PRAYER FOR THIS MORNING (WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5)
The Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major
Prayer for the Morning
Let us enter God’s presence rejoicing!
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
Today your gate stands open,
And all who enter in
Shall find a Father’s welcome
And pardon for their sin.
The past shall be forgotten,
A present joy be given,
A future home be promised,
A glorious crown in heaven.
O all-embracing Mercy,
O ever-open Door,
What would I do without you
Who led the way before?
When joy seems all too distant,
And all too near, despair,
I know one gate is open,
One ear will hear my prayer.
PSALM 100
Jesus said: “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” (cf. Jn 10:9)
The gate to the Lord’s sheepfold is narrow and cut in the shape of a cross. Yet Christ leads the flock safely through to the place of pasture he has prepared for us.
Cry out with joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Come before him, singing for joy.
Know that he, the Lord, is God.
He made us, we belong to him,
we are his people, the sheep of his flock.
Go within his gates, giving thanks.
Enter his courts with songs of praise.
Give thanks to him and bless his name.
Indeed, how good is the Lord,
eternal his merciful love.
He is faithful from age to age.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God (Matthew 7:13-14)
Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.
Jesus, lead the way!
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close. (Rv 3:8)
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
Let us stand before Christ, our gateway to eternal life, and knock with confidence in prayer:
R/Eternal is your merciful love!
Your cross is the gate to the heavenly city:
– give us the courage to follow you through it today. R/
You have gone before us to prepare a place for us:
– come back to travel with us on this day’s journey. R/
You are the cause of our joy:
– free us from all those burdens that stifle our gladness in you. R/
(Personal intentions)
Our Father….
O Lord, you have told us to knock and the door would be opened to us. You yourself are the doorway into everlasting joy. Open your way before us as we set out on this day’s journey and guide us to our journey’s end, that, when evening comes, we may enter the courts of your presence rejoicing, who live and reign with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
