Morning Prayer

Preparation

O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.                                            

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Blessed are you, sovereign God,
creator of heaven and earth,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As your living Word, eternal in heaven,
assumed the frailty of our mortal flesh,
may the light of your love be born in us
to fill our hearts with joy as we sing:
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Blessed be God for ever.

Opening Prayer

Almighty God
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Silence is kept.

As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence,
O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
Amen.

The Word of God

    • In your Bible turn to a Psalm

The psalm ends with
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.

Responsory

Now it is time to awake out of sleep,
for the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed,
for the night is far spent.
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness
and put on the armour of light,
for the day is at hand.
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ
and make no provision for the flesh,
for the night is far spent and the day is at hand.      

 

  • In your Bible turn to the Gospel of the day

The gospel ends with
This is the gospel of the Lord
Praise to you O Christ.   Alleluia Alleluia.

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah)

To us is born a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, and all the heavenly hosts now sing, Glory to God in the highest.

1 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free.
2 He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.

3 Through his holy prophets God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
4 To show mercy to our ancestors,
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 in his sight
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 his way,
8 To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all 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.

To us is born a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord, and all the heavenly hosts now sing, Glory to God in the highest.

The Prayers*

Intercessions are offered
¶ for the world and its needs
¶ for the Church and her life
¶ for our loved ones and our neighbours  and ourselves  

This response may be used
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.

Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us:

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.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.

                                                                              The Peace

He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. the peace of the Lord be always with you.
We give thanks to God for the gift of his peace in these anxious times

                                                            Act of Spiritual Reception

In union, dear Father, with Christian people throughout the world and across the centuries gathered to make ‘Eucharist’, hearing your holy Word and receiving the precious body and blood, I offer you praise and thanksgiving.
Even though I am exiled from tasting the Bread of Heaven and drinking the Cup of Life
I pray that you will unite me with all the baptised and with your Son who gave his life for us.
Come Lord Jesus, dwell in me and send your Holy Spirit that I may be filled with your presence.

                                    The Conclusion

May God who has called us out of darkness into his marvellous light, bless us and fill us with peace.
Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

© The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000-2005
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