Morning Prayer
If the Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is observed, the complete texts may be found in the ‘Commons’ section of the iBreviary. The ferial texts of the Saturday are given below:
INVITATORY
The Invitatory is said when this is the first ‘hour’ of the day.
Go to the Hymn
Go to the Psalmody
Lord, + open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
The antiphon is repeated. In individual recitation, the antiphon may be said only at the beginning of the psalm; it need not be repeated after each strophe.
Psalm 24
Psalm 67
Psalm 100
Psalm 95
A call to praise God
Encourage each other daily while it is still today (Hebrews 3:13).
Come, let us sing to the Lord *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well.
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker.
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord: †
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did
in the wilderness, *
when at Meriba and Massah
they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Forty years I endured that generation. *
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
If the Invitatory is not said, then the following is used:
God, + come to my assistance.
— Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
HYMN
As daylight fills the sky once more,
let us with thanks and joyful voice
sing glory to the Lord our God
as we proclaim the grace of Christ,
Through whom the Maker of the world
decreed and fixed both night and day,
confirming by eternal law
that each proceed in ordered course.
True Light that shines on faithful hearts,
you are not bound by ancient law,
nor do you fail at close of day,
resplendent with eternal light.
O unbegotten Father, grant
that we may live throughout this day
filled with the Holy Spirit’s gifts,
intent on always praising Christ. Amen.
Tune: MORNING HYMN, 8 8 8 8
Music: François Barthélémon, 1741-1808
or Mode IV, melody 70; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Diei luce reddita, 7-8th c., © 2023 ICEL
Or:
What, then, shall I plead, so wretched,
whom shall I implore as patron,
since the just are scarce in safety?
King of fearsome pow’r and glory,
freely saving all the faithful,
save me, fount of love and pity.
Call to mind, most loving Jesus,
that for me you lived and suffered;
on that day do not forsake me.
Seeking me, you once sat weary,
suff’ring on the Cross, redeemed me;
shall such labor now be fruitless?
Righteous judge of retribution,
grant the gift of full remission
now before the day of reck’ning.
Groaning, like a guilty sinner,
blushing at my faults and failings,
I beseech you, God, to spare me.
God of grandeur and of glory,
Trinity in loving splendor,
number us among the blessed. Amen.
Tune: DIES IRAE, 8 8 8
Music: Latin melody, 13th c.
or Mode I, melody 24; Liber Hymnarius, Solesmes, 1983*
Text: Quid sum miser tunc dicturus, attributed to Thomas of Celano, O.F.M., ca. 1185-1260, © 2023 ICEL
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 As morning breaks we sing of your mercy, Lord, and night will find us proclaiming your fidelity.
Psalm 92
Praise of God the Creator
Sing in praise of Christ’s redeeming work (Saint Athanasius).
It is good to give thanks to the Lord, *
to make music to your name, O Most High,
to proclaim your love in the morning *
and your truth in the watches of the night,
on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute, *
with the murmuring sound of the harp.
Your deeds, O Lord, have made me glad; *
for the work of your hands I shout with joy.
O Lord, how great are your works! *
How deep are your designs!
The foolish man cannot know this *
and the fool cannot understand.
Though the wicked spring up like grass *
and all who do evil thrive:
they are doomed to be eternally destroyed. *
But you, Lord, are eternally on high.
See how your enemies perish; *
all doers of evil are scattered.
To me you give the wild-ox’s strength; *
you anoint me with the purest oil.
My eyes looked in triumph on my foes; *
my ears heard gladly of their fall.
The just will flourish like the palm-tree *
and grow like a Lebanon cedar.
Planted in the house of the Lord *
they will flourish in the courts of our God,
still bearing fruit when they are old, *
still full of sap, still green,
to proclaim that the Lord is just; *
in him, my rock, there is no wrong.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Take our shame away from us, Lord, and make us rejoice in your saving works. May all who have been chosen by your Son always abound in works of faith, hope, and love in your service.
Ant. As morning breaks we sing of your mercy, Lord, and night will find us proclaiming your fidelity.
Ant. 2 Extol the greatness of our God.
Canticle: Deuteronomy 32:1-12
God’s kindness to his people
How often I have longed to gather your children as a hen gathers her brood under her wing (Matthew 23:37).
Give ear, O heavens, while I speak; *
let the earth hearken to the words of my mouth!
May my instruction soak in like the rain, *
and my discourse permeate like the dew,
like a downpour upon the grass, *
like a shower upon the crops:
For I will sing the Lord’s renown. *
Oh, proclaim the greatness of our God!
The Rock—how faultless are his deeds, *
how right all his ways!
A faithful God, without deceit, *
how just and upright he is!
Yet basely has he been treated by his degenerate children, *
a perverse and crooked race!
Is the Lord to be thus repaid by you, *
O stupid and foolish people?
