Morning Prayer
For Advent
From the First Sunday
of Advent to Christmas Eve
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
your people may rejoice in you?
Show us your mercy, O
Lord,
and
grant us your salvation.
Blessed is your Beloved
who comes in your name, O Lord!
Peace
in heaven and glory in the highest.
Morning Prayer continues with the Invitatory or the Psalm.
The
Invitatory
Song of Peace (Isaiah 2.2-5)
In the days to come *
the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall tower as the
highest of mountains *
and be raised above the hills.
There shall all the
nations flow; *
many peoples shall come and say,
“Let us go up to the
mountain of the Lord, *
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that the Holy One may
teach us the ways of God *
that we may walk in those ways.”
For the law shall go
out from Zion, *
from Jerusalem the word of the Lord.
God shall judge between
the nations *
and decide for many peoples.
They shall beat their
swords into ploughshares, *
their spears into pruning-knives;
nation shall not lift
sword against nation; *
they shall never train for war again.
O people of Jacob,
come, *
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
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 Advent Psalm
122
1 I was glad
when they said to me, *
“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
2 Now our
feet are standing *
with your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem
is built as a city *
that is at unity with itself;
4 to which
the tribes go up,
the tribes of the Lord,
*
the assembly of Israel,
to praise the name of the Lord.
5 For there
are the thrones of judgement, *
the thrones of the house of David.
6 Prayer for
the peace of Jerusalem: *
“May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be
within your walls *
and quietness within your towers.
8 For the
sake of my kindred and companions, *
I pray for your prosperity.
9 Because of
the house of the Lord our God, *
I will see to do you good.”
God of pilgrims, give
us the peace of the new Jerusalem and bring all nations into your loving
embrace to share your gifts. May we all
render thanks to you without end and come to your eternal city. Amen.
Mondays in Advent Psalm
80.1-7, 17-19
1 Hear, O
Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the
presence of Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us,
O God; *
let your face shine upon us,
and we shall be saved.
4 O Lord God
of hosts, *
how long will your anger fume
when your people pray?
5 You have
fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have
made us the derision of our neighbours, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us,
O God of hosts; *
let your face shine upon us,
and we shall be saved.
17 Let your
hand be upon the one at your right hand, *
the one you have made so strong for yourself.
18 And so will
we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your name.
19 Restore, O
Lord God of hosts; *
let your face shine upon us,
and we shall be saved.
Glory to you, Shepherd
of Israel. Forgive our careless indifference
to your loving care for all your creatures and remake us in your likeness. Amen.
Tuesdays in Advent Psalm
25.1-10
1 To you, O
Lord, *
I lift up my soul.
2 My God, I
put my truest in you;
let me not be put to
shame, *
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 Let none
who look to you be put to shame; *
rather let those be put to shame who are treacherous.
4 Show me
your ways, O Lord, *
and teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in
your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation;
in you have I trusted all the day long.
6 Remember, O
Lord, your compassion and love, *
for they are from everlasting.
7 Remember
not the sins of my youth and my transgressions; *
remember according to your steadfast love
and for the sake of your goodness, O Lord.
8 You are
gracious and upright, O Lord; *
therefore you teach sinners in your way.
9 You lead
the lowly in justice *
and teach the lowly your way.
10 All your
paths, O Lord, are steadfast love and faithfulness *
to those who keep your covenant and your testimonies.
God of compassion and
love, forgive our sins, relieve our misery, satisfy our longing and fulfil all
our hopes for peace. Amen.
Wednesdays in Advent Psalm
72.1-7, 18-19
1 Give the
king your justice, O God, *
and your righteousness to the king’s son;
2 that he may
rule your people righteously *
and the poor with justice;
3 that the
mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
and the hills, in righteousness.
4 Let him
defend the needy among the people, *
rescue the poor, and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live
as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
6 Let him
come down like rain upon the mown field, *
like showers that water the earth.
7 In his time
may the righteous flourish; *
and let there be an abundance of peace
till the moon shall be no more.
