Sunday 8 December 2019
2nd Sunday of Advent
Morning Prayer (Lauds)
Introduction (without Invitatory)
If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, use the version with the Invitatory Psalm instead.
O God, come to our aid.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
________
Hymn
Hark! a herald voice is calling
Through the shadows of the night
‘Cast away the dreams of darkness
Christ descends with heavenly light.’
Wakened by the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, her sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
Lo, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n;
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all to be forgiv’n;
So, when next he comes with glory,
And his judgement-day draws near,
Faithful he may find his servants,
Watching till their Lord appear.
Honour, glory, might, and blessing
To the Father and the Son,
With the everlasting Spirit,
While eternal ages run.
________
Psalm 117 (118)
A cry of rejoicing and triumph
“This is the stone which was rejected by you builders, but which has become the cornerstone” (Acts 4:11).
We have a strong city. The Saviour will set up wall and rampart to guard it: open the gates, for God is with us. Alleluia.
Give thánks to the Lórd for he is góod, *
for his lóve endures for éver.
Let the sóns of Ísrael sáy: *
‘His lóve endures for éver.’
Let the sóns of Áaron sáy: *
‘His lóve endures for éver.’
Let thóse who fear the Lórd sáy: *
‘His lóve endures for éver.’
I cálled to the Lórd in my distréss; *
he ánswered and fréed me.
The Lórd is at my síde; I do not féar. *
What can mán do agáinst me?
The Lórd is at my síde as my hélper; *
I shall look dówn on my fóes.
It is bétter to take réfuge in the Lórd *
than to trúst in mén;
it is bétter to take réfuge in the Lórd *
than to trúst in prínces.
The nátions áll encómpassed me; *
in the Lórd’s name I crúshed them.
They cómpassed me, cómpassed me abóut; *
in the Lórd’s name I crúshed them.
They cómpassed me abóut like bées; †
they blázed like a fíre among thórns. *
In the Lórd’s name I crúshed them.
I was hárd-préssed and was fálling, *
but the Lórd came to hélp me.
The Lórd is my stréngth and my sóng; *
hé is my sáviour.
There are shóuts of jóy and víctory *
in the ténts of the júst.
The Lórd’s right hánd has tríumphed; †
his ríght hand ráised me. *
The Lórd’s right hánd has tríumphed;
I shall not díe, I shall líve *
and recóunt his déeds.
I was púnished, I was púnished by the Lórd, *
but nót doomed to díe.
Ópen to mé the gates of hóliness: *
I will énter and give thánks.
This is the Lórd’s own gáte *
where the júst may énter.
I will thánk you for yóu have ánswered *
and yóu are my sáviour.
The stóne which the búilders rejécted *
has becóme the córner stone.
Thís is the wórk of the Lórd, *
a márvel in our éyes.
Thís day was máde by the Lórd; *
we rejóice and are glád.
O Lórd, gránt us salvátion; *
O Lórd, grant succéss.
Bléssed in the náme of the Lórd *
is hé who cómes.
We bléss you from the hóuse of the Lórd; *
the Lord Gód is our líght.
Go fórward in procéssion with bránches *
éven to the áltar.
Yóu are my Gód, I thánk you. *
My Gód, I práise you.
Give thánks to the Lórd for he is góod; *
for his lóve endures for éver.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
We have a strong city. The Saviour will set up wall and rampart to guard it: open the gates, for God is with us. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Lord God, you have given us the great day of rejoicing: Jesus Christ, the stone rejected by the builders, has become the cornerstone of the Church, our spiritual home. Shed upon your Church the rays of your glory, that she may be seen as the gate of salvation open to all nations. Let cries of joy and exultation ring out from her tents, to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s resurrection.
________
Canticle
Daniel 3:52-57
Let every creature praise the Lord
“The Creator is blessed for ever” (Rom 1:25).
Come to the waters, all you who thirst: seek the Lord while he may be found. Alleluia.
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
Blest your glorious holy name. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest in the temple of your glory. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest who gaze into the depths. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest in the firmament of heaven. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You who walk on the wings of the wind. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
May they bless you, the saints and the angels. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
From the heavens, the earth and the sea. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
You are blest, Lord God of our fathers. *
To you glory and praise for evermore.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Come to the waters, all you who thirst: seek the Lord while he may be found. Alleluia.
