Prayer for the Morning
God lifts up the lowly:
come, let us give thanks and 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!
HYMN
Hail to the Lord’s Anointed,
Great David’s greater Son!
Hail, in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free;
To take away transgression
And rule in equity.
He comes with succor speedy
To those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy,
And bid the weak be strong;
To give them songs for sighing,
Their darkness turn to light,
Whose souls, condemned and dying,
Were precious in his sight.
PSALM 31:2-6
Although I am free in regard to all, I have made myself a slave to all so as to win over as many as possible. (1 Cor 9:19)
God sent Saint Peter Claver as an answer to the wordless pleas of slaves in terrible distress. Saint Peter could not free them from physical captivity, but his tireless love spoke a healing word to their dreadful sense of isolation, abandonment, and helplessness.
In you, O Lord, I take refuge.
Let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, set me free,
hear me and speedily rescue me.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a mighty stronghold to save me,
for you are my rock, my stronghold.
For your name’s sake, lead me and guide me.
Release me from the snares they have hidden
for you are my refuge, Lord.
Into your hands I commend my spirit.
It is you who will redeem me, Lord.
Glory to the Father….
Word of God (Isaiah 61:1b-2)
[The Lord] has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly,/ to heal the brokenhearted,/ To proclaim liberty to the captives/ and release to the prisoners,/ To announce a year of favor from the Lord/ and a day of vindication by our God,/ to comfort all who mourn.
Slaves we are, but in our servitude
our God has not abandoned us.
(Ezr 9:9)
CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH
Remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and the Lord, your God, brought you from there with his strong hand and outstretched arm. (Dt 5:15)
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
Jesus Christ took on the nature of a slave to set us free. To him let us pray:
R/Hear us and speedily rescue us!
For those who are enslaved by poverty and oppression:
– send people of wisdom and generosity to discover ways to set them free. R/
For those who are enslaved by prejudice and fear:
– send people of courage and self-forgetfulness to lead them out of darkness. R/
For those who are enslaved by addictions, recognized and unrecognized:
– send people enlightened by their own struggles to guide them along right paths. R/
(Personal intentions)
Our Father….
God, you sent your only Son to set free a world laboring under the slavery of sin and death. Through the intercession of Saint Peter Claver, inspire many with zeal to lead to freedom all those still enslaved. 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.
