Morning Prayer Advent 3
Gaudete Sunday
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Reveal among us the light of your presence
Allthat we may behold your power and glory.
One or more of the following is said or sung: this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Sovereign God of all, to you be praise and glory for ever.
In your tender compassion
the dawn from on high is breaking upon us to dispel the lingering shadows of night.
As we look for your coming among us this day, open our eyes to behold your presence
and strengthen our hands to do your will,
that the world may rejoice and give you praise. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
This opening prayer may be said
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.
AllAmen.
The Word of God
Psalmody
Psalm 146:4-10
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign for ever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!
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.
Old Testament Reading
Isaiah 35:1-10
35The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus 2it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. 3Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. 4Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; 6then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; 7the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. 8A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God’s people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray. 9No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. 10And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Canticle
A Song of the Wilderness
Refrain:
AllLift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings.
1The wilderness and the dry land shall rejoice, ♦
the desert shall blossom and burst into song.
2They shall see the glory of the Lord, ♦
the majesty of our God.
3Strengthen the weary hands, ♦
and make firm the feeble knees.
4Say to the anxious, ‘Be strong, fear not, your God is coming with judgement, ♦ coming with judgement to save you.’
5Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened, ♦
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
6Then shall the lame leap like a hart, ♦
and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy.
7For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, ♦
and streams in the desert;
8The ransomed of the Lord shall return with singing, ♦
with everlasting joy upon their heads.
9Joy and gladness shall be theirs, ♦
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Isaiah 35.1, 2b-4a, 4c-6, 10
AllGlory 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.
AllLift up your voice with strength, O herald of good tidings.
New Testament Reading
James 5:7-10
Patience in Suffering
7 Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. 9 Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! 10 As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 11:2-11
Messengers from John the Baptist
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?’ 4 Jesus answered them, ‘Go and tell John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. 6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.’
Jesus Praises John the Baptist
7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces. 9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.”
11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Now it is time to awake out of sleep,
All for the night is far spent and the day is at hand. Now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed,
All for the night is far spent.
Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light,
All for the day is at hand.
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ
and make no provision for the flesh,
All for the night is far spent and the day is at hand.
from Romans 13
Gospel Canticle
Thanksgiving and Praise
12 You will say on that day:
I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
and you comforted me.
2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the Lord God is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say on that day:
Give thanks to the Lord,
call on his name;
make known his deeds among the nations;
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be known in all the earth.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, O royal Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Isaiah12,2-6
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.
Prayers
Silence may be kept.
The Collect of the day is said
O Lord Jesus Christ,
who at your first coming sent your messenger
to prepare your way before you:
grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries
may likewise so prepare and make ready your way
by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,
that at your second coming to judge the world
we may be found an acceptable people in your sight;
for you are alive and reign with the Father
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 Lord, when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
All Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.