MORNING PRAYER Monday, 29 September 2014 Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, Archangels Preparation O Lord, open our lips and our mouth shall proclaim your praise. Your faithful servants bless you. They make known the glory of your kingdom. One or more of the following is said or sung: this or another prayer of thanksgiving Blessed are you, Sovereign God, ruler and judge of all, to you be praise and glory for ever. In the darkness of this age that is passing away may the light of your presence which the saints enjoy surround our steps as we journey on. May we reflect your glory this day and so be made ready to see your face in the heavenly city where night shall be no more. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever. a suitable hymn, or A Song of Trust in God As the deer longs for the water brooks, • so longs my soul for you, O God. My soul is athirst for God, even for the living God; • when shall I come before the presence of God? My tears have been my bread day and night, • while all day long they say to me, ‘Where is now your God?’ Now when I think on these things, I pour out my soul: • how I went with the multitude and led the procession to the house of God, With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, • among those who kept holy day. Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul, • and why are you so disquieted within me? O put your trust in God; • for I will yet give him thanks, who is the help of my countenance, and my God. Psalm 42.1-7 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. This opening prayer may be said The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind. Silence is kept. As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen. The Word of God Psalmody The appointed psalmody is said. Psalm 34 O taste and see that the Lord is gracious. I will bless the Lord at all times; • his praise shall ever be in my mouth. My soul shall glory in the Lord; • let the humble hear and be glad. O magnify the Lord with me; • let us exalt his name together. I sought the Lord and he answered me • and delivered me from all my fears. Look upon him and be radiant • and your faces shall not be ashamed. R This poor soul cried, and the Lord heard me • and saved me from all my troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him • and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is gracious; • blessed is the one who trusts in him. Fear the Lord, all you his holy ones, • for those who fear him lack nothing. Lions may lack and suffer hunger, • but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good. R Come, my children, and listen to me; • I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Who is there who delights in life • and longs for days to enjoy good things? Keep your tongue from evil • and your lips from lying words. Turn from evil and do good; • seek peace and pursue it. R The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous • and his ears are open to their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, • to root out the remembrance of them from the earth. The righteous cry and the Lord hears them • and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted • and will save those who are crushed in spirit. R Many are the troubles of the righteous; • from them all will the Lord deliver them. He keeps all their bones, • so that not one of them is broken. But evil shall slay the wicked • and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. The Lord ransoms the life of his servants • and will condemn none who seek refuge in him. O taste and see that the Lord is gracious. Send your holy angels to watch over us, O God, that on our lips will be found your truth and in our hearts your love; so we may ever taste your goodness in the land of the living; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Psalm 150 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Alleluia. O praise God in his holiness; • praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts; • praise him according to his excellent greatness. R Praise him with the blast of the trumpet; • praise him upon the harp and lyre. Praise him with timbrel and dances; • praise him upon the strings and pipe. R Praise him with ringing cymbals; • praise him upon the clashing cymbals. Let everything that has breath • praise the Lord. Alleluia. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. God of life and love, whose Son was victorious over sin and death, make us alive with his life, that the whole world may resound with your praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Each psalm or group of psalms may end with 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. If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle. Tobit 12.6-22 Then Raphael called the two of them privately and said to them, ‘Bless God and acknowledge him in the presence of all the living for the good things he has done for you. Bless and sing praise to his name. With fitting honour declare to all people the deeds of God. Do not be slow to acknowledge him. It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to acknowledge and reveal the works of God, and with fitting honour to acknowledge him. Do good, and evil will not overtake you. Prayer with fasting is good, but better than both is almsgiving with righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than wealth with wrongdoing. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold. For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life, but those who commit sin and do wrong are their own worst enemies. ‘I will now declare the whole truth to you and will conceal nothing from you. Already I have declared it to you when I said, “It is good to conceal the secret of a king, but to reveal with due honour the works of God.” So now, when you and Sarah prayed, it was I who brought and read the record of your prayer before the glory of the Lord, and likewise whenever you buried the dead. And that time when you did not hesitate to get up and leave your dinner to go and bury the dead, I was sent to you to test you. And at the same time God sent me to heal you and Sarah your daughter-in-law. I am Raphael, one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the Lord.’ The two of them were shaken; they fell face down, for they were afraid. But he said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; peace be with you. Bless God for evermore. As for me, when I was with you, I was not acting on my own will, but by the will of God. Bless him each and every day; sing his praises. Although you were watching me, I really did not eat or drink anything—but what you saw was a vision. So now get up from the ground, and acknowledge God. See, I am ascending to him who sent me. Write down all these things that have happened to you.’ And he ascended. Then they stood up, and could see him no more. They kept blessing God and singing his praises, and they acknowledged God for these marvellous deeds of his, when an angel of God had appeared to them. or Daniel 12.1-4 Canticle The following, or another suitable canticle, may be said or sung Refrain: Return to the Lord, who will have mercy, to our God, who will richly pardon. Seek the Lord while he may be found, • call upon him while he is near; Let the wicked abandon their ways, • and the unrighteous their thoughts; Return to the Lord, who will have mercy; • to our God, who will richly pardon. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, • neither are your ways my ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, • so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. ‘As the rain and the snow come down from above, • and return not again but water the earth, ‘Bringing forth life and giving growth, • seed for sowing and bread to eat, ‘So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; • it will not return to me fruitless, ‘But it will accomplish that which I purpose, • and succeed in the task I gave it.’ Isaiah 55.6-11 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. Return to the Lord, who will have mercy, to our God, who will richly pardon. Scripture Reading One or more readings appointed for the day are read. The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence. Acts 12.1-11 About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed fervently to God for him. The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, ‘Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to him, ‘Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.’ Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’ A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord, my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness. The heavens bear witness to your wonders; I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord. The assembly of your saints proclaims your truth; my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness. Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. I will sing for ever of your love, O Lord, my lips shall proclaim your faithfulness. from Psalm 89 Gospel Canticle The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said, or the Te Deum Laudamus (A Song of the Church) (page 636) may be said Refrain: There was silence in heaven while the dragon waged war; and Michael and his angels fought against him, and won the victory. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, • who has come to his people and set them free. He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, • born of the house of his servant David. Through his holy prophets God promised of old • to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us, To show mercy to our ancestors, • and to remember his holy covenant. This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: • to set us free from the hands of our enemies, Free to worship him without fear, • holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life. And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, • for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way, To give his people knowledge of salvation • by the forgiveness of all their sins. In the tender compassion of our God • the dawn from on high shall break upon us, To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, • and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Luke 1.68-79 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. Refrain: There was silence in heaven while the dragon waged war; and Michael and his angels fought against him, and won the victory. Prayers Intercessions are offered ¶ for the day and its tasks ¶ for the world and its needs ¶ for the Church and her life The cycle on pages 364–365 and the prayer on page 377 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 Everlasting God, you have ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and mortals in a wonderful order: grant that as your holy angels always serve you in heaven, so, at your command, they may help and defend us on earth; 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. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer is said Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray 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. 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) Uniting our prayers with the whole company of heaven, let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us 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. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Conclusion May Christ, who has opened the kingdom of heaven, bring us to reign with him in glory. Amen. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Posted on: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 03:31:02 +0000