Prayer for the Morning
Come, let us worship the Lord alone!
Glory to the Father…. Alleluia!
Hymn
A valiant woman, strong by grace,
Unites us all in praise this day,
The glory of her holiness
Sheds far and wide its sacred ray.
Her heart aglow with holy love,
The glamour of this earth she spurned,
And chose the hard and narrow way
To reach the home for which she yearned.
By fasts and prayer she overcame
Our fallen nature’s downward trend,
She fed her soul with constant prayer
That heavenwards her mind should tend.
All glory, Jesus, be to you,
For through your holy handmaid’s love,
You give us hope for our reward
And everlasting joy above.
Psalm 16:1-6
If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to [the] poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me. (Mt 19:21)
Saint Elizabeth found her one treasure not in her aristocratic heritage or wealth but in Jesus Christ, whom she found and loved in her family and in the poor.
Preserve me, God, I take refuge in you.
I say to the Lord: “You are my God.
My happiness lies in you alone.”
He has put into my heart a marvelous love
for the faithful ones who dwell in his land.
Those who choose other gods increase their sorrows.
Never will I offer their offerings of blood.
Never will I take their name upon my lips.
O Lord, it is you who are my portion and cup;
it is you yourself who are my prize.
The lot marked out for me is my delight:
welcome indeed the heritage that falls to me!
Glory to the Father….
Word of God. Matthew 19:23-26
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”
Blessed are you who are poor,/
for the kingdom of God is yours. (Lk 6:20)
Canticle of Zechariah
Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions. (Lk 12:15)
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
O Christ, Saint Elizabeth gave up all material goods and honor for your sake. Through her intercession we pray:
R/Our happiness lies in you alone!
For those wealthy in goods and prestige:
– grant them freedom of heart to devote all they have to your service. R/
For those who have been seduced by the desire for money or social position:
– let them see the bounty of the Gospel. R/
For those who have left all things to follow you:
– keep them faithful in their desire to seek and to serve you. R/
Personal intentions
Our Father….
O God of all good, you gave Saint Elizabeth the true wealth of holiness. Through her example and intercession, grant us the freedom that comes from renunciation of self, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
