Morning Prayer

Lent
Jesus said, 'If anyone will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.' Mark 8:34

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

Venite
The Antiphon:

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

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 119

⁽¹⁴⁵⁾ I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O LORD! I will keep Your statutes. ⁽¹⁴⁶⁾ I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies. ⁽¹⁴⁷⁾ I rise before the dawning of the morning, And cry for help; I hope in Your word. ⁽¹⁴⁸⁾ My eyes are awake through the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word.

⁽¹⁴⁹⁾ Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness; O LORD, revive me according to Your justice. ⁽¹⁵⁰⁾ They draw near who follow after wickedness; They are far from Your law. ⁽¹⁵¹⁾ You are near, O LORD, And all Your commandments are truth. ⁽¹⁵²⁾ Concerning Your testimonies, I have known of old that You have founded them forever.

⁽¹⁵³⁾ Consider my affliction and deliver me, For I do not forget Your law. ⁽¹⁵⁴⁾ Plead my cause and redeem me; Revive me according to Your word. ⁽¹⁵⁵⁾ Salvation is far from the wicked, For they do not seek Your statutes. ⁽¹⁵⁶⁾ Great are Your tender mercies, O LORD; Revive me according to Your judgments.

⁽¹⁵⁷⁾ Many are my persecutors and my enemies, Yet I do not turn from Your testimonies. ⁽¹⁵⁸⁾ I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, Because they do not keep Your word. ⁽¹⁵⁹⁾ Consider how I love Your precepts; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your lovingkindness. ⁽¹⁶⁰⁾ The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever.

⁽¹⁶¹⁾ Princes persecute me without a cause, But my heart stands in awe of Your word. ⁽¹⁶²⁾ I rejoice at Your word As one who finds great treasure. ⁽¹⁶³⁾ I hate and abhor lying, But I love Your law. ⁽¹⁶⁴⁾ Seven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.

⁽¹⁶⁵⁾ Great peace have those who love Your law, And nothing causes them to stumble. ⁽¹⁶⁶⁾ LORD, I hope for Your salvation, And I do Your commandments. ⁽¹⁶⁷⁾ My soul keeps Your testimonies, And I love them exceedingly. ⁽¹⁶⁸⁾ I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, For all my ways are before You.

⁽¹⁶⁹⁾ Let my cry come before You, O LORD; Give me understanding according to Your word. ⁽¹⁷⁰⁾ Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word. ⁽¹⁷¹⁾ My lips shall utter praise, For You teach me Your statutes. ⁽¹⁷²⁾ My tongue shall speak of Your word, For all Your commandments are righteousness.

⁽¹⁷³⁾ Let Your hand become my help, For I have chosen Your precepts. ⁽¹⁷⁴⁾ I long for Your salvation, O LORD, And Your law is my delight. ⁽¹⁷⁵⁾ Let my soul live, and it shall praise You; And let Your judgments help me. ⁽¹⁷⁶⁾ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; Seek Your servant, For I do not forget Your commandments.

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 25

⁽³⁰⁾ Therefore prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: 'The LORD will roar from on high, And utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those who tread the grapes, Against all the inhabitants of the earth. ⁽³¹⁾ A noise will come to the ends of the earth -- For the LORD has a controversy with the nations; He will plead His case with all flesh. He will give those who are wicked to the sword,' says the LORD.' ⁽³²⁾ Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, disaster shall go forth From nation to nation, And a great whirlwind shall be raised up From the farthest parts of the earth. ⁽³³⁾ And at that day the slain of the LORD shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground.

⁽³⁴⁾ Wail, shepherds, and cry! Roll about in the ashes, You leaders of the flock! For the days of your slaughter and your dispersions are fulfilled; You shall fall like a precious vessel. ⁽³⁵⁾ And the shepherds will have no way to flee, Nor the leaders of the flock to escape. ⁽³⁶⁾ A voice of the cry of the shepherds, And a wailing of the leaders to the flock will be heard. For the LORD has plundered their pasture, ⁽³⁷⁾ And the peaceful dwellings are cut down Because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

⁽³⁸⁾ He has left His lair like the lion; For their land is desolate Because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, And because of His fierce anger.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Romans Chapter 10

⁽¹⁴⁾ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? ⁽¹⁵⁾ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, Who bring glad tidings of good things!' ⁽¹⁶⁾ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, 'Lord, who has believed our report?' ⁽¹⁷⁾ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

⁽¹⁸⁾ But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: 'Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.' ⁽¹⁹⁾ But I say, did Israel not know? First Moses says: 'I will provoke you to jealousy by those who are not a nation, I will move you to anger by a foolish nation.' ⁽²⁰⁾ But Isaiah is very bold and says: 'I was found by those who did not seek Me; I was made manifest to those who did not ask for Me.' ⁽²¹⁾ But to Israel he says: 'All day long I have stretched out My hands To a disobedient and contrary people.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John Chapter 10

⁽¹⁾ Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. ⁽²⁾ But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. ⁽³⁾ To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁽⁴⁾ And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

⁽⁵⁾ Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.' ⁽⁶⁾ Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. ⁽⁷⁾ Then Jesus said to them again, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. ⁽⁸⁾ All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

⁽⁹⁾ I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. ⁽¹⁰⁾ The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. ⁽¹¹⁾ I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. ⁽¹²⁾ But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.

⁽¹³⁾ The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. ⁽¹⁴⁾ I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. ⁽¹⁵⁾ As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. ⁽¹⁶⁾ And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. ⁽¹⁸⁾ No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.'

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.


A Song of Penitence Prayer of Manasseh 1 to 2, 4, 6 to 7, 11 to 15
O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven,
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring:
You made the heavens and the earth,
with all their vast array.
All things quake with fear at your presence;
they tremble because of your power.
But your merciful promise is beyond all measure;
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.
O Lord, you are full of compassion,
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.
You hold back your hand;
you do not punish as we deserve.
In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners,
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.
And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart,
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I know my wickedness only too well.
Therefore I make this prayer to you:
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.
Do not let me perish in my sin,
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
and in me you will show forth your goodness.
Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy,
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.
For all the powers of heaven sing your praises,
and yours is the glory to ages of ages. 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   Traditional
Suffrages A

Seasonal Collect:  Fifth Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 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. When you lack the words


Closing Prayers   Thanksgiving

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