________
Psalm 150
Praise the Lord
“Sing praise in your spirit, sing praise with your soul, that is: give glory to God in both your soul and your body” (Hesychius).
Behold, our Lord will come with strength and he will give light to the eyes of his servants. Alleluia.
Práise Gód in his hóly pláce, *
práise him in his míghty héavens.
Práise him for his pówerful déeds, *
práise his surpássing gréatness.
O práise him with sóund of trúmpet, *
práise him with lúte and hárp.
Práise him with tímbrel and dánce, *
práise him with stríngs and pípes.
O práise him with resóunding cýmbals, *
práise him with cláshing of cýmbals.
Let éverything that líves and that bréathes *
give práise to the Lórd.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Behold, our Lord will come with strength and he will give light to the eyes of his servants. Alleluia.
Psalm-prayer
Lord God, maker of heaven and earth and of all created things, you make your just one holy and you justify sinners who confess your name. Hear us as we humbly pray to you: give us eternal joy with your saints.
Or:
Lord God, through your saving plan all things are ours, and we are Christ’s and Christ is yours. Accept the praises of your Church. By these praises, through Christ, with him and in him, all your honour and glory is celebrated, all-powerful Father, in the Holy Spirit, now and for ever.
________
Short Reading
Romans 13:11-12
You know ‘the time’ has come: you must wake up now: our salvation is even nearer than it was when we were converted. The night is almost over, it will be daylight soon – let us give up all the things we prefer to do under cover of the dark; let us arm ourselves and appear in the light.
________
Short Responsory
Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
You are coming into the world.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– Christ, Son of the living God, have mercy on us.
________
Canticle
Benedictus
The Messiah and the one who was sent before him
A voice cries in the wilderness: ‘Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight!’ (Year A)
Or: Behold, I am sending a herald before you to prepare the way for you.
Bléssed be the Lórd, the Gód of Ísrael! *
He has vísited his péople and redéemed them.
He has raised úp for ús a mighty sáviour *
in the hóuse of Dávid his sérvant,
as he prómised by the líps of holy mén, *
thóse who were his próphets from of óld.
A sáviour who would frée us from our fóes, *
from the hánds of áll who háte us.
So his lóve for our fáthers is fulfílled *
and his hóly covenant remémbered.
He swóre to Ábraham our fáther to gránt us, *
that frée from féar, and sáved from the hánds of our fóes,
we might sérve him in hóliness and jústice *
all the dáys of our lífe in his présence.
As for yóu, little chíld, *
you shall be cálled a próphet of Gód, the Most Hígh.
You shall go ahéad of the Lórd *
to prépare his wáys befóre him,
To make knówn to his péople their salvátion *
through forgíveness of áll their síns,
the loving-kíndness of the héart of our Gód *
who vísits us like the dáwn from on hígh.
He will give líght to those in dárkness, †
those who dwéll in the shádow of déath, *
and gúide us into the wáy of péace.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
A voice cries in the wilderness: ‘Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight!’ (Year A)
Or: Behold, I am sending a herald before you to prepare the way for you.
________
Prayers and intercessions
It is time for us to wake out of our sleep: salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
– Father of light, we praise you!
Christ is coming, the day is near:
in our Eucharist today let us look forward with hope and joy.
– Father of light, we praise you!
As today we hear the scriptures, heralding the coming of your Son,
may our minds and hearts be touched by your Word.
– Father of light, we praise you!
As we receive the Body and Blood of your Son,
may we be healed and refreshed by your love.
– Father of light, we praise you!
United in one body, may we pursue the things that make for peace,
and build up our life together until Christ comes.
– Father of light, we praise you!
________
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
________
Almighty and merciful God,
let neither our daily work nor the cares of this life
prevent us from hastening to meet your Son.
Enlighten us with your wisdom
and lead us into his company.
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.
________
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
Copyright © 1996-2019 Universalis Publishing Limited: see www.universalis.com. Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible are published and copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc, and used by permission of the publishers. Text of the Psalms: Copyright © 1963, The Grail (England). Used with permission of A.P. Watt Ltd. All rights reserved.