← Prayer Book
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.
Morning Prayer
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 • Saint Cyril of Jerusalem, Bishop and Doctor
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
Now in This Fast
Now in this fast, this holy season,
we turn to you, O Lord, and pray;
grant us the grace of true contrition,
to keep your ways throughout this day.
we turn to you, O Lord, and pray;
grant us the grace of true contrition,
to keep your ways throughout this day.
Let not our lips speak idle boasting;
let not our hearts be turned to pride;
but may we fast and pray in secret,
with you, O Lord, at every side.
let not our hearts be turned to pride;
but may we fast and pray in secret,
with you, O Lord, at every side.
Strengthen the frail and weak among us;
Heal the broken and contrite;
grant your forgiveness to the fallen;
and bring the wanderer back to light.
Heal the broken and contrite;
grant your forgiveness to the fallen;
and bring the wanderer back to light.
To God the Father be all glory,
and to his Son who for us died,
and to the Spirit, gift of Easter,
now and for ever glorified.
and to his Son who for us died,
and to the Spirit, gift of Easter,
now and for ever glorified.
Psalmody
Psalm 36Trust in Providence
Ant. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Do not vie with evildoers, nor envy those who work iniquity.
For they will quickly wither like grass and fade like the green herb.
Hope in the Lord and do good, and dwell in the land, and you will be fed with its riches.
Delight in the Lord and he will give you the requests of your heart.
Reveal your way to the Lord, and hope in him, and he will accomplish it.
And he will bring forth your justice like light and your judgment like midday.
Be subject to the Lord and pray to him; do not vie with the man who prospers in his way, with the man who acts unjustly.
Cease from anger and leave behind fury; do not vie with others so as to do evil.
For those who do evil will be destroyed, but those who endure the Lord, they will inherit the earth.
And yet a little while and the sinner will not be; and you will seek his place and will not find it.
But the meek will inherit the earth and will delight in abundance of peace.
The sinner will watch the just and will gnash his teeth against him.
But the Lord will laugh at him, for he foresaw that his day would come.
The wicked have drawn out the sword; they have bent their bow, to cast down the poor and the needy, to slaughter the upright of heart.
Let their sword enter into their own hearts, and let their bows be broken.
Better is a little to the just than the many riches of the wicked.
For the arms of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord strengthens the just.
The Lord knows the days of the undefiled, and their inheritance will be in eternity.
They will not be confounded in an evil time, and in the days of famine they will be satisfied.
For the wicked will perish; but the enemies of the Lord, immediately after they are honored and exalted, will be consumed and fade away like smoke.
The sinner will borrow and will not repay; but the just one shows mercy and gives.
For those who bless him will inherit the earth; but those who curse him will perish.
The steps of a man will be directed by the Lord, and he will desire his way.
When he falls, he will not be destroyed, for the Lord places his hand below.
I was young and now I am old; yet I have not seen the just one forsaken, nor his seed seeking bread.
He shows mercy all day long and lends, and his seed will be in blessing.
Depart from evil and do good, and dwell forever and ever.
For the Lord loves judgment and will not forsake his saints; they will be preserved forever.
The unjust will be punished, and the seed of the wicked will perish.
But the just will inherit the earth and will dwell upon it forever.
The mouth of the just will meditate wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgment.
The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps will not be supplanted.
The wicked spy on the just and seeks to put him to death.
But the Lord will not leave him in his hands, nor condemn him when he is judged.
Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the earth; when the wicked perish, you will see it.
I have seen the wicked highly exalted and lifted up like the cedars of Lebanon.
And I passed by, and behold, he was not; and I sought him and his place was not found.
Keep innocence and behold equity, for the remnants of the peaceful man are peaceable.
But the unjust will be destroyed together; the remnants of the wicked will perish.
But the salvation of the just comes from the Lord, and he is their protector in the time of trouble.
And the Lord will help them and rescue them; and he will rescue them from the wicked and will save them, because they have hoped in him.
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.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 47The City of the Great King
Ant. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised, in the city of our God, on his holy mountain.
With the joy of the whole earth, Mount Zion will be founded, on the sides of the north, the city of the great king.
In her houses God will be known, when he takes her under his protection.
For behold, kings of the earth assembled together; they gathered as one.
They saw and were astonished; they were troubled and were moved.
Trembling took hold of them; there were pains like those of a woman in labor.
By a violent wind you will break the ships of Tarshish.
As we have heard, so we have seen, in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God.
God has founded it forever.
We have received your mercy, O God, in the midst of your temple.
According to your name, O God, so also is your praise unto the ends of the earth; your right hand is full of justice.
Let Mount Zion rejoice and the daughters of Judah be glad, because of your judgments, O Lord.
Surround Zion and embrace her; speak in her towers.
Set your hearts on her strength and distribute her houses, so that you may tell it in another generation.
For this is God, our God, unto eternity and beyond eternity; he will govern us forever.
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.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Old Testament Canticle
Old Testament Canticle (Judith 16:2–3, 13–15)
Begin to the Lord with timbrels; sing to the Lord with cymbals; tune to him a new psalm; exalt and call upon his name.
The Lord crushes wars; The Lord is his name.
I will sing to my Lord a new hymn. O Lord, you are great and glorious, wonderful in strength, invincible.
Let all your creatures serve you; for you spoke, and they were made.
You sent your spirit, and they were created; and there is no one who can resist your voice.
Mountains from their foundations will be moved with the waters; before you the rocks will melt like wax.
But those who fear you will be great before you in all things.
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.
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. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
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.
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Ant. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
Short Reading
James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds.
Responsory
V. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love.
R. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love.
V. According to the multitude of your tender mercies,
R. blot out my transgressions.
Intercessions
With penitent hearts let us pray to the Lord, saying:
For the whole church in this holy season, that our prayer, fasting, and almsgiving may draw us closer to you: we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those preparing for baptism at Easter, that they may be strengthened in faith and filled with hope: we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who have fallen away from the faith, that this season may be a time of return and healing: we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For those who are suffering, especially those who suffer as a result of injustice, that your mercy may reach them: we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For ourselves, that this Lent may bring genuine conversion of heart and renewal of our baptismal promises: we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
For all who are dying, that they may come at last to the hope of resurrection: we pray to you, O Lord.
Lord, have mercy.
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
O God, you call us to repentance and conversion of heart. Grant that this Lenten season may deepen our love for you and strengthen our commitment to live the gospel; through Christ our Lord. 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.