Morning Prayer
Wednesday after Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Week D / Week of Proper 4
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:
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness;*
make your way straight before me.
Psalm. 5.8
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 5)
1. In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;*
early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
2. Through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house;*
I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
3. All who take refuge in you will be glad;*
they will sing out their joy for ever.
4. You will shelter them,*
so that those who love your name may exult in you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
or
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 86
1. Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, *
for I am poor and in misery.
2. Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful; *
save your servant who trusts in you.
3. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God; *
I call upon you all the day long.
4. Gladden the soul of your servant, *
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, *
and great is your love toward all who call upon you.
6. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer, *
and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7. In the time of my trouble I will call upon you, *
for you will answer me.
8. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord, *
nor anything like your works.
9. All nations you have made will come and worship
you, O Lord, *
and glorify your name.
10. For you are great; you do wondrous things; *
and you alone are God.
11. Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; *
knit my heart to you that I may fear your name.
12. I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, *
and glorify your name for evermore.
13. For great is your love toward me; *
you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.
14. The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and the violent seek my life; *
they have not set you before their eyes.
15. But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion, *
slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.
16. Turn to me and have mercy upon me; *
give your strength to your servant; and save the
child of your handmaid.
17. Show me a sign of your favour, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed; *
because you, O Lord, have helped me and
comforted me.
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
Isaiah 66
1. Rejoice with Jerusalem and exult in her,*
all you who love her.
2. Share her joy with all your heart,*
all you who mourn over her.
3. Then you may suck and be fed from her breasts,*
delighting in her plentiful milk.
4. For thus says the Lord, I will send peace flowing over her like a river,*
and the wealth of nations like a stream in flood;
5. you shall be carried in her arms,*
and rocked upon her knees.
6. As a mother comforts her child,*
so will I myself comfort you, and you shall find strength
in Jerusalem.
7. This you shall see and be glad at heart;*
your limbs shall be as the fresh grass in spring.*
8. Then I myself will gather all nations;*
and they shall come and behold my glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
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: Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness;* make your way straight before me.
Reading(s)
Genesis 22.1-18
After these things God tested Abraham. He said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt-offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt-offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you.’ Abraham took the wood of the burnt-offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘Father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt-offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt-offering, my son.’ So the two of them walked on together.
When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven, and said, ‘Abraham, Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.’ And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt-offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place ‘The Lord will provide’; as it is said to this day, ‘On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.’
The angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven, and said, ‘By myself I have sworn, says the Lord: Because you have done this, and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will indeed bless you, and I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of their enemies, and by your offspring shall all the nations of the earth gain blessing for themselves, because you have obeyed my voice.’
Hebrews 11.23-31
By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king’s anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.
Silence
Response (Psalm 33.18)
Behold, your eye, O Lord, is upon those who fear you,* on those who wait upon your love.
Behold, your eye, O Lord, is upon those who fear you,* on those who wait upon your love.
On those who wait upon your love.
On those who fear you.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Behold, your eye, O Lord, is upon those who fear you,* on those who wait upon your love.
Song of Zechariah (Benedictus)
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. God promised of old * * to save us.
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 promised of old * * to save us.
Prayers
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever.
Amen
Collect of the Day
O God,
through our human frailty,
we cannot stand firm:
give us strength and protection,
that, with your help,
we may overcome all difficulties;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Amen
God most holy, we give you thanks for bringing us out of the shadow of night into the light of morning; and we ask you for the joy of spending this day in your service, so that when evening comes, we may once more give you thanks, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord.
Amen
Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!
The Lord bless us and preserve us from all evil;
and bring us to life eternal.
Amen.
Evening Prayer
Wednesday after Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Week D / Week of Proper 4
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: As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,* so our eyes look to you, O Lord our God.
Psalm 123.2f
Opening (from Psalm 119)
1. Your faithfulness remains from one generation to
another;*
you established the earth, and it abides.
2. By your decree these continue to this day,*
for all things are your servants.
3. I will never forget your commandments,*
because by them you give me life.
4. I see that all things come to an end,*
but your commandment has no bounds.
Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
or
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.
Conclusion
Revelation 5 and 15
1. Great and wonderful are your deeds, Lord God the
Almighty;*
just and true are your ways, O King of the ages!
2. Who shall not revere and praise your name, O Lord?*
for you alone are holy.
3. All nations shall come and worship in your presence,*
for your just dealings have been revealed.
4. To God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb*
be praise and honour, glory and might, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Glory to the Father and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
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: As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,* so our eyes look to you, O Lord our God.
Reading(s)
John 6.52-59
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’ He said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum.
Silence
Response Psalm 119.89
O Lord, your word is everlasting.
O Lord, your word is everlasting.
It stands firm in the heavens.
Your word is everlasting.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Lord, your word is everlasting.
Song of Mary (Magnificat)
Song of Mary Antiphon: God looks with favour * on those who are faithful in service.
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: God looks with favour * on those who are faithful in service.
Prayers
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Collect of the Day
O God,
through our human frailty,
we cannot stand firm:
give us strength and protection,
that, with your help,
we may overcome all difficulties;
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Amen
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
Wednesday after Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
Week D / Week of Proper 4
The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.
Amen.
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to 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: Make haste, O Lord, to deliver me,* for you are my tower of strength.
Psalm: Psalm 31.1-5
1. In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame;*
deliver me in your righteousness.
2. Incline your ear to me;*
make haste to deliver me.
3. Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold;*
for the sake of your name, lead me and guide me.
4. Take me out of the net that they have secretly set for me,*
for you are my tower of strength.
5. Into your hands I commend my spirit,*
for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
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: Psalm 130
1. Out of the depths have I called you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice;*
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2. If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss,*
O Lord, who could stand?
3. For there is forgiveness with you;*
therefore you shall be feared.
4. I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him;*
in his word is my hope.
5. My soul waits for the Lord, more than watchmen for the morning,*
more than watchmen for the morning.
6. O Israel, wait for the Lord,*
for with the Lord there is mercy;
7. With him there is plenteous redemption,*
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
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: Make haste, O Lord, to deliver me,
for you are my tower of strength.
Reading(s)
Ephesians 4.26
Do not let anger lead you into sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.
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.