Morning Prayer
Friday after Second Sunday of Advent
Week 2 of Advent
O Lord, open our lips:
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
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.
Psalmody
Antiphon: Show your servants your works and your splendour to their children. (Psalm 90.16)
Opening
Venite
1 O come let us sing out to the Lord,*
let us shout in triumph to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before his face with thanksgiving*
and cry out to him joyfully in psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God,*
and a great king above all gods.
4 In his hands are the depths of the earth,*
and the peaks of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his and he made it;*
his hands moulded dry land.
6 Come let us worship and bow down,*
and kneel before the Lord our maker.
7 For he himself is our God;*
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
8 Today if only you would hear his voice:*
‘Do not harden your hearts as Israel did in the wilderness;
9 when your fathers tested me;*
put me to proof though they had seen my works.
10 Of whom I swore in my wrath:*
“They shall not enter 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 a suitable Hymn
(Or from from Psalm 90)
1 Lord, you have been our refuge*
from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born,*
from age to age you are God.
3 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;*
so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
4 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us*
and the years in which we suffered adversity.
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 a suitable hymn
Psalm 94
1 O Lord God of vengeance,*
O God of vengeance, show yourself.
2 Rise up, O Judge of the world;*
give the arrogant their just deserts.
3 How long shall the wicked, O Lord,*
how long shall the wicked triumph?
4 They bluster in their insolence;*
all evildoers are full of boasting.
5 They crush your people, O Lord,*
and afflict your chosen nation.
6 They murder the widow and the stranger*
and put the orphans to death.
7 Yet they say, ‘The Lord does not see,*
the God of Jacob takes no notice.’
8 Consider well, you dullards among the people;*
when will you fools understand?
9 He that planted the ear, does he not hear?*
he that formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who admonishes the nations, will he not punish?*
he who teaches all the world, has he no knowledge?
11 The Lord knows our human thoughts;*
how like a puff of wind they are.
12 Happy are they whom you instruct, O Lord!*
whom you teach out of your law;
13 To give them rest in evil days,*
until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not abandon his people,*
nor will he forsake his own.
15 For judgement will again be just,*
and all the true of heart will follow it.
16 Who rose up for me against the wicked?*
who took my part against the evildoers?
17 If the Lord had not come to my help,*
I should soon have dwelt in the land of silence.
18 As often as I said, ‘My foot has slipped,’*
your love, O Lord, upheld me.
19 When many cares fill my mind,*
your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can a corrupt tribunal have any part with you,*
one which frames evil into law?
21 They conspire against the life of the just*
and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the Lord has become my stronghold,*
and my God the rock of my trust.
23 He will turn their wickedness back upon them
and destroy them in their own malice;*
the Lord our God will destroy them.
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.
O just Judge of all the world, when the dark power of evil threatens your creation, may we, through your strength within us, maintain the sure knowledge of your love and mercy, which we see in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
Conclusion
Isaiah 2.2-5
1 In days to come, the mountain where the Lord dwells*
will be lifted high above all the mountains
and raised above the hills.
2 All the nations will flock to it;*
countless peoples will come to it.
3 And they will say, Come let us go to the mountain of the Lord,*
to the temple of the God of Jacob,
4. who will teach us his ways,*
and we will walk in his paths;
5. who will sit in judgement over the nations;*
be arbiter among many peoples.
6. They will beat their swords into ploughshares,*
and their spears into sickles;
7. nation shall not lift up sword against nation,*
nor ever again prepare for war.
8. O people of Jacob come,*
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
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.
Antiphon: Show your servants your works, and your splendour to their children.
Reading(s)
Isaiah 7.10-25
Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test. Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.’ On that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the sources of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria. And they will all come and settle in the steep ravines, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the thorn bushes, and on all the pastures. On that day the Lord will shave with a razor hired beyond the River—with the king of Assyria—the head and the hair of the feet, and it will take off the beard as well. On that day one will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, and will eat curds because of the abundance of milk that they give; for everyone that is left in the land shall eat curds and honey. On that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels of silver, will become briers and thorns. With bow and arrows one will go there, for all the land will be briers and thorns; and as for all the hills that used to be hoed with a hoe, you will not go there for fear of briers and thorns; but they will become a place where cattle are let loose and where sheep tread.
