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Morning Prayer

Saturday, March 28, 2026 • Lent, Week 5 — Saturday
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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
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.
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.
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.
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.
Psalmody
Psalm 119How Shall a Young Man Cleanse His Way? (Beth)
Ant. Do not forsake me, O Lord; be not far from me, O my God.
In what way does a young man correct his path? By keeping your words.
With my whole heart I have sought you; do not push me away from your commandments.
In my heart I have hidden your eloquence, so that I may not sin against you.
Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your justifications.
With my lips, I have pronounced all the judgments of your mouth.
I have been delighted in the way of your testimonies, as if in all riches.
I will meditate on your commandments, and I will consider your ways.
I will think about your justifications; I will not forget your words.
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. Do not forsake me, O Lord; be not far from me, O my God.
Psalm 131Remember David's Oath
Ant. Do not forsake me, O Lord; be not far from me, O my God.
O Lord, remember David and all his meekness.
How he swore to the Lord; he made a vow to the God of Jacob.
"I will not enter into the tabernacle of my house, nor will I climb into the bed where I lie;"
"I will not give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,"
"or rest to my temples, until I find a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob."
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrata; we found it in the fields of the forest.
We will enter into his tabernacle; we will adore in the place where his feet have stood.
Arise, O Lord, into your rest, you and the ark of your sanctification.
Let your priests be clothed with justice, and let your holy ones exult.
For the sake of your servant David, do not turn away the face of your Christ.
The Lord has sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void.
"Of the fruit of your womb, I will set upon your throne."
"If your sons will keep my covenant and my testimonies which I will teach them,"
"their sons also, even forever, will sit upon your throne."
For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has chosen it for his dwelling.
"This is my rest forever and ever; here I will dwell, for I have chosen it."
"Blessing, I will bless her widow; her poor I will satisfy with bread."
"Her priests I will clothe with salvation, and her holy ones will exult with exultation."
"There I will raise up a horn for David; I have prepared a lamp for my Christ."
"His enemies I will clothe with confusion, but upon him my sanctification will flourish."
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. Do not forsake me, O Lord; be not far from me, O my God.
Old Testament Canticle
Old Testament Canticle (Wisdom 9:1–6, 9–11)
O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy, who made all things by your word,
and by your wisdom you have established man, so that he may have dominion over the creature that was made by you,
and that he may order the world in equity and justice, and execute judgment with an upright heart:
give me wisdom, the consort of your thrones, and do not reject me from among your children.
For I am your servant and the son of your handmaid, a weak man and of short life,
and too little to understand judgment and laws.
For wisdom is with you, knowing your works, which was also present when you made the world.
And she knows what is pleasing in your eyes, and what is right in your commandments.
Send her from the holy heavens, and from the throne of your majesty send her, so that she may be with me and may work with 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.
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.
Ant. Create a clean heart in me, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
Short Reading
1 John 1:8–9
If we say, "We are without sin," we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing.
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
Merciful God, accompany us on this Lenten journey. As we follow Jesus toward Jerusalem, open our eyes to his suffering, our hearts to his love, and our wills to his call to take up our cross and follow him; through the same Jesus 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.