Morning Prayer
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8.49am on Thursday 15 May 2025
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Please note: Daily Prayer provided by the official Church of England web site, © The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2002-2004.
O God, make speed to save us.
AllO Lord, make haste to help us.
In your resurrection, O Christ,
Alllet heaven and earth
rejoice. Alleluia.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign Lord,
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
to you be glory and praise for ever.
From the deep waters of death
you brought your people to new birth
by raising your Son to life in triumph.
Through him dark death has been destroyed
and radiant life is everywhere restored.
As you call us out of darkness into his marvellous light
may our lives reflect his glory
and our lips repeat the endless song.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
A Song of David (page 573), the following or another suitable hymn
Ye choirs of new Jerusalem,
your sweetest notes employ,
the Paschal victory to hymn
in strains of holy joy.
How Judah’s lion burst his chains
and crushed the serpent’s head;
and brought with him, from death’s domains,
the long-imprisoned dead.
Triumphant in his glory now
his sceptre ruleth all,
earth, heaven, and hell before him bow,
and at his footstool fall.
While joyful thus his praise we sing,
his mercy we implore,
into his palace bright to bring
and keep us evermore.
All glory to the Father be,
all glory to the Son,
all glory, Holy Ghost, to thee,
while endless ages run. Alleluia, Amen.
Fulbert of Chartres, tr: Robert Campbell
(Tune: CM)
This opening prayer may be said
That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful,
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As our evening prayer rises before you, O God,
so may your mercy come down upon us
to cleanse our hearts
and set us free to sing your praise
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, ♦
you that led Joseph like a flock;
2 Shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim, ♦
before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
3 Stir up your mighty strength ♦
and come to our salvation.
4 Turn us again, O God; ♦
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
5 O Lord God of hosts, ♦
how long will you be angry at your peoples prayer?
6 You feed them with the bread of tears; ♦
you give them abundance of tears to drink.
7 You have made us the derision of our neighbours ♦
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
8 Turn us again, O God of hosts; ♦
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
9 You brought a vine out of Egypt; ♦
you drove out the nations and planted it.
10 You made room around it, ♦
and when it had taken root, it filled the land.
11 The hills were covered with its shadow ♦
and the cedars of God by its boughs.
12 It stretched out its branches to the Sea ♦
and its tendrils to the River.
13 Why then have you broken down its wall, ♦
so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
14 The wild boar out of the wood tears it off, ♦
and all the insects of the field devour it.
15 Turn again, O God of hosts, ♦
look down from heaven and behold;
16 Cherish this vine which your right hand has planted, ♦
and the branch that you made so strong for yourself.
17 Let those who burnt it with fire, who cut it down, ♦
perish at the rebuke of your countenance.
18 Let your hand be upon the man at your right hand, ♦
the son of man you made so strong for yourself.
19 And so will we not go back from you; ♦
give us life, and we shall call upon your name.
20 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; ♦
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Faithful shepherd of your people,
as we look for the light of your countenance,
restore in us the image of your glory
and graft us into the risen life of your Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
AllGlory 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.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
The Lord said to Samuel, How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons. Samuel said, How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me. And the Lord said, Take a heifer with you, and say, I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you. Samuel did what the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city came to meet him trembling, and said, Do you come peaceably? He said, Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, Surely the Lords anointed is now before the Lord. But the Lord said to Samuel, Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Then Jesse made Shammah pass by. And he said, Neither has the Lord chosen this one. Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, The Lord has not chosen any of these. Samuel said to Jesse, Are all your sons here? And he said, There remains yet the youngest, but he is keeping the sheep. And Samuel said to Jesse, Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes here. He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, Rise and anoint him; for this is the one. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.
The following, or another suitable canticle, may be said or sung
Refrain:
AllChrist was believed in throughout
the world
and taken up in glory. Alleluia.
1Christ Jesus was revealed
in the flesh ♦
and vindicated in the spirit.
2He was seen by angels
♦
and proclaimed among the nations.
3Believed in throughout
the world, ♦
he was taken up in glory.
4This will be made manifest
at the proper time ♦
by the blessed and only Sovereign,
5Who alone has immortality,
♦
and dwells in unapproachable light.
1 Timothy 3.16; 6.15, 16
AllTo the King of kings and
Lord of lords ♦
be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
AllChrist was believed in throughout
the world
and taken up in glory. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
Jesus said to the crowds, Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheeps clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits.
Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name? Then I will declare to them, I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it felland great was its fall!
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
The Lord is my strength and my song:
he has become my salvation.
AllThe Lord is my strength
and my song:
he has become my salvation.
I shall not die, but live,
and declare the works of the Lord.
AllHe has become my salvation.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
AllThe Lord is my strength
and my song:
he has become my salvation.
from Psalm 118
The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said,
or Great and Wonderful (page 629)
may be said
Refrain:
AllOn the foundation stones of the heavenly city
are written the names of the apostles of the Lamb. Alleluia.
1My soul proclaims the
greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour; ♦
he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.
2From this day all generations
will call me blessed; ♦
the Almighty has done great things for me
and holy is his name.
3He has mercy on those
who fear him, ♦
from generation to generation.
4He has shown strength
with his arm ♦
and has scattered the proud in their conceit,
5Casting down the mighty
from their thrones ♦
and lifting up the lowly.
6He has filled the hungry
with good things ♦
and sent the rich away empty.
7He has come to the aid
of his servant Israel, ♦
to remember his promise of mercy,
8The promise made to our
ancestors, ♦
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Luke 1.46-55
AllGlory 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.
Refrain:
AllOn the foundation stones of the heavenly city
are written the names of the apostles of the Lamb. Alleluia.
Thanksgiving may be made for the day.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for peace
¶ for individuals and their needs
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365
¶ The people of God, that they may proclaim
the risen Lord
¶ God’s creation, that the peoples of
the earth may meet their responsibility to care
¶ Those in despair and darkness, that they may
find the hope and light of Christ
¶ Those in fear of death, that they may find
faith through the resurrection
¶ Prisoners and captives
A form of prayer found on page 382 may be used.
These responses may be used
Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer
(or)
Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty God,
who in the place of the traitor Judas
chose your faithful servant Matthias
to be of the number of the Twelve:
preserve your Church from false apostles
and, by the ministry of faithful pastors and teachers,
keep us steadfast in your truth;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in God’s new creation,
as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
AllOur 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
(or)
Rejoicing in God’s new creation,
let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
AllOur Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
AllAmen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
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The Archbishops’ Council of the Church of England, 2000–2005
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