2 Thessalonians 2.13-3.5
But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. For this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. Finally, brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one. And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will go on doing the things that we command. May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.
Silence
Response Psalm (Psalm 96.10)
Tell it out among the nations: 'The Lord is King!'
Tell it out among the nations: 'The Lord is King!'
He will judge the peoples with equity.
'The Lord is King.'
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Tell it out among the nations: 'The Lord is King!'
Benedictus
Benedictus antiphon: Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight. All flesh shall see the salvation of God (Luke 3.4,6)
1 Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,*
for he 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 he promised of old*
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us.
4 He promised to show mercy to our forebears,*
and to remember his holy covenant.
5 This was the oath he 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 You my 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.
(may be said by all)
Benedictus antiphon: Prepare the way of the Lord make his paths straight. All flesh shall see the salvation of God (Luke 3.4,6)
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
Stir up our hearts, Lord,
to prepare the way of your only-begotten Son:
that, in his coming,
we might serve you with our hearts made pure;
through the same 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
Friday after Second Sunday of Advent
Week 2 of Advent
O God, make speed to save us;
O Lord, make haste to help us.
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.
Psalmody
Antiphon: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God; in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.
Opening (from Psalms 140 and 141)
1 I have said to the Lord, ‘You are my God;*
listen, O Lord, to my supplication.’
2 O Lord, I call to you; come to me quickly;*
hear my voice when I cry to you.
3 I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the poor*
and render justice to the needy.
4 Surely, the righteous will give thanks to your name,*
and the upright shall continue in your sight.
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 a suitable Hymn
Psalm 102
1 Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you;*
hide not your face from me in the day of my trouble.
2 Incline your ear to me;*
when I call, make haste to answer me,
3 For my days drift away like smoke,*
and my bones are hot as burning coals.
4 My heart is smitten like grass and withered,*
so that I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the voice of my groaning*
I am but skin and bones.
6 I have become like a vulture in the wilderness,*
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake and groan;*
I am like a sparrow, lonely on a house-top.
8 My enemies revile me all day long,*
and those who scoff at me have taken an oath against me.
9 for I have eaten ashes for bread*
and mingled my drink with weeping.
10 Because of your indignation and wrath*
you have lifted me up and thrown me away.
11 My days pass away like a shadow,*
and I wither like the grass.
12 But you, O Lord, endure for ever,*
and your name from age to age.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to have mercy upon her;*
indeed, the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants love her very rubble,*
and are moved to pity even for her dust.
15 The nations shall fear your name, O Lord,*
and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For the Lord will build up Zion,*
and his glory will appear.
17 He will look with favour on the prayer of the homeless;*
he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written for a future generation,*
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord.
19 For the Lord looked down from his holy place on high;*
from the heavens he beheld the earth;
20 That he might hear the groan of the captive*
and set free those condemned to die;
21 That they may declare in Zion the name of the Lord,*
and his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the peoples are gathered together,*
and the kingdoms also, to serve the Lord.
23 He has brought down my strength before my time;*
he has shortened the number of my days;
24 And I said, ‘O my God,
do not take me away in the midst of my days;*
your years endure throughout all generations.
25 In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth,*
and the heavens are the work of your hands;
26 They shall perish, but you will endure;
they all shall wear out like a garment;*
as clothing you will change them,
and they shall be changed;
27 But you are always the same,*
and your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants shall continue,*
and their offspring shall stand fast in your sight.’
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.
God of unchanging mercy, look with compassion upon all who suffer: the sick and the friendless, the homeless and the captive, the weary and the depressed. Be present to them in the power of your healing love; give them health, comfort, and hope; and bring them to share in the life of your risen Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Revelation 22
1 'Behold, I am coming soon*
to repay everyone for what he has done.
2 'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last,*
the beginning and the end.
3 'I am the root and offspring of David,*
the bright morning star.'
4 The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come';*
let anyone who hears, say, 'Come',
5 Let anyone who is thirsty come;*
let anyone who desires take the water of life without price.
6 The Lord says, 'Surely I am coming soon'.*
Amen; come, Lord Jesus!
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.
Antiphon: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God; in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.