18 Blessed are
you, Lord God, the God of Israel; *
you alone do wondrous deeds!
19 And blessed
be your glorious name for ever, *
and may all the earth be filled with your glory.
Amen. Amen.
O God, bring our nation
and all nations to a sense of justice and equity, that poverty, oppression and
violence may vanish and all may know peace and plenty. Amen.
Thursdays in Advent Psalm
85.1-2, 8-13
1 You have
been gracious to your land, O Lord; *
you have restored the good fortune of Jacob.
2 You have
forgiven the iniquity of your people *
and blotted out all their sins.
8 I will
listen to what the Lord God is saying; *
for you speak peace to your faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to you.
9 Truly, your
salvation is very near to those who fear you, *
that your glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast
love and faithfulness have met together; *
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11
Faithfulness shall spring up from the earth, *
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
12 The Lord
will indeed grant prosperity, *
and our land will yield its increase.
13
Righteousness shall go before the Lord *
and shall prepare for God a pathway.
God of grace, help us
to rejoice in our salvation by showing mercy and truth and by walking in the
way of righteousness and peace. Amen.
Fridays in Advent Psalm
126
1 When the
Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, *
then were we like those who dream.
2 Then was
our mouth filled with laughter,
and our tongue with
shouts of joy. *
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord
has done great things for us, *
and we are glad indeed.
4 Restore our
fortunes, O Lord, *
like the watercourses of the Negeb.
5 Those who
sowed with tears *
will reap with songs of joy.
6 Those who
go out weeping, carrying the seed, *
will come again with joy, shouldering the sheaves.
Praise to you, God of
our salvation. Your generous gifts
surpass all that we can ask or imagine.
You have delivered us from the exile of sin and restored us to new
life. Glory and honour and praise to you
for ever and ever. Amen.
Saturdays in Advent Psalm
89.1-4, 19-26
1 Your love,
O Lord, for ever will I sing; *
from age to age my mouth will proclaim your faithfulness.
2 For I am
persuaded that your steadfast love is established for ever; *
you have set your faithfulness firmly in the heavens.
3 “I have
made a covenant with my chosen one; *
I have sworn an oath to David my servant;
4 ‘I will
establish your line for ever, *
and preserve your throne for all generations.’”
19 You spoke
once in a vision and said to your faithful people: *
“I have set the crown upon a warrior
and have exalted one chosen out of the people.
20 I have
found David my servant; *
with my holy oil I have anointed him.
21 My hand
will hold him fast *
and my arm will make him strong.
22 No enemy
shall deceive him, *
nor shall the wicked bring him down.
23 I will
crush his foes before him *
and strike down those who hate him.
24 My
faithfulness and steadfast love are with him, *
and he shall be victorious through my name.
25 I will set
his hand on the sea, *
and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He will say
to me, ‘You are my father, *
my God, and the rock of my salvation.’”
Remember us, gracious
God, when we cannot see your way and purpose, and renew in us the joy of your
reign of light and life. Amen.
The
Reading
A Reading from a daily lectionary or
one of the following may be used.
Sundays in Advent Sirach
48.1, 5, 9-11
Elijah arose, a prophet like fire, and his word
burned like a torch. How glorious you
were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds!
Whose glory is equal to yours? You were taken up by a whirlwind of fire,
in a chariot with horses of fire. At the
appointed time, it is written, you are destined to calm the wrath of God before
it breaks out in fury, to turn the hearts of parents to their children, and to
restore the tribes of Jacob. Happy are
those who saw you and were adorned with your love! For we also shall surely live.
Mondays in Advent Numbers
24.2-3, 5-7a, 17b
Balaam looked up and saw Israel camping tribe by
tribe. Then the spirit of God came upon
him, and he uttered his oracle, saying:
“How fair are your tents, O Jacob, your encampments, O Israel! Like palm groves that stretch far away, like
gardens beside a river, like aloes that the Lord has planted, like cedar trees
beside the waters. Water shall flow from
his buckets, and his seed shall have abundant water. A star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre
shall rise out of Israel.”
Tuesdays in
Advent Zephaniah 3.9-13
At that time I will change the speech of the
peoples to a pure speech, that all of them may call on the name of the Lord and serve him with one accord. From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my
suppliants, my scattered ones, shall bring my offering. On that day you shall not be put to shame
because of all the deeds by which you have rebelled against me; for then I will
remove from your midst your proudly exultant ones, and you shall no longer be
haughty in my holy mountain. For I will
leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly. They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord --- the remnant of Israel; they
shall do no wrong and utter no lies, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in
their mouths. Then they will pasture and
lie down, and no one shall make them afraid.
Wednesdays in Advent Genesis
49.2, 8-10
Jacob said to his sons, “Assemble and hear, O sons
of Jacob; listen to Israel your father.
Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of
your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you. Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my
son, you have gone up. He crouches down,
he stretches out like a lion, like a lioness --- who dares rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor
the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until tribute comes to him; and the
obedience of the peoples is his.”
Thursdays in Advent Jeremiah
23.5-8
The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a
righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute
justice and righteousness in the land.
In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be
called: “The is Lord is our righteousness.”
Therefore, the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when it shall no longer be said, “As the Lord lives who brought out and led the
offspring of the house of Israel out of the land of the north and out of all
the lands where he had driven them.”
Then they shall live in their own land.
Fridays in Advent Song
of Songs 2.8, 10-11, 13
The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills. My beloved
speaks and says to me: “Arise, my love,
my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and
gone. The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Saturdays in Advent Malachi
3.1-4
See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way
before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you
delight --- indeed, he is coming, says the Lord
of hosts. But who can endure the day of
his coming, and who can stand when he appears?
For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap; he will sit as a
refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the descendants of Levi and
refine them like gold and silver, until they present offerings to the Lord in righteousness. Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will
be pleasing to the Lord as in the
days of old and as in former years.
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
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 those who
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 the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. *
My
soul waits for you, O Lord;
in
your word is my hope.
or
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 Canticle.
The
Canticle
A Song of Future Glory (Romans 8.18-23, 24a, 25)
I consider that the
sufferings of this present time *
are not worth comparing with the glory
about to be revealed to us.
For the creation waits
with eager longing *
for the revealing of the children of God;
for the creation was
subjected to futility, *
not of its
own will
but by the
will of the one who subjected it,
in the hope that the
creation itself will be set free
from its bondage to
decay*
and will obtain the freedom of the glory
of the children of God.
We know that the whole
creation *
has been groaning in labour pains until now;
and not only the
creation, but we ourselves, *
who have the first fruits of the Spirit,
groan inwardly while we
wait for adoption, *
the redemption of our bodies.
For in hope we were
saved. *
But if we hope for what we do not see,
we wait for it with patience.
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.
Morning Prayer continues with the Affirmation of Faith or the
Litany.
Affirmation
of Faith
One 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 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!
Free prayer may be offered and silence is kept. After the silence the Collect of the Day or
the following collect may be said.
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.
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
Dismissal
Let us bless the Lord
who comes among us.
Thanks
be to God.
Then may be said.
May the Sun of
Righteousness shine upon us and scatter the darkness from before our path. Amen.
Liturgical
Resources Used
All scriptural passages are taken from
the New Revised Standard Version, © 1989 by The National Council of Churches.
All Psalms are taken from
Evangelical Lutheran Worship, © 2006 by The Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America and emended for Canadian orthography
All other liturgical texts including
the Psalm Prayers are taken from The Book of Alternative Services, © 1985 by The Anglican Church of Canada as emended by
the Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett.
The prayer following the
Litany is taken from Revised Common Lectionary Prayers, © 2002 by The
Consultation on Common Texts.
The doxology is adapted from
The Book of Occasional Services 2003, p. 23 © 2004 by The Church Pension Fund.
