Morning Prayer
Friday after Second Sunday after Christmas
Christmas and Epiphany / Friday after Second Sunday after Christmas
O Lord, open our lips:
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory be 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:
Your justice Lord dawns like morning light;*
its dawning is as sure as the sunrise.
Hosea 6.3
Opening
Come, let us sing
1 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before the presence of the Lord with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to God with psalms.
3 For you, O Lord, are a great God, * and a great sovereign above all gods.
4 In your hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are yours also.
5 The sea is yours, for you made it, *
and your hands have moulded the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For you are our God, and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand. *
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!
8 “Harden not your hearts, *
as your forebears did in the wilderness.
9 They put me to the test, * though they had seen my works.
10 So I swore in my wrath, *
‘They shall not enter into 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
Glory be 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.
or a suitable Hymn
(Or from Psalm 85)
1. I will listen to what you, Lord God, are saying, *
for you are speaking peace to your faithful people and to
those who turn their hearts to you.
2. Truly, your salvation is very near to those who fear you,
that your glory may dwell in our land.
3. Mercy and truth have met together; *
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
4. Truth shall spring up from the earth,
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
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
Glory be 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.
or a suitable hymn
Psalm 25
1. Give judgement for me, O Lord, for I have lived with integrity; *
I have trusted in you and have not faltered.
2. Test me, O Lord, and try me; * examine my heart and my mind.
3. For your love is before my eyes; * I have walked faithfully with you.
4. Show me your ways, O Lord, * and teach me your paths.
5. Lead me in your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation; in you have I trusted all the day long.
6. Remember, O Lord, your compassion and love, * for they are from everlasting.
7. Remember not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *
remember me according to your love and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.
8. Gracious and upright are you, O Lord; * therefore you teach sinners in your way.
9. You guide the humble in doing right * and teach your way to the lowly.
10. O Lord, all your paths are love and faithfulness *
to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies.
11. For your name’s sake, O Lord, * forgive my sin, for it is great.
12. Who are they who fear you, O Lord? *
You will teach them the way that they should choose.
13. They shall dwell in prosperity, *
and their offspring shall inherit the land.
14. You are a friend to those who fear you * and will show them your covenant.
15. My eyes are ever looking to you, O Lord, * for you shall pluck my feet out of the net.
16. Turn to me and have pity on me, * for I am left alone and in misery.
17. The sorrows of my heart have increased; * bring me out of my troubles.
18. Look upon my adversity and misery * and forgive me all my sin.
19. Look upon my enemies, for they are many, * and they bear a violent hatred against me.
20. Protect my life and deliver me; *
let me not be put to shame, for I have trusted in you.
21. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, * for my hope has been in you.
22. Deliver Israel, O God, * out of all their troubles.
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
Glory be 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.
Conclusion
Isaiah 60
1. Arise, shine, for your light has come,*
the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2. For behold darkness shall cover the earth,*
thick darkness the peoples;
3. but the Lord will arise upon you;*
God's glory will be seen upon you.
4. Nations shall come to your light;*
kings to the brightness of your rising.
5. The sun shall be no more your light by day;*
nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you by night;
6. but the Lord will be your everlasting light,*
your God will be your 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.
or
Glory be 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.
Antiphon: Your justice Lord dawns like morning light;* its dawning is as sure as the sunrise.
Reading(s)
Isaiah 45.14-19
Thus says the Lord:
The wealth of Egypt and the merchandise of Ethiopia,
and the Sabeans, tall of stature,
shall come over to you and be yours,
they shall follow you;
they shall come over in chains and bow down to you.
They will make supplication to you, saying,
‘God is with you alone, and there is no other;
there is no god besides him.’
Truly, you are a God who hides himself,
O God of Israel, the Saviour.
All of them are put to shame and confounded,
the makers of idols go in confusion together.
But Israel is saved by the Lord
with everlasting salvation;
you shall not be put to shame or confounded
to all eternity.
For thus says the Lord,
who created the heavens
(he is God!),
who formed the earth and made it
(he established it;
he did not create it a chaos,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
I am the Lord, and there is no other.
I did not speak in secret,
in a land of darkness;
I did not say to the offspring of Jacob,
‘Seek me in chaos.’
I the Lord speak the truth,
I declare what is right.
