Morning Prayer

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

Opening sentence

Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King.

Morning readings

Isaiah 62:11-12 NLT:

The Lord has sent this message to every land: “Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’”

They will be called “The Holy People” and “The People Redeemed by the Lord.” And Jerusalem will be known as “The Desirable Place” and “The City No Longer Forsaken.”

Psalm 97:1, 6, 11-12 NLT:

The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice! Let the farthest coastlands be glad.
__________

The heavens proclaim his righteousness; every nation sees his glory.
__________

Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right. May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord and praise his holy name!

Titus 3:4-7 NLT

“When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.”

Luke 1:67-79 NLT:

When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

Reflection/Prayer: Celtic Readings

Hail to the King. Blessed is He.
Let there be joy!

The peace of earth to Him; the joy of heaven to Him.

The homage of a King be His, King of all victory; the welcome of a Lamb be His, Lamb of all glory: the Son of glory down from on high.
Let there be joy!

Deep in the night the voice of the waves on the shore announced to us: Christ is born! Son of the Kings of kings from the land of salvation, the mountains glowed to Him, the plains glowed to Him, then shone the sun on the mountains high to Him.
Let there be joy!

God the Lord has opened a Door. Christ of hope. Door of joy! Son of Mary, hasten Thou to help me:

In me, Lord Christ, let there be joy.

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.