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   Morning Prayer
    Passiontide
     
   
Preparation
 
     
    O Lord, open our lips
All
  and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
     
    Let your ways be known upon earth,
All
  your saving power among the nations
     
    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 Lamentation, or a suitable hymn, may be said or sung
 
   
1
  Is it nothing to you, all you who pass by?  • 
      Look and see if there is any sorrow like my sorrow;
 
   
2
  Which was brought upon me,  •  
      which the Lord inflicted
            on the day of his fierce anger.
       
   
3
  For these things I weep;
            my eyes flow with tears;  •
      for a comforter is far from me,
            one to revive my courage;
 
   
4
  Remember my affliction and my bitterness,  • 
      the wormwood and the gall!
       
   
5
  The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,  •
      his mercies never come to an end;
       
   
6
  They are new every morning;  • 
      great is your faithfulness.
       
   
7
  'The Lord is my portion', says my soul,  •
      'therefore I will hope in him.'
       
   
8
  The Lord is good to those who wait for him,  •  
      to the soul that seeks him.
       
   
9
  It is good that we should wait quietly  •
      for the salvation of the Lord.
       
   
10
  It is good to bear the yoke in our youth;  •
      to sit alone in silence when he has imposed it.
       
   
11
  For the Lord will not reject for ever,  • 
      though he causes grief, he will have compassion,
       
   
12
  According to the abundance of his steadfast love;  •
      for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.
     
Lamentations 1.12,16a,b; 3.19,22-28,31-33
 
     
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 the Redeemer, or another suitable canticle (for example, number 22 (page 514) or number 40 (page 532), may be said or sung
 
      Refrain:
   
All
  I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
      the praises of the Most High.
       
   
1
  Who is this that comes from Edom,  • 
      coming from Bozrah, his garments stained crimson?
       
   
2
  Who is this in glorious apparel,  •
      marching in the greatness of his strength?
       
   
3
  'It is I, who announces that right has won the day,  •  
      it is I', says the Lord, 'for I am mighty to save.'
       
   
4
  Why are your robes all red, O Lord,  • 
      and your garments like theirs who tread the winepress?
       
   
5
  'I have trodden the winepress alone,  •     
      and from the peoples no one was with me.'
       
   
6
  I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,  •
      the praises of the Most High;
       
   
7
  All that God has done for us in his mercy,  •     
      by his many acts of love.
       
   
8
  For God said, 'Surely, they are my people,
            my children who will not deal falsely',  • 
      and he became their Saviour in all their distress.
       
   
9
  So God redeemed them by his love and pity;  • 
      he lifted them up and carried them
            through all the days of old.
     
Isaiah 63.1-3a,7-9
      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
  I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
      the praises of the Most High.
 
     
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
 
      We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you;
   
All
  by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
      God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.
   
All
  We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you.
      We preach Christ crucified,
      the power of God and the wisdom of God.
   
All
  By your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
      God forbid that I should glory,
      save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
   
All
  We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you;
      by your holy cross, you have redeemed the world.
 
     
Gospel Canticle
 
     
    The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is said or sung
 
  Refrain:
All
  The word of the cross is folly
    to those who are perishing,
    but to those who are being saved
    it is the power of God.
 
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
  The word of the cross is folly
    to those who are perishing,
    but to those who are being saved
    it is the power of God.
 
   
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 339-340 may be used.
 
      Silence may be kept.
 
    The Collect of the day or the following Collect is said
 
    (from the Fifth Sunday of Lent)
     
    Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
     
    (or, from Palm Sunday)
     
    Almighty and everlasting God,
who in your tender love towards the human race
      sent your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
to take upon him our flesh
and to suffer death upon the cross:
grant that we may follow the example of his patience and humility,
and also be made partakers of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All
  Amen.
 
    The Lord's Prayer is said
 
    Standing at the foot of the cross,
    as our Saviour has taught us, so we pray
     
All
  Our Father in heaven …
       
    (or)
 
    Standing at the foot of the cross,   
    let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
     
All
  Our Father, who art in heaven …
     
     
   
The Conclusion
 
     
    May Christ, who bore our sins on the cross,
    set us free to serve him with joy.
All
  Amen.
 
      Let us bless the Lord.
   
All
  Thanks be to God.
 
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