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Morning Prayer

Tuesday, January 6, 2026 • The Epiphany of the Lord
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Opening

Lord, open my lips.

And my mouth will proclaim your praise.

O God, come to my assistance.

Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Hymn
O Come, All Faithful
O come, all faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord;
born this happy morning, O come and adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
God of God, Light of Light,
he abhors not the Virgin's womb;
very God, begotten not created:
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
sing, all you citizens of heaven above;
glory to God in the highest:
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be glory given;
word of the Father, now in flesh appearing:
O come, let us adore him, Christ the Lord.
Psalmody
Psalm 43Lament of a Troubled People
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
We have heard with our ears, O God; our fathers have declared to us the work that you did in their days and in the days of old.
Your hand destroyed the Gentiles and you planted them; you afflicted peoples and cast them out.
For they did not acquire the land by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them.
But your right hand and your arm and the light of your countenance, because you were pleased with them.
You yourself are my king and my God, who command the salvation of Jacob.
Through you we will push down our enemies with the horn, and through your name we will despise those who rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow, and my sword will not save me.
But you have saved us from those who afflict us, and you have put to shame those who hate us.
In God we will be praised all day long, and in your name we will confess forever.
But now you have rejected and despised us, and you will not go out, O God, in our armies.
You have turned us back behind our enemies, and those who hated us plundered for themselves.
You have given us up like sheep to be eaten, and among the Gentiles you have dispersed us.
You have sold your people for no price, and there was no multitude in exchange for them.
You have made us a reproach to our neighbors, a mockery and a derision to those who are around us.
You have set us as a comparison among the Gentiles, a shaking of the head among the peoples.
All day long my shame is before me, and the confusion of my face has covered me,
at the voice of the one speaking ill and the detractor, at the face of the enemy and the pursuer.
All these things have come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, and we have not acted unjustly in your covenant.
And our heart has not turned backward, and you have not turned aside our steps from your way.
For you have humbled us in the place of affliction, and the shadow of death has covered us.
If we have forgotten the name of our God, and if we have extended our hands to a strange god,
will God not investigate these things? For he knows the hidden things of the heart.
For because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are being considered as sheep for the slaughter.
Rise up; why do you sleep, O Lord? Arise, and do not reject us forever.
Why do you turn your face away and forget our poverty and our tribulation?
For our soul has been humbled in the dust; our belly has clung to the earth.
Rise up, O Lord, help us and redeem us for the sake of your name.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
Psalm 65Come and See What God Has Done
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
Shout with joy to God, all the earth; sing a psalm to his name; give glory to his praise.
Say to God: "How awesome are your works, O Lord! In the multitude of your power your enemies will lie to you."
Let all the earth adore you and sing a psalm to you; let it sing a psalm to your name.
Come and see the works of God; he is formidable in his designs on the sons of men.
He turns the sea into dry land; in the river they will cross on foot; there we will rejoice in him.
He rules in his power forever; his eyes watch over the nations.
Let the rebellious not be exalted in themselves.
Bless our God, you Gentiles, and make the voice of his praise be heard;
who has set my soul in life, and has not given my feet into stirring.
For you have proved us, O God; you have tried us by fire, just as silver is tested.
You led us into a snare; you placed afflictions on our back.
You set men over our heads; we passed through fire and water; and you brought us out into refreshment.
I will enter into your house with burnt offerings; I will repay you my vows
which my lips distinguished and my mouth spoke in my tribulation.
I will offer to you burnt offerings full of marrow, with the burning of rams.
I will offer to you bulls and he-goats.
Come, hear, and I will tell you, all who fear God, what great things he has done for my soul.
I cried out to him with my mouth, and I extolled him with my tongue.
If I have looked upon iniquity in my heart, let the Lord not hear me.
Therefore, God has heard me and has attended to the voice of my supplication.
Blessed is God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Today Christ is born for us; glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.
Old Testament Canticle
Old Testament Canticle (Isaiah 26:1–4, 7–9, 12)
We have a strong city; he will set up salvation in our walls and the ramparts.
Open the gates, and the just nation will enter, keeping the truth.
The ancient error has passed away; you will keep peace, peace, because we have hoped in you.
You have hoped in the Lord forever, in the Lord God the strong forever.
The way of the just is right; the path of the just is straight to walk.
And in the way of your judgments, O Lord, we have hoped for you; your name and your remembrance is the desire of the soul.
My soul has desired you in the night; yes, and my spirit within me in the morning will watch for you.
Lord, you will give us peace; for all our works you have accomplished for us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Gospel Canticle: Benedictus (Luke 1:68-79)
The Canticle of Zechariah (Benedictus) (Luke 1:68–79)
Ant. Today Christ is born; today the Savior has appeared; today the angels are singing on earth.
Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited and accomplished the redemption of his people.
And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of David his servant.
As he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets, those who have been from the beginning:
Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.
To show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath which he swore to our father Abraham, that he would grant to us,
that being freed from the hand of our enemies, we might serve him without fear,
in holiness and justice before him, throughout all our days.
And you, child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways.
To give knowledge of salvation to his people, for the remission of their sins,
through the compassionate mercy of our God, by which the Rising Sun has visited us from on high,
to illuminate those sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet in the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Today Christ is born; today the Savior has appeared; today the angels are singing on earth.
Short Reading
Luke 2:10–11
The angel said to them: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a Savior has been born, who is Christ the Lord."
Responsory
V. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
R. and we have seen his glory.
V. Full of grace and truth,
R. we have seen his glory.
Intercessions
Rejoicing in the birth of Christ our Savior, let us offer our prayers, saying:
For peace in the world, that the Prince of Peace may reign in every heart and in every nation: we pray to you, O Lord.
Glory to God in the highest.
For children and families, especially those experiencing poverty, that they may know the warmth and security that the Holy Family sought: we pray to you, O Lord.
Glory to God in the highest.
For refugees and those far from home, that they may find welcome and shelter: we pray to you, O Lord.
Glory to God in the highest.
For our parish and our bishop, that the joy of Christmas may deepen our life together in faith: we pray to you, O Lord.
Glory to God in the highest.
For those for whom Christmas is a time of grief or loneliness, that your comfort may surround them: we pray to you, O Lord.
Glory to God in the highest.
For a spirit of generosity in this season, that we may share our gifts as God has shared the greatest gift: we pray to you, O Lord.
Glory to God in the highest.
The Lord's Prayer
Let us pray as the Lord himself has taught us:
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.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
Concluding Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, by your incarnation you have joined heaven and earth and reconciled all people to yourself. Grant that in all we do this day we may reflect the light of your presence; who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Dismissal

The Lord be with you.
And with your spirit.

May almighty God bless us: the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.