Morning Prayer - March 6, 2025

Today's Readings

Psalm 18:1-20

Deuteronomy 4:32-40

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Matthew 7:1-12

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 18

⁽¹⁾ I will love You, O LORD, my strength.⁽²⁾ The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.⁽³⁾ I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies.⁽⁴⁾ The pangs of death surrounded me, And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.

⁽⁵⁾ The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; The snares of death confronted me.⁽⁶⁾ In my distress I called upon the LORD, And cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.⁽⁷⁾ Then the earth shook and trembled; The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken, Because He was angry.⁽⁸⁾ Smoke went up from His nostrils, And devouring fire from His mouth; Coals were kindled by it.

⁽⁹⁾ He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet.⁽¹⁰⁾ And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; He flew upon the wings of the wind.⁽¹¹⁾ He made darkness His secret place; His canopy around Him was dark waters And thick clouds of the skies.⁽¹²⁾ From the brightness before Him, His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

⁽¹³⁾ The LORD thundered from heaven, And the Most High uttered His voice, Hailstones and coals of fire.⁽¹⁴⁾ He sent out His arrows and scattered the foe, Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.⁽¹⁵⁾ Then the channels of the sea were seen, The foundations of the world were uncovered At Your rebuke, O LORD, At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.⁽¹⁶⁾ He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

⁽¹⁷⁾ He delivered me from my strong enemy, From those who hated me, For they were too strong for me.⁽¹⁸⁾ They confronted me in the day of my calamity, But the LORD was my support.⁽¹⁹⁾ He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me.⁽²⁰⁾ The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed 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.

Deuteronomy Chapter 4

⁽³²⁾ For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard.⁽³³⁾ Did any people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as you have heard, and live?⁽³⁴⁾ Or did God ever try to go and take for Himself a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs, by wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?⁽³⁵⁾ To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him.

⁽³⁶⁾ Out of heaven He let you hear His voice, that He might instruct you; on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire.⁽³⁷⁾ And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power,⁽³⁸⁾ driving out from before you nations greater and mightier than you, to bring you in, to give you their land as an inheritance, as it is this day.⁽³⁹⁾ Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.

⁽⁴⁰⁾ You shall therefore keep His statutes and His commandments which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which the LORD your God is giving you for all time.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

2 Corinthians Chapter 12

⁽¹⁾ It is doubtless not profitable for me to boast. I will come to visions and revelations of the Lord:⁽²⁾ I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago -- whether in the body I do not know, or whether out of the body I do not know, God knows -- such a one was caught up to the third heaven.⁽³⁾ And I know such a man -- whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows --⁽⁴⁾ how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.

⁽⁵⁾ Of such a one I will boast; yet of myself I will not boast, except in my infirmities.⁽⁶⁾ For though I might desire to boast, I will not be a fool; for I will speak the truth. But I refrain, lest anyone should think of me above what he sees me to be or hears from me.⁽⁷⁾ And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.⁽⁸⁾ Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.

⁽⁹⁾ And He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.⁽¹⁰⁾ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Matthew Chapter 7

⁽¹⁾ Judge not, that you be not judged.⁽²⁾ For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.⁽³⁾ And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?⁽⁴⁾ Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?

⁽⁵⁾ Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.⁽⁶⁾ Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.⁽⁷⁾ Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.⁽⁸⁾ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

⁽⁹⁾ Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?⁽¹⁰⁾ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?⁽¹¹⁾ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!⁽¹²⁾ Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Song of Moses Exodus 15:1 to 6, 11 to 13, 17 to 18

I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted;
the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my refuge;
the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I will praise him,
the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a mighty warrior;
Yahweh is his Name.
The chariots of Pharoah and his army has he hurled into the sea;
the finest of those who bear armor have been drowned in the Red Sea.
The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them;
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might;
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.
Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods?
who is like you, glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?
You stretched forth your right hand;
the earth swallowed them up.
With your constant love you led the people you redeemed;
with your might you brought them in safety to
your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them
on the mount of your possession,
The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord,
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.
The Lord shall reign forever and forever.
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.

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: Eighth Sunday after the Epiphany
Most loving Father, whose will it is for us to give thanks for all things, to fear nothing but the loss of you, and to cast all our care on you who care for us: Preserve us from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of that love which is immortal, and which you have manifested to us in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; 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