Morning Prayer
Elizabeth Fry, 1845
Week A / Week of Proper 28
O Lord, open our lips:
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
Amen.
Psalmody
Antiphon:
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;*
I will praise my God while I have my being.
Psalm 104.33
Opening
Come, let us sing
1 Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come before the presence of the Lord with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to God with psalms.
3 For you, O Lord, are a great God, * and a great sovereign above all gods.
4 In your hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are yours also.
5 The sea is yours, for you made it, *
and your hands have moulded the dry land.
6 Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For you are our God, and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand. *
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!
8 “Harden not your hearts, *
as your forebears did in the wilderness.
9 They put me to the test, * though they had seen my works.
10 So I swore in my wrath, *
‘They shall not enter into 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
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
or a suitable Hymn
(Or from Psalm 104)
1. You spread out the heavens like a curtain;*
you lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above;
2. You make the clouds your chariot;*
you ride on the wings of the wind;
3. You make the winds your messengers*
and flames of fire your servants.
4. You have set the earth upon its foundations,*
so that it never shall move at any time.
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
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
or a suitable hymn
Psalm 106:1-18
1. Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord who is good, *
whose mercy endures for ever.
2. Who can declare your mighty acts, O Lord, *
or show forth all your praise?
3. Happy are those who act with justice *
and always do what is right!
4. Remember me, O Lord, with the favour you have for your people, *
and visit me with your saving help;
5. that I may see the prosperity of your elect and be glad with the gladness of your people, *
that I may glory with your inheritance.
6. We have sinned as our ancestors did; *
we have done wrong and dealt wickedly.
7. In Egypt they did not consider your marvellous works, nor remember the abundance of your love; *
they defied the Most High at the Red Sea.
8. But you saved them for your name’s sake, *
to make your power known.
9. You rebuked the Red Sea, and it dried up, *
and you led them through the deep as through a
desert.
10. You saved them from the hand of those who hated them *
and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.
11. The waters covered their oppressors; *
not one of them was left.
12. Then they believed your words *
and sang you songs of praise.
13. But they soon forgot your deeds *
and did not wait for your counsel.
14. A craving seized them in the wilderness, *
and they put you to the test in the desert.
15. You gave them what they asked, *
but sent leanness into their soul.
16. They envied Moses in the camp, *
and Aaron, the holy one of the Lord.
17. The earth opened and swallowed Dathan *
and covered the company of Abiram.
18. Fire blazed up against their company, *
and flames devoured the wicked.
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
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
Conclusion
Isaiah 45
1. Thus says the Lord who created the heavens,*
who formed the earth and made it;
2. who did not create it a chaos,*
but formed it to be inhabited -
3. Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth;*
for I am God: there is no other.
4. From my mouth has gone forth in righteousness*
a word that shall not return:
5 "To me every knee shall bow,*
every tongue shall swear".'
6. In the Lord all the offspring of Israel*
shall triumph and glory.
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
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
Antiphon: I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;* I will praise my God while I have my being.
Reading(s)
Micah 7.1-7
Woe is me! For I have become like one who,
after the summer fruit has been gathered,
after the vintage has been gleaned,
finds no cluster to eat;
there is no first-ripe fig for which I hunger.
The faithful have disappeared from the land,
and there is no one left who is upright;
they all lie in wait for blood,
and they hunt each other with nets.
Their hands are skilled to do evil;
the official and the judge ask for a bribe,
and the powerful dictate what they desire;
thus they pervert justice.
The best of them is like a brier,
the most upright of them a thorn hedge.
The day of their sentinels, of their punishment, has come;
now their confusion is at hand.
Put no trust in a friend,
have no confidence in a loved one;
guard the doors of your mouth
from her who lies in your embrace;
for the son treats the father with contempt,
the daughter rises up against her mother,
the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
your enemies are members of your own household.
But as for me, I will look to the Lord,
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
my God will hear me.
