Morning Prayer - June 17, 2026

Today's Readings

Psalm 72:1-20

Ecclesiastes 9:11-18

Galatians 5:1-15

Matthew 16:1-12

Ordinary Time
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Phillipians 1:2

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 earth is the Lord's for he made it: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 72

⁽¹⁾ Give the king Your judgments, O God, And Your righteousness to the king's Son.⁽²⁾ He will judge Your people with righteousness, And Your poor with justice.⁽³⁾ The mountains will bring peace to the people, And the little hills, by righteousness.⁽⁴⁾ He will bring justice to the poor of the people; He will save the children of the needy, And will break in pieces the oppressor.

⁽⁵⁾ They shall fear You As long as the sun and moon endure, Throughout all generations.⁽⁶⁾ He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth.⁽⁷⁾ In His days the righteous shall flourish, And abundance of peace, Until the moon is no more.⁽⁸⁾ He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.

⁽⁹⁾ Those who dwell in the wilderness will bow before Him, And His enemies will lick the dust.⁽¹⁰⁾ The kings of Tarshish and of the isles Will bring presents; The kings of Sheba and Seba Will offer gifts.⁽¹¹⁾ Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him; All nations shall serve Him.⁽¹²⁾ For He will deliver the needy when he cries, The poor also, and him who has no helper.

⁽¹³⁾ He will spare the poor and needy, And will save the souls of the needy.⁽¹⁴⁾ He will redeem their life from oppression and violence; And precious shall be their blood in His sight.⁽¹⁵⁾ And He shall live; And the gold of Sheba will be given to Him; Prayer also will be made for Him continually, And daily He shall be praised.⁽¹⁶⁾ There will be an abundance of grain in the earth, On the top of the mountains; Its fruit shall wave like Lebanon; And those of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

⁽¹⁷⁾ His name shall endure forever; His name shall continue as long as the sun. And men shall be blessed in Him; All nations shall call Him blessed.⁽¹⁸⁾ Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, Who only does wondrous things!⁽¹⁹⁾ And blessed be His glorious name forever! And let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.⁽²⁰⁾ The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

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.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 9

⁽¹¹⁾ I returned and saw under the sun that -- The race is not to the swift, Nor the battle to the strong, Nor bread to the wise, Nor riches to men of understanding, Nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all.⁽¹²⁾ For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, Like birds caught in a snare, So the sons of men are snared in an evil time, When it falls suddenly upon them.⁽¹³⁾ This wisdom I have also seen under the sun, and it seemed great to me:⁽¹⁴⁾ There was a little city with few men in it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great snares around it.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that same poor man.⁽¹⁶⁾ Then I said: 'Wisdom is better than strength. Nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, And his words are not heard.⁽¹⁷⁾ Words of the wise, spoken quietly, should be heard Rather than the shout of a ruler of fools.⁽¹⁸⁾ Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Galatians Chapter 5

⁽¹⁾ Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.⁽²⁾ Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing.⁽³⁾ And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law.⁽⁴⁾ You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.

⁽⁵⁾ For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith.⁽⁶⁾ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.⁽⁷⁾ You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth?⁽⁸⁾ This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you.

⁽⁹⁾ A little leaven leavens the whole lump.⁽¹⁰⁾ I have confidence in you, in the Lord, that you will have no other mind; but he who troubles you shall bear his judgment, whoever he is.⁽¹¹⁾ And I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution? Then the offense of the cross has ceased.⁽¹²⁾ I could wish that those who trouble you would even cut themselves off!

⁽¹³⁾ For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.⁽¹⁴⁾ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'⁽¹⁵⁾ But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Matthew Chapter 16

⁽¹⁾ Then the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven.⁽²⁾ He answered and said to them, 'When it is evening you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red';⁽³⁾ and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.⁽⁴⁾ A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.' And He left them and departed.

⁽⁵⁾ Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.⁽⁶⁾ Then Jesus said to them, 'Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.'⁽⁷⁾ And they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'It is because we have taken no bread.'⁽⁸⁾ But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, 'O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread?

⁽⁹⁾ Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up?⁽¹⁰⁾ Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up?⁽¹¹⁾ How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread? -- but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'⁽¹²⁾ Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Glory to God
Glory to God in the highest,
and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King,
almighty God and Father,
we worship you, we give you thanks,
we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father,
Lord God, Lamb of God,
you take away the sin of the world:
have mercy on us;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father:
receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High,
Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit,
in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

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.

Seasonal Collect: Proper 5 The Sunday closest to June 8
O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; 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: Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. 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

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21