Morning Prayer - December 2, 2025

Today's Readings

Psalm 145:1-21

Ecclesiasticus 2:1-11

Acts 12:25,13:1-3

--Today is the Feast of Saint Mark--

Saint and Major Saints' Days
We give thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:12

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 145

⁽¹⁾ I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.⁽²⁾ Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever.⁽³⁾ Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.⁽⁴⁾ One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your mighty acts.

⁽⁵⁾ I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on Your wondrous works.⁽⁶⁾ Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness.⁽⁷⁾ They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.⁽⁸⁾ The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, Slow to anger and great in mercy.

⁽⁹⁾ The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.⁽¹⁰⁾ All Your works shall praise You, O LORD, And Your saints shall bless You.⁽¹¹⁾ They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom, And talk of Your power,⁽¹²⁾ To make known to the sons of men His mighty acts, And the glorious majesty of His kingdom.

⁽¹³⁾ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.⁽¹⁴⁾ The LORD upholds all who fall, And raises up all who are bowed down.⁽¹⁵⁾ The eyes of all look expectantly to You, And You give them their food in due season.⁽¹⁶⁾ You open Your hand And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

⁽¹⁷⁾ The LORD is righteous in all His ways, Gracious in all His works.⁽¹⁸⁾ The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, To all who call upon Him in truth.⁽¹⁹⁾ He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He also will hear their cry and save them.⁽²⁰⁾ The LORD preserves all who love Him, But all the wicked He will destroy.

⁽²¹⁾ My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, And all flesh shall bless His holy name Forever and ever.

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.

Ecclesiasticus Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ My child, if you are going to serve the Lord, be prepared for times when you will be put to the test.⁽²⁾ Be sincere and determined. Keep calm when trouble comes.⁽³⁾ Stay with the Lord; never abandon him, and you will be prosperous at the end of your days.⁽⁴⁾ Accept whatever happens to you. Even if you suffer humiliation, be patient.

⁽⁵⁾ Gold is tested by fire, and human character is tested in the furnace of humiliation.⁽⁶⁾ Trust the Lord, and he will help you. Walk straight in his ways, and put your hope in him.⁽⁷⁾ All you that fear the Lord, wait for him to show you his mercy. Do not turn away from him, or you will fall.⁽⁸⁾ All you that fear the Lord, trust him, and you will certainly be rewarded.

⁽⁹⁾ All you that fear the Lord, look forward to his blessings of mercy and eternal happiness.⁽¹⁰⁾ Think back to the ancient generations and consider this: has the Lord ever disappointed anyone who put his hope in him? Has the Lord ever abandoned anyone who held him in constant reverence? Has the Lord ever ignored anyone who prayed to him?⁽¹¹⁾ The Lord is kind and merciful; he forgives our sins and keeps us safe in time of trouble.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Acts Chapter 12

⁽²⁵⁾ And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.⁽¹⁾ Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.⁽²⁾ As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.'⁽³⁾ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

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 Mark April 25
Almighty God, by the hand of Mark the evangelist you have given to your Church the Gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God: We thank you for this witness, and pray that we may be firmly grounded in its truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13