Morning Prayer
for Christmas
From Christmas to
Epiphany
Introductory
Responses
Blessed are you, O
Christ, Son of God,
you were before time
began
and came into the world
to save us.
Blessed are you, Sun of
righteousness;
you shine with the
Father’s love
and illumine the whole
universe.
Blessed are you, Son of
Mary;
born a child, you
shared our humanity.
Let
heaven and earth shout their praise.
With all the voices of
heaven
we celebrate the coming
of our Saviour.
Let
heaven and earth shout their praise.
With all creatures on
earth
we sing and dance at
his birth.
Praise
and honour and glory to you, O Lord most high.
Morning Prayer continues with the Invitatory or the Psalm.
The
Invitatory
Song of Good News (Isaiah 40.9-11)
Go up to a high
mountain,
O Zion, herald of joy;
lift up your voice in
strength,
Jerusalem, herald of joy.
Lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah: “Behold your God!
Behold, the Lord comes
in might,
comes to rule with a mighty arm;
behold, with the Lord
comes the reward,
before the Lord the recompense.
Like a shepherd will
God feed the flock,
gathering the lambs in arm,
holding them gently to
the breast
gently leading those with young.”
Glory to God, Source of
all being, eternal Word and Holy Spirit:
as it was in the
beginning, is now and will be for ever.
Amen.
or
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the
beginning, is now and will be for ever.
Amen.
The
Psalm
The Psalm of the Day or one of the following may be used.
Sundays in Christmas Psalm
148
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens; *
praise
God in the heights.
2 Praise the Lord all you angels; *
sing
praises, all you host of heaven.
3 Praise the Lord, sun and moon; *
sing
praises, all you shining stars.
4 Praise the Lord, heaven of heavens, *
sing
praises, you waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord;
*
who
gave the command and they were created,
6 who made them stand fast for ever and
ever, *
who
gave them a law which shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth, *
you
sea-monsters and all deeps;
8 fire and hail, snow and fog, *
tempestuous
wind, doing God’s will;
9 mountains and all hills, *
fruit
trees and all cedars;
10 wild beasts and all cattle, *
creeping
things and wingèd birds;
11 sovereigns of the earth and all
peoples, *
princes
and all rulers of the world;
12 young men and young women, *
old
and young together.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
*
whose
name only is exalted,
whose
splendour is over earth and heaven.
14 The Lord has raised up strength for
this people
and praise for all loyal servants, *
the
children of Israel, a people who are near to the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Blessed are you, Lord our God, creator of heaven
and earth; you open our eyes to see the wonders around us, and our hearts and
mouths to praise you. Now give us
strength for your loving service. Amen.
Mondays in Christmas Psalm
147.12-20
12 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
praise
you God, O Zion,
13 who has strengthen the bars of your
gates, *
who
has blessed your children within you.
14 For the Lord has established peace on
your borders *
and
satisfies you with the finest wheat.
15 The Lord sends out a command to the
earth, *
and
the word runs very swiftly.
16 The Lord gives snow like wool *
and
scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
17 The Lord scatters hail like
bread-crumbs; *
who
can stand against such cold?
18
The Lord sends for a word and melts them, *
blowing
with the wind and the waters flow.
19 The Lord declares the word to Jacob, *
statutes
and judgements to Israel.
20 The Lord has not done so to any other
nation; *
to
them these judgements have not been revealed.
Hallelujah!
God of the universe, Lord of life, give us grace
to see you in all your works, in all creatures, all people and in our hearts,
that we may faithfully serve you and worthily praise your holy name. Amen.
Tuesdays in Christmas Psalm
110.1-5
1 The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my
right hand, *
until
I make your enemies your footstool.”
2 The Lord will send the sceptre of your
power out of Zion, *
saying,
“Rule over your enemies round about you.
3 Royal state has been yours from the
day of your birth, *
in
the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like
dew from the womb of the morning.”
4 The Lord has sworn and will not
recant: *
“You
are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek.”
