[Salvation]

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

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.

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A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 142 (143)

A prayer in time of trouble

For your name’s sake, Lord, you will give me life. Alleluia.

Lord, listen to my prayer:

  in your faithfulness turn your ear to my pleading;

  in your justice, hear me.

Do not judge your servant:

  nothing that lives can justify itself before you.

The enemy has hounded my spirit,

  he has crushed my life to the ground,

  he has shut me in darkness, like the dead of long ago.

So my spirit trembles within me,

  my heart turns to stone.

I remind myself of the days of old,

  I reflect on all your works,

  I meditate once more on the work of your hands.

I stretch out my arms to you,

  I stretch out my soul, like a land without water.

Come quickly and hear me, O Lord,

  for my spirit is weakening.

Do not hide your face from me,

  do not let me be like the dead,

  who go down to the underworld.

Show me your mercy at daybreak,

  because of my trust in you.

Tell me the way I should follow,

  for I lift up my soul towards you.

Rescue me from my enemies:

  Lord, I flee to you for refuge.

Teach me to do your will,

  for you are my God.

Your good spirit will lead me to the land of justice;

  for your name’s sake, Lord, you will give me life.

In your righteousness you will lead my soul

  away from all tribulation.

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.

For your name’s sake, Lord, you will give me life. Alleluia.

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Canticle	(Isaiah 66)
Comfort and joy in the holy city
I will see you again and your hearts will be glad. Alleluia.
Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad with her, all you who love her;   rejoice with her, rejoice, all you who mourned for her. Suck and be filled at the breast of her consolation;   draw on the nipples of her glory, and overflow with delights. For the Lord says this: Behold, I will bring her peace as if it were a river;   like an overflowing torrent, the glory of the Gentiles. You will suck, be borne on her hips,   and they will caress you as you lie in her lap. As a mother comforts its child, so shall I comfort you:   you will be comforted in Jerusalem. You will see, and your heart will rejoice,   and your bones will flourish like living grass. 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.
I will see you again and your hearts will be glad. Alleluia.

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Psalm 146 (147A)

The Lord's goodness and power

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; he heals broken hearts. Alleluia.

Praise the Lord!

It is good to sing praise to our God;

  it is a joy to sing his praises.

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem:

  he will call back Israel from exile.

He heals broken hearts

  and binds up their wounds.

He counts all the stars;

  he calls each of them by name.

Our God is great and great is his strength,

  his wisdom is not to be measured.

The Lord supports the needy,

  but crushes the wicked to the ground.

Sing out to the Lord in thanksgiving,

  sing praise to our God on the harp.

He covers the sky with his clouds,

  he makes rain to refresh the earth.

He makes grass grow on the hills,

  and plants for the service of man.

He gives food to grazing animals,

  and feeds the young ravens that call on him.

He takes no delight in the strength of the horse,

  no pleasure in the strength of a man.

The Lord is pleased by those who honour him,

  by those who trust in his kindness.

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.

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; he heals broken hearts. Alleluia.

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Short reading	Romans 8:10-11 ©
Though your body may be dead it is because of sin, but if Christ is in you then your spirit is life itself because you have been justified; and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, then he who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your own mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you.

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Canticle	Benedictus
The Messiah and his forerunner
The disciple is not superior to his teacher; but if the disciple becomes like his teacher, he will be perfect. Alleluia.
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.
The disciple is not superior to his teacher; but if the disciple becomes like his teacher, he will be perfect. Alleluia.

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Prayers and Intercessions

?

God the Father has sent Christ for the resurrection of his children. We pray to him in faith: – May the Lord Jesus himself be our life. By the pillar of fire you guided your people in the desert:   through his resurrection may Christ today be the light that brings life. – May the Lord Jesus himself be our life. By the words of Moses you taught your people on the mountain:   through his resurrection may Christ today be the word that brings life. – May the Lord Jesus himself be our life. By the gift of manna you fed your people on their pilgrimage:   through his resurrection may Christ today be the bread that brings life. – May the Lord Jesus himself be our life. Out of the stone you brought water for your people to drink:   through your Son’s resurrection grant us today the Spirit that gives life. – May the Lord Jesus himself be our life.

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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.

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O God, you have given our restored human nature a greater dignity than it had before it fell.

  Remember the inexhaustible mystery of your love.

  You have deigned to regenerate us in baptism:

  keep intact in us your gifts of grace and blessedness.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

  who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

  God for ever and ever.

Amen.

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

A M E N

[Salvation]

The Word Among Us

Meditation: John 13:16-20

Have you ever had a day like this?

You wake up determined to make a difference in the world by living for Christ and being his humble servant. You spring out of bed, zealous to be the messenger of his love—just the kind Jesus had in mind when he said, “Whoever receives the one I send receives me” (John 13:20).

By evening, though, the spring in your step is gone, and you wonder what happened. You tried hard to live as an ambassador for Christ. You really wanted people to know that Jesus is the source of your joy and your peace. Yet looking back on the day, you still had a sense that something was missing. It was as if all your efforts were inadequate—not sufficiently persuasive, faithful, or even loving.

Days like this are bound to come, but when they do, we should look at them as special gifts from God. It’s on these days that we are reminded that our human efforts, as invaluable as they are, can still come up short. Just as Peter and the other apostles had to let Jesus wash their feet, the same is true for us (John 13:3-12). It’s only as we let Jesus minister to us that we will be made fully fit to do all that God is asking of us.

Picture yourself at the bottom of a massive staircase, with Jesus standing at the top. The sight of his glory, and the sense of love coming from his heart captivate you and make you want to be with him. But every time you try to go up a step or two, you slip back. Finally, frustrated and a little bit sore from all your falls, you cry out for help. In an instant, Jesus descends to the lowest step, sweeps you up in his arms, and carries you up to the top.

Don’t let today become “one of those days”! Instead, start out by placing yourself in the Lord’s presence through prayer and peaceful openness. Let him wash your feet. It’s true: You’ll never become a messenger of God’s love on your own. But it is also true that God never intended you to. May this truth fill all of our hearts with joy and encouragement!

“Jesus, you love me enough to send me to share you with others. Give me a heart of gentle humility, that I may serve as you served.”

Acts 13:13-25; Psalm 89:2-3,21-22,25,27