Morning Prayer
First Sunday of Advent
Advent / Advent Sunday
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:
Show your servants your works
and your splendour to their children.
Psalm 90.16
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 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
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 77
1. I will cry aloud to God; *
I will cry aloud, and God will hear me.
2. In the day of my trouble *I sought the Lord;
my hands were stretched out by night and did not
tire; *I refused to be comforted.
3. I think of God, I am restless, *
I ponder, and my spirit faints.
4. You will not let my eyelids close; *
I am troubled and I cannot speak.
5. I consider the days of old; *
I remember the years long past;
6. I commune with my heart in the night; *
I ponder and search my mind.
7. Will the Lord cast me off for ever *
and no longer favour me?
8. O God, has your loving-kindness come to an end for
ever *
and has your promise failed for evermore?
9. Have you forgotten to be gracious *
and in anger withheld compassion?
10. And I said, ”My grief is this: *
the mighty hand of the Most High has lost its
power.”
11. I will remember your works, O Lord, *
and call to mind your wonders of old time.
12. I will meditate on all your acts *
and ponder your mighty deeds.
13. Your way, O God, is holy; *
who is so great a god as our God?
14. You are the God who works wonders *
and have declared your power among the peoples.
15. By your strength you have redeemed your people, *
the children of Jacob and Joseph.
16. The waters saw you, O God; the waters saw you and trembled; *
the very depths were shaken.
17. The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; *
your arrows flashed to and fro;
18. the sound of your thunder was in the whirlwind;
your lightnings lit up the world; *
the earth trembled and shook.
19. Your way was in the sea, and your paths in the great waters, *
yet your footsteps were not seen.
20. You led your people like a flock *
by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
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 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. 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.
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: Show your servants your works and your splendour to their children.
Reading(s)
Isaiah 52.1-12
Awake, awake,
put on your strength, O Zion!
Put on your beautiful garments,
O Jerusalem, the holy city;
for the uncircumcised and the unclean
shall enter you no more.
Shake yourself from the dust, rise up,
O captive Jerusalem;
loose the bonds from your neck,
O captive daughter Zion!
For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. For thus says the Lord God: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause. Now therefore, what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is despised. Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore on that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
Depart, depart, go out from there!
Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it, purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of the Lord.
For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rearguard.
Revelation 14.13-15.4
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.’ ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘they will rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them.’
Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand! Another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to the one who sat on the cloud, ‘Use your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.’ So the one who sat on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.
Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. Then another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, ‘Use your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.’ So the angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the vintage of the earth, and he threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the wine press, as high as a horse’s bridle, for a distance of about two hundred miles.
Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and amazing: seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is ended.
And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its name standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:
‘Great and amazing are your deeds,
Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
King of the nations!
Lord, who will not fear
and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
and worship before you,
for your judgements have been revealed.’
Silence
Response (Psalm 96.10)
Tell it out among the nations: ‘The Lord reigns!’
Tell it out among the nations: ‘The Lord reigns!’
The Lord will judge the peoples with equity.
‘The Lord reigns.’
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit
Tell it out among the nations: ‘The Lord reigns!’
Song of Zechariah
Song of Zechariah Antiphon: You will guide us with your counsel, O God: * and, after, receive us with glory. Look up and raise your heads,* * because your redemption is drawing near.
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. Look up and raise your heads,* * because your redemption is drawing near.
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 your power, Lord, and come:
that, with you as our protector,
we may be rescued from our sins;
and with you as our deliverer,
we may be set free;
for you live and reign with God the Father,
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
First Sunday of Advent
Advent / Advent Sunday
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: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God; * in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.
Psalm 141.8
Opening (from Psalms 140 and 141)
1. I have said to the Lord, ”You are my God; listen, O Lord, to my supplication.”
2. 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
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 78:1-18
1. Hear my teaching, O my people; *
incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2. I will open my mouth in a parable; *
I will declare the mysteries of ancient times.
3. That which we have heard and known, and what our ancestors have told us, *
we will not hide from their children.
4. We will recount to generations to come the
praiseworthy deeds and the power of the Lord, *
who has done wonderful works.
5. The Lord gave a decree to Jacob and established a law for Israel, *
commanding them to teach their children;
6. that the generations to come might know, and the
children yet unborn; *
that they in their turn might tell it to their children;
7. so that they might put their trust in God, *
and not forget those mighty deeds, but keep the
commandments;
8. and not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and
rebellious generation, *
a generation whose heart was not steadfast, and
whose spirit was not faithful to God.
9. The people of Ephraim, armed with the bow, *
turned back in the day of battle;
10. they did not keep the covenant of God, *
and refused to walk in the law;
11. they forgot what God had done, *
and the wonders God had shown them.
12. God worked marvels in the sight of their ancestors, *
in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan,
13. splitting open the sea and letting them pass
through, *
making the waters stand up like walls;
14. leading them with a cloud by day, *
and all the night through with the glow of fire;
15. splitting hard rocks in the wilderness, *
and giving them drink as from the great deep;
16. bringing streams out of the cliff, *
and the waters gushing out like rivers.
17. But they went on sinning against God, *
rebelling in the desert against the Most High.
18. They tested God in their hearts, *
demanding food for their craving.
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
Revelation 22
1. I am the Alpha and the Omega, *
says the Lord.
2. 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.
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: My eyes are turned to you, Lord God; *in you I take refuge; do not strip me of my life.
Reading(s)
Matthew 24.15-18
‘So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand), then those in Judea must flee to the mountains; someone on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house; someone in the field must not turn back to get a coat.
Silence
Response Psalm 28.9
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.
Song of Mary
Song of Mary Antiphon: Look up and raise your heads,* because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21.28
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: Look up and raise your heads,* because your redemption is drawing near. Luke 21.28
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 your power, Lord, and come:
that, with you as our protector,
we may be rescued from our sins;
and with you as our deliverer,
we may be set free;
for you live and reign with God the Father,
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
First Sunday of Advent
Advent / Advent Sunday
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: The wings of the Lord shall cover you, * and you shall not fear any terror by night.
Psalm: Psalm 91
1. He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High,*
abides under the shadow of the Almighty.
2. He shall say to the Lord, ‘You are my refuge and my stronghold,*
my God in whom I put my trust.’
3. He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter*
and from the deadly pestilence.
4. He shall cover you with his pinions, and you shall find refuge under his wings;*
his faithfulness shall be a shield and buckler.
5. You shall not be afraid of any terror by night,*
nor of the arrow that flies by day:
6. Of the plague that stalks in the darkness,*
nor of the sickness that lays waste at mid-day.
7. A thousand shall fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand.*
but it shall not come near you.
8. Your eyes have only to behold*
to see the reward of the wicked.
9. Because you have made the Lord your refuge,*
and the Most High your habitation,
10. There shall no evil happen to you,*
neither shall any plague come near your dwelling.
11. For he shall give his angels charge over you,*
to keep you in all your ways.
12. They shall bear you in their hands,*
lest you dash your foot against a stone.
13. You shall tread upon the lion and adder;*
you shall trample the young lion and the serpent under your feet.
14. Because he is bound to me in love, therefore will I deliver him;*
I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;*
I am with him in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him to honour.
16. With long life will I satisfy him,*
and show him my salvation.
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: The wings of the Lord shall cover you, *
and you shall not fear any terror by night.
Reading(s)
Revelation 22.4,5
They shall see the Lord face to face and his name shall be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more. They need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever.
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
Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world may rest in your eternal
changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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.