Morning Prayer
John Chrysostom, Bishop and Teacher of the Faith, 407
Week C / Week of Proper 3
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:
Be joyful in God, all you lands;*
ng the glory of the divine name!
Psalm 66.1
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 Psalms 66 and 92)
1. All the earth bows down before you,*
sings to you, sings out your name.
2. Bless our God, you peoples;*
make the voice of God’s praise to be heard.
3. It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,*
and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
4. to tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning*
and of your faithfulness in the night season.
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 71
1. In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; *
let me never be ashamed.
2. In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free; *
incline your ear to me and save me.
3. Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe; *
you are my crag and my stronghold.
4. Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked, *
from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
5. For you are my hope, O Lord God, *
my confidence since I was young.
6. I have been sustained by you ever since I was born; from my mother’s womb you have been my strength;*
my praise shall be always of you.
7. I have become a portent to many; *
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8. Let my mouth be full of your praise *
and your glory all the day long.
9. Do not cast me off in my old age; *
forsake me not when my strength fails.
10. For my enemies are talking against me, *
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel
together.
11. They say, “Go after and seize the one whom God has
forsaken; *
because there is no one who will save.”
12. O God, be not far from me; *
come quickly to help me, O my God.
13. Let those who set themselves against me be put to
shame and be disgraced; *
let those who seek to do me evil be covered with
scorn and reproach.
14. But I shall always wait in patience, *
and shall praise you more and more.
15. My mouth shall recount your mighty acts and saving deeds all day long; *
though I cannot know the number of them.
16. I will begin with your mighty works, Lord God; *
I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.
17. O God, you have taught me since I was young, *
and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
18. And now that I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not forsake me, *
till I make known your strength to this generation and
your power to all who are to come.
19. Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; *
you have done great things; who is like you, O God?
20. You have showed me great troubles and adversities, *
but you will restore my life and bring me up again
from the deep places of the earth.
21. You strengthen me more and more; *
you enfold and comfort me,
22. Therefore, I will praise you upon the lyre for your
faithfulness, O my God; *
I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
23. My lips will sing with joy when I play to you, *
and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
24. My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long, *
for they are ashamed and disgraced who sought to do
me harm.
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 12
1. Behold God is my salvation;*
I will trust and not be afraid;
2. the Lord God is my strength and my song;
the Lord God has become my salvation.
3. With joy you will draw water*
from the wells of salvation.
4. Give thanks to the Lord, call upon God’s name;*
make known the Lord’s deeds among the nations.
5. Sing to the Lord who has done gloriously;*
let this be known in all the earth.
6. Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Sion,*
for great in your midst is the Holy One of 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: Be joyful in God, all you lands;* sing the glory of the divine name!
Reading(s)
Genesis 15.1-11, 17-21
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.’ But Abram said, ‘O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’ And Abram said, ‘You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.’ But the word of the Lord came to him, ‘This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.’ He brought him outside and said, ‘Look towards heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.’ Then he said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’ And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness.
Then he said to him, ‘I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.’ But he said, ‘O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?’ He said to him, ‘Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.’ He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away.
When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire-pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, ‘To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.’
Hebrews 9.1-14
Now even the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. For a tent was constructed, the first one, in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of the Presence; this is called the Holy Place. Behind the second curtain was a tent called the Holy of Holies. In it stood the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant overlaid on all sides with gold, in which there were a golden urn holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant; above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy-seat. Of these things we cannot speak now in detail.
Such preparations having been made, the priests go continually into the first tent to carry out their ritual duties; but only the high priest goes into the second, and he but once a year, and not without taking the blood that he offers for himself and for the sins committed unintentionally by the people. By this the Holy Spirit indicates that the way into the sanctuary has not yet been disclosed as long as the first tent is still standing. This is a symbol of the present time, during which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the conscience of the worshipper, but deal only with food and drink and various baptisms, regulations for the body imposed until the time comes to set things right.
But when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation), he entered once for all into the Holy Place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, with the sprinkling of the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who have been defiled so that their flesh is purified, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to worship the living God!
Silence
Response (Psalm 63.4)
I will bless you Lord as long as I live.
I will bless you Lord as long as I live.
And lift up my hands in your name.
As long as I live.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
I will bless you Lord as long as I live.
Song of Zechariah (Benedictus)
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts: * * through the Holy Spirit.
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. God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts: * * through the Holy Spirit.
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
Almighty and eternal God,
behold us in our weakness:
and stretch out your hands to protect us;
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
John Chrysostom, Bishop and Teacher of the Faith, 407
Week C / Week of Proper 3
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: Search me out, O God, and know my heart;* try me and know my restless thoughts.
Psalm139.23
Opening (from Psalm 139)
1. You trace my journeys and my resting-places*
and are acquainted with all my ways.
2. Indeed there is not a word on my lips,*
but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
3. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will cover me,*
and the light around me turn to night’.
4. Darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day;*
darkness and light to you are both alike.
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 73
1. Truly, God is good to Israel, *
to those who are pure in heart.