Reading(s)
Luke 22.14-30
When the hour came, he took his place at the table, and the apostles with him. He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I tell you, I will not eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.’ Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he said, ‘Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.’ Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ And he did the same with the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. But see, the one who betrays me is with me, and his hand is on the table. For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined, but woe to that one by whom he is betrayed!’ Then they began to ask one another which one of them it could be who would do this. A dispute also arose among them as to which one of them was to be regarded as the greatest. But he said to them, ‘The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those in authority over them are called benefactors. But not so with you; rather the greatest among you must become like the youngest, and the leader like one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one at the table? But I am among you as one who serves. ‘You are those who have stood by me in my trials; and I confer on you, just as my Father has conferred on me, a kingdom, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Silence
Response Psalm Psalm 28.11
Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Shepherd them and carry them for ever.
Bless your inheritance.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
Save your people and bless your inheritance.
Magnificat
Magnificat Antiphon: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. All flesh shall see the salvation of God. Luke 3 4, 6
1 My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
*my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;
2 for he 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 He has mercy on those who fear him*
in every generation.
5 He has shown the strength of his arm;*
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
6 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones*
and has lifted up the lowly.
7 He has filled the hungry with good things,*
and the rich he has sent away empty.
8 He has come to the help of his servant Israel,*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
9 the promise he 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.
(may be said by all)
Magnificat Antiphon: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. All flesh shall see the salvation of God. Luke 3 4, 6
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
Stir up our hearts, Lord,
to prepare the way of your only-begotten Son:
that, in his coming,
we might serve you with our hearts made pure;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
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
Friday after Second Sunday of Advent
Week 2 of Advent
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 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.
Alleluia!
Psalmody
Antiphon: O Lord, my God, my Saviour, by day and night I cry to you.
(not repeated in the psalm)
Psalm 88
2 Let my prayer enter into your presence;*_x000D_ incline your ear to my lamentation._x000D_3 For I am full of trouble;*_x000D_ my life is at the brink of the grave._x000D_4 I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;*_x000D_ I have become like one who has no strength;_x000D_5 Lost among the dead,*_x000D_ like the slain who lie in the grave,_x000D_6 Whom you remember no more,*_x000D_ for they are cut off from your hand._x000D_7 You have laid me in the depths of the Pit,*_x000D_ in dark places, and in the abyss._x000D_8 Your anger weighs upon me heavily,*_x000D_ and all your great waves overwhelm me._x000D_9 You have put my friends far from me;_x000D_ you have made me to be abhorred by them;*_x000D_ I am in prison and cannot get free._x000D_10 My sight has failed me because of trouble;*_x000D_ Lord, I have called upon you daily;_x000D_ I have stretched out my hands to you._x000D_ 11 Do you work wonders for the dead?*_x000D_ will those who have died stand up and give you thanks?_x000D_12 Will your loving-kindness be declared in the grave?*_x000D_ your faithfulness in the land of destruction?_x000D_13 Will your wonders be known in the dark?*_x000D_ or your righteousness in the country where all is forgotten?_x000D_14 But as for me, O Lord, I cry to you for help;*_x000D_ in the morning my prayer comes before you._x000D_15 Lord, why have you rejected me?*_x000D_ why have you hidden your face from me?_x000D_16 Ever since my youth, I have been wretched and at the_x000D_point of death;*_x000D_ I have borne your terrors with a troubled mind._x000D_17 Your blazing anger has swept over me;* _x000D_your terrors have destroyed me;_x000D_18 They surround me all day long like a flood;*_x000D_ they encompass me on every side._x000D_19 My friend and neighbour you have put away from me,*_x000D_ 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.
Antiphon: O Lord, my God, my Saviour, by day and night I cry to you._x000D__x000D_
Reading(s)
Jeremiah 14.9
You are in our midst, Lord, and we bear your name. Do not forsake us.
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.
Nunc Dimittis
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.
Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace;* your word has been fulfilled. My own eyes have seen the salvation* which you have prepared in the sight of every people; 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.
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
Stir up our hearts, Lord,
to prepare the way of your only-begotten Son:
that, in his coming,
we might serve you with our hearts made pure;
through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Conclusion
The Lord be with you;
and also with you.
Let us bless the Lord;
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the
Son and the Holy Spirit, bless and keep us.
Amen.
or
Bless the Lord, the God of our fathers;
Sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
Bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
Sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
The almighty and most merciful Lord
guard us and give us his blessing.
Amen.