Acts 26.1-23
Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You have permission to speak for yourself.’ Then Paul stretched out his hand and began to defend himself:
‘I consider myself fortunate that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defence today against all the accusations of the Jews, because you are especially familiar with all the customs and controversies of the Jews; therefore I beg of you to listen to me patiently.
‘All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, a life spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem. They have known for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that I have belonged to the strictest sect of our religion and lived as a Pharisee. And now I stand here on trial on account of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, a promise that our twelve tribes hope to attain, as they earnestly worship day and night. It is for this hope, your Excellency, that I am accused by Jews! Why is it thought incredible by any of you that God raises the dead?
‘Indeed, I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And that is what I did in Jerusalem; with authority received from the chief priests, I not only locked up many of the saints in prison, but I also cast my vote against them when they were being condemned to death. By punishing them often in all the synagogues I tried to force them to blaspheme; and since I was so furiously enraged at them, I pursued them even to foreign cities.
‘With this in mind, I was travelling to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests, when at midday along the road, your Excellency, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and my companions. When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? It hurts you to kick against the goads.” I asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord answered, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But get up and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you to serve and testify to the things in which you have seen me and to those in which I will appear to you. I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles—to whom I am sending you to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”
‘After that, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout the countryside of Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God and do deeds consistent with repentance. For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. To this day I have had help from God, and so I stand here, testifying to both small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would take place: that the Messiah must suffer, and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles.’
Silence
Response (Psalm 92.4)
In all you have done, O Lord, you have made me glad.
In all you have done, O Lord, you have made me glad.
I will sing for joy because of the works of your hands.
You have made me glad.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
In all you have done, O Lord, you have made me glad.
Song of Zechariah
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. The earth is the Lord’s, * * and all who live in it are God’s creatures.
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.
or
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
(may be said by all)
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. The earth is the Lord’s, * * and all who live in it are God’s creatures.
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
O Lord,
since without you we cannot please you:
let the work of your mercy in all things guide our hearts;
through 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
Elizabeth Fry, 1845
Week A / Week of Proper 28
O God make speed to save us;
O Lord make haste to help us.
Glory to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
Psalmody
Antiphon: O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!* you are clothed with majesty and splendour.
Psalm 104.1
Opening (from Psalm 104.1)
1. You appointed the moon to mark the seasons,*
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
2. You make darkness that it may be night,*
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
3. May your glory, O Lord, endure for ever;*
may you rejoice in all his works.
4. May these words of mine please you;*
I will rejoice in 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.
or
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
or a suitable Hymn
Psalm 106:19-48
19. Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb *
and worshipped a molten image;
20. and so they exchanged their Glory *
for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.
21. They forgot you, their saviour, *
who had done great things in Egypt,
22. wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, *
and fearful things at the Red Sea.
23. So you would have destroyed them, had not Moses your chosen stood before you in the breach, *
to turn away your wrath from consuming them.
24. They refused the pleasant land *
and would not believe your promise.
25. They grumbled in their tents *
and would not listen to the voice of the Lord.
26. So you lifted your hand against them, *
to overthrow them in the wilderness,
27. to cast out their seed among the nations, *
and to scatter them throughout the lands.
28. They joined themselves to Baal-Peor *
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
29. They provoked you to anger with their actions, *
and a plague broke out among them.
30. Then Phinehas stood up and interceded, *
and the plague came to an end.
31. This was reckoned to him as righteousness *
throughout all generations for ever.
32. Again they provoked your anger at the waters of Meribah, *
so that you punished Moses because of them;
33. for they so embittered his spirit *
that he spoke rash words with his lips.
34. They did not destroy the peoples *
as the Lord had commanded them.
35. They intermingled with the heathen *
and learned their pagan ways,
36. So that they worshipped their idols, *
which became a snare to them.
37. They sacrificed their sons *
and their daughters to evil spirits.
38. They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, *
which they offered to the idols of Canaan, and the
land was defiled with blood
39. Thus they were polluted by their actions *
and went whoring in their evil deeds.
40. Therefore your wrath was kindled against your
people *
and you abhorred your inheritance.
