Morning Prayer - April 27, 2026

Today's Readings

Psalm 66:1-20

Numbers 21:4-9

John 3:11-17

--Today is the Holy Day of The Holy Cross--

Saint and Major Saints' Days
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter
Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen Alleluia

Venite

ⓘ 'Venite' is Latin for 'O Come,' the opening word of Psalm 95: Venite exultemus Domino ('O Come, let us sing to the LORD').

Psalm 95:1 to 7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
   let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
   and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
   and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
   and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
    Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Antiphon:

ⓘ A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

The Lessons

Psalm 66

⁽¹⁾ Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!⁽²⁾ Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious.⁽³⁾ Say to God, 'How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You.⁽⁴⁾ All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.' Selah

⁽⁵⁾ Come and see the works of God; He is awesome in His doing toward the sons of men.⁽⁶⁾ He turned the sea into dry land; They went through the river on foot. There we will rejoice in Him.⁽⁷⁾ He rules by His power forever; His eyes observe the nations; Do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah⁽⁸⁾ Oh, bless our God, you peoples! And make the voice of His praise to be heard,

⁽⁹⁾ Who keeps our soul among the living, And does not allow our feet to be moved.⁽¹⁰⁾ For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.⁽¹¹⁾ You brought us into the net; You laid affliction on our backs.⁽¹²⁾ You have caused men to ride over our heads; We went through fire and through water; But You brought us out to rich fulfillment.

⁽¹³⁾ I will go into Your house with burnt offerings; I will pay You my vows,⁽¹⁴⁾ Which my lips have uttered And my mouth has spoken when I was in trouble.⁽¹⁵⁾ I will offer You burnt sacrifices of fat animals, With the sweet aroma of rams; I will offer bulls with goats. Selah⁽¹⁶⁾ Come and hear, all you who fear God, And I will declare what He has done for my soul.

⁽¹⁷⁾ I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.⁽¹⁸⁾ If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.⁽¹⁹⁾ But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.⁽²⁰⁾ Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from 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 forever. Amen.

Numbers Chapter 21

⁽⁴⁾ Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way.⁽⁵⁾ And the people spoke against God and against Moses: 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.'⁽⁶⁾ So the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.⁽⁷⁾ Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, 'We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD that He take away the serpents from us.' So Moses prayed for the people.

⁽⁸⁾ Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.'⁽⁹⁾ So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 3

⁽¹¹⁾ Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.⁽¹²⁾ If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?⁽¹³⁾ No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.⁽¹⁴⁾ And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

⁽¹⁵⁾ that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.⁽¹⁶⁾ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.⁽¹⁷⁾ For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer

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,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

ⓘ A simple prayer to God for help, mercy, or intercession, rooted in the Latin word for support.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Holy Day Collect: Holy Cross Day September 14
Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ was lifted high upon the cross that he might draw the whole world to himself: Mercifully grant that we, who glory in the mystery of our redemption, may have grace to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Collect of the Day: O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others.

Closing Prayers

Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory, and, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14