Morning Prayer - the Annunciation

Morning Prayer
Feast of the Annunciation
March 25
______
Lord open our lips
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy Immortal One
Have mercy on us (3x)

Though he was in the form of God,
Jesus not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,- Isaiah 11:1-3a

Hymn

Tune: Gabriel's Message

The angel Gabriel from Heaven came,
His wings as drifted snow, his eyes as flame;
“All hail,” said he, “thou lowly maiden Mary,
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

“For know a blessèd mother thou shalt be,
All generations laud and honor thee,
Thy Son shall be Emmanuel, by seers foretold,
Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

Then gentle Mary meekly bowed her head,
“To me be as it pleaseth God,” she said,
“My soul shall laud and magnify His holy Name.”
Most highly favored lady, Gloria!

Of her, Emmanuel, the Christ, was born
In Bethlehem, all on a Christmas morn,
And Christian folk throughout the world will ever say—
“Most highly favored lady,” Gloria!

Words: Basque carol; translated to English by Sabine Baring Gould 1834-1924).

Antiphon: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; Come let us adore him.

Venite (Psalm 95:1-7)

Come let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

Antiphon: The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us; Come let us adore him.

The Psalms

Ant. 1: The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph.

Fundamenta ejus

On the holy mountain stands the city he has founded; *
the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Glorious things are spoken of you, *
O city of our God.

I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; *
behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia:
in Zion were they born.

Of Zion it shall be said, "Everyone was born in her, *
and the Most High himself shall sustain her."

The LORD will record as he enrolls the peoples, *
"These also were born there."

The singers and the dancers will say, *
"All my fresh springs are in you."

Ant. 1: The angel Gabriel was sent to the Virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph.

Ant. 2: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

132

Memento, Domine

1: LORD, remember David, *
and all the hardships he endured;
2: How he swore an oath to the LORD *
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3: "I will not come under the roof of my house, *
nor climb up into my bed;
4: I will not allow my eyes to sleep, *
nor let my eyelids slumber;
5: Until I find a place for the LORD, *
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
6: "The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; *
we found it in the fields of Jearim.
7: Let us go to God's dwelling place; *
let us fall upon our knees before his footstool."
8: Arise, O LORD, into your resting-place, *
you and the ark of your strength.
9: Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; *
let your faithful people sing with joy.
10: For your servant David's sake, *
do not turn away the face of your Anointed.
11: The LORD has sworn an oath to David; *
in truth, he will not break it:
12: "A son, the fruit of your body *
will I set upon your throne.
13: If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore."
14: For the LORD has chosen Zion; *
he has desired her for his habitation:
15: "This shall be my resting-place for ever; *
here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
16: I will surely bless her provisions, *
and satisfy her poor with bread.
17: I will clothe her priests with salvation, *
and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.
18: There will I make the horn of David flourish; *
I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.
19: As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; *
but as for him, his crown will shine."

Ant. 2: Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

Ant. 3: Trusting in the Lord's promise, the Virgin Mary conceived a child, and remaining a virgin, she gave birth to the Saviour.

110:1-5,7

Dixit Dominus

1: The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, *
until I make your enemies your footstool."
2: The LORD will send the scepter of your power out of Zion, *
saying, "Rule over your enemies round about you.
3: Princely state has been yours from the day of your birth; *
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning."
4: The LORD has sworn and he will not recant: *
"You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
5: The Lord who is at your right hand
will smite kings in the day of his wrath; *
he will rule over the nations.
7: He will drink from the brook beside the road; *
therefore he will lift high his head.

Ant. 3: Trusting in the Lord's promise, the Virgin Mary conceived a child, and remaining a virgin, she gave birth to the Saviour.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

First Reading

Isaiah 52:7-12
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Depart, depart, go out from there! Touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the LORD. For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight; for the LORD will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.

Canticle
Te Deum Laudamus

You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord; we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
     Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
     heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;
     Father, of majesty unbounded,
     your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
     and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come and be our judge.
     Come then, Lord, and help your people,
     bought with the price of your own blood,
     and bring us with your saints
     to glory everlasting.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Second Reading

Hebrews 2:5-10
Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, ‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, subjecting all things under their feet.’ Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Second Canticle
Benedictus

Antiphon: You will give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will bear the title Son of the Most High.

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 be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

Antiphon: You will give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will bear the title Son of the Most High.

Responsory
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.
Blessed are you among women and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
The Lord is with you.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to he Holy Spirit
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.

Collect
Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Intercessions

Today we celebrate the beginning of our salvation when the coming of the Lord was announced by the angel. Let us pray with joy in our hearts, saying:
(R.) May God's holy Mother intercede for us.

Mary received God's word with joy,
- may joy fill our hearts as we welcome our Saviour. (R.)

You looked with love on your lowly servant,
- in your mercy, Father, remember us and all your children. (R.)

Mary, the new Eve, was obedient to your word,
- may we echo her loving obedience. (R.)

May God's holy Mother help all in distress, encourage the fainthearted, console the sorrowful,
-may she pray for your holy people, for the clergy, and for all women dedicated to your service.(R.)

Our Father…

Closing Prayer:
God our Father,
your Word became flesh and was born of the Virgin Mary.
May we become more like Jesus Christ,
whom we acknowledge as our redeemer, God and man.
We ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Who live and reigns with you and Holy Spirit
One God, forever and ever, Amen.