Colossians 1.24-2.7
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. It is he whom we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone in all wisdom, so that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil and struggle with all the energy that he powerfully inspires within me.
For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Silence
Response (Psalm 119.130)
When your word goes forth it gives light.
When your word goes forth it gives light.
It gives understanding to the simple.
It gives light.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
When your word goes forth it gives light.
Song of Zechariah (Benedictus)
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. Glory to Christ* * who is preached among the nations and believed on in the world.
1 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, *
who has come to his people and set them free.
2 The Lord has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,*
born of the house of his servant David.
3 Through the holy prophets, God promised of old*
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all who hate us,
4 to show mercy to our forebears, *
and to remember his holy covenant.
5 This was the oath God 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 before him, all the days of our life.
7 And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,*
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
8 to give his people knowledge of salvation*
by the forgiveness of 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.
or
Glory be 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.
(may be said by all)
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. Glory to Christ* * who is preached among the nations and believed on in the world.
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,
whose blessed Son,
Jesus Christ, was made human,
that we might become your children:
grant that we,
being made partakers of his divine nature,
may be shaped in his likeness;
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
Friday after Second Sunday after Christmas
Christmas and Epiphany / Friday after Second Sunday after Christmas
O God make speed to save us;
O Lord make haste to help us.
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.
Psalmody
Antiphon: Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have put our trust in you.
Psalm 33.22
Opening (from Psalm 33)
1. Behold, your eye, O Lord, is upon those who fear you, *
on those who wait upon your love.
2. To pluck their lives from death, *
and to feed them in time of famine.
3. Our soul waits for the Lord *
who is our help and our shield.
4. Indeed, our heart rejoices in God *
in whose holy name we put our trust.
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
Glory be 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.
or a suitable Hymn
Psalm 26
1. Give judgement for me, O Lord, for I have lived with integrity; *
I have trusted in you and have not faltered.
2. Test me, O Lord, and try me; * examine my heart and my mind.
3. For your love is before my eyes; * I have walked faithfully with you.
4. I have not sat with the worthless, * nor do I consort with the deceitful.
5. I have hated the company of evildoers; * I will not sit down with the wicked.
6. I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, * that I may go in procession round your altar,
7. singing aloud a song of thanksgiving * and recounting all your wonderful deeds.
8. Lord, I love the house in which you dwell * and the place where your glory abides.
9. Do not sweep me away with sinners, *
nor my life with those who thirst for blood,
10. whose hands are full of evil plots, * and whose hands full of bribes.
11. As for me, I will live with integrity; * redeem me, O Lord, and have pity on me.
12. My foot stands on level ground; *
in the full assembly I will bless the Lord.
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
Glory be 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.
Psalm 28
1. O Lord, I call to you; my rock, do not be deaf to my cry;*
lest, if you do not hear me, I become like those who go down to the pit.
2. Hear the voice of my prayer when I cry out to you, * when I lift up my hands to your holy of holies.
3. Do not snatch me away with the wicked or with the evildoers, *
who speak peaceably with their neighbours, while strife is in their hearts.
4. Repay them according to their deeds, and according to the wickedness of their actions. *
According to the work of their hands repay them, and give them their just deserts.
5. They have no understanding of your doings, nor of the works of your hands; therefore you will break them down *
and not build them up.
6. Blessed are you, O Lord! *
For you have heard the voice of my prayer.
7. O Lord, you are my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in you, and I have been helped; *
therefore my heart dances for joy, and in my song will I praise you.
8. You are the strength of your people, * a safe refuge for your anointed.
9. Save your people and bless your inheritance; * shepherd them and carry them for ever.
Conclusion
Philippians 2
1. Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus:*
the divine nature was his from the first:
2. Yet he did not grasp at equality with God;*
he emptied himself and became like a slave.
3. Taking the nature of man he was revealed in human form;*
he humbled himself and became obedient even to death,
death on a cross.
4. Therefore God has raised him on high,*
and has given him a name above every other name;
5. So that in the name of Jesus every knee shall bow,*
in heaven, on earth, and in the depths;
6. And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord;*
to the glory of God the Father.
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
Glory be 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.
Antiphon: Let your loving-kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have put our trust in you.
