Morning Prayer
Saints and Martyrs of Europe
Week of Proper 4
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: Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness; make your way straight before me. Psalm 5.8
Opening
Venite
1 O come let us sing out to the Lord,*
let us shout in triumph to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his face with thanksgiving*
and cry out to him joyfully in psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God,*
and a great king above all gods.
4 In his hands are the depths of the earth,*
and the peaks of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his and he made it;*
his hands moulded dry land.
6 Come let us worship and bow down,*
and kneel before the Lord our maker.
7 For he himself is our God;*
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
8 Today if only you would hear his voice:*
‘Do not harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness;
9 when your fathers tested me;*
put me to proof though they had seen my works.
10 Of whom I swore in my wrath:*
“They shall not enter my rest.”’
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
(Or from Psalm 5)
1 In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;*
early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
2 Through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house;*
I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
3 All who take refuge in you will be glad;*
they will sing out their joy for ever.
4 You will shelter them,*
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
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 132
1 Lord, remember David,*
and all the hardships he endured;
2 How he swore an oath to the Lord*
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3 ‘I will not come under the roof of my house,*
nor climb up into my bed;
4 I will not allow my eyes to sleep,*
nor let my eyelids slumber;
5 Until I find a place for the Lord,*
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.’
6 ‘The Ark! We heard it was in Ephratah;*
we found it in the fields of Jearim.
7 Let us go to God's dwelling place;*
let us fall upon our knees before his footstool.’
8 Arise, O Lord, into your resting-place,*
you and the ark of your strength.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness;*
let your faithful people sing with joy.
10 For your servant David's sake,*
do not turn away the face of your anointed.
11 The Lord has sworn an oath to David;*
in truth, he will not break it:
12 ‘A son, the fruit of your body*
will I set upon your throne.
13 If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,*
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.’
14 For the Lord has chosen Zion,*
he has desired her for his habitation:
15 ‘This shall be my resting-place for ever;*
here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
16 I will surely bless her provisions,*
and satisfy her poor with bread.
17 I will clothe her priests with salvation,*
and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.
18 There will I make the horn of David flourish;*
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
19 As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame;*
but as for him, his crown will shine.’
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.
Gracious God, you have taught us in our Saviour Jesus Christ that you are present wherever there is love, and that two or three who gather in his name are citizens of your eternal city. Feed us with the bread of life, that we may grow to recognize in every human heart a sign of your presence and an opportunity to serve you. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
Conclusion
Isaiah 66
1 Rejoice with Jerusalem and exult in her,*
all you who love her.
2 Share her joy with all your heart,*
all you who mourn over her.
3 Then you may suck and be fed from her breasts,*
delighting in her plentiful milk.
4 For thus says the Lord, I will send peace flowing over her like a river,*
and the wealth of nations like a stream in flood;
5 you shall be carried in her arms,*
and rocked upon her knees.
6 As a mother comforts her child,*
so will I myself comfort you, and you shall find strength in Jerusalem.
7 This you shall see and be glad at heart;*
your limbs shall be as the fresh grass in spring.
8 Then I myself will gather all nations;*
and they shall come and behold my glory.
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: Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness; make your way straight before me.
Reading(s)
Genesis 21.1-21
The Lord dealt with Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as he had promised. Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him. Abraham gave the name Isaac to his son whom Sarah bore him. And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. Now Sarah said, ‘God has brought laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh with me.’ And she said, ‘Who would ever have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.’The child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned. But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, playing with her son Isaac. So she said to Abraham, ‘Cast out this slave woman with her son; for the son of this slave woman shall not inherit along with my son Isaac.’ The matter was very distressing to Abraham on account of his son. But God said to Abraham, ‘Do not be distressed because of the boy and because of your slave woman; whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for it is through Isaac that offspring shall be named after you. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, because he is your offspring.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water, and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, along with the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.When the water in the skin was gone, she cast the child under one of the bushes. Then she went and sat down opposite him a good way off, about the distance of a bowshot; for she said, ‘Do not let me look on the death of the child.’ And as she sat opposite him, she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy; and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, ‘What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid; for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is. Come, lift up the boy and hold him fast with your hand, for I will make a great nation of him.’ Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. She went, and filled the skin with water, and gave the boy a drink.God was with the boy, and he grew up; he lived in the wilderness, and became an expert with the bow. He lived in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother got a wife for him from the land of Egypt.
Hebrews 11.13-22
All of these died in faith without having received the promises, but from a distance they saw and greeted them. They confessed that they were strangers and foreigners on the earth, for people who speak in this way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of the land that they had left behind, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, ‘It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named after you.’ He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, ‘bowing in worship over the top of his staff.’ By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.
