Prayer for the Morning
Sing praise to God, sing praise!
Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!
Hymn
Jesus Christ is my Creator—
He formed sea and earth and air;
Nature’s pillars stand unshaken
On his power and constant care.
By his fingers for a dwelling
Was heaven’s vault sublime upreared:
Jesus suffered when to save us
He as man on earth appeared.
Lofty Angels! Godlike spirits,
Clad in robes of living light:
He who gave you all your glories,
Him you worship day and night,
Made his tent in human nature
That in him should man confide:
Your Delight, your Source, and Center
Died—for man a Ransom died.
Vast encircling Space! whose confines
Stretch beyond creation’s pole!
Worlds of magnitude appalling
In thee unobstructed roll:
He in whom thou art containèd,
Spread at first and peopled thee,
Lay, an infant, in the manger,
Died, a man, upon the tree.
Psalm 47
No servant can serve two masters. (Lk 16:13)
This psalm has consequences. If we say that God is really the ruler of all the earth, and all earthly authorities, we must ask ourselves whom we honor and why, whom we praise and why, whom we obey and why.
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
He subdues peoples under us
and nations under our feet.
Our inheritance, our glory, is from him,
given to Jacob out of love.
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God is king of all the earth.
Sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
The princes of the peoples are assembled
with the people of Abraham’s God.
The rulers of the earth belong to God,
to God who reigns over all.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God. 1 Corinthians 15:25-27a, 28
[Christ] must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, for “he subjected everything under his feet.” When everything is subjected to him, then the Son himself will [also] be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.
Wrath and fury to those who selfishly disobey
the truth and obey wickedness. (Rom 2:8)
Canticle of Zechariah
Do you not know that if you present yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? (Rom 6:16)
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet
of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness
and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father…
Intercessions
To the God of heaven and earth, we pray:
R/Your kingdom come!
God of power and might, all authority comes from you:
– enlighten with your wisdom all those whom you appoint to positions of authority in Church or state. R/
All obedience is due to you:
– instill in us a spirit of responsible obedience to all those whom you have entrusted with legitimate authority. R/
All honor is yours by right:
– grant us a spirit of discernment so that we may honor only those who are truly honorable in your sight. R/
(Personal intentions)
Our Father….
O Lord our God, you alone are God, and there is no other. Grant us an undivided heart, to love and serve you with all our mind and all our strength, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