5 The Lord who is at your right hand *
will smite rulers in the day of wrath.
Source of authority and
justice, render unjust power impotent and turn the hearts of those who abuse
authority from selfishness to a love of the common good. Amen.
Wednesdays in Christmas Psalm
136.1-9, 23-26
1 Give thanks to the Lord who is good, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever.
4 Who only does great wonders, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
5 who by wisdom made the heavens, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
6 who spread out the earth upon the
waters, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
7 who created great lights, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
8 the sun to rule the day, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
9 the moon and the stars to govern the
night, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever.
23 Who remembered us in our low estate, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
24 and delivered us from our enemies, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
25 who gives food to all creatures, *
for
God’s mercy endures for ever;
26 give thanks to the God of heaven, *
for God’s mercy endures for ever.
Maker and Sustainer of all things, Source of all
life and goodness, help us always to love and serve one another and to worship
you with joy and gladness. Amen.
Thursdays in Christmas Psalm
27.5-13
5 For in the day of trouble
you shall keep me safe in your shelter; *
you shall hide me in the secrecy of
your dwelling
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Even now you lift up my
head
above my
enemies round about me. *
Therefore I will offer in your
dwelling an oblation with sounds of great gladness;
I will sing and make music to the
Lord.
7 Hearken to my voice, O
Lord, when I call; *
have mercy on me and answer me.
8 You speak in my heart and
say , “Seek my face.” *
Your face, Lord, will I seek.
9 Hide not your face from me,
nor turn
away your servant in displeasure. *
You have been my helper; cast me not
away;
do not forsake me, O God of my
salvation.
10 Though my father and my
mother forsake me, *
the Lord will sustain me.
11 Show me your way, O Lord; *
lead me on a level path, because of
my enemies.
12 Deliver me not into the
hand of my adversaries, *
for false witnesses have risen up
against me,
and also those who speak malice.
13 What if I had not believed
that I should see the goodness of the Lord *
in the land of the living!
14 O tarry and await the
Lord’s pleasure;
be
strong, and God shall comfort your heart; *
wait patiently for the Lord.
Faithful
God, the shelter of all who hope in you, may those who seek your face be set
free from fear and distress, and come to see your goodness in the land of the
living. Amen.
Fridays in Christmas Psalm
16
1 Protect me, O God, for I
take refuge in you; *
I have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord, my good above all
other.”
2 All my delight is upon the
godly that are in the land, *
upon those who are noble among the
people.
3 But those who run after
other gods *
shall have their troubles
multiplied.
4 Their libations of blood I
will not offer, *
nor take the names of their gods
upon my lips.
5 O Lord, you are my portion
and my cup; *
it is you who uphold my lot.
6 My boundaries enclose a
pleasant land; *
indeed, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord who
gives me counsel; *
my heart teaches me, night after
night.
8 I have set the Lord always
before me; *
because God is at my right hand I
shall not fall.
9 My heart, therefore, is
glad, and my spirit rejoices; *
my body also shall rest in hope.
10 For you will not abandon me
to the grave, *
nor let your holy one see the Pit.
11 You will show me the path
of life; *
in your presence there is fullness
of joy,
and in your right hand are pleasures
for evermore.
Gracious God, we bless
your holy name for the heritage you have given us. Show us the path of life, that we may follow
it in hope, and come to know the joy of the resurrection. Amen.
Saturdays in Christmas Psalm
100
1 Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
*
serve
the Lord with gladness
and
come into God’s presence with a song.
2 Know this: the Lord, the Lord is God; *
the
Lord made us and to the Lord we belong;
we
are God’s people and the sheep of the Lord’s pasture.
3 Enter the gates of the Lord with
thanksgiving;
go into the courts of God with praise; *
give
thanks to God and call upon the name of the Lord.
4 For the Lord is good,
whose steadfast love is everlasting; *
and
whose faithfulness endures from age to age.
