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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 our aid.

O Lord, make haste to help 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. Alleluia.

Hymn

Who are these like stars appearing,

these, before God’s throne who stand?

Each a golden crown is wearing;

who are all this glorious band?

Alleluia! Hark, they sing,

praising loud their heavenly King.

Who are these of dazzling brightness,

clothed in God’s own righteousness?

These, whose robes of purest whiteness,

shall their lustre still possess,

still untouched by time’s rude hand?

Whence came all this glorious band?

These are they who have contended

for their Saviour’s honour long,

wrestling on till life was ended,

following not the sinful throng;

these who well the fight sustained,

triumph through the Lamb have gained.

These are they whose hearts were riven,

sore with woe and anguish tried,

who in prayer full oft have striven

with the God they glorified;

now, their painful conflict o’er,

God has bid them weep no more.

These, the Almighty contemplating,

did as priests before him stand,

soul and body always waiting

day and night at his command:

now in God’s most holy place

blest they stand before his face.

Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me

Remember me, Lord God, when you come into your kingdom. Alleluia.

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.

Remember me, Lord God, when you come into your kingdom. Alleluia.

Canticle	Isaiah 45

All peoples, turn to the Lord

Truly, God of Israel, the Saviour, you are a God who lies hidden. Alleluia.†

In truth you are a hidden God,

the God and Saviour of Israel.

They were dismayed and ashamed, all the makers of idols,

all of them fled in dismay.

Israel has been saved by the Lord, saved for ever;

you will not be dismayed or ashamed,

to the end of time.

For thus says the Lord, the God

who made the heavens,

who made the earth, shaped it, set it firm –

he did not make it to be empty,

but to be full of life –

“I am the Lord, there is no other.

I have not spoken secretly,

in some dark corner of the earth.

I have not said to the children of Jacob, ‘seek me in vain.’

I am the Lord who speaks justice, who proclaims uprightness.

“Gather together, come, approach me

all you who have been rescued from the Gentiles.

They were ignorant, who raised up wooden idols

and begged favours of a god without power.

Announce it – come, ponder it together –

who was saying this from the beginning, who foretold this from the start?

Am I not the Lord?

Is there any other God but me?

Do you seek a just God who will save you? There is no other.

“Turn to me and you will be saved, all you ends of the earth;

for I am God, there is no other.

“I have sworn by my own being,

I have decreed a judgement that will not be revoked;

for every knee will bend to me,

every tongue swear by my name.”

“Only in the Lord,” they will say,

“are there justice and strength!”

All who resisted him will come to him, and be dismayed;

but in the Lord all descendants of Israel

will receive justice and glory.

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.

Truly, God of Israel, the Saviour, you are a God who lies hidden. Alleluia.

Psalm 99 (100)
Enter the Temple with joy

Serve the Lord with joy. Alleluia.

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth,

and serve him with joy.

Exult as you enter his presence.

Know that the Lord is God.

He made us and we are his

– his people, the sheep of his flock.

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.

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.

Serve the Lord with joy. Alleluia.

Short Reading	Hebrews 13:7-9 ©

Remember your leaders, who preached the word of God to you, and as you reflect on the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same today as he was yesterday and as he will be for ever. Do not let yourselves be led astray by all sorts of strange doctrines.

Short Responsory

I placed watchmen on your towers, Jerusalem. Alleluia, alleluia.

– I placed watchmen on your towers, Jerusalem. Alleluia, alleluia.

They will never cease to tell of the name of the Lord, by day and by night.

– I placed watchmen on your towers, Jerusalem. Alleluia, alleluia.

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

– I placed watchmen on your towers, Jerusalem. Alleluia, alleluia.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

It is not you who speak: the Spirit of your Father speaks in you. Alleluia.

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.

It is not you who speak: the Spirit of your Father speaks in you. Alleluia.

Prayers and intercessions

Christ, the good shepherd, laid down his life for his sheep. Let us praise him with grateful hearts, as we pray: