Morning Prayer - December 1, 2025

Today's Readings

Psalm 34:1-22

Jeremiah 16:14-21

Mark 1:14-20

--Today is the Feast of Saint James--

Saint and Major Saints' Days
Their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:4

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 34

⁽¹⁾ I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.⁽²⁾ My soul shall make its boast in the LORD; The humble shall hear of it and be glad.⁽³⁾ Oh, magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together.⁽⁴⁾ I sought the LORD, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears.

⁽⁵⁾ They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed.⁽⁶⁾ This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles.⁽⁷⁾ The angel of the LORD encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.⁽⁸⁾ Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

⁽⁹⁾ Oh, fear the LORD, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.⁽¹⁰⁾ The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing.⁽¹¹⁾ Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.⁽¹²⁾ Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good?

⁽¹³⁾ Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit.⁽¹⁴⁾ Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.⁽¹⁵⁾ The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry.⁽¹⁶⁾ The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

⁽¹⁷⁾ The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all their troubles.⁽¹⁸⁾ The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit.⁽¹⁹⁾ Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the LORD delivers him out of them all.⁽²⁰⁾ He guards all his bones; Not one of them is broken.

⁽²¹⁾ Evil shall slay the wicked, And those who hate the righteous shall be condemned.⁽²²⁾ The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned.

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.

Jeremiah Chapter 16

⁽¹⁴⁾ Therefore behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that it shall no more be said, 'The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,'⁽¹⁵⁾ but, 'The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.' For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.⁽¹⁶⁾ Behold, I will send for many fishermen,' says the LORD, 'and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.⁽¹⁷⁾ For My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.

⁽¹⁸⁾ And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols.'⁽¹⁹⁾ O LORD, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, 'Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable things.'⁽²⁰⁾ Will a man make gods for himself, Which are not gods?⁽²¹⁾ Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Mark Chapter 1

⁽¹⁴⁾ Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God,⁽¹⁵⁾ and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'⁽¹⁶⁾ And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.⁽¹⁷⁾ Then Jesus said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.'

⁽¹⁸⁾ They immediately left their nets and followed Him.⁽¹⁹⁾ When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.⁽²⁰⁾ And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

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: Saint James July 25
O gracious God, we remember before you today your servant and apostle James, first among the Twelve to suffer martyrdom for the Name of Jesus Christ; and we pray that you will pour out upon the leaders of your Church that spirit of self denying service by which alone they may have true authority among your people; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. 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