Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

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. Alleluia.

Hymn

Eternal glory of the sky,

Blest hope of frail humanity,

The Father’s Sole-begotten One,

Yet born a spotless Virgin’s Son.

Uplift us with thine arm of might,

And let our hearts rise pure and bright,

And, ardent in God’s praises, pay

The thanks we owe him every day.

The day-star’s rays are glittering clear,

And tell that day itself is near:

The shadows of the night depart;

Thou, holy Light, illume the heart.

Within our senses ever dwell,

And worldly darkness thence expel:

Long as the days of life endure,

Preserve our souls devout and pure.

The Faith that first must be possessed,

Root deep within our inmost breast:

And joyous Hope in second place,

Then Charity, thy greatest grace.

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 50 (51) God, have mercy on me

A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.

Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy;

in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.

Wash me ever more from my guilt

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know how guilty I am:

my sin is always before me.

Against you, you alone have I sinned,

and I have done evil in your sight.

Know this, so that you may give just sentence

and an unbiased judgement.

See, I was conceived in guilt,

in sin my mother conceived me;

but you love truth in the heart,

and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.

You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean;

you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness;

the bones you have crushed will rejoice.

Turn your face away from my sins

and wipe out all my transgressions;

create a pure heart in me, God,

put a steadfast spirit into me.

Do not send me away from your presence,

or withdraw your holy spirit from me;

give me again the joy of your salvation,

and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.

I will teach the unjust your ways,

and the impious will return to you.

Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour,

and my voice will glory in your justice.

Open my lips, Lord,

and my mouth will proclaim your praise;

for you do not delight in sacrifices:

if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.

The true sacrifice is a broken spirit:

a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.

Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Zion,

so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,

Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings;

then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.

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.

A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.

Canticle	Tobit 13

Thanksgiving for the freeing of the people

Rejoice, O Jerusalem, since through you all men will be gathered together to the Lord.

Bless the Lord, his chosen ones: all of you, praise his greatness.

Keep feast-days of rejoicing and proclaim his holy name.

Jerusalem, holy city: he will punish you for what you have done.

Thank the Lord for his good deeds, and bless the eternal king,

so that in you, once more, with gladness, your tabernacle may be built,

so that in you he may make all exiles rejoice,

so that in you he may care for the distressed

for all ages, for ever.

Your bright light will shine out to the ends of the earth:

many nations will come to you from afar.

From the farthest corners of the world they will come to your holy name

carrying gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.

Generation on generation, they will proclaim their joy

and the name of the chosen city will endure for ever.

So rejoice and be glad among the children of the just,

for they will be brought together and bless the eternal Lord.

Happy are those who love you, fortunate those who rejoice in your peace.

My soul, bless the Lord, the great King,

for in Jerusalem his house will be built,

to stand for ever.

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.

Rejoice, O Jerusalem, since through you all men will be gathered together to the Lord.

Psalm 147 (147B) God, the foundation of Jerusalem

Sion, praise your God, who has sent out his word to the earth.

Praise the Lord, Jerusalem

— Zion, praise your God.

For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,

he has blessed your children.

He keeps your borders in peace,

he fills you with the richest wheat.

He sends out his command over the earth,

and swiftly runs his word.

He sends down snow that is like wool,

frost that is like ashes.

He sends hailstones like crumbs

— who can withstand his cold?

He will send out his word, and all will be melted;

his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow.

He proclaims his word to Jacob,

his laws and judgements to Israel.

He has not done this for other nations:

he has not shown them his judgements.

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.

Sion, praise your God, who has sent out his word to the earth.

Short reading	Galatians 2:19-20 ©

I have been crucified with Christ, and I live now not with my own life but with the life of Christ who lives in me. The life I now live in this body I live in faith: faith in the Son of God who loved me and who sacrificed himself for my sake.

Short Responsory

I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

He will send help from heaven and set me free.

– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– I will call upon the Lord, the Most High, because of his kindness to me.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Because of the deep tenderness that God has for us, the Rising Sun has come to us from on high.

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.

Because of the deep tenderness that God has for us, the Rising Sun has come to us from on high.

Prayers and Intercessions

God takes care of all whom he has created and redeemed through his Son. We put our trust in him and renew our prayer: