Morning Prayer
Thursday after Second Sunday after Christmas
Christmas and Epiphany / Thursday 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 22
1. My God, my God, why have you forsaken me *
and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress?
2. O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer;*
by night as well, but I find no rest.
3. Yet you are the Holy One, * enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4. Our ancestors put their trust in you; * they trusted, and you delivered them.
5. They cried out to you and were delivered; * they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6. But as for me, I am a worm and not human, * scorned by all and despised by the people.
7. All who see me laugh me to scorn; *
they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8. “You trusted in the Lord; let the Lord deliver you; * let God rescue you, if God delights in you.”
9. Yet you are the one who took me out of the womb, * and kept me safe upon my mother’s breast.
10. I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; * you were my God when I was still in my mother’s womb.
11. Be not far from me, for trouble is near, * and there is none to help.
12. Many young bulls encircle me; * strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13. They open wide their jaws at me, * like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14. I am poured out like water; all my bones are out of joint; *
my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15. My mouth is dried out like a potsherd; my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; *
and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.
16. Packs of dogs close me in and gangs of evildoers circle around me; *
they pierce my hands and my feet.
17. I can count all my bones *
while they stare and gloat over me.
18. They divide my garments among them; * they cast lots for my clothing.
19. Be not far away, O Lord; *
you are my strength; hasten to help me.
20. Save me from the sword, *
my life from the power of the dog.
21. Save me from the lion’s mouth, *
my wretched body from the horns of wild bulls.
22. I will declare your name to my kindred; *
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.
23. Praise the Lord, you that fear God; *
stand in awe of God, O offspring of Israel; all you of Jacob’s line, give glory.
24. For God does not despise nor abhor the poor in their poverty; neither turns away from them; *
when they cry to the Lord, they are heard.
25. My praise is of God in the great assembly; *
I will perform my vows in the presence of those who worship the Lord.
26. The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall give praise: *
“May your heart live for ever!”
27. All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord, *
and all the families of the nations shall bow before God.
28. For sovereignty belongs to the Lord, * who rules over the nations.
29. To God alone all who sleep in the earth bow down in worship; *
all who go down to the dust fall before God
30. My soul shall live for God; my descendants shall serve God; *
they shall be known as the Lord’s for ever.
31. They shall come and make known to a people yet unborn *
the saving deeds that God has done.
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)
Exodus 17.1-7
From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’
Colossians 1.15-23
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.
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
Thursday after Second Sunday after Christmas
Christmas and Epiphany / Thursday 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 23
1. The Lord is my shepherd; * I shall not be in want.
2. You make me lie down in green pastures * and lead me beside still waters.
3. You revive my soul *
and guide me along right pathways for your name’s sake.
4. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, *I shall fear no evil;
for you are with me; *your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5. You spread a table before me *in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil, * and my cup is running over.
6. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord 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.
Psalm 24
1. The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, * the world and all who dwell therein.
2. For it is God who founded it upon the seas * and made it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
3. “Who can ascend the hill of the Lord *
and who can stand in the holy place of God?”
4. “Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, * who have not pledged themselves to falsehood, nor sworn by what is a fraud.
5. They shall receive a blessing from the Lord *
and a just reward from the God of their salvation.”
6. Such is the generation of those who seek you, * of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
7. Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the One who reigns in glory shall come in.
8. “Who is this glorious One?”*
“The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle.”
9. Lift up your heads, O gates; lift them high, O everlasting doors; *
and the One who reigns in glory shall come in.
10. “Who is this glorious One?”*
“The Lord of hosts, the Lord who reigns in glory.”
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 7.37-52
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.”’ Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified.When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, ‘This is really the prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Messiah.’ But some asked, ‘Surely the Messiah does not come from Galilee, does he? Has not the scripture said that the Messiah is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?’ So there was a division in the crowd because of him. Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.Then the temple police went back to the chief priests and Pharisees, who asked them, ‘Why did you not arrest him?’ The police answered, ‘Never has anyone spoken like this!’ Then the Pharisees replied, ‘Surely you have not been deceived too, have you? Has any one of the authorities or of the Pharisees believed in him? But this crowd, which does not know the law—they are accursed.’ Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus before, and who was one of them, asked, ‘Our law does not judge people without first giving them a hearing to find out what they are doing, does it?’ They replied, ‘Surely you are not also from Galilee, are you? Search and you will see that no prophet is to arise from Galilee.’
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
Thursday after Second Sunday after Christmas
Christmas and Epiphany / Thursday 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: My body* shall rest in hope.
Psalm: Psalm 16
1. Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you;*
I have said to the Lord, 'You are my Lord, my good above all other.'
2. All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land,*
upon those who are noble among the people.
3. But those who run after other gods*
shall have their troubles multiplied.
4. Their libations of blood I will not offer,*
nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.
5. O Lord, you are my portion and my cup;*
it is you who uphold my lot.
6. My boundaries enclose a pleasant land;*
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7. I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel;*
my heart teaches me, night after night.
8. I have set the Lord always before me;*
because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.
9. My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices;*
my body also shall rest in hope.
10. For you will not abandon me to the grave,*
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11. You will show me the path of life;*
in your presence there is fullness of joy, 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.
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: 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 God may exalt you. Cast all your anxieties on God, who 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.
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
Keep watch, O God, with those who wake, or watch, or weep this night, and give your angels charge over those who sleep. Tend the sick, comfort the suffering, pity the distressed, sustain the dying, and console those who mourn; 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.