Silence
Response Psalm (Psalm 33.18)
The eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him.
The eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him.
On those who wait upon his love.
On those who fear him.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
The eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him.
Benedictus
Benedictus antiphon: God has remembered his holy covenant.
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: God has remembered his holy covenant.
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,
through our human frailty,
we cannot stand firm:
give us strength and protection,
that, with your help,
we may overcome all difficulties;
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
Saints and Martyrs of Europe
Week of Proper 4
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: As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God.
Opening (from Psalm 119)
1 Your faithfulness remains from one generation to another;*
you established the earth, and it abides.
2 By your decree these continue to this day,*
for all things are your servants.
3 I will never forget your commandments,*
because by them you give me life.
4 I see that all things come to an end,*
but your commandment has no bounds.
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 79
1 O God, the heathen have come into your inheritance;
they have profaned your holy temple;*
they have made Jerusalem a heap of rubble.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants as food for
the birds of the air,*
and the flesh of your faithful ones to the beasts of the field.
3 They have shed their blood like water on every side
of Jerusalem,*and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a reproach to our neighbours,*
an object of scorn and derision to those around us.
5 How long will you be angry, O Lord?*
will your fury blaze like fire for ever?
6 Pour out your wrath upon the heathen who have not known you*
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob*
and made his dwelling a ruin.
8 Remember not our past sins;
let your compassion be swift to meet us;*
for we have been brought very low.
9 Help us, O God our Saviour, for the glory of your name;*
deliver us and forgive us our sins, for your name's sake.
10 Why should the heathen say, ‘Where is their God?’*
Let it be known among the heathen and in our sight
that you avenge the shedding of your servants' blood.
11 Let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before you,*
and by your great might spare those who are condemned to die.
12 May the revilings with which they reviled you, O Lord,*
return seven-fold into their bosoms.
13 For we are your people and the sheep of your pasture;*
we will give you thanks for ever
and show forth your praise from age to age.
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.
Gracious God, in times of sorrow and depression, when hope itself seems lost, help us to remember the transforming power of your steadfast love and to give thanks for that new life we cannot now imagine. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour.
Conclusion
Revelation 5 and 15
1 Great and wonderful are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty;*
just and true are your ways, O King of the ages!
2 Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord?*
for you alone are holy.
3 All nations shall come and worship in your presence,*
for your just dealings have been revealed.
4 To God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb*
be praise and honour, glory and might, for ever and ever. Amen.
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: As the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God.
Reading(s)
John 6.41-51
Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
Silence
Response Psalm Psalm 119.89
Lord, your word is everlasting.
Lord, your word is everlasting.
It stands firm in the heavens.
Your word is everlasting.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Lord, your word is everlasting.
Magnificat
Magnificat Antiphon: Our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour.
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: Our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour.
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,
through our human frailty,
we cannot stand firm:
give us strength and protection,
that, with your help,
we may overcome all difficulties;
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
Saints and Martyrs of Europe
Week of Proper 4
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: Do not hide your face from me, for I put my trust in you.
Psalm 143
1 Lord, hear my prayer,_x000D_ and in your faithfulness heed my supplications;*_x000D_ answer me in your righteousness._x000D_2 Enter not into judgement with your servant,*_x000D_ for in your sight shall no one living be justified._x000D_3 For my enemy has sought my life; he has crushed me to the ground;* he has made me live in dark places like those who are long dead._x000D_4 My spirit faints within me;*my heart within me is desolate._x000D_5 I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds;*_x000D_ I consider the works of your hands._x000D_ 6 I spread out my hands to you;*_x000D_ my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land._x000D_7 O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me;*_x000D_ do not hide your face from me_x000D_ or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit._x000D_8 Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning,_x000D_ for I put my trust in you;*_x000D_ show me the road that I must walk,_x000D_ for I lift up my soul to you._x000D_9 Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord,*_x000D_ for I flee to you for refuge._x000D_10 Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God;*_x000D_ let your good Spirit lead me on level ground._x000D_11 Revive me, O Lord, for your name's sake;*_x000D_ for your righteousness' sake, bring me out of trouble._x000D_12 Of your goodness, destroy my enemies and bring all my foes to naught,*for truly I am your servant.
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: Do not hide your face from me for I put my trust in you.
Reading(s)
1 Peter 5.8,9
Be sober, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith.
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,
through our human frailty,
we cannot stand firm:
give us strength and protection,
that, with your help,
we may overcome all difficulties;
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.