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 118 (119): 145-152
I call on you with all my heart – answer me, Lord. I will obey your laws. I call on you, save me so that I can keep your decrees. At dawn I cry to you, I put all my hope in your word. In the night I keep watch, pondering your sayings. In your mercy, Lord, hear my voice; in your justice, give me life. My persecutors come to do me harm: they are far from your law. But you, Lord, are near to me, and you are trustworthy in all your precepts. From the beginning I have known your decrees, how you have made them to last for ever. 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 118 (119): 145-152

I call on you with all my heart – answer me, Lord. I will obey your laws.
I call on you, save me so that I can keep your decrees.

At dawn I cry to you, I put all my hope in your word.
In the night I keep watch, pondering your sayings.

In your mercy, Lord, hear my voice; in your justice, give me life.
My persecutors come to do me harm: they are far from your law.

But you, Lord, are near to me, and you are trustworthy in all your precepts.
From the beginning I have known your decrees, how you have made them to last for ever.

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	Exodus 15
Hymn of victory after crossing the Red Sea
I will sing to the Lord, for his triumph is glorious. Horse and rider he has cast into the sea. The Lord is my support and my strength, and he has saved me. This is my God, and I will give him glory This is my father’s God, and I will exalt him. The Lord is a warrior – ‘The Lord’ is his name! Pharaoh’s chariots and army he has thrown into the sea. Your storm raged, and the waters were piled high, the flowing waters were a rampart, the sea-bed was exposed. The enemy said: “I will follow and surround them; I will divide their spoils, have my fill of booty, draw my sword and kill them all.” Your wind blew, and the sea covered them, they sank like lead in the raging waters. What god is like you, O Lord? What god is like you, so great in your holiness, a worker of miracles, terrible and worthy of praise? You stretched out your hand and the earth swallowed them. In your mercy you led your people whom you had redeemed, in your strength you brought them to your dwelling-place. You will lead them in and establish them on the mountain that is your inheritance, your solid dwelling-place, which you made, Lord; your sanctuary, Lord, which your hands made firm. The Lord will reign, to eternity and beyond! 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

Exodus 15

Hymn of victory after crossing the Red Sea

I will sing to the Lord, for his triumph is glorious. Horse and rider he has cast into the sea.

The Lord is my support and my strength, and he has saved me.
This is my God, and I will give him glory
This is my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

The Lord is a warrior – ‘The Lord’ is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he has thrown into the sea.

Your storm raged, and the waters were piled high,
the flowing waters were a rampart, the sea-bed was exposed.

The enemy said: “I will follow and surround them;
I will divide their spoils,
have my fill of booty,
draw my sword and kill them all.”

Your wind blew,
and the sea covered them,
they sank like lead in the raging waters.

What god is like you, O Lord?
What god is like you,
so great in your holiness,
a worker of miracles,
terrible and worthy of praise?

You stretched out your hand and the earth swallowed them.
In your mercy you led your people whom you had redeemed,
in your strength you brought them to your dwelling-place.

You will lead them in and establish them
on the mountain that is your inheritance,
your solid dwelling-place, which you made, Lord;
your sanctuary, Lord, which your hands made firm.

The Lord will reign, to eternity and beyond!

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 116 (117)
Praise of the merciful Lord
Praise the Lord, all nations; all peoples, praise him. For his mercy is strong over us and his faithfulness is for ever. 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	2 Peter 1:10-11 ©
Brothers, you have been called and chosen: work all the harder to justify it. If you do all these things there is no danger that you will ever fall away. In this way you will be granted admittance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.

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

By becoming man Christ became our brother and a compassionate High Priest before God. Let us bless him as we beg for his help: - Lord, pour out on us the treasures of your love.
We consecrate our day to you, the shining Sun of justice,: who shone on us when we were baptized.
We will bless you every moment of this day,: and praise your name in everything we do.
Mary, your mother, was obedient to your word:: lead our steps today in the path of your teaching.
As we journey through this perishable world,: may we look forward to your imperishable heaven.
In faith, hope, and love,: may we have a foretaste of the joy that is to come.

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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.

Lord, may the splendour of the Resurrection shine in our hearts.
Make us worthy to escape the shadows of death
and arrive in the brightness of eternity.

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.

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

A M E N

November 2008
Fri 21	The Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Sat 22	Saint Cecilia, Virgin, Martyr
Sun 23	Christ the King
Mon 24	Saints Andrew Dung-Lac and his Companions, Martyrs
Tue 25	Tuesday of week 34 of the year or Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin, Martyr
Wed 26
Thu 27
Fri 28
Sat 29

Calendar used: Europe - England

Scripture readings taken from the Jerusalem Bible, published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. For on-line information about other Random House, Inc. books and authors, see the Internet web site at http://www.randomhouse.com.

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