Reading(s)
John 8.12-19
Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’ Then the Pharisees said to him, ‘You are testifying on your own behalf; your testimony is not valid.’ Jesus answered, ‘Even if I testify on my own behalf, my testimony is valid because I know where I have come from and where I am going, but you do not know where I come from or where I am going. You judge by human standards; I judge no one. Yet even if I do judge, my judgement is valid; for it is not I alone who judge, but I and the Father who sent me. In your law it is written that the testimony of two witnesses is valid. I testify on my own behalf, and the Father who sent me testifies on my behalf.’ Then they said to him, ‘Where is your Father?’ Jesus answered, ‘You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.’
Silence
Response Psalm 89.27
I will make the son of David my firstborn.
I will make the son of David my firstborn.
Higher than the rulers of the earth.
My firstborn.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
I will make the son of David my firstborn.
Song of Mary (Magnificat)
Song of Mary Antiphon: Glory to Christ* who is preached among the nations and believed on in the world. from 1 Timothy 3.16
1 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,*
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour,
2 who 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 God has mercy on those who fear him,*
from generation to generation.
5 The Lord has shown strength with his arm*
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
6 casting down the mighty from their thrones*
and lifting up the lowly.
7 God has filled the hungry with good things*
and sent the rich away empty.
8 He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,*
to remember the promise of mercy,
9 the promise 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.
or
Glory be 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.
(may be said by all)
Song of Mary Antiphon: Glory to Christ* who is preached among the nations and believed on in the world. from 1 Timothy 3.16
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,
whose blessed Son,
Jesus Christ, was made human,
that we might become your children:
grant that we,
being made partakers of his divine nature,
may be shaped in his likeness;
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Amen
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
Friday after Second Sunday after Christmas
Christmas and Epiphany / Friday after Second Sunday after Christmas
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 God, source of all being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Alleluia!
Psalmody
Opening This or another suitable opening hymn may be sung.
"Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep
Your watch around us while we sleep.
From evil dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe
That we no sinful thought may know.
O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Our souls are raised to life from death."
Antiphon: O Lord, my God, my Saviour,* by day and night I cry to you.
Psalm: Psalm 88
2. Let my prayer enter into your presence;*
incline your ear to my lamentation.
3. For I am full of trouble;*
my life is at the brink of the grave.
4. I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;*
I have become like one who has no strength;
5 Lost among the dead,*
like the slain who lie in the grave,
6. Whom you remember no more,*
for they are cut off from your hand.
7. You have laid me in the depths of the Pit,*
in dark places, and in the abyss.
8. Your anger weighs upon me heavily,*
and all your great waves overwhelm me.
9. You have put my friends far from me;
you have made me to be abhorred by them;*
I am in prison and cannot get free.
10. My sight has failed me because of trouble;*
Lord, I have called upon you daily;
I have stretched out my hands to you.
11. Do you work wonders for the dead?*
will those who have died stand up and give you thanks?
12. Will your loving-kindness be declared in the grave?*
your faithfulness in the land of destruction?
13. Will your wonders be known in the dark?*
or your righteousness in the country where all is forgotten?
14. But as for me, O Lord, I cry to you for help;*
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
15. Lord, why have you rejected me?*
why have you hidden your face from me?
16. Ever since my youth, I have been wretched and at the point of death;*
I have borne your terrors with a troubled mind.
17. Your blazing anger has swept over me;*
your terrors have destroyed me;
18. They surround me all day long like a flood;*
they encompass me on every side.
19. My friend and neighbour you have put away from me,*
and darkness is my only companion.
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
Glory be 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.
Antiphon: O Lord, my God, my Saviour, by day and night I cry to you.
Reading(s)
Jeremiah 14.9
You are in our midst, Lord, and we bear your name. Do not forsake us.
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.
Song of Simeon
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.
1. Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace;*
your word has been fulfilled.
2. My own eyes have seen the salvation*
which you have prepared in the sight of every
people;
3. 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.
or
Glory be 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.
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
Almighty God, whose most dear Son lay at this hour in the sepulchre in obedience to your will; may we by your grace be so buried with him that with him we may rise to life everlasting; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
Conclusion
The Lord be with you;
and also with you.
Let us bless the Lord;
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless and keep us.
Amen.
or
May we be hidden under the shadow of God’s wings, this night and for ever.
Amen.