Morning Prayer
Ambrose of Milan, Bishop and Teacher of the Faith, 397
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 50
1 The Lord, the God of gods, has spoken;*
he has called the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, perfect in its beauty,*
God reveals himself in glory.
3 Our God will come and will not keep silence;*
before him there is a consuming flame,
and round about him a raging storm.
4 He calls the heavens and the earth from above*
to witness the judgement of his people.
5 ‘Gather before me my loyal followers,*
those who have made a covenant with me
and sealed it with sacrifice.’
6 Let the heavens declare the rightness of his cause;*
for God himself is judge.
7 Hear, O my people, and I will speak:
‘O Israel, I will bear witness against you;*
for I am God, your God.
8 I do not accuse you because of your sacrifices;*
your offerings are always before me.
9 I will take no bull-calf from your stalls,*
nor he-goats out of your pens;
10 For the beasts of the forest are mine,*
the herds in their thousands upon the hills.
11 I know every bird in the sky,*
and the creatures of the fields are in my sight.
12 If I were hungry, I would not tell you,*
for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.
13 Do you think I eat the flesh of bulls,*
or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving*
and make good your vows to the Most High.
15 Call upon me in the day of trouble;*
I will deliver you, and you shall honour me.’
16 But to the wicked God says:*
‘Why do you recite my statutes,
and take my covenant upon your lips;
17 Since you refuse discipline,*
and toss my words behind your back?
18 When you see a thief, you make him your friend,*
and you cast in your lot with adulterers.
19 You have loosed your lips for evil,*
and harnessed your tongue to a lie.
20 You are always speaking evil of your brother*
and slandering your own mother's son.
21 These things you have done, and I kept still,*
and you thought that I am like you.’
22 ‘I have made my accusation;*
I have put my case in order before your eyes.
23 Consider this well, you who forget God,*
lest I rend you and there be none to deliver you.
24 Whoever offers me the sacrifice of thanksgiving honours me;*
but to those who keep in my way will I show
the salvation of God.’
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.
Blessed are you, God of glory; you call us to give up all our vain attempts to reach you, and to come before you in thanksgiving for your great salvation, shown to us in 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 5.1-13
Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watch-tower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry! Ah, you who join house to house, who add field to field, until there is room for no one but you, and you are left to live alone in the midst of the land! The Lord of hosts has sworn in my hearing: Surely many houses shall be desolate, large and beautiful houses, without inhabitant. For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield a mere ephah. Ah, you who rise early in the morning in pursuit of strong drink, who linger in the evening to be inflamed by wine, whose feasts consist of lyre and harp, tambourine and flute and wine, but who do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the work of his hands! Therefore my people go into exile without knowledge; their nobles are dying of hunger, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
1 Thessalonians 5.1-11
Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. When they say, ‘There is peace and security’, then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labour pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape! But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief; for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then, let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober; for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him. Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.
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
Ambrose of Milan, Bishop and Teacher of the Faith, 397
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 71
1 In you, O Lord, have I taken refuge;*
let me never be ashamed.
2 In your righteousness, deliver me and set me free;*
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe;*
you are my crag and my stronghold.
4 Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,*
from the clutches of the evildoer and the oppressor.
5 For you are my hope, O Lord God,*
my confidence since I was young.
6 I have been sustained by you ever since I was born;
from my mother's womb you have been my strength;*
my praise shall be always of you.
7 I have become a portent to many;*
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8 Let my mouth be full of your praise*
and your glory all the day long.
9 Do not cast me off in my old age;*
forsake me not when my strength fails.
10 For my enemies are talking against me,*
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together.
11 They say, ‘God has forsaken him;
go after him and seize him;*
because there is none who will save.’
12 O God, be not far from me;*
come quickly to help me, O my God.
13 Let those who set themselves against me be put to shame
and be disgraced;*
let those who seek to do me evil be covered with scorn and reproach.
14 But I shall always wait in patience,*
and shall praise you more and more.
15 My mouth shall recount your mighty acts
and saving deeds all day long;*
though I cannot know the number of them.
16 I will begin with the mighty works of the Lord God;*
I will recall your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, you have taught me since I was young,*
and to this day I tell of your wonderful works.
18 And now that I am old and gray-headed, O God, do not
forsake me,*
till I make known your strength to this generation
and your power to all who are to come.
19 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens;*
you have done great things;
who is like you, O God?
20 You have showed me great troubles and adversities,*
but you will restore my life
and bring me up again from the deep places of the earth.
21 You strengthen me more and more;*
you enfold and comfort me.
22 Therefore I will praise you upon the lyre for your
faithfulness, O my God;*
I will sing to you with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will sing with joy when I play to you,*
and so will my soul, which you have redeemed.
24 My tongue will proclaim your righteousness all day long,*
for they are ashamed and disgraced who sought to do me harm.
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.
Holy God, be our strength and our salvation, that we may never be ashamed to praise you for your mighty acts. We ask this through 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 21.20-28
‘When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those out in the country must not enter it; for these are days of vengeance, as a fulfilment of all that is written. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress on the earth and wrath against this people; they will fall by the edge of the sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. ‘There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. People will faint from fear and foreboding of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in a cloud” with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.’
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
Ambrose of Milan, Bishop and Teacher of the Faith, 397
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: You, O Lord, are good and forgiving; full of kindness and truth.
Psalm 86
1 Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me,*_x000D_ for I am poor and in misery._x000D_2 Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful;*_x000D_ save your servant who puts his trust in you._x000D_3 Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God;*_x000D_ I call upon you all the day long._x000D_4 Gladden the soul of your servant,*_x000D_ for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul._x000D_5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,*_x000D_ and great is your love toward all who call upon you._x000D_6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer,*_x000D_ and attend to the voice of my supplications._x000D_7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon you,*_x000D_ for you will answer me._x000D_8 Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,*_x000D_ nor anything like your works._x000D_9 All nations you have made will come and worship you, O Lord,*_x000D_ and glorify your name._x000D_10 For you are great; you do wondrous things;*_x000D_ and you alone are God._x000D_11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;*_x000D_ knit my heart to you that I may fear your name._x000D_12 I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,*_x000D_ and glorify your name for evermore._x000D_13 For great is your love toward me;*_x000D_ you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit._x000D_14 The arrogant rise up against me, O God,_x000D_ and a band of violent men seeks my life;*_x000D_ they have not set you before their eyes._x000D_15 But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,*_x000D_ slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth._x000D_16 Turn to me and have mercy upon me;*_x000D_ give strength to your servant;_x000D_ and save the child of your handmaid._x000D_ 17 Show me a sign of your favour,_x000D_ so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed;*_x000D_ because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
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: You, O Lord, are good and forgiving full of kindness and truth._x000D_
Reading(s)
1 Thess. 5.9,10
God destined us to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, so that whether we wake or sleep we might live with him.
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.