Opening
Lord, open my lips. And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Hymn
Morning by morning you awaken me. Help me to listen before I speak. Let praise be the first word I find, And mercy the last I keep. Christ of the rising light, go with me. Where I am weary, be my rest. Where I am eager, make me wise. In all things, make me blessed.
Original – Prayer on Fire
Psalm I
Antiphon
At daybreak, kindle hope where I am weary.
Psalm 27 (26)
Catholic Public Domain Version (public domain)
Psalm
The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the protector of my life, of whom shall I be afraid? Meanwhile, the guilty draw near to me, so as to eat my flesh. Those who trouble me, my enemies, have themselves been weakened and have fallen. If entrenched armies were to stand together against me, my heart would not fear. If a battle were to rise up against me, I would have hope in this. One thing I have asked of the Lord, this I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, so that I may behold the delight of the Lord, and may visit his temple. For he has hidden me in his tabernacle. In the day of evils, he has protected me in the hidden place of his tabernacle. He has exalted me upon the rock, and now he has exalted my head above my enemies. I have circled around and offered a sacrifice of loud exclamation in his tabernacle. I will sing, and I will compose a psalm, to the Lord. Hear my voice, O Lord, with which I have cried out to you. Have mercy on me, and hear me. My heart has spoken to you; my face has sought you. I yearn for your face, O Lord. Do not turn your face away from me. In your wrath, do not turn aside from your servant. Be my helper. Do not abandon me, and do not despise me, O God, my Savior. For my father and my mother have left me behind, but the Lord has taken me up. O Lord, establish a law for me in your way, and direct me in the right path, because of my enemies. Do not surrender me to the souls of those who trouble me. For unjust witnesses have risen up against me, and iniquity has lied to itself. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord, act manfully; and let your heart be strengthened, and remain with the Lord.
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon
At daybreak, kindle hope where I am weary.
Psalm II
Antiphon
New mercy for a new day — I place my plans in your hands.
Psalm 51 (50)
Catholic Public Domain Version (public domain)
Psalm
Be merciful to me, O God, according to your great mercy. And, according to the plentitude of your compassion, wipe out my iniquity. Wash me once again from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. Against you only have I sinned, and I have done evil before your eyes. And so, you are justified in your words, and you will prevail when you give judgment. For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sinfulness did my mother conceive me. For behold, you have loved truth. The obscure and hidden things of your wisdom, you have manifested to me. You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be cleansed. You will wash me, and I will be made whiter than snow. In my hearing, you will grant gladness and rejoicing. And the bones that have been humbled will exult. Turn your face away from my sins, and erase all my iniquities. Create a clean heart in me, O God. And renew an upright spirit within my inmost being. Do not cast me away from your face; and do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and confirm me with an unsurpassed spirit. I will teach the unjust your ways, and the impious will be converted to you. Free me from blood, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will extol your justice. O Lord, you will open my lips, and my mouth will announce your praise. For if you had desired sacrifice, I would certainly have given it, but with holocausts, you will not be delighted. A crushed spirit is a sacrifice to God. A contrite and humbled heart, O God, you will not spurn. Act kindly, Lord, in your good will toward Zion, so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up. Then you will accept the sacrifice of justice, oblations, and holocausts. Then they will lay calves upon your altar.
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon
New mercy for a new day — I place my plans in your hands.
Silence
Hold the psalm a little longer.
Reading
Isaiah 55:1
Catholic Public Domain Version (public domain)
All you who thirst, come to the waters. And you who have no money: hurry, buy and eat. Approach, buy wine and milk, without money and without barter.
Responsory
Send forth your light and your truth. Let them lead me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
Benedictus
Antiphon
Visit us in the morning, O Lord, and set our feet toward peace.
Luke 1:68–79
Catholic Public Domain Version (public domain)
Canticle
“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For he has visited and has wrought the redemption of his people. And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his servant, just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, who are from ages past: salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all those who hate us, to accomplish mercy with our fathers, and to call to mind his holy testament, the oath, which he swore to Abraham, our father, that he would grant to us, so that, having been freed from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear, in holiness and in justice before him, throughout all our days. And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the face of the Lord: to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people for the remission of their sins, through the heart of the mercy of our God, by which, descending from on high, he has visited us, to illuminate those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to direct our feet in the way of peace.”
Glory Be
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon
Visit us in the morning, O Lord, and set our feet toward peace.
Intercessions
For all who will work with their hands or minds this day.
R. Lord, have mercy.
For children and the elderly, and those who care for them.
R. Lord, have mercy.
For the sorrowing, that they may not walk alone.
R. Lord, have mercy.
For our parish and our city, that peace may take root.
R. Lord, have mercy.
For the grace to begin again, simply and without fear.
R. Lord, have mercy.
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. Amen.
Closing prayer
Father, receive our small yes. We offer the hours we have not yet lived. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.