Morning Prayer Readings
Fourth Sunday in Lent

The First Lesson
The Second Lesson
The Collect
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The Psalter

First Set of Propers     Second Set of Propers



 

The Psalter (First Set of Propers)


Psalm 147


The One Hundred Forty Seventh Psalm

Laudate Dominum.


PRAISE the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; * yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.
 
The LORD doth build up Jerusalem, * and gather together the outcasts of Israel.
 
He healeth those that are broken in heart, * and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.
 
He telleth the number of the stars, * and calleth them all by their names.
 
Great is our Lord, and great is his power; * yea, and his wisdom is infinite.
 
The LORD setteth up the meek, * and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.
 
O sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; * sing praises upon the harp unto our God:
 
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; * and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men;
 
Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, * and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.
 
He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse; * neither delighteth he in any man's legs.
 
But the LORD'S delight is in them that fear him, * and put their trust in his mercy.
 
Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; * praise thy God, O Sion.
 
For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, * and hath blessed thy children within thee.
 
He maketh peace in thy borders, * and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.
 
He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, * and his word runneth very swiftly.
 
He giveth snow like wool, * and scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
 
He casteth forth his ice like morsels: * who is able to abide his frost?
 
He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: * he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow.
 
He showeth his word unto Jacob, * his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.
 
He hath not dealt so with any nation; * neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.



 

The Psalter (Second Set of Propers)


Psalm 18:1-20


The Eighteenth Psalm

Diligam te, Domine.


I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength. * The LORD is my stony rock, and my defence;
 
My Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust; * my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge.
 
I will call upon the LORD, which is worthy to be praised; * so shall I be safe from mine enemies.
 
The sorrows of death compassed me, * and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid.
 
The pains of hell came about me; * the snares of death overtook me.
 
In my trouble I called upon the LORD, * and complained unto my God:
 
So he heard my voice out of his holy temple, * and my complaint came before him; it entered even into his ears.
 
The earth trembled and quaked, * the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth.
 
There went a smoke out in his presence, * and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it.
 
He bowed the heavens also, and came down, * and it was dark under his feet.
 
He rode upon the Cherubim, and did fly; * he came flying upon the wings of the wind.
 
He made darkness his secret place, * his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him.
 
At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed; * hailstones and coals of fire.
 
The LORD also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder; * hailstones and coals of fire.
 
He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; * he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them.
 
The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered, * at thy chiding, O LORD, at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure.
 
He sent down from on high to fetch me, * and took me out of many waters.
 
He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me; * for they were too mighty for me
 
They came upon me in the day of my trouble; * but the LORD was my upholder.
 
He brought me forth also into a place of liberty; * he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me.
 

 
vs 21 The LORD rewarded me after my righteous dealing, * according to the cleanness of my hands did he recompense me.
 
Because I have kept the ways of the LORD, * and have not forsaken my God, as the wicked doth.
 
For I have an eye unto all his laws, * and will not cast out his commandments from me.
 
I was also uncorrupt before him, * and eschewed mine own wickedness.
 
Therefore the LORD rewarded me after my righteous dealing, * and according unto the cleanness of my hands in his eyesight.
 
With the holy thou shalt be holy, * and with a perfect man thou shalt be perfect.
 
With the clean thou shalt be clean, * and with the froward thou shalt be froward.
 
For thou shalt save the people that are in adversity, * and shalt bring down the high looks of the proud.
 
Thou also shalt light my candle; * the LORD my God shall make my darkness to be light.
 
For in thee I shall discomfit an host of men, * and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall.
 
The way of God is an undefiled way: * the word of the LORD also is tried in the fire; he is the defender of all them that put their trust in him.
 
For who is God, but the LORD? * or who hath any strength, except our God?
 
It is God that girdeth me with strength of war, * and maketh my way perfect.
 
He maketh my feet like harts' feet, * and setteth me up on high.
 
He teacheth mine hands to fight, * and mine arms shall bend even a bow of steel.
 

 
vs 36 Thou hast given me the defence of thy salvation; * thy right hand also shall hold me up, and thy loving correction shall make me great.
 
Thou shalt make room enough under me for to go, * that my footsteps shall not slide.
 
I will follow upon mine enemies, and overtake them; * neither will I turn again till I have destroyed them.
 
I will smite them, that they shall not be able to stand, * but fall under my feet.
 
Thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle; * thou shalt throw down mine enemies under me.
 
Thou hast made mine enemies also to turn their backs upon me, * and I shall destroy them that hate me.
 
They shall cry, but there shall be none to help them; * yea, even unto the LORD shall they cry, but he shall not hear them.
 
I will beat them as small as the dust before the wind: * I will cast them out as the clay in the streets.
 
Thou shalt deliver me from the strivings of the people, * and thou shalt make me the head of the nations; a people whom I have not known shall serve me.
 
As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; * the strangers shall feign obedience unto me.
 
The strangers shall fail, * and come trembling out of their strongholds.
 
The LORD liveth; and blessed be my strong helper, * and praised be the God of my salvation;
 
Even the God that seeth that I be avenged, * and subdueth the people unto me.
 