Thursday 4 December 2008
Thursday of the 1st week of Advent
or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor

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Tomorrow: Friday of the 1st week of Advent
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Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If you have already recited the Invitatory Psalm today, you should use the alternative opening.

O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

Rejoice in the Lord, all the earth. Exult in his presence and serve him with joy.

Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

Know that the Lord is God. He made us and we are his – his people, the sheep of his flock.

Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

Cry out his praises as you enter his gates, fill his courtyards with songs. Proclaim him and bless his name;
for the Lord is our delight. His mercy lasts for ever, his faithfulness through all the ages

Come, let us worship the Lord, the King who is to come.

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.

A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.

Psalm 56 (57)
Morning prayer in time of affliction
Have mercy on me, God, have mercy. My soul flies to you for refuge. I will hide in the shelter of your wings until the time of ambush is past. I will cry to God the Most High, to the God who cares for me. He will send help from heaven to set me free. He will disgrace those who trample me underfoot. He will send forth his mercy and faithfulness. My soul lies among lion-cubs that would devour the children of men. Their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues are pointed swords. May you be exalted above the heavens, O God; let your glory cover the whole earth. They prepared a trap for my feet; my soul was bent double under its burden; they dug a pit in front of me – but they fell into it themselves. My heart is ready, God. My heart is ready. I will offer you music and song. Awake, my glory, awake, lyre and harp. I will awaken the dawn. I will proclaim you among the peoples, Lord, and make music for you among the nations, for your mercy reaches as high as the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. May you be exalted above the heavens, O God; let your glory cover the earth. 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 56 (57)

Morning prayer in time of affliction

Have mercy on me, God, have mercy. My soul flies to you for refuge.
I will hide in the shelter of your wings until the time of ambush is past.
I will cry to God the Most High, to the God who cares for me.

He will send help from heaven to set me free. He will disgrace those who trample me underfoot. He will send forth his mercy and faithfulness.
My soul lies among lion-cubs that would devour the children of men. Their teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues are pointed swords.

May you be exalted above the heavens, O God; let your glory cover the whole earth.

They prepared a trap for my feet; my soul was bent double under its burden; they dug a pit in front of me – but they fell into it themselves.

My heart is ready, God. My heart is ready. I will offer you music and song.
Awake, my glory, awake, lyre and harp. I will awaken the dawn.
I will proclaim you among the peoples, Lord, and make music for you among the nations,
for your mercy reaches as high as the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.

May you be exalted above the heavens, O God; let your glory cover the earth.

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	Jeremiah 31
The joy of those whom God sets free
All you nations, listen to the word of the Lord, proclaim it in the farthest islands: “He who scattered his people Israel has brought them back together. He will care for them as a shepherd tends his flock.” For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and freed him from the hand of his conqueror. They will come and sing praises on Mount Sion, they will flood in to receive the good things of the Lord, grain, and wine, and oil, and the young of both herd and flock. Their spirit will be like a richly watered garden, and they will hunger no more. The young girl will dance for joy, young men and old men too. “I will turn their weeping into gladness,” says the Lord, “I will comfort them and give them joy after sorrow. I will overwhelm my priests with rich food, and my good things will fill my people to overflowing.” 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

Jeremiah 31

The joy of those whom God sets free

All you nations, listen to the word of the Lord, proclaim it in the farthest islands:
“He who scattered his people Israel has brought them back together. He will care for them as a shepherd tends his flock.”

For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and freed him from the hand of his conqueror.
They will come and sing praises on Mount Sion, they will flood in to receive the good things of the Lord,
grain, and wine, and oil, and the young of both herd and flock.
Their spirit will be like a richly watered garden, and they will hunger no more.

The young girl will dance for joy, young men and old men too.
“I will turn their weeping into gladness,” says the Lord, “I will comfort them and give them joy after sorrow.
I will overwhelm my priests with rich food, and my good things will fill my people to overflowing.”

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 47 (48)
Thanksgiving for the safety of the people
The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain is a beautiful sight, the joy of all the earth. Mount Sion is at its northernmost edge, the city of the great king. Here among its palaces, God has shown himself as its refuge. For the kings assembled, made alliance against it – but when they saw it, they were amazed. Panic took them and they scattered. Trembling took hold of them, pain like that of childbirth. With the east wind you will destroy the ships of Tarshish. What we had heard, we saw in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God has founded for ever. We ponder your mercy, O God, as we stand in your temple. Your name, O Lord, and your praise will reach to the ends of the earth. Your right hand delivers justice. Let Mount Sion be glad and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgements. Go round Sion, see it all, count every tower. Feel its strength, visit its palaces, so that you can tell the next generation – Here is God, our God, here he remains for ever; and for ever he will lead us and guide us. 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 47 (48)

Thanksgiving for the safety of the people

The Lord is great and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.
His holy mountain is a beautiful sight, the joy of all the earth.
Mount Sion is at its northernmost edge, the city of the great king.
Here among its palaces, God has shown himself as its refuge.

For the kings assembled, made alliance against it –
but when they saw it, they were amazed. Panic took them and they scattered.
Trembling took hold of them, pain like that of childbirth.
With the east wind you will destroy the ships of Tarshish.

What we had heard, we saw in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God has founded for ever.
We ponder your mercy, O God, as we stand in your temple.
Your name, O Lord, and your praise will reach to the ends of the earth. Your right hand delivers justice.
Let Mount Sion be glad and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of your judgements.

Go round Sion, see it all, count every tower.
Feel its strength, visit its palaces, so that you can tell the next generation –
Here is God, our God, here he remains for ever; and for ever he will lead us and guide us.

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 45:8 ©
Send victory like a dew, you heavens, and let the clouds rain it down. Let the earth open for salvation to spring up. Let deliverance, too, bud forth which I, the Lord, shall create.

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 is the wisdom and power of God and he delights to be with the sons of men. Trustingly let us call on him: - Be close to us, Lord.
Lord Jesus Christ, you called us to your kingdom of light:: make us live our lives rightly, pleasing God in all things.
You stand among us, unrecognised by the world:: show your face to mankind.
You are closer to us than we are to ourselves:: keep strong in our hearts the trusting hope of salvation.
You are the spring from which holiness flows:: let us be holy and unstained on the day when you come again.

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.

Show forth your power, O Lord, and bring your great strength to our aid.
Although our sins impede our steps,
let your grace help us to go forward.

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

December 2008
Wed 3	Saint Francis Xavier, Priest
Thu 4	Thursday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor
Fri 5
Sat 6	Saturday of the 1st week of Advent or Saint Nicholas, Bishop
Sun 7	2nd Sunday of Advent
Mon 8	The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary Solemnity
Tue 9	Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin
Wed 10	Wednesday of the 2nd week of Advent

Calendar used: United States

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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