Morning Prayer (Lauds)
If you have already recited the Invitatory Psalm today, you should use the alternative opening.
O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
| Invitatory Psalm | Psalm 99 (100) |
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Let us worship the Lord, for he made us.
– Let us worship the Lord, for he made us.*
Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth,
and serve him with joy.
Exult as you enter his presence.
– Let us worship the Lord, for he made us.*
Know that the Lord is God.
He made us and we are his
– his people, the sheep of his flock.
– Let us worship the Lord, for he made us.*
Cry out his praises as you enter his gates,
fill his courtyards with songs.
Proclaim him and bless his name;
for the Lord is our delight.
His mercy lasts for ever,
his faithfulness through all the ages.
– Let us worship the Lord, for he made us.*
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
– Let us worship the Lord, for he made us.*
* If you are reciting this on your own, you can choose to say the antiphon once only at the start of the psalm and not repeat it.
Hence, night and clouds that night-time brings,
Confused and dark and troubled things;
The dawn is here, the sky grown white,
Christ is at hand; depart from sight.
Earth’s dusky veil is torn away,
Pierced by the sparkling beams of day:
The world resumes its hues apace
Soon as the day-star shows its face.
But thee, O Christ, alone we seek,
With conscience pure and temper meek:
With tears and chants we humbly pray
That thou wouldst guide us through the day.
So many shades obscure each sense
Which needs thy beams to purge it thence:
Light of the Morning-Star, illume,
Serenely shining, all our gloom.
All laud to God the Father be;
All praise, eternal Son, to thee;
All glory, as is ever meet,
To God the Holy Paraclete.
Psalm 35 (36)
The sinner's wickedness; God's goodness |
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In your light, God, we see light.
Evil whispers to the sinner in the depths of his heart:
the fear of God does not stand before his eyes.
Evil’s flattering light disguises his wickedness,
so that he does not hate it.
His words are false and deceitful,
he no longer considers how to do good.
Even when in bed he plots mischief;
he follows the wrong path; he does not hate malice.
Lord, your mercy fills the heavens,
your faithfulness rises to the sky.
Your justice is like the mountains of God,
your judgements are like the deeps of the sea.
Lord, you protect both men and beasts.
How precious is your kindness, O God!
The sons of men will take shelter under your wings;
they will eat their fill from the riches of your house,
drink all they want from the stream of your joy.
For with you is the spring of life-giving water.
In your light we shall see true light.
Hold out your mercy to those who know you,
offer your justice to the upright in heart.
Let me not be crushed under the heels of the proud,
nor dispossessed by the hands of sinners.
The doers of evil have fallen where they stood,
they are cast down and cannot rise.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
In your light, God, we see light.
| The Lord, creator of the world, protects his people |
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Lord, you are great, you are glorious, you are wonderfully strong.
Make music to my God with drums,
sing to my Lord with cymbals.
Begin a new song to him,
extol and call upon his name.
You are the God who crushes battle-lines,
you set up your camp among your people,
you save me from the grip of my persecutors.
I will sing a new song to God:
Lord, you are great and glorious,
wonderful in your unconquerable power.
Let all your creatures serve you,
for you spoke and they were made,
you sent forth your spirit, and they were created:
there is no-one who can resist your command.
For the mountains will be shaken to their roots,
the seas will be stirred up,
at your sight the rocks will melt like wax –
but to those who fear you,
you will show your loving kindness.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Lord, you are great, you are glorious, you are wonderfully strong.
Psalm 46 (47)
The Lord is King |
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Cry to God with shouts of joy.
All nations, clap your hands;
cry out to God in exultation,
for the Lord, the Most High, is greatly to be feared,
and King over all the earth.
He has made whole peoples our subjects,
put nations beneath our feet.
He has chosen our inheritance for us,
the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.
God ascends amid rejoicing,
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing to God, sing praise.
Sing to our king, sing praise.
God is king over the whole earth:
sing to him with all your skill.
God reigns over the nations;
God sits on his holy throne.
The nobles of the peoples join together
with the people of the God of Abraham,
for to God belong the armies of the earth;
he is high above all things.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Cry to God with shouts of joy.
| Short reading | Tobit 4:14-15,16,19 © |
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Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behaviour. Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who are naked. Whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving. Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end.
Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.
– Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.
Give me life and make me follow your path.
– Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.
| The Messiah and his forerunner |
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Remember your holy covenant, Lord, and take pity on us.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation
in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,
his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies
and all who hate us,
to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant
and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us,
that we could serve him without fear
– freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him,
for all of our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation,
so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God,
one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness,
who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Remember your holy covenant, Lord, and take pity on us.
| Prayers and Intercessions | |
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Let us thank Christ and praise him always: he has sanctified us himself, yet does not disdain to call us brothers. So we ask him:
– Lord, sanctify your brethren.
Grant that with pure hearts we may consecrate the start of the day to the honour of your resurrection;
and that throughout today we may please you with good works.
– Lord, sanctify your brethren.
You have given us a new day, for our salvation and joy, as a proof of your love:
in each new day renew our hearts, for your greater glory.
– Lord, sanctify your brethren.
Teach us today to recognise your presence in all men,
most of all, in the sorrowful and the poor.
– Lord, sanctify your brethren.
Grant that we may be at peace with everyone today,
and never repay evil actions with evil.
– Lord, sanctify your brethren.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
God our Saviour,
through the grace of baptism you have made us children of light.
Hear our prayer
that we may always walk in that light
and work for the truth as your witnesses before men.
[We make our prayer] through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.
AMEN
The psalms and canticles here are our own translation. The Grail translation of the psalms, which is used liturgically in most of the English-speaking world, cannot be displayed on the Web for copyright reasons. The Universalis downloads do contain the Grail translation of the psalms.
