Let us prepare

ourselves for
the Morning
 Hours
for March 30
Morning Prayer
for Fourth Sunday
of Lent
(Laetare Sunday)
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.
Alleluia.
HYMN:
According to Thy gracious word,
In meek humility,
This will I do, my dying Lord,
I will remember Thee.
Thy body, broken for my sake,
My bread from heaven shall
be;
Thy testamental cup I take,
And thus remember Thee.
PSALMODY

Ant. 1 O God, my God, I give

you thanks; you are my God, I
shall proclaim your glory.
Psalm 118
Song of joy for salvation
This Jesus is the stone which, rejected by you builders,
has become the chief stone supporting all the rest (Acts
Give thanks to the Lord for
he is good,
for his love endures for
ever.
Let the sons of Israel say:
“His love endures for ever.”
Let the sons of Aaron say:
“His love endures for ever.”
Let those who fear the Lord say:
“His love endures for ever.”
I called to the Lord in my
distress;
he answered and freed me.
The Lord is at my side; I do not
fear.
what can man do against me?
The Lord is at my side as my
helper;
It is better to take refuge in the
Lord
than to trust in men;
it is better to take refuge in the
Lord
than to trust in princes.
The nations all encompassed me;
in the Lord’s name I crushed
them.
They compassed me, compassed
me about;
in the Lord’s name I crushed
them.
They compassed me about like
I was hard-pressed and was
falling
but the Lord came to help me.
The Lord is my strength and my
song;
he is my savior.
There are shouts of joy and
victory
The Lord’s right hand has
triumphed;
his right hand raised me.
The Lord’s right hand has
triumphed;
I shall not die, I shall live
and recount his deeds.
I was punished, I was punished by
the Lord,
Open to me the gates of holiness:
I will enter and give thanks.
This is the Lord’s own gate
where the just may enter.
I will thank you for you have
answered
and you are my savior.
The stone which the builders
rejected
has become the corner stone.
This is the work of the Lord,
a marvel in our eyes.
This day was made by the Lord;
we rejoice and are glad.
O Lord, grant us salvation;
O Lord, grant success.
Blessed in the name of the Lord
is he who comes.
We bless you from the house of the
Lord;
the Lord God is our light.
Go forward in procession with
branches
even to the altar.
You are my God, I thank you.
My God, I praise you.
Give thanks to the Lord for he is
good;
for his love endures for ever.
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, you have given us the great day

of rejoicing: Jesus Christ, the stone
rejected by the builders, has become the
cornerstone of the Church, our spiritual
home. Shed upon your Church the rays of
your glory, that it may be seen as the gate
of salvation open to all nations. Let cries of
joy and exultation ring out from its tents,
to celebrate the wonder of Christ’s
Ant. O God, my God, I give you
thanks; you are my God, I shall
proclaim your glory.
Ant. 2 God of might, deliver
us; free us from the power of
the enemy.

Canticle – Daniel 3:52 57

Let all creatures praise the Lord
The Creator… is blessed for ever
(Romans 1:25).
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our
fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all
forever.

And blessed is your holy and glorious

name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for
all ages.
Blessed are you in the temple of your
holy glory,
praiseworthy and glorious above all
forever.

Blessed are you on the throne of your

kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all
forever.
Blessed are you who look into the
depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all
forever.

Blessed are you in the firmament of

heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.
Bless the Lord, all you works of the
Lord,
praise and exalt him above all forever.

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 of might, deliver us;
free us from the power of the
enemy.
Ant. 3 Praise God for his
mighty deeds.

Psalm 150
Praise the Lord
Let mind and heart be in your song:
this is to glorify God with your whole
self (Hesychius).
Praise God in his holy place,
praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his powerful deeds,
praise his surpassing greatness.
O praise him with sound of
trumpet,
praise him with lute and harp.
Praise him with timbrel and dance,
praise him with strings and pipes.
O praise him with resounding
cymbals,
praise him with clashing of
cymbals.
Let everything that lives and that
breathes
give praise to the Lord.
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, maker of heaven and

earth and of all created things,
you make your just ones holy and
you justify sinners who confess
your name. Hear us as we humbly
pray to you: give us eternal joy
with your saints.
Ant. Praise God for his mighty
deeds.
READING See Nehemiah 8:9, 10

Today is holy to the Lord your God.

Do not be sad, and do not weep;
for today is holy to our Lord. Do
not be saddened this day, for
rejoicing in the Lord must be your
strength!
Sacred Silence (indicated by a
bell) – a moment to reflect and
receive in our hearts the full
resonance of the voice of the
Holy Spirit and to unite our
personal prayer more closely
with the word of God and public
voice of the Church.
 RESPONSORY

Christ, Son of the living

God, have mercy on us.
— Christ, Son of the
living God, have mercy
on us.
 RESPONSORY

You were wounded for

our offenses,
— have mercy on us.
 RESPONSORY

Glory to the Father, and

to the Son, and to the
Holy Spirit,
— Christ, Son of the
living God, have mercy
 CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH

Ant. It was unheard of for anyone

to open the eyes of a man born
blind until the coming of Christ,
the Son of God.

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
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
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. It was unheard of for anyone to open

the eyes of a man born blind until the
coming of Christ, the Son of God.
 INTERCESSIONS
Let us give glory to God, whose
kindness knows no limit.
Through Jesus Christ, who lives
for ever to intercede for us, let
us pray:

Kindle in our hearts the fire of

God of mercy, let today be a day
rich in good works,
— a day of generosity to all we
meet.

Kindle in our hearts the fire of your

love.
From the waters of the flood you
saved Noah through the ark,
— from the waters of baptism
raise up to new life those under
instruction.

Kindle in our hearts the fire of

your love.
May we live not by bread only,
— but by every word falling from
your lips.

Kindle in our hearts the fire of

your love.
Help us to do away with all
dissension,
— so that we may rejoice in your
gifts of peace and love.

Kindle in our hearts the fire of

your love.
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,
 Concluding Prayer
O God,
who through your Word reconcile the
human race
to yourself in a wonderful way,
grant, we pray,
that with prompt devotion and eager
faith
the Christian people may hasten
toward the solemn celebrations to
Through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
— Amen.
 DISMISSAL

May the Lord bless us,

protect us from all evil
and bring us to
everlasting life.
— Amen.