2. But as for me, my feet had nearly slipped; *
I had almost tripped and fallen;
3. because I envied the proud *
and saw the prosperity of the wicked:
4. For they suffer no pain, *
and their bodies are sleek and sound;
5. in the misfortunes of others they have no share; *
they are not afflicted as others are;
6. therefore they wear their pride like a necklace *
and wrap their violence about them like a cloak.
7. Their iniquity comes from gross minds, *
and their hearts overflow with wicked thoughts.
8. They scoff and speak maliciously; *
out of their haughtiness they plan oppression.
9. They set their mouths against the heavens, *
and their evil speech runs through the world.
10. And so the people turn to them *
and find in them no fault.
11. They say, ”How should God know? *
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12. So then, these are the wicked; *
always at ease, they increase their wealth.
13. In vain have I kept my heart clean, *
and washed my hands in innocence.
14. I have been afflicted all day long, *
and punished every morning.
15. Had I gone on speaking this way, *
I should have betrayed the generation of your
children.
16. When I tried to understand these things, *
it was too hard for me;
17. Until I entered the sanctuary of God *
and discerned the end of the wicked.
18. Surely, you set them in slippery places; *
you cast them down in ruin.
19. Oh, how suddenly do they come to destruction, *
come to an end, and perish from terror!
20. Like a dream when one awakens, O Lord, *
when you arise you will make their image vanish.
21. When my mind became embittered, *
I was sorely wounded in my heart.
22. I was stupid and had no understanding; *
I was like a brute beast in your presence.
23. Yet I am always with you; *
you hold me by my hand.
24. You will guide me by your counsel, *
and afterwards receive me with glory.
25. Whom have I in heaven but you? *
and having you I desire nothing upon earth.
26. Though my flesh and my heart should waste away, *
you are the strength of my heart and my portion for
ever.
27. Truly, those who forsake you will perish; *
you destroy all who are unfaithful.
28. But it is good for me to be near you; I have made you, Lord God, my refuge. *
I will speak of all your works in the gates of the city
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.
Conclusion
A song of Pilgrimage (from Sirach 51)
1. While I was still young, before I began my travels,*
I sought for wisdom openly in my prayers.
2. I asked for wisdom outside the temple sanctuary,*
and I will seek until the end.
3. Wisdom has been the delight of my heart,*
from first blossom to early fruit.
4. I have kept firmly to the true path;*
I have followed in wisdom’s steps since my youth.
5. I bowed my ear a little and received;*
I found wisdom and was well instructed.
6. Glory to the One who gives me wisdom!*
I will live according to God’s way.
7. From the beginning I gained understanding from the Lord;*
therefore I will never be deserted.
8. Because I longed to find wisdom with all my heart,*
I have gained a good possession.
9. As my reward the Lord has given me a tongue*
with which I shall sing God’s praises.
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: Search me out, O God, and know my heart;* try me and know my restless thoughts.
Reading(s)
John 5.1-18
After this there was a festival of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.Now in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate there is a pool, called in Hebrew Beth-zatha, which has five porticoes. In these lay many invalids—blind, lame, and paralysed. One man was there who had been ill for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had been there a long time, he said to him, ‘Do you want to be made well?’ The sick man answered him, ‘Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; and while I am making my way, someone else steps down ahead of me.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Stand up, take your mat and walk.’ At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk.Now that day was a sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been cured, ‘It is the sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your mat.’ But he answered them, ‘The man who made me well said to me, “Take up your mat and walk.”’ They asked him, ‘Who is the man who said to you, “Take it up and walk”?’ Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had disappeared in the crowd that was there. Later Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you have been made well! Do not sin any more, so that nothing worse happens to you.’ The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. Therefore the Jews started persecuting Jesus, because he was doing such things on the sabbath. But Jesus answered them, ‘My Father is still working, and I also am working.’ For this reason the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because he was not only breaking the sabbath, but was also calling God his own Father, thereby making himself equal to God.
Silence
Response Sirach 51.26
Buy wisdom without money, take wisdom’s yoke upon you.
Buy wisdom without money, take wisdom’s yoke upon you.
Let your souls receive instruction.
Take wisdom’s yoke upon you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Buy wisdom without money, take wisdom’s yoke upon you.
Song of Mary (Magnificat)
Song of Mary Antiphon: All wisdom comes from God: * and was with God before time.
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: All wisdom comes from God: * and was with God before time.
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
Almighty and eternal God,
behold us in our weakness:
and stretch out your hands to protect us;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
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
John Chrysostom, Bishop and Teacher of the Faith, 407
Week C / Week of Proper 3
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: Do not hide your face from me, for I put my trust in you.
Psalm: Psalm 143
1. Lord, hear my prayer, and in your faithfulness heed my supplications;*
answer me in your righteousness.
2. Enter not into judgement with your servant,*
for in your sight shall no one living be justified.
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.
4. My spirit faints within me;*
my heart within me is desolate.
5. I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds;*
I consider the works of your hands.
6. I spread out my hands to you;*
my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.
7. 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.
8. Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning, for I put my trust in you;*
show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.
9. Deliver me from my enemies, O Lord,*
for I flee to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God;*
let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11. Revive me, O Lord, for your name's sake;*
for your righteousness' sake, bring me out of trouble.
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.
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: 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.
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.