Is he not your father who created you? *
Has he not made you and established you?
Think back on the days of old, *
reflect on the years of age upon age.
Ask your father and he will inform you, *
ask your elders and they will tell you:
When the Most High assigned the nations their heritage, *
when he parceled out the descendants of Adam,
he set up the boundaries of the peoples *
after the number of the sons of God;
while the Lord’s own portion was Jacob, *
his hereditary share was Israel.
He found them in a wilderness, *
a wasteland of howling desert.
He shielded them and cared for them, *
guarding them as the apple of his eye.
As an eagle incites its nestlings forth *
by hovering over its brood,
so he spread his wings to receive them *
and bore them up on his pinions.
The Lord alone was their leader, *
no strange god was with him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Extol the greatness of our God.
Ant. 3 How wonderful is your name, O Lord, in all creation.
Psalm 8
The majesty of the Lord and man’s dignity
The Father gave Christ lordship of creation and made him head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22).
How great is your name, O Lord our God, *
through all the earth!
Your majesty is praised above the heavens; *
on the lips of children and of babes
you have found praise to foil your enemy, *
to silence the foe and the rebel.
When I see the heavens, the work of your hands, *
the moon and the stars which you arranged,
what is man that you should keep him in mind, *
mortal man that you care for him?
Yet you have made him little less than a god; *
with glory and honor you crowned him,
gave him power over the works of your hands, *
put all things under his feet.
All of them, sheep and cattle, *
yes, even the savage beasts,
birds of the air, and fish *
that make their way through the waters.
How great is your name, O Lord our God *
through all the earth!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Almighty Lord, how wonderful is your name. You have made every creature subject to you; make us worthy to give you service.
Ant. How wonderful is your name, O Lord, in all creation.
READING
Romans 12:14-16a
Bless your persecutors; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same attitude toward all. Put away ambitious thoughts and associate with those who are lowly.
RESPONSORY
It is my joy, O God, to praise you with song.
— It is my joy, O God, to praise you with song.
To sing as I ponder your goodness,
— to praise you with song.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
— It is my joy, O God, to praise you with song.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Ant. Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.
Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he 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.
You, my 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 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.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Lord, guide our feet into the way of peace.
INTERCESSIONS
Let us celebrate the kindness and wisdom of Christ, He offers his love and understanding to all men, especially to the suffering. Let us earnestly pray to him:
Perfect us in love, Lord.
This morning we recall your resurrection,
— and we long for the benefits of your redemption.
Perfect us in love, Lord.
Grant that we bear witness to you today, Lord,
— and offer an acceptable gift to the Father through you.
Perfect us in love, Lord.
Enable us to see your image in all men,
— and to serve you in them.
Perfect us in love, Lord.
Lord Jesus, you are the true vine and we are the branches,
— allow us to remain in you, to bear much fruit and to give glory to the Father.
Perfect us in love, Lord.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(Gathering our prayer and praises into one, let us offer the prayer Christ himself 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.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
Lord,
we praise you
with our lips,
and with our lives and hearts.
Our very existence is a gift from you;
to you we offer all that we have and are.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
DISMISSAL
If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:
The Lord be with you.
— And with your spirit.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
— Amen.
Another form of the blessing may be used, as at Mass.
Then he adds:
Go in peace.
— Thanks be to God.
In the absence of a priest or deacon and in individual recitation, Morning Prayer concludes:
May the Lord + bless us,
protect us from all evil
and bring us to everlasting life.
— Amen.
******
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Psalm 24
The Lord’s entry into his temple
Christ opened heaven for us in the manhood he assumed (Saint Irenaeus).
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, †
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Who is the king of glory? †
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
O gates, lift high your heads; †
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Who is he, the king of glory? †
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Continue with the Hymn
Psalm 67
People of all nations will worship the Lord
You must know that God is offering his salvation to all the world (Acts 28:28).
O God, be gracious and bless us *
and let your face shed its light upon us.
So will your ways be known upon earth *
and all nations learn your saving help.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Let the nations be glad and exult *
for you rule the world with justice.
With fairness you rule the peoples, *
you guide the nations on earth.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Let the peoples praise you, O God; *
let all the peoples praise you.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
The earth has yielded its fruit *
for God, our God, has blessed us.
May God still give us his blessing *
till the ends of the earth revere him.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Continue with the Hymn
Psalm 100
The joyful song of those entering God’s temple
The Lord calls his ransomed people to sing songs of victory (Saint Athanasius).
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. †
Serve the Lord with gladness. *
Come before him, singing for joy.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Know that he, the Lord, is God. †
He made us, we belong to him, *
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Go within his gates, giving thanks. †
Enter his courts with songs of praise. *
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Indeed, how good is the Lord, †
eternal his merciful love. *
He is faithful from age to age.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Let us listen to the voice of God; let us enter into his rest.
Continue with the Hymn