Morning Prayer - August 27, 2025

Today's Readings

Psalm 119:1-24

1 Kings 3:1-15

Acts 27:9-26

Mark 14:1-11

Ordinary Time
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

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 119

⁽¹⁾ Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD!⁽²⁾ Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart!⁽³⁾ They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways.⁽⁴⁾ You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.

⁽⁵⁾ Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes!⁽⁶⁾ Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments.⁽⁷⁾ I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments.⁽⁸⁾ I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!

⁽⁹⁾ How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word.⁽¹⁰⁾ With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!⁽¹¹⁾ Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You!⁽¹²⁾ Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!

⁽¹³⁾ With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth.⁽¹⁴⁾ I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches.⁽¹⁵⁾ I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways.⁽¹⁶⁾ I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.

⁽¹⁷⁾ Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word.⁽¹⁸⁾ Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law.⁽¹⁹⁾ I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me.⁽²⁰⁾ My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.

⁽²¹⁾ You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments.⁽²²⁾ Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies.⁽²³⁾ Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes.⁽²⁴⁾ Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.

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.

1 Kings Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ Now Solomon made a treaty with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and married Pharaoh's daughter; then he brought her to the City of David until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall all around Jerusalem.⁽²⁾ Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.⁽³⁾ And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.⁽⁴⁾ Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place: Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.

⁽⁵⁾ At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, 'Ask! What shall I give you?'⁽⁶⁾ And Solomon said: 'You have shown great mercy to Your servant David my father, because he walked before You in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with You; You have continued this great kindness for him, and You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.⁽⁷⁾ Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.⁽⁸⁾ And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.

⁽⁹⁾ Therefore give to Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?'⁽¹⁰⁾ The speech pleased the LORD, that Solomon had asked this thing.⁽¹¹⁾ Then God said to him: 'Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked long life for yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice,⁽¹²⁾ behold, I have done according to your words; see, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any like you arise after you.

⁽¹³⁾ And I have also given you what you have not asked: both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all your days.⁽¹⁴⁾ So if you walk in My ways, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.'⁽¹⁵⁾ Then Solomon awoke; and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, offered up burnt offerings, offered peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Acts Chapter 27

⁽⁹⁾ Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them,⁽¹⁰⁾ saying, 'Men, I perceive that this voyage will end with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives.'⁽¹¹⁾ Nevertheless the centurion was more persuaded by the helmsman and the owner of the ship than by the things spoken by Paul.⁽¹²⁾ And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority advised to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there.

⁽¹³⁾ When the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their desire, putting out to sea, they sailed close by Crete.⁽¹⁴⁾ But not long after, a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.⁽¹⁵⁾ So when the ship was caught, and could not head into the wind, we let her drive.⁽¹⁶⁾ And running under the shelter of an island called Clauda, we secured the skiff with difficulty.

⁽¹⁷⁾ When they had taken it on board, they used cables to undergird the ship; and fearing lest they should run aground on the Syrtis Sands, they struck sail and so were driven.⁽¹⁸⁾ And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship.⁽¹⁹⁾ On the third day we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands.⁽²⁰⁾ Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up.

⁽²¹⁾ But after long abstinence from food, then Paul stood in the midst of them and said, 'Men, you should have listened to me, and not have sailed from Crete and incurred this disaster and loss.⁽²²⁾ And now I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship.⁽²³⁾ For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve,⁽²⁴⁾ saying, 'Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.'

⁽²⁵⁾ Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me.⁽²⁶⁾ However, we must run aground on a certain island.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Mark Chapter 14

⁽¹⁾ After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.⁽²⁾ But they said, 'Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.'⁽³⁾ And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head.⁽⁴⁾ But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, 'Why was this fragrant oil wasted?

⁽⁵⁾ For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.' And they criticized her sharply.⁽⁶⁾ But Jesus said, 'Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me.⁽⁷⁾ For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always.⁽⁸⁾ She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

⁽⁹⁾ Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.'⁽¹⁰⁾ Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them.⁽¹¹⁾ And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

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 16 The Sunday closest to August 24
Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; 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