God who created all
living beings, sustain us with your hand and help us always to give you thanks,
for you alone are worthy of thanksgiving, praise and honour, now and for
ever. Amen.
Morning Prayer continues with the Reading.
The
Reading
A Reading from a daily lectionary or one of the following may be read.
Sundays in Christmas Proverbs 8.22-23, 27-31
The Lord created me at the beginning of his
work, the first of his acts of long ago.
Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the
earth. When he established the heavens,
I was there, when he drew a circle on the face of the deep, when he made firm
the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep, when he
assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his
command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth, then I was beside
him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him
always, rejoicing in his inhabited world and delighting in the human race.
Mondays in Christmas Isaiah 49.13-16
Sing for
joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into
singing! For the Lord has comforted his people, and will have compassion on
his suffering ones. But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has
forgotten me.” Can a woman forget her
nursing child, or show no compassion to the child her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget
you. See, I have inscribed you on the
palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.
Tuesdays in Christmas 1 Kings 3.5, 9, 10, 12
At Gibeon
the Lord appeared to Solomon in a
dream by night; and God said, “Ask what I should give you.” And Solomon said, “Give your servant an
understanding mind to govern your people, able to discern between good and
evil; for who can govern this your great people?” It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked
this. God said to Solomon, “I give you a
wise and discerning mind; no one like you has been before you and no one like
you has been before you and no one like you shall arise after you.”
Wednesdays in Christmas Micah 5.2, 4-5a
But you, O
Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you
shall come forth for me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of
old, from ancient days. And he shall
stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in the majesty of the name of the Lord
his God,. And they shall live secure,
for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of
peace.
Thursdays in Christmas 1 Samuel 2.1-3,
Hannah
prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength to exalted in my God. My
mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in my victory, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him
actions are weighed. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he
brings low, he also exalts. He raises up
the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash-heap, to make them sit
with princes and inherit a seat of honour.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.”
Fridays in Christmas Numbers 6.22-27
The Lord
spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to Aaron
and his sons, saying, ‘Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You shall say to them, “The Lord bless you
and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”’ So they shall put my name on the Israelites,
and I will bless them.”
Saturdays in Christmas Sirach 24.1-6
Wisdom
praises herself, and tells of her glory in the midst of her people. In the assembly of the Most High she opens
her mouth, and in the presence of his hosts she tells of her glory. “I came forth from the mouth of the Most
High, and covered the earth like a mist.
I dwelt in the highest heavens, and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
Alone I compassed the vault of heaven and traversed the depths of the
abyss. Over waves of the sea, over all
the earth, and over every people and nation I have held sway.”
After a period of silent reflection one of the following is said.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
or
Here what the Spirit is
saying to the church.
Thanks
be to God.
or
Holy Word, Holy Wisdom.
Thanks
be to God.
Morning Prayer continues with the Responsory or the Canticle.
The
Responsory
Your salvation, O God,
is near to those who fear you: *
your glory shall dwell
in our land.
Your
salvation, O God, near to those who fear you: *
your
glory shall dwell in our land.
I will listen to what
you, Lord God, are saying,
for you are speaking
peace to your faithful people
and to those who turn
their heart to you. *
Your
glory shall dwell in our land.
Mercy and truth have
met together;
righteousness and peace
have kissed each other. *
Your
glory shall dwell in our land.
Truth shall spring up
from the earth,
and righteousness shall
look down from heaven. *
Your
glory shall dwell in our land.
Glory to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. *
Your
salvation, O God, near to those who fear you: *
your
glory shall dwell in our land.
or
Glory to God, Source of
all being, eternal Word and Holy Spirit. *
Your
salvation, O God, near to those who fear you: *
your
glory shall dwell in our land.
Morning Prayer continues with the Canticle.
The
Canticle
Glory to God
Glory to God in the
highest,
and peace to God’s
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.
Morning Prayer continues with an Affirmation of Faith or the
Litany.
Affirmation
of Faith
Either of the following may be said.
The Apostles’ Creed
I
believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator
of heaven and earth.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son, our Lord,
who
was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born
of the virgin Mary,
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,
he
is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and
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.
Hear, O Israel
Hear,
O Israel,
the
Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Love
the Lord your God
with
all your heart,
with
all your soul,
with
all your mind,
and
with all your strength.
This
is the first and the great commandment.
The
second is like it:
Love
your neighbour as yourself.
There
is no commandment greater than these.
Morning Prayer continues with the Litany.
The
Litany
In joy and humility let
us pray to the creator of the universe, saying, “Hear us, O Lord, and grant us
peace.”
By the good news of our
salvation brought to Mary by the angel, hear
us, O Lord, and grant us peace.
By the mystery of the
Word made flesh, hear us, O Lord, and
grant us peace.
By the birth in time of
the timeless Son of God, hear us, O
Lord, and grant us peace.
By the manifestation of
the King of glory to the shepherds and magi, hear us, O Lord, and grant us peace.
By the submission of
the maker of the world to Mary and Joseph of Nazareth, hear us, O Lord, and grant us peace.
By the baptism of the
Son of God in the river Jordan, hear us,
O Lord, and grant us peace.
Grant that the kingdoms
of this world may become the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; hear us, O Lord, and grant us peace.
Free prayer may be offered and silence is kept. After the silence the Collect of the Day or
one of the following collects may be said.
Christmas I
God of all ages, in the
birth of Christ your boundless love for your people shattered the power of
darkness. Be born in us with that same
love and light, that our song may blend with all the choirs of heaven and earth
to the glory of your holy name. Amen.
Christmas II
Christ, our God, whom
humble shepherds worshipped at a manger, you are holy and most high, merciful
and might. Startle us to wakefulness,
that we may rejoice in your new and glorious dawn, and, in your holy name, act to
mend this suffering world. Amen.
Christmas III
God, you spoke and your
Word became flesh, breathing a new song of joy and praise into the world. Grant that we may bear the good news of your
salvation, proclaiming your promise of peace to the ends of the earth. Amen.
The
Lord’s Prayer
Gathering our prayers
and praises into one,
let us pray as our
Saviour taught us,
Our
Father in heaven,
hallowed
be your name,
your
kingdom come,
your
will be done,
on
earth as in heaven.
Give
us today our daily bread.
Forgive
us our sins
as
we forgive those who sin against us.
Save
us from the time of trial,
and
deliver us from evil.
For
the kingdom, the power,
and
the glory are yours,
now
and for ever. Amen.
Morning Prayer continues with the Dismissal.
The
Dismissal
Let us bless the incarnate
Lord.
Thanks
be to God.
Then may be said.
May Christ, who by his
Incarnation gathered into one things earthly and heavenly, fill us with his joy
and peace. Amen.
Liturgical Resources Used
All scriptural passages are taken
from the New Revised Standard Version (c) 1989 by The National Council of
Churches.
The Psalms are taken from The Book of Alternative Services (c)
1985 by The Anglican Church of Canada.
They have been emended by the Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett for
inclusive language and, when necessary, renumbered to conform to the
versification of the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible.
The Psalm Prayers are taken from The Book of Alternative Services (c)
1985 by The Anglican Church of Canada and have been emended by the Rev’d Dr
Richard Geoffrey Leggett.
The Apostles’ Creed which originally
appeared in Praying Together (c) 1988
by the English Language Liturgical Consultation, is taken from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (c) by The
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The Collects after the Litany are those
for the three propers for Christmas as published in Revised Common Lectionary Prayers (c) 2002 by The Consultation on
Common Texts.
The concluding Doxology is adapted
from The Book of Occasional Services 2003
(c) 2004 by The Church Pension Fund.
All other liturgical texts are taken
from The Book of Alternative Services
(c) 1985 by The Anglican Church of Canada with emendations by the Rev’d Dr
Richard Geoffrey Leggett.
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