41. You gave them over to the hand of the heathen, *
and those who hated them ruled over them.
42. Their enemies oppressed them, *
and they were humbled under their hand.
43. Many a time did you deliver them, but they rebelled through their own devices, *
and were brought down in their iniquity.
44. Nevertheless, you saw their distress, *
when you heard their lamentation.
45. You remembered your covenant with them *
and relented in accordance with your great mercy.
46. You caused them to be pitied *
by those who held them captive.
47. Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the nations, *
that we may give thanks to your holy name and
glory in your praise.
48. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting; *
and let all the people say, ”Amen!” Hallelujah!
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
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
Conclusion
1 John 4
1. Beloved let us love one another,*
for love is of God;
2. And those who love are born of God*
and know God.
3. Those who do not love do not know God,*
for God is love.
4. In this the love of God was made manifest among us,*
that God sent his only Son into the world so that we might
live through him.
5 In this is love: not that we loved God,*
but that God loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation
for our sins.
6. Beloved, if God so loved us,*
we also ought to love one another.
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
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
Antiphon: O Lord my God, how excellent is your greatness!* you are clothed with majesty and splendour.
Reading(s)
Luke 8.26-39
Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me’— for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) Jesus then asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He said, ‘Legion’; for many demons had entered him. They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.’ So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him.
Silence
Response Psalm 119.105
Your word is a lantern to my feet.
Your word is a lantern to my feet.
A light upon my path.
A lantern to my feet.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Your word is a lantern to my feet.
Song of Mary
Song of Mary Antiphon: The Spirit of God fills the earth: * in Christ all is made new.
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.
or
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Amen.
(may be said by all)
Song of Mary Antiphon: The Spirit of God fills the earth: * in Christ all is made new.
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
O Lord,
since without you we cannot please you:
let the work of your mercy in all things guide our hearts;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, world without end.
Amen
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
Elizabeth Fry, 1845
Week A / Week of Proper 28
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 God, source of all being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever.
Alleluia!
Psalmody
Opening This or another suitable opening hymn may be sung.
"Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep
Your watch around us while we sleep.
From evil dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe
That we no sinful thought may know.
O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Our souls are raised to life from death."
Antiphon: You, O Lord, are good and forgiving;* full of kindness and truth.
Psalm: Psalm 86
1. Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me,*
for I am poor and in misery.
2. Keep watch over my life, for I am faithful;*
save your servant who puts his trust in you.
3. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God;*
I call upon you all the day long.
4. Gladden the soul of your servant,*
for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
5. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,*
and great is your love toward all who call upon you.
6. Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer,*
and attend to the voice of my supplications.
7. In the time of my trouble I will call upon you,*
for you will answer me.
8. Among the gods there is none like you, O Lord,*
nor anything like your works.
9. All nations you have made will come and worship
you, O Lord,
and glorify your name.
10 For you are great; you do wondrous things;*
and you alone are God.
11. Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth;*
knit my heart to you that I may fear your name.
12. I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart,*
and glorify your name for evermore.
13. For great is your love toward me;*
you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.
14. The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a band of violent men seeks my life;*
they have not set you before their eyes.
15. But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion,*
slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.
16. Turn to me and have mercy upon me;*
give strength to your servant; and save the child of your handmaid.
17. Show me a sign of your favour, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed;*
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.
or
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and 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.
Reading(s)
1 Thessalonians 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.
Song of Simeon
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.
1. Now, Lord, you let your servant go in peace;*
your word has been fulfilled.
2. My own eyes have seen the salvation*
which you have prepared in the sight of every
people;
3. 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.
or
Glory be to God, Source of all Being, Eternal Word, and 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
Lighten our darkness, Lord, we pray; and in your mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Conclusion
The Lord be with you;
and also with you.
Let us bless the Lord;
Thanks be to God.
May the almighty and merciful God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, bless and keep us.
Amen.
or
May we be hidden under the shadow of God’s wings, this night and for ever.
Amen.