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  Morning Prayer on Saturday
     
     
   
Preparation
 
     
    O Lord, open our lips
All
  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 shall be for ever. Amen.
    Alleluia.
     
      A Song of God's Praise, or a suitable hymn, may be said or sung
 
   
1
  O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you;   
      my soul is athirst for you.
 
   
2
  My flesh also faints for you,     
      as in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.
                   
   
3
  So would I gaze upon you in your holy place,     
      that I might behold your power and your glory.
 
   
4
  Your loving-kindness is better than life itself   
      and so my lips shall praise you.
                   
   
5
  I will bless you as long as I live   
      and lift up my hands in your name.
                 
   
6
  My soul shall be satisfied, as with marrow and fatness,  
      and my mouth shall praise you with joyful lips,
                   
   
7
  When I remember you upon my bed    
      and meditate on you in the watches of the night.
       
   
8
  For you have been my helper   
      and under the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.
       
   
9
  My soul clings to you;    
      your right hand shall hold me fast.
     
 Psalm 63.1-9
 
      This opening prayer may be said       
 
      The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
      Let us pray with one heart and mind.
 
      Silence is kept.
 
      As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
      so may the light of your presence, O God,
      set our  hearts on fire with love for you;
      now and for ever.
   
All
  Amen.
 
 
     
The Word of God
 
 
     
Psalmody
 
 
    The appointed psalmody is said or sung.
 
 
      Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
 
      Glory to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit;
      as it was in the beginning is now
      and shall be for ever.  Amen.
 
     
Old Testament Canticle
 
 
      If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here,
      or both may be read after the Old Testament canticle.
 
      A Song of Jerusalem our Mother, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 45 (page 537), may be said or sung
 
      Refrain:
   
All
  Thus says our God, I will comfort you,
      you shall see and your heart shall rejoice.
       
   
1
  'Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,    
      all you who love her,' says the Lord.
       
   
2
  'Rejoice with her in joy,   
      all you who mourn over her,   
       
   
3
  'That you may drink deeply with delight  
      from her consoling breast.'
       
   
4
  For thus says our God,   
      'You shall be nursed and carried on her arm.
       
   
5
  'As a mother comforts her children,   
      so I will comfort you;
       
   
6
  'You shall see and your heart shall rejoice;  
      you shall flourish like the grass of the fields.'
     
Isaiah 66.10,11a,12a,12c,13a,14a,b
      Glory to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit;
      as it was in the beginning is now
      and shall be for ever. Amen.
         
   
All
  Thus says our God, I will comfort you,
      you shall see and your heart shall rejoice.
 
     
Scripture Reading
 
 
    One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
      The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence. 
 
      A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
 
      Your salvation is near to those who fear you;
      that glory may dwell in our land.
   
All
  Your salvation is near to those who fear you;
      that glory may dwell in our land.
      Mercy and truth have met together;
      righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
   
All
  That glory may dwell in our land.
      Glory to the Father, and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit.
   
All
  Your salvation is near to those who fear you;
      that glory may dwell in our land.
 
     
Gospel Canticle
 
     
    The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is said or sung
 
  Refrain:
All
  Shine on us, O God, who dwell in darkness
    and guide us into the way of peace.
 
1
  Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,       
    who has come to his people and set them free.  
 
2
  He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,   
    born of the house of his servant David.
     
3
  Through his holy prophets God promised of old     
    to save us from our enemies,
          from the hands of all that hate us.
 
4
  To show mercy to our ancestors,    
    and to remember his holy covenant.
 
5
  This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:   
    to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
 
6
  Free to worship him without fear,     
    holy and righteous in his sight
          all the days of our life.
 
7
  And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,    
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
 
8
  To give his people knowledge of salvation   
    by the forgiveness of all their sins. 
     
9
  In the tender compassion of our God    
    the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
     
10
  To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,  
    and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
     
Luke 1.68-79
    Glory to the Father and to the Son
    and to the Holy Spirit;
    as it was in the beginning is now
    and shall be for ever. Amen.
   
All
Shine on us, O God, who dwell in darkness
  and guide us into the way of peace.
 
 
   
Prayers
 
 
    Intercessions are offered
    for the day and its tasks
    for the world and its needs
    for the Church and her life
 
      These responses may be used
 
      Lord, in your mercy        (or)    Lord, hear us.
      hear our prayer.                     Lord, graciously hear us.
 
      The cycle on page 328 and the prayers on pages 330-331 may be used.
 
      Silence may be kept.
 
    The Collect of the day or the following Collect is said
 
    Grant, Lord,
that we who are baptized into the death
      of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
may continually put to death our evil desires
      and be buried with him;
that through the grave and gate of death
we may pass to our joyful resurrection;
through his merits,
who died and was buried and rose again for us,
your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
 
    The Lord's Prayer is said
 
    As our Saviour has taught us, so we pray
     
All
  Our Father in heaven …
       
    (or)
 
    Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
     
All
  Our Father, who art in heaven …
     
     
   
The Conclusion
 
     
    The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
    and keep us in eternal life.
All
  Amen.
 
      Let us bless the Lord.
   
All
  Thanks be to God.
 
© The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2004
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