. Therefore we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith during all your persecutions and the afflictions that you are enduring.This is evidence of the righteous judgement of God, and is intended to make you worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering. For it is indeed just of God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to the afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. These will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marvelled at on that day among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. To this end we always pray for you, asking that our God will make you worthy of his call and will fulfil by his power every good resolve and work of faith, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Silence
Response Psalm (Psalm 96.4)
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, alleluia, alleluia.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, alleluia, alleluia.
He is more to be feared than all gods.
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.
Benedictus
Benedictus antiphon: I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; 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 and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
(may be said by all)
Benedictus antiphon: I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; 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,
who alone can bring harmony to the minds of your faithful people:
give us grace to love the things you command,
and to desire the things you promise;
that, amid the uncertain changes of this world,
our hearts may be firmly fixed where true joys are to be found;
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.
Evening Prayer
Thursday after Fifth Sunday after Easter
Week 5 of Easter
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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: With you is the well of life, and in your light we see light.
Opening (from Psalm 36)
1 Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,*
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
2 Your righteousness is like the strong mountains,
your justice like the great deep;*
you save both man and beast, O Lord.
3 How priceless is your love, O God!*
your people take refuge under the shadow of your wings.
4 They feast upon the abundance of your house;*
you give them drink from the river of your delights.
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.
or a suitable Hymn
Psalm 133
1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is,*
when brethren live together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil upon the head*
that runs down upon the beard,
3 Upon the beard of Aaron,*
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon*
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the Lord has ordained the blessing:*
life for evermore.
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.
Creator of the universe, from whom all things come, to whom all things return, give your people such unity of heart and mind, that all the world may grow in the life of your eternal kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Psalm 134
1 Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,*
you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord;*
the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.
God our creator and redeemer, give us grateful hearts and willing hands, that we may worthily praise your name and build your kingdom among all people, to the glory of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Colossians 1
1 Give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;*
he has delivered us from the dominion of darkness.
2 He has transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son,*
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of our sins.
3 He is the image of the invisible God,*
the first-born of all creation.
4 For in him all things were created,*
in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible.
5 He is the head of the body, the church;*
he is the beginning, the first-born from the dead.
6 In him all the fulness of God was pleased to dwell,*
to reconcile all things to himself,
making peace by the blood of his cross.
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.
Antiphon: With you is the well of life, and in your light we see light.
Reading(s)
Matthew 6.25-34
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, “What will we eat?” or “What will we drink?” or “What will we wear?” For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.‘So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.
Silence
Response Psalm Psalm 30.1
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up;
alleluia, alleluia.
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up;
alleluia, alleluia.
You have not let my enemies triumph over me.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
I will exalt you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up;
alleluia, alleluia.
Magnificat
Magnificat Antiphon: I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; alleluia!
1 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
*my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
2 for he has looked with favour on his lowly servant;*
from this day all generations will call me blessed.
3 The Almighty has done great things for me*
and holy is his name.
4 He has mercy on those who fear him*
in every generation.
5 He has shown the strength of his arm;*
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
6 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones*
and has lifted up the lowly.
7 He has filled the hungry with good things,*
and the rich he has sent away empty.
8 He has come to the help of his servant Israel,*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
9 the promise he made to our forebears,*
to Abraham and his children for ever.
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.
(may be said by all)
Magnificat Antiphon: I am the way, the truth and the life, says the Lord; 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,
who alone can bring harmony to the minds of your faithful people:
give us grace to love the things you command,
and to desire the things you promise;
that, amid the uncertain changes of this world,
our hearts may be firmly fixed where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of your brightness we may know you, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!
The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Night Prayer
Thursday after Fifth Sunday after Easter
Week 5 of Easter
The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Amen.
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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.
Alleluia!
Psalmody
Antiphon: My body shall rest in hope.
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;*_x000D_ I have said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord,_x000D_ my good above all other.'_x000D_2 All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,*_x000D_ upon those who are noble among the people._x000D_3 But those who run after other gods*_x000D_ shall have their troubles multiplied._x000D_4 Their libations of blood I will not offer,*_x000D_ nor take the names of their gods upon my lips._x000D_5 O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;*_x000D_ it is you who uphold my lot._x000D_6 My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;*_x000D_ indeed, I have a goodly heritage._x000D_7 I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;*_x000D_ my heart teaches me, night after night._x000D_8 I have set the Lord always before me;*_x000D_ because he is at my right hand I shall not fall._x000D_9 My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;*_x000D_ my body also shall rest in hope._x000D_10 For you will not abandon me to the grave,*_x000D_ nor let your holy one see the Pit._x000D_11 You will show me the path of life;*_x000D_ in your presence there is fullness of joy,_x000D_ and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
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.
Antiphon: My body shall rest in hope.
Reading(s)
1 Peter 5.6,7
Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you.
Thanks be to God.
Silence
Response (Psalm 31.5)
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
For you have redeemed me, Lord God of truth.
I commend my spirit.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Into your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.
Nunc Dimittis
Antiphon: Preserve us, O Lord,* while waking, and guard us while sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace;* your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation* which you have prepared in the sight of every people; A light to reveal you to the nations,* and the glory of your people Israel.
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.
Antiphon: Preserve us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.
Prayers
Collect
O God,
who alone can bring harmony to the minds of your faithful people:
give us grace to love the things you command,
and to desire the things you promise;
that, amid the uncertain changes of this world,
our hearts may be firmly fixed where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Conclusion
The Lord be with you;
and also with you.
Let us bless the Lord;
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit, bless and keep us.
Amen.
or
Bless the Lord, the God of our fathers;
Sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
Sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
The almighty and most merciful Lord
guard us and give us his blessing.
Amen.