Morning Prayer Easter Season
Sunday, 26th April 2026
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
In your resurrection, O Christ,
All let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia.
Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation, to you be praise and glory for ever.
As once you ransomed your people from Egypt and led them to freedom in the promised land,
so now you have delivered us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son.
May we, the first fruits of your new creation, rejoice in this new day you have made,
and praise you for your mighty acts. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
All Blessed be God for ever.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Word of God
Psalmody
Psalm 23
The Lord Is My Shepherd
A Psalm of David.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercyshall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Scripture Readings
Acts 2:42-47
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.
Life among the Believers
43 Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45 they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
1 Peter 2:19-25
19 For it is to your credit if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, where is the credit in that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.
22 ‘He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.’
23 When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Canticle
Refrain:
All In your unfailing love, O Lord, you lead the people whom you have redeemed. Alleluia.
1I will sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously, ♦
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
2The Lord is my strength and my song ♦
and has become my salvation.
3This is my God whom I will praise, ♦
the God of my forebears whom I will exalt.
4The Lord is a warrior, ♦
the Lord is his name.
5Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power: ♦
your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
6At the blast of your nostrils, the sea covered them; ♦
they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
7In your unfailing love, O Lord, ♦
you lead the people whom you have redeemed.
8And by your invincible strength ♦
you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
9You will bring them in and plant them, O Lord, ♦
in the sanctuary which your hands have established.
Exodus 15.1b-3, 6, 10, 13, 17
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
All In your unfailing love, O Lord, you lead the people whom you have redeemed. Alleluia.
Gospel Reading
John 10:1-10
Jesus the Good Shepherd
10 ‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. 2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ 6 Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7 So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Gospel Canticle
Refrain:
All The Lord is risen from the tomb
who for our sakes hung upon the tree. Alleluia.
1Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, ♦
who has come to his people and set them free.
2He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, ♦
born of the house of his servant David.
3Through his holy prophets God promised of old ♦
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us,
4To show mercy to our ancestors, ♦
and to remember his holy covenant.
5This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: ♦
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6Free to worship him without fear, ♦
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
7And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8To give his people knowledge of salvation ♦
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9In the tender compassion of our God ♦
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, ♦
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1.68-79
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
All The Lord is risen from the tomb
who for our sakes hung upon the tree. Alleluia.
Prayers
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty God,
whose Son Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life:
raise us, who trust in him, from the death of sin to the life of righteousness,
that we may seek those things which are above,
where he reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
The Conclusion
May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
All Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
All Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.