Morning Prayer
Holy Saturday
Lent / Holy Saturday
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:
Opening
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 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 88
1. O Lord, my God, my Saviour, *
by day and night I cry to you.
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, *
whom you remember no more, for they are cut off
from your hand.
6. You have laid me in the depths of the Pit, *
in dark places, and in the abyss.
7. Your anger weighs upon me heavily, *
and all your great waves overwhelm me.
8. 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.
9. My sight has failed me because of trouble; *
Lord, I have called upon you daily;
I have stretched out my hands to you.
10. Do you work wonders for the dead? *
Will those who have died stand up and give you
thanks?
11. Will your loving-kindness be declared in the grave *
or your faithfulness in the land of destruction?
12. Will your wonders be known in the dark? *
or your righteousness in the country where all is
forgotten?
13. But as for me, O Lord, I cry to you for help; *
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14. Lord, why have you rejected me? *
Why have you hidden your face from me?
15. Ever since my youth, I have been wretched and at the point of death; *
I have borne your terrors with a troubled mind.
16. Your blazing anger has swept over me; *
your terrors have destroyed me;
17. They surround me all day long like a flood; *
they encompass me on every side.
18. My friend and my 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.
Psalm 87
1. On the holy mountain *
stands the city God has founded;
2. the Lord loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3. Glorious things are spoken of you, *
O city of our God.
4. I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; *
behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia: in Zion were
they born.
5. Of Zion it shall be said, ”Everyone was born in there, *
and the Most High shall sustain it.”
6. The Lord will record as the peoples are enrolled, *
“These also were born there.”
7. The singers and the dancers will say, *
“All my fresh springs are in you.”
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 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 God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you.
Reading(s)
Lamentations 3.37-58
Who can command and have it done,
if the Lord has not ordained it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
Why should any who draw breath complain
about the punishment of their sins?
Let us test and examine our ways,
and return to the Lord.
Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands
to God in heaven.
We have transgressed and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
killing without pity;
you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
You have made us filth and rubbish
among the peoples.
All our enemies
have opened their mouths against us;
panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and destruction.
My eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of my people.
My eyes will flow without ceasing,
without respite,
until the Lord from heaven
looks down and sees.
My eyes cause me grief
at the fate of all the young women in my city.
Those who were my enemies without cause
have hunted me like a bird;
they flung me alive into a pit
and hurled stones on me;
water closed over my head;
I said, ‘I am lost.’
I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit;
you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear
to my cry for help, but give me relief!’
You came near when I called on you;
you said, ‘Do not fear!’
You have taken up my cause, O Lord,
you have redeemed my life.
Hebrews 4.1-16
Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
‘As in my anger I swore,
“They shall not enter my rest”’,
though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’ And again in this place it says, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day—‘today’—saying through David much later, in the words already quoted,
‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.’
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labours as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.
Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.
Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
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 (Benedictus)
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. Destroy this temple * and in three days I will raise it up.
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. Destroy this temple * and in three days I will raise it up.
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,
creator of heaven and earth:
as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb,
and his soul descended to the dead;
so may we await with him the coming of the third day,
on which you raised him from the dead,
that we may rise with him to newness of life;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who now 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
Holy Saturday
Lent / Holy Saturday
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: Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.
Psalm 25.3
Opening (from Psalm 143)
1. I spread out my hands to you;*
my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.
2. O Lord, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me;*
do not hide your face from me or I shall be like those
who go down to the Pit.
3. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord,*
for I flee to you for refuge.
4. Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God;*
let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
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 91
1. Those who dwell in the shelter of the Most High, *
abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. They shall say to the Lord, “You are our refuge and
our stronghold, *
our God in whom we put our trust.”
3. The Lord shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter *
and from the deadly pestilence.
4. The wings of the Lord shall cover you, and you shall find refuge under them; *
the faithfulness of God shall be a shield and buckler.
5. You shall not be afraid of any terror by night, *
nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6. of the plague that stalks in the darkness, *
nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid-day.
7. A thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your side, *
but it shall not come near you.
8. Your eyes have only to behold *
to see the reward of the wicked.
9. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, *
and the Most High your habitation,
10. there shall no evil happen to you, *
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11. For the angels of God shall have charge over you, *
to keep you in all your ways.
12. They shall bear you in their hands, *
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13. You shall tread upon the lion and adder; *
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent
under your feet.
14. “Because they are bound to me in love, therefore will I deliver them; *
I will protect them, because they know my name.
15. They shall call upon me, and I will answer them; *
I am with them in trouble; I will rescue them and
bring them to honour.
16. With long life will I satisfy them, *
and show them my salvation.”
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
1 Peter 2
1. Christ our Lord suffered for us, leaving us an example,*
that we should follow in his steps.
2. He committed no sin, no guile was found on his lips;*
when he was reviled he did not revile in return.
3. When he suffered he did not threaten,*
but trusted in God who judges justly.
4. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree,*
that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.
5. By his wounds we have been healed;*
for we were straying like sheep,
6. But now we have returned*
to the shepherd and guardian of our souls.
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: Show me your ways, O Lord, and teach me your paths.
Reading(s)
Romans 8.1-11
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Silence
Response Psalm 86.15
You, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion.
You, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion.
Slow to anger, full of kindness and truth.
Full of compassion.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
You, Lord, are gracious and full of compassion.
Song of Mary (Magnificat)
Song of Mary Antiphon: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up, says the Lord.
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: Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up, says the Lord.
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,
creator of heaven and earth:
as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb,
and his soul descended to the dead;
so may we await with him the coming of the third day,
on which you raised him from the dead,
that we may rise with him to newness of life;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who now 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
Holy Saturday
Lent / Holy Saturday
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.
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: Have mercy on me, O God,* and hear my prayer.
Psalm: Psalm 4
Answer me when I call, O God, defender of my cause; *
you set me free when I am hard-pressed; have mercy on me and hear my prayer.
“You mortals, how long will you dishonour my glory; *
how long will you worship dumb idols and run after false gods?”
Know that the Lord does wonders for the faithful *
and will hear me when I call.
Tremble, then, and do not sin; *
speak to your heart in silence upon your bed.
Offer the appointed sacrifices *
and put your trust in the Lord.
Many are saying, “Oh, that we might see better times!” *
Lift up the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord.
You have put gladness in my heart, *
more than when grain and wine and oil increase.
I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; *
for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
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: 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;
3. the Lord who made heaven and earth *
bless you out of Zion.
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: Have mercy on me, O God,* and hear my prayer.
Reading(s)
Isaiah 30.15
Thus says the Lord God: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and trust shall be your strength. The Lord waits to be gracious to you; blessed are all those who wait for the Lord.
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
Look down, O Lord, from your heavenly throne, illuminate the darkness of this night with your celestial brightness; and from the children of light banish the deeds of darkness; through 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.