Monday
Morning
Prayer – Christmas
Day
Opening
Sentence
Behold, I bring you good news of a great joy, which will come to all the people; for unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:10, 11
Lord, open our lips.
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 will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Jubilate
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and
his faithfulness endures from age to age.
Psalm 2
1 Why are the nations in an uproar? *
Why do
the peoples mutter empty threats?
2 Why do the kings of the earth
rise up in revolt,
and the princes plot together, *
against the
LORD and against his Anointed?
3 "Let us break their yoke,"
they say; *
"let us cast off their bonds from us."
4
He whose throne is in heaven is laughing; *
the Lord has them in
derision.
5 Then he speaks to them in his wrath, *
and his
rage fills them with terror.
6 "I myself have set my king
*
upon my holy hill of Zion."
7 Let me announce the
decree of the LORD: *
he said to me, "You are my Son;
this
day have I begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will give you the
nations for your inheritance *
and the ends of the earth for your
possession.
9 You shall crush them with an iron rod *
and
shatter them like a piece of pottery."
10 And now, you kings,
be wise; *
be warned, you rulers of the earth.
11 Submit to the
LORD with fear, *
and with trembling bow before him;
12 Lest he
be angry and you perish; *
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
13
Happy are they all *
who take refuge in him!
Psalm 85
1You have been gracious to your land, O LORD,*
you
have restored the good fortune of Jacob.
2You have forgiven the
iniquity of your people *
and blotted out all their sins.
3You
have withdrawn all your fury *
and turned yourself from your
wrathful indignation.
4Restore us then, O God our Savior;*
let
your anger depart from us.
5Will you be displeased with us for
ever? *
will you prolong your anger from age to age?
6Will you
not give us life again,*
that your people may rejoice in you?
7
Show us your mercy, O LORD,*
and grant us your salvation.
8 I
will listen to what the LORD God is saying,*
for he is speaking
peace to his faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to
him.
9 Truly, his salvation is very near to those who fear him,
*
that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Mercy and truth have
met together;*
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11
Truth 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 him,*
and peace shall be a pathway
for his feet.
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.
In
days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s
house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and
shall be raised up above the hills.
Peoples shall stream to
it,
and many nations shall come and say:
‘Come,
let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the
house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and
that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall
go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord
from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between many peoples,
and
shall arbitrate between strong nations far away;
they shall beat
their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears
into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against
nation,
neither shall they learn war any more;
but they shall all sit under their own vines and under their own
fig trees,
and no one shall make
them afraid;
for the mouth of the Lord of
hosts has spoken.
For all the peoples walk,
each
in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord
our God
for ever and ever.
*But
you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah,
who are one
of the little clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for
me
one who is to rule in Israel,
whose origin
is from of old,
from ancient days.
Therefore
he shall give them up until the time
when she
who is in labour has brought forth;
then the rest of his kindred
shall return
to the people of Israel.
And he
shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord,
in
the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall live
secure, for now he shall be great
to the ends of
the earth;
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Canticle 8 The Song of Moses
I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted;*
the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my refuge;*
the Lord has become my Savior.
This is my God and I will praise him,*
the God of my people and I will exalt him.
The Lord is a mighty warrior;*
Yahweh is his Name.
The chariots of Pharaoh and his army has he hurled into the sea;*
the finest of those who bear armor have been
drowned in the Red Sea.
The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them;*
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might;*
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.
Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
who is like you, glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?
You stretched forth your right hand;*
the earth swallowed them up.
With your constant love you led the people you redeemed;*
with your might you brought them in safety to
your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them *
on the mount of your possession,
The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord,*
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.
The Lord shall reign *
for ever and for ever.
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.
Reading
The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is of the earth belongs to the earth and speaks about earthly things. The one who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what he has seen and heard, yet no one accepts his testimony. Whoever has accepted his testimony has certified* this, that God is true. He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for he gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has placed all things in his hands. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever disobeys the Son will not see life, but must endure God’s wrath.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Canticle 19 The Song of the Redeemed
O
ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you
have done, *
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways
of righteousness and truth, *
O
King of all the ages
Who can fail to do you homage, Lord
and
sing the praises of your Name
for you only are the Holy One.
All
nations will draw near and fall down before you
because your just
and holy works have been revealed.
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.
I
believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I
believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived
by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He
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,
and is seated at the right
hand of the Father.
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.
The
Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
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.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Collect of the Day: Christmas Day
O God, you make us glad by the yearly festival of the birth of your only Son Jesus Christ: Grant that we, who joyfully receive him as our Redeemer, may with sure confidence behold him when he comes to be our Judge; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for the Renewal of Life
O God, the King eternal, who divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For Mission
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.
General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
2
Corinthians 13:14