MORNING PRAYER1: The PreparationO Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise. In your resurrection, O Christ let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia. Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation, to you be praise and glory for ever. As once you ransomed your people from Egypt and led them to freedom in the promised land so now you have delivered us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son. May we, the first fruits of your new creation, rejoice in this new day you have made and praise you for your mighty acts. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever. - PASCHA NOSTRUM - The Easter Anthems (1 Cor 5.76, 8; Rom 6.9-11; 1 Cor 15.20-22) 1 Christ our passover has been sacrificed for us: • so let us celebrate the feast, 2 not with the old leaven of corruption and wickedness: * but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 3 Christ once raised from the dead dies no more: • death has no more dominion over him. 4 In dying he died to sin once for all: • in living he lives to God. 5 See yourselves therefore as dead to sin: • and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. 6 Christ has been raised from the dead: • the first fruits of those who sleep. 7 For as by man came death: • by man has come also the resurrection of the dead; 8 for as in Adam all die: • even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 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. - 2: The Word of GodThe PsalmodyPsalm 30 I will exalt you, O Lord, because you have lifted me up * and have not let my enemies triumph over me. O Lord my God, I cried out to you, * and you restored me to health. You brought me up, O Lord, from the dead; * you restored my life as I was going down to the grave. Sing to the Lord, you servants of his; * give thanks for the remembrance of his holiness. For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye, * his favor for a lifetime. Weeping may spend the night, * but joy comes in the morning. While I felt secure, I said, “I shall never be disturbed. * You, Lord, with your favor, made me as strong as the mountains.” Then you hid your face, * and I was filled with fear. I cried to you, O Lord; * I pleaded with the Lord, saying, “What profit is there in my blood, if I go down to the Pit? * will the dust praise you or declare your faithfulness? Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me; * O Lord, be my helper.” You have turned my wailing into dancing; * you have put off my sack-cloth and clothed me with joy. Therefore my heart sings to you without ceasing; * O Lord my God, I will give you thanks 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. Old Testament Canticle: The Song of Moses & Miriam (from Exodus 15)I will sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously; • the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my song • and has become my salvation. This is my God whom I will praise • the God of my forebears whom I will exalt. The Lord is a warrior, • the Lord is his name. Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power: • your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy. At the blast of your nostrils, the sea covered them; • they sank as lead in the mighty waters. In your unfailing love, O Lord, • you lead the people whom you have redeemed, And by your invincible strength • you will guide them to your holy dwelling You will bring them in and plant them, O Lord, • in the sanctuary which your hands have established 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 First Lesson:Jer. 31:27-34 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of humans and the seed of animals. And just as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring evil, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, says the Lord. In those days they shall no longer say: "The parents have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge." But all shall die for their own sins; the teeth of everyone who eats sour grapes shall be set on edge. The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt-- a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the Lord. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the Lord," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. The Second Lesson:Matt. 9:9-17 As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, "Follow me." And he got up and followed him. And as he sat at dinner in the house, many tax collectors and sinners came and were sitting with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard this, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have come to call not the righteous but sinners." Then the disciples of John came to him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?" And Jesus said to them, "The wedding guests cannot mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them, can they? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old cloak, for the patch pulls away from the cloak, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins; otherwise, the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed; but new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved." Scripture ResponseAwake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead and Christ shall give you light. Gospel Canticle: The Benedictus (Isaiah 43. 15-21)Easter Refrain The Lord is risen from the tomb who for our sakes hung upon the tree. Alleluia. Blessèd be the Lord, the God of Israel, for 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 that hate us; He promised to show mercy to our forebears, 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 all 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. The Lord is risen from the tomb who for our sakes hung upon the tree. Alleluia. - 3: The Apostles' CreedI 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. - 4: The PrayersOn this day that the Lord has made, let us pray for the people he has redeemed. That those born to new life in the waters of baptism may know the power of Christ's resurrection, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That those who suffer pain and anguish may find healing and peace in the wounds of Christ, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. That in the undying love of Christ, we may have union with all who have died in the faith of Christ, let us pray to the Lord: Lord, have mercy. Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for others. Silence may be kept. Let us commend the world, in which Christ rose from the dead, to the mercy and protection of God this day: The Collect:The collect of the day (see lectionary) or the following may be used: O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. The Lord’s Prayer: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. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. - 5: The
