Morning Prayer for Wednesdays in Christmas, Rite Two
25 December 2021
according to the Book of Common Prayer (p. 75ff.)
Share These Prayers
Invite someone to scan this QR code to pray with you.
This liturgy leaves spaces for the Psalm and up to three lessons. A reader might hold these passages ready to share at the appropriate places in the liturgy.
On Saturday nights of Sundays, if this service is taking the place of a Eucharist, one might wish to use lessons from the Eucharistic Lectionary, which can be conveniently found at lectionarypage.net.
Lessons for the daily office during the Christmas season (12 days) can be found in the Book of Common Prayer on pp. 940f.
You will note that lessons are not provided on those pages for 26, 27, and 28 December. Those are feast days for St. Stephen, St. John, and the Holy Innocents, respectively. Their readings can be found in the BCP on page 996. To make things a little more confusing, if any of these three feasts occur on a Sunday, they are transferred to the nearest subsequent weekday. For example, in 2021, 26 December is a Sunday. So the feast of St. Stephen is transferred to 27 Dec, the feast of St. John to 28 Dec, and the feast of the Holy Innocents to 29 December. (Calendars will disagree among themselves about this.)
If you don’t have a Bible handy, specific passages can be looked up on oremus Bible Browser.
For the first collect, “Proper to the Day” (after the Suffrages), one may again use lectionarypage.net, the collect for the current (on weekdays, the preceding) Sunday. In the BCP, Contemporary-language Collects are found on pp. 211ff. Collects for the three feasts following Christmas Day may be found on BCP pp. 237f.
Officiant:
Behold, the dwelling of God is with mankind. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their God. (Revelation 21:3)
BCP 80
The Invitatory and Psalter
Officiant:
Lord, open our lips.
People:
And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
All:
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.
People:
Alleluia. To us a child is born: Come let us adore him. Alleluia.
BCP 82
Jubilate (Psalm 100)
All:
Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; *
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.
Know this: The Lord himself is God; *
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.
People:
Alleluia. To us a child is born: Come let us adore him. Alleluia.
The People are seated.
The Psalms are sung or said in a suitable manner (e.g., responsively by verse, in unison, or read by the lector).
Psalm ____
. . .
At the end of the Psalms is sung or said
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.
The Lessons
Reader:
A Reading (Lesson) from _____________.
…
Reader:
The Word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
Silence may be kept.
BCP 87
Canticle 11: The Third Song of Isaiah – Surge, illuminare (Isaiah 60:1-3, 11a, 14c, 18-19)
All:
Arise, shine, for your light has come, *
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land; *
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise, *
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations Will stream to your light, *
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open; *
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord, *
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your land, *
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation, *
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by day; *
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your everlasting light, * and your God will be your glory.
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.
Reader:
A Reading (Lesson) from _____________.
…
Reader:
The Word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
Silence may be kept.
BCP 92
Canticle 16: The Song of Zechariah — Benedictus Dominus Deus — Luke 1:68–79
All:
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.
Reader:
A Reading (Lesson) from _____________.
…
Reader:
The Word of the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
Silence may be kept.
A brief homily, spiritual conversation, or moment of silence may be placed here.
The Apostles’ Creed
Officiant and People together, all standing
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Prayers
The people stand or kneel
Officiant:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you.
Officiant:
Let us pray.
Officiant and People:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
BCP 97
Suffrages A
Officiant & People call and respond:
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation under your care;
R. And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known upon earth;
R. Your saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
Collect Proper to the Day
BCP 100
A Collect for Grace
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
BCP 100
A Prayer for Mission
O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Here may be sung a hymn or anthem.
Authorized intercessions and thanksgivings may follow.
BCP 125
The General Thanksgiving
Officiant and People:
Almighty God, Father of all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable love
in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;
for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
BCP 102
Officiant:
Let us bless the Lord.
People:
Thanks be to God.
The Officiant then concludes with the following sentence of scripture:
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do inifinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. (Ephesians 3:20,21)
All:
Amen.