Monday, November 5, 2012

Matins for Advent


morning prayer for advent
From the First Sunday of Advent to Christmas Eve

The Gathering of the Community

Introductory Responses

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
show the light of your countenance,
and we shall be saved.
Will you not give us life again,
that you people may rejoice in you?
Show us your mercy, O Lord,
and grant us your salvation.
Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest.

Morning Prayer continues with the Psalm of the Day.

The Proclamation of the Word

The Psalm

A Psalm from the Daily Office Lectionary, the Weekday Eucharistic Lectionary or the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings is said or sung. 

Morning Prayer continues with the Reading. 

The Reading

A Reading from the Daily Office Lectionary, the Weekday Eucharistic Lectionary or the Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings is read.  After a period of silent reflection one of the following is said.

The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
or
Hear 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 or both.  If two Readings are read, then the Responsory follows the first Reading and the Canticle the second.

The Responsory

The Responsory is said or sung.

My soul waits for you, O Lord;
in your word is my hope.
My soul waits for you, O Lord;
in your word is my hope.

Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice.
In your word is my hope.

There is forgiveness with you;
therefore you shall be feared.
In your word is my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord,
more than the watch for the morning.
In your word is my hope.

O Israel, wait for the Lord,
for with the Lord there is mercy.
In your word is my hope.

Glory to God:  Source of all being, eternal Word and Holy Spirit.
My soul waits for you, O Lord;
in your word is my hope.

Morning Prayer continues with [the Second Reading or] the Canticle or an Affirmation of Faith.

The Canticle

Either ‘The Song of Zechariah’ or ‘The New Jerusalem’ may be said or sung.

The Song of Zechariah  (Luke 1.68-79)
Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel, *
            you have come to your people and set them free.
You have raised up for us a mighty Saviour, *
            born of the house of your servant David.
Through your holy prophets, *
            you promised of old to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us, *
            to show mercy to our forebears,
            and to remember your holy covenant.
This was the oath you swore to our father Abraham: *
            to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
            free to worship you without fear.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
            for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God’s people knowledge of salvation *
            by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
            the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
            and to guide our feet into the way of peace.[i]

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.
or
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.

Morning Prayer continues with an Affirmation of Faith or the Litany.

The New Jerusalem (Isaiah 60.1-3, 11ab, 14cd, 18-19)
Arise, shine; for your light has come, *
            and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth, *
            and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you, *
            and the glory of God will appear over you.
Nations shall come to your light, *
            and rulers to the brightness of your dawn.
Your gates shall always be open; *
            day and night they shall not be shut.
They shall call you the City of the Lord, *
            the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence shall no more be heard in your land, *
            devastation or destruction within your borders;
you shall call your walls Salvation, *
            and your gates Praise.
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, *
            nor for brightness shall the moon give you light by night;
but the Lord will be your everlasting light, *
            and your God will be your glory.

Morning Prayer continues with an Affirmation of Faith or the Litany.

Affirmation of Faith

Either The Apostles’ Creed or the ‘Hear, O Israel’ may be said or sung.

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.[ii]

Morning Prayer continues with the Litany.

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.

The following may be said or sung after ‘Hear, O Israel’.

Lord, have mercy upon us,
and write both these commandments in our hearts,
we beseech you.

Morning Prayer continues with the Litany.

The Prayers of the Community

The Litany

The Litany is said or sung.

In joyful expectation let us pray to our Saviour and Redeemer, saying, “Lord Jesus, come soon!”

O Wisdom, from the mouth of the Most High, you reign over all things to the ends of the earth:  come and teach us how to live.  Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Lord, and head of the house of Israel, you appeared to Moses in the fire of the burning bush and you gave the law on Sinai:  come with outstretched arm and ransom us.  Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Branch of Jesse, standing as a sign among the nations, all rulers will keep silence before you and all peoples will summon you to their aid:  come, set us free and delay no more.  Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Key of David and sceptre of the house of Israel, you open and none can shut; you shut and none can open:  come and free the captives from prison.  Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Morning Star, splendour of the light eternal and bright Sun of righteousness:  come and enlighten all who dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death.  Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Sovereign of the nations, you alone can fulfil their desires:  Cornerstone, you make opposing nations one:  come and save the creature you fashioned from clay.  Lord Jesus, come soon!

O Emmanuel, hope of the nations and their Saviour:  come and save us, Lord our God.  Lord Jesus, come soon!

Additional intercessions, petitions and thanksgivings may be offered in silence or aloud.  After a period of silence either the Collect of the Day or the following Collect may be said or sung.

God of justice and peace, from the heavens you rain down mercy and kindness, that all on earth may stand in awe and wonder before your marvellous deeds.  Raise our heads in expectation, that we may yearn for the coming day of the Lord and stand without blame before your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.  Amen.[iii]

Morning Prayer continues with the Lord’s Prayer.

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 Sending Forth of the Community

The Dismissal

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Morning Prayer may conclude with the following Sentence.

May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon us and scatter the darkness from before our path.  Amen.[iv]

Notes

All scriptural texts are taken from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible and may have been emended for more inclusive language.

All liturgical texts are taken from The Book of Alternative Services unless otherwise noted and may have been emended for more inclusive language.


[i] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 303.

[ii] Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), 105.

[iii] Revised Common Lectionary Prayers (2002), 28.

[iv] Adapted from The Book of Occasional Services (2003), 22.

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