Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 107 (108)
Praise of the Lord and a plea for help
My heart is ready, O God – my heart is ready. I shall sing and make music. Awake, my glory! Rise up, harp and lyre! We will awaken the dawn. I will proclaim you to the peoples, O Lord, sing of you to the nations: for your kindness is great, it reaches the heavens; great is your faithfulness, high as the clouds. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory stretch over the earth. Give deliverance to your beloved, let your right hand bring safety – answer my prayer! God has spoken from his holy place: “I shall triumph, dividing Shechem, measuring off the vale of Succoth. Gilead is mine, mine is Manasseh; Ephraim my helmet, Judah my sceptre. But Moab shall be my wash-basin, on Edom I will place my sandal; I will cry in triumph over the Philistine.” Who shall lead me to the fortified city? Who shall lead me to Edom? Surely you, God – although you rejected us. Will you not come out, O God, with our armies? Give us help in our troubles, for vain is the help of man. With God we shall triumph – he will trample our enemies. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 107 (108)

Praise of the Lord and a plea for help

My heart is ready, O God –
my heart is ready.
I shall sing and make music.
Awake, my glory!
Rise up, harp and lyre!
We will awaken the dawn.

I will proclaim you to the peoples, O Lord,
sing of you to the nations:
for your kindness is great, it reaches the heavens;
great is your faithfulness, high as the clouds.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory stretch over the earth.
Give deliverance to your beloved,
let your right hand bring safety – answer my prayer!

God has spoken from his holy place:
“I shall triumph, dividing Shechem,
measuring off the vale of Succoth.
Gilead is mine, mine is Manasseh;
Ephraim my helmet, Judah my sceptre.
But Moab shall be my wash-basin,
on Edom I will place my sandal;
I will cry in triumph over the Philistine.”

Who shall lead me to the fortified city?
Who shall lead me to Edom?
Surely you, God – although you rejected us.
Will you not come out, O God, with our armies?
Give us help in our troubles,
for vain is the help of man.
With God we shall triumph –
he will trample our enemies.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Canticle	Isaiah 61-62
The prophet rejoices over the new Jerusalem
I will rejoice with joy in the Lord, and my spirit shall be joyful in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me round with the robe of justice, like a bridegroom decked with a crown, like a bride adorned with her jewels. Just as the earth sends up its shoots, and the garden makes its seeds to sprout, so the Lord God will make justice spring up and praise before all the nations. For Sion’s sake I will not be silent, for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still until her justice comes forth as brightness, and her salvation is lit up like a torch. And the Gentiles shall see your justice, and all the kings see your glory. You shall be called by a new name, chosen by the mouth of the Lord. You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer called “Forsaken,” your land no longer called “Desolate,” you will be called “My pleasure in her,” and your land “The Wedded”; for the Lord has been well pleased with you, and your land will receive its bridegroom. For as a young man takes a virgin to wife, so will your sons take you; and as a husband takes joy in his spouse, so your God will rejoice at you. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Isaiah 61-62

The prophet rejoices over the new Jerusalem

I will rejoice with joy in the Lord,
and my spirit shall be joyful in my God,
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation
and wrapped me round with the robe of justice,
like a bridegroom decked with a crown,
like a bride adorned with her jewels.

Just as the earth sends up its shoots,
and the garden makes its seeds to sprout,
so the Lord God will make justice spring up
and praise before all the nations.

For Sion’s sake I will not be silent,
for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still
until her justice comes forth as brightness,
and her salvation is lit up like a torch.

And the Gentiles shall see your justice,
and all the kings see your glory.
You shall be called by a new name,
chosen by the mouth of the Lord.
You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

No longer called “Forsaken,”
your land no longer called “Desolate,”
you will be called “My pleasure in her,”
and your land “The Wedded”;
for the Lord has been well pleased with you,
and your land will receive its bridegroom.

