Morning Prayer - Saturday, 11 April 2020

Passiontide 

Easter Eve

Psalm 142
I cry aloud to the Lord; to the Lord I make my supplication. I pour out my complaint before him and tell him of my trouble. When my spirit faints within me, you know my path; in the way wherein I walk have they laid a snare for me. I look to my right hand, and find no one who knows me; I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for my soul.

I cry out to you, O Lord, and say:
‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living. Listen to my cry, for I am brought very low; save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks to your name; when you have dealt bountifully with me, then shall the righteous gather around me.’

Hosea 6.1-6
‘Come, let us return to the Lord;
   for it is he who has torn, and he will heal us;
   he has struck down, and he will bind us up.
After two days he will revive us;
   on the third day he will raise us up,
   that we may live before him.
Let us know, let us press on to know the Lord;
   his appearing is as sure as the dawn;
he will come to us like the showers,
   like the spring rains that water the earth.’
What shall I do with you, O Ephraim?
   What shall I do with you, O Judah?
Your love is like a morning cloud,
   like the dew that goes away early.
Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets,
   I have killed them by the words of my mouth,
   and my judgement goes forth as the light.
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
   the knowledge of God rather than burnt-offerings.

John 2.18-22
The Jews then said to him, ‘What sign can you show us for doing this?’ Jesus answered them, ‘Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.’ The Jews then said, ‘This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?’ But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) 

1. Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who has come to his people and set them free.

2. He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, born of the house of his servant David.

3. Through his holy prophets God promised of old to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all
    that hate us,

4. To show mercy to our ancestors, and to remember his holy covenant.

5. This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

6. Free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.

7. And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to
    prepare his way,

8. To give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of all their sins.

9. 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.

The Collect
Grant, Lord,
that we who are baptised into the death  of your Son our Saviour Jesus Christ
may continually put to death our evil desires
and be buried with him;
and that through the grave and gate of death we may pass to our joyful resurrection;
through his merits,  who died and was buried and rose again for us,
your Son Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

The Lord’s Prayer 

Standing at the foot of the cross, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.