Morning Prayer

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Opening sentence

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

Morning readings

Zephaniah 3:14-18 NLT:

“Sing, O daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! “Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! For the Lord will remove his hand of judgment and will disperse the armies of your enemy. And the Lord himself, the King of Israel, will live among you! At last your troubles will be over, and you will never again fear disaster.

“On that day the announcement to Jerusalem will be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don’t be afraid! For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

“I will gather you who mourn for the appointed festivals; you will be disgraced no more.”

Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21 NLT:

Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre; make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. Sing a new song of praise to him; play skillfully on the harp, and sing with joy.
__________

But the Lord’s plans stand firm forever; his intentions can never be shaken. What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people he has chosen as his inheritance.
__________

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

Luke 1:39-45 NLT:

A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”

Reflection/Prayer:

“Sing Over Me” – Bethany Dillon and Nichole Nordeman

I live in the wonder of Your love / You rise like the sun in my heart / Even when the night draws near to me / There You are

I will wade in the water of mercy / I will walk in the light of Your will / Whatever should come against me / Teach me to be still

As you / Sing over me / Draw me close to rest in Your peace / Sing over me / Oh, sing

Sing of Your unending faithfulness / That knows no doubt or fear / In the face of all that I don’t know yet / Remind me of who You are

You are mighty / You will save / Rejoice over me with singing / You will quiet / By Your love / Glory over me with singing

Canticle

Christ, as a light… illumine and guide me. Christ, as a shield… overshadow me. Christ under me; Christ over me; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful. Be in the heart of each to whom I speak; in the mouth of each who speaks unto me. This day be within and without me, lowly and meek, yet all-powerful.

Christ as a light; Christ as a shield; Christ beside me on my left and my right.

Blessing

May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you, wherever He may send you. May He guide you through the wilderness, protect you through the storm. May He bring you home rejoicing at the wonders He has shown you. May He bring you home rejoicing once again into our doors.

+ In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Peanut Gallery: The Morning Prayer readings are from the USCCB Daily Readings and the format from the Daily Office of the Northumbrian Community as available online here… and in the book form, Celtic Daily Prayer available on Amazon.com. The website and prayer book are rich in prayer resources and I commend them to you.