For as a young man takes a virgin to wife,
so will your sons take you;
and as a husband takes joy in his spouse,
so your God will rejoice at you.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Psalm 145 (146)
The blessedness of those who hope in the Lord
Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life, make music to my God as long as I exist. Do not trust in princes to save you, they are only sons of men. One day their breath will leave them, they will return to the ground; on that day perish all their plans. Happy the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth and all that is in them, who keeps faith for ever, who gives justice to the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord frees prisoners, he gives light to the blind, he raises the fallen. The Lord loves the upright, cares for strangers, sustains orphans and widows; but the wicked he sends astray. The Lord will reign for all ages, your God, O Sion, from generation to generation. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 145 (146)

The blessedness of those who hope in the Lord

Praise the Lord, my soul. I will praise the Lord all my life, make music to my God as long as I exist.

Do not trust in princes to save you, they are only sons of men.
One day their breath will leave them, they will return to the ground; on that day perish all their plans.

Happy the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth and all that is in them,
who keeps faith for ever, who gives justice to the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord frees prisoners, he gives light to the blind, he raises the fallen.
The Lord loves the upright, cares for strangers, sustains orphans and widows; but the wicked he sends astray.

The Lord will reign for all ages, your God, O Sion, from generation to generation.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Short reading	Isaiah 11:1-3 ©
A shoot springs from the stock of Jesse, a scion thrusts from his roots: on him the spirit of the Lord rests, a spirit of wisdom and insight, a spirit of counsel and power, a spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. The fear of the Lord is his delight.

Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies – in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Canticle

Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers,
to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death;
to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

Christ our redeemer is coming in glory and power. Let us pray to him with devotion, dearly beloved brethren, and humbly call on him: - Come, Lord Jesus.
Christ and Lord, you will come throned in great power: look kindly on our lowliness: and raise us up, to be worthy of your gifts.
You came to show the Good News to mankind:: give us the grace to proclaim your salvation always.
Blessed and living Lord, you reign over all things:: grant that we may joyfully await your hoped-for glorious coming.
We breathlessly await the grace of your coming:: keep us strong with your divine presence.

Our 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.

Hurry, Lord Jesus, do not delay.
We put our trust in your loving kindness:
may your coming bring us consolation and support.

You live and reign with God the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life.

A M E N

20 posted on 12/24/2008 8:34:26 AM PST by Salvation ( Â†With God all things are possible.Â†)

I will give you rest from all your enemies. (2 Samuel 7:11)

When God promised to “establish a house” for David, chances are that David and his descendants were thinking in terms of a military leader who would keep the kingship of Israel in the family line—a dynasty, in other words. This “son of David” to succeed him would be like David himself: a mighty warrior, a godly man vanquishing all of Israel’s military and political foes. He would bring freedom through the use of conquest and power.

As we stand on the brink of Christmas, with the manger before us, we can tell that this is not all that God intended. In fact, Zechariah’s prophecy in today’s Gospel reading touches on the deeper issues of freedom that God promised to the house of David. It was not only freedom from external enemies; it was the freedom to worship fearlessly, the freedom to stand before God holy and righteous.

Jesus, the ultimate Son of David, came to bring us this freedom by defeating the foes within us—sin and death. Far from giving us simply an external peace characterized by a lack of conflict, he came to give us the deeper and more substantial peace that comes as our internal struggles are calmed and the effects of sin are healed. These are the real tyrants, for they are the enemies that give rise to every external conflict we face, both in our lives and in the world at large.

Born in humility and weakness, Jesus beckons us to join him at the stable. He beckons us tonight to a place where our enemies are blocked at the door. He invites us to leave our sin and fears behind, and—miracle of miracles!—he does it by taking all of these obstacles upon himself and putting them to death by his cross.

On this holy night, let’s ask Jesus to bring us into his freedom. Let’s ask him to give us confidence that he will defeat everything in us that is opposed to him. Let’s rejoice in his promise of freedom and rest from our enemies—the greatest Christmas gift we could ever receive!

“Lord Jesus, you are the true Son of David. Come this night, and give us all your freedom!”

2 Samuel 7:1-5,8-12,14,16;   Psalm 89:2-5,27,29

21 posted on 12/24/2008 8:37:47 AM PST by Salvation ( Â†With God all things are possible.Â†)

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

Meditation: Luke 1:67-79