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   Morning Prayer
    Lent
     
   
Preparation
 
     
    O Lord, open our lips
All
  and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
     
    Enter not into judgement with your servants;
All
  in your sight shall no one living be justified.
     
    Blessed are you, God of compassion and mercy,
    to you be praise and glory for ever.
    In the darkness of our sin,
    your light breaks forth like the dawn
    and your healing springs up for deliverance.
    As we rejoice in the gift of your saving help,
    sustain us with your bountiful Spirit
    and open our lips to sing your praise.
    Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
All
  Blessed be God for ever.
     
      A Song of Penitence, or a suitable hymn, may be said or sung
 
   
1
  Have mercy on me, O God, in your great goodness;  •
      according to the abundance of your compassion
            blot out my offences.
 
   
2
  Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness  •
      and cleanse me from my sin.
                   
   
3
  For I acknowledge my faults  • 
      and my sin is ever before me.
 
   
4
  Against you only have I sinned  • 
      and done what is evil in your sight,
       
   
5
  So that you are justified in your sentence  •
      and righteous in your judgement.
       
   
6
  Cast me not away from your presence  •
      and take not your holy spirit from me.
       
   
7
  Give me again the joy of your salvation  •
      and sustain me with your gracious spirit;
       
   
8
  Then shall I teach your ways to the wicked  • 
      and sinners shall return to you.
       
   
9
  Deliver me from my guilt, O God,
            the God of my salvation,  • 
      and my tongue shall sing of your righteousness.
     
Psalm 51.1-5,12-15
 
     
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.
 
      The Song of Manasseh, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 31 (page 523) or number 39 (page 531), may be said or sung
 
      Refrain:
   
All
  Full of compassion and mercy and love
      is God, the Most High, the Almighty.
       
   
1
  Lord almighty and God of our ancestors,  • 
      you who made heaven and earth in all their glory:
       
   
2
  All things tremble with awe at your presence,  •
      before your great and mighty power.
       
   
3
  Immeasurable and unsearchable is your promised mercy,  •   
      for you are God, Most High..
       
   
4
  You are full of compassion, long-suffering and very merciful,  • 
      and you relent at human suffering.
       
   
5
  O God, according to your great goodness,  •    
      you have promised forgiveness for repentance
            to those who have sinned against you.
       
   
6
  The sins I have committed against you  •  
      are more in number than the sands of the sea.
       
   
7
  I am not worthy to look up to the height of heaven,  •     
      because of the multitude of my iniquities.
       
   
8
  And now I bend the knee of my heart before you,  •
      imploring your kindness upon me.
       
   
9
  I have sinned, O God, I have sinned,  •
      and I acknowledge my transgressions.
       
   
10
  Unworthy as I am, you will save me,  •  
      according to your great mercy.
       
   
11
  For all the host of heaven sings your praise,  • 
      and your glory is for ever and ever.
     
Manasseh 1a,2,4,6,7a,9a,9c,11,12,14b,15b
      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
  Full of compassion and mercy and love
      is God, the Most High, the Almighty.
 
     
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
 
      To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
      O my God, in you I trust.
   
All
  To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
      O my God, in you I trust.
      You are the God of my salvation,
      in you I hope all the day long.
   
All
  O my God, in you I trust.
      Glory to the Father and to the Son
      and to the Holy Spirit.
   
All
  To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul;
      O my God, in you I trust.
 
     
Gospel Canticle
 
     
    The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is said or sung
 
  Refrain:
All
  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they shall be satisfied.
 
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
  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they shall be satisfied.
 
   
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 329 and the prayers on pages 338-339 may be used.
 
      Silence may be kept.
 
    The Collect of the day or the following Collect is said
 
    Almighty and everlasting God,
you hate nothing that you have made
and forgive the sins of all those who are penitent:
create and make in us new and contrite hearts
that we, worthily lamenting our sins
and acknowledging our wretchedness,
may receive from you, the God of all mercy,
perfect remission and forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
 
    The Lord's Prayer is said
 
    Trusting in the compassion of God,
    as our Saviour has taught us, so we pray
     
All
  Our Father in heaven …
       
    (or)
 
    Trusting in the compassion of God,   
    let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
     
All
  Our Father, who art in heaven …
     
     
   
The Conclusion
 
     
    May God our Redeemer show us compassion and love.
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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