Saint Paul of the Cross
Prayer for the Morning
Let us proclaim God’s works!
Let us speak of his splendor and glory!
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!
HYMN
Surely it is God who saves me;
I shall trust and have no fear.
For the Lord defends and shields me
And his saving help is near.
So rejoice as you draw water
From salvation’s healing spring;
In the day of your deliverance
Thank the Lord, his mercies sing.
Make God’s deeds known to the peoples:
Tell out his exalted Name.
Praise the Lord, who has done great things;
All his works God’s might proclaim.
Zion, lift your voice in singing;
For with you has come to dwell,
In your very midst the great and
Holy One of Israel.
PSALM 145:1-9, 21
Good is the Lord to one who waits for him,/ to the soul that seeks him. (Lam 3:25)
It’s a common mistake to think that God’s “works” and “mighty deeds” are told only in Scripture. Every person’s life is God’s work of art, an expression of his creative love, his goodness, his compassion. A little thought can personalize this psalm for everyone who prays it.
I will give you glory, O God my King,
I will bless your name for ever.
I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.
Age to age shall proclaim your works,
shall declare your mighty deeds,
shall speak of your splendor and glory,
tell the tale of your wonderful works.
They will speak of your terrible deeds,
recount your greatness and might.
They will recall your abundant goodness;
age to age shall ring out your justice.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
Let me speak the praise of the Lord,
let all mankind bless his holy name
for ever, for ages unending.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God (Isaiah 63:7)
The favors of the Lord I will recall,/ the glorious deeds of the Lord,/ Because of all he has done for us;/ for he is good to the house of Israel,/ He has favored us according to his mercy/ and his great kindness.
All good giving and every perfect gift is from above.
(Jas 1:17)
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
The Lord is good,/ a refuge on the day of distress;/ He takes care of those who have recourse to him. (Nah 1:7)
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
God’s inventive love is without limit. With confidence, let us pray:
R/You are kind and full of compassion.
Your greatness is without measure:
– look down with mercy upon those whose prayer is hindered by a crippling sense of unworthiness. R/
Your works are wonderful:
– inspire all creative artists, whose gift is to reveal your beauty to the world. R/
Your goodness embraces all that you have made:
– lead us to seek goodness rather than fault in all our sisters and brothers. R/
(Personal intentions)
Our Father….
O God of glory and compassion, you rule over the powerful of the earth and you gather up the sparrow when it falls. Grant us wisdom to see your works in our daily lives and to praise you at every turn, through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
