Morning Prayer - November 21, 2025

Today's Readings

Psalm 102:1-28

1 Maccabees 4:36-59

Revelation 22:6-13

Matthew 18:10-20

Ordinary Time
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. John 4:23

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 mercy of the Lord is everlasting: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 102

⁽¹⁾ Hear my prayer, O LORD, And let my cry come to You.⁽²⁾ Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.⁽³⁾ For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned like a hearth.⁽⁴⁾ My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread.

⁽⁵⁾ Because of the sound of my groaning My bones cling to my skin.⁽⁶⁾ I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.⁽⁷⁾ I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.⁽⁸⁾ My enemies reproach me all day long, Those who deride me swear an oath against me.

⁽⁹⁾ For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,⁽¹⁰⁾ Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; For You have lifted me up and cast me away.⁽¹¹⁾ My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass.⁽¹²⁾ But You, O LORD, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.

⁽¹³⁾ You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come.⁽¹⁴⁾ For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust.⁽¹⁵⁾ So the nations shall fear the name of the LORD, And all the kings of the earth Your glory.⁽¹⁶⁾ For the LORD shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory.

⁽¹⁷⁾ He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.⁽¹⁸⁾ This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.⁽¹⁹⁾ For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the LORD viewed the earth,⁽²⁰⁾ To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death,

⁽²¹⁾ To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem,⁽²²⁾ When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.⁽²³⁾ He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.⁽²⁴⁾ I said, 'O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations.

⁽²⁵⁾ Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.⁽²⁶⁾ They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.⁽²⁷⁾ But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.⁽²⁸⁾ The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You.'

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 Maccabees Chapter 4

⁽³⁶⁾ Judas and his brothers said, 'Now that our enemies have been defeated, let's go to Jerusalem to purify the Temple and rededicate it.'⁽³⁷⁾ So the whole army was assembled and went up to Mount Zion.⁽³⁸⁾ There they found the Temple abandoned, the altar profaned, the gates burned down, the courtyards grown up in a forest of weeds, and the priests' rooms torn down.⁽³⁹⁾ In their sorrow, they tore their clothes, cried loudly, threw ashes on their heads,

⁽⁴⁰⁾ and fell face down on the ground. When the signal was given on the trumpets, everyone cried out to the Lord.⁽⁴¹⁾ Then Judas ordered some of his soldiers to attack the men in the fort, while he purified the Temple.⁽⁴²⁾ He chose some priests who were qualified and who were devoted to the Law.⁽⁴³⁾ They purified the Temple and took the stones that had been defiled and put them in an unclean place.

⁽⁴⁴⁾ They discussed what should be done with the altar of burnt offerings, which had been desecrated⁽⁴⁵⁾ by the Gentiles, and decided to tear it down, so that it would not stand there as a monument to their shame. So they tore down the altar⁽⁴⁶⁾ and put the stones in a suitable place on the Temple hill, where they were to be kept until a prophet should appear and decide what to do with them.⁽⁴⁷⁾ Then they took uncut stones, as the Law of Moses required, and built a new altar like the old one.

⁽⁴⁸⁾ They repaired the Temple, inside and out, and dedicated its courtyards.⁽⁴⁹⁾ They made new utensils for worship and brought the lampstand, the altar of incense, and the table for the bread into the Temple.⁽⁵⁰⁾ They burned incense on the altar and lit the lamps on the lampstand, and there was light in the Temple!⁽⁵¹⁾ They placed the loaves of bread on the table, hung the curtains, and completed all the work.

⁽⁵⁴⁾ The twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, the month of Kislev, in the year 148 was the anniversary of the day the Gentiles had desecrated the altar. On that day a sacrifice was offered on the new altar in accordance with the Law of Moses. The new altar was dedicated and hymns were sung to the accompaniment of harps, lutes, and cymbals.⁽⁵⁵⁾ All the people bowed down with their faces to the ground and worshiped and praised the Lord for giving them victory.⁽⁵⁶⁾ For eight days they celebrated the rededication of the altar. With great joy they brought burnt offerings and offered fellowship offerings and thank offerings.⁽⁵⁷⁾ They decorated the front of the Temple with gold crowns and shields, rebuilt the gates and the priests' rooms and put doors on them.

⁽⁵⁸⁾ Now that the Jews had removed the shame which the Gentiles had brought, they held a great celebration.⁽⁵⁹⁾ Then Judas, his brothers, and the entire community of Israel decreed that the rededication of the altar should be celebrated with a festival of joy and gladness at the same time each year, beginning on the twenty-fifth of the month of Kislev and lasting for eight days.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Revelation Chapter 22

⁽⁶⁾ Then he said to me, 'These words are faithful and true.' And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show His servants the things which must shortly take place.⁽⁷⁾ Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.'⁽⁸⁾ Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.⁽⁹⁾ Then he said to me, 'See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.'

⁽¹⁰⁾ And he said to me, 'Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.⁽¹¹⁾ He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.'⁽¹²⁾ And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.⁽¹³⁾ I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Matthew Chapter 18

⁽¹⁰⁾ Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven their angels always see the face of My Father who is in heaven.⁽¹¹⁾ For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.⁽¹²⁾ What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying?⁽¹³⁾ And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray.

⁽¹⁴⁾ Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.⁽¹⁵⁾ Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.⁽¹⁶⁾ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'⁽¹⁷⁾ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

⁽¹⁸⁾ Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.⁽¹⁹⁾ Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.⁽²⁰⁾ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Second Song of Isaiah Isaiah 55:6 to 11

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found;
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion,
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth,
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed,
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
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: Proper 28 The Sunday closest to November 16
Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through 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