Morning Prayer for Holy Thursday
Morning Prayer
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 for ever. Amen.
HYMN
Now Christ, O Sun of righteousness,
Let dawn our darkened spirits bless:
The light of grace to us restore
While day to earth returns once more.
To us you give the accepted time,
Give, too, a heart that mourns for crime,
Let those by mercy now be cured
Whom loving-kindness long endured.
Spare not, we pray, to send us here
Some penance kindly but severe,
So let your gift of pardoning grace
Our grievous sinfulness efface.
Soon will that day, your day, appear
And all things with its brightness cheer:
We will rejoice in it, as we
Return thereby to grace, and thee.
Let all the world from shore to shore
O gracious Trinity, adore;
Right soon your loving pardon grant,
That we our new-made song may chant. Amen.
Tune: Beatus Vir L.M.
Music: Slovak Hymn
Text: Iam, Christe, sol iustitiae, tenth century or possibly Ambrosian
Translation: The Primer of 1706, attributed to John Dryden, 1631-1701
PSALMODY
Ant. 1 Look, O Lord, and see my suffering. Come quickly to my aid.
Psalm 80
Lord, come, take care of your vineyard
Come, Lord Jesus (Revelation 22:20).
O shepherd of Israel, hear us, *
you who lead Joseph’s flock,
shine forth from your cherubim throne *
upon Ephraim, Benjamin, Manasseh.
O Lord, rouse up your might, *
O Lord, come to our help.
God of hosts, bring us back; *
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Lord God of hosts, how long *
will you frown on your people’s plea?
You have fed them with tears for their bread, *
an abundance of tears for their drink.
You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, *
our enemies laugh us to scorn.
God of hosts, bring us back; *
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
You brought a vine out of Egypt; *
to plant it you drove out the nations.
Before it you cleared the ground; *
it took root and spread through the land.
The mountains were covered with its shadow, *
the cedars of God with its boughs.
It stretched out its branches to the sea, *
to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.
Then why have you broken down its walls? *
It is plucked by all who pass by.
It is ravaged by the boar of the forest, *
devoured by the beasts of the field.
God of hosts, turn again, we implore, *
look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it, *
the vine your right hand has planted.
Men have burnt it with fire and destroyed it. *
May they perish at the frown of your face.
May your hand be on the man you have chosen, *
the man you have given your strength.
And we shall never forsake you again: *
give us life that we may call upon your name.
God of hosts, bring us back; *
let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Lord God, eternal shepherd, you so tend the vineyard you planted that now it extends its branches even to the farthest coast. Look down on your Church and come to us. Help us remain in your Son as branches on the vine, that, planted firmly in your love, we may testify before the whole world to your great power working everywhere.
Ant. Look, O Lord, and see my suffering. Come quickly to my aid.
Ant. 2 God is my savior; I trust in him and shall not fear.
Canticle: Isaiah 12:1-6
Joy of God’s ransomed people
If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink (John 7:37).
I give you thanks, O Lord; †
though you have been angry with me, *
your anger has abated, and you have consoled me.
God indeed is my savior; *
I am confident and unafraid.
My strength and my courage is the Lord, *
and he has been my savior.
With joy you will draw water *
at the fountain of salvation, and say on that day:
Give thanks to the Lord, acclaim his name; †
among the nations make known his deeds, *
proclaim how exalted is his name.
Sing praise to the Lord for his glorious achievement; *
let this be known throughout all the earth.
Shout with exultation, O city of Zion, †
for great in your midst *
is the Holy One of Israel!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. God is my savior; I trust in him and shall not fear.
Ant. 3 The Lord has fed us with the finest wheat; he has filled us with honey from the rock.
Psalm 81
Solemn renewal of the Covenant
See that no one among you has a faithless heart (Hebrews 3:12).
Ring out your joy to God our strength, *
shout in triumph to the God of Jacob.
Raise a song and sound the timbrel, *
the sweet-sounding harp and the lute,
blow the trumpet at the new moon, *
when the moon is full, on our feast.
For this is Israel’s law, *
a command of the God of Jacob.
He imposed it as a rule on Joseph, *
when he went out against the land of Egypt.
A voice I did not know said to me: *
“I freed your shoulder from the burden;
your hands were freed from the load. *
You called in distress and I saved you.
I answered, concealed in the storm cloud, *
at the waters of Meribah I tested you.
Listen, my people, to my warning, *
O Israel, if only you would heed!
Let there be no foreign god among you, *
no worship of an alien god.
I am the Lord your God, †
who brought you from the land of Egypt. *
Open wide your mouth and I will fill it.
But my people did not heed my voice *
and Israel would not obey,
so I left them in their stubbornness of heart *
to follow their own designs.
O that my people would heed me, *
that Israel would walk in my ways!
At once I would subdue their foes, *
turn my hand against their enemies.
The Lord’s enemies would cringe at their feet *
and their subjection would last for ever.
But Israel I would feed with finest wheat *
and fill them with honey from the rock.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm Prayer
Lord God, open our mouths to proclaim your glory. Help us to leave sin behind and to rejoice in professing your name.
Ant. The Lord has fed us with the finest wheat; he has filled us with honey from the rock.
READING
Hebrews 2:9-10
We see Jesus crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, that through God’s gracious will he might taste death for the sake of all men. Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many sons to glory God, for whom and through whom all things exist, should make their leader in the work of salvation perfect through suffering.
RESPONSORY
By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God.
– By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God.
From every tribe, and tongue, and people and nation,
– you brought us back to God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
– By your own blood, Lord, you brought us back to God.
GOSPEL CANTICLE
Ant. I have longed to eat this meal with you before I suffer.
Canticle of Zechariah
Luke 1:68-79
The Messiah and his forerunner
Blessed + be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old †
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into 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 for ever. Amen.
Ant. I have longed to eat this meal with you before I suffer.
INTERCESSIONS
The Father anointed Christ with the Holy Spirit to proclaim forgiveness to those in bondage. Let us humbly call upon the eternal priest:
Lord, have mercy on us.
You went up to Jerusalem to suffer and so enter into your glory,
– bring your Church to the Passover feast of heaven.
Lord, have mercy on us.
You were lifted high on the cross and pierced by the soldier’s lance,
– heal our wounds.
Lord, have mercy on us.
You made the cross the tree of life,
– give its fruit to those reborn in baptism.
Lord, have mercy on us.
On the cross you forgave the repentant thief,
– forgive us our sins.
Lord, have mercy on us.
THE LORD’S PRAYER
(Gathering our prayer and praises into one, let us offer the prayer Christ himself 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.
CONCLUDING PRAYER
God of infinite compassion,
to love you is to be made holy;
fill our hearts with your love.
By the death of your Son
you have given us hope, born of faith;
by his rising again
fulfill this hope
in the perfect love of heaven,
where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
– Amen.
DISMISSAL
If a priest or deacon presides, he dismisses the people:
The Lord be with you.
– And with your spirit.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
– Amen.
Another form of the blessing may be used, as at Mass.
Then he adds:
Go in peace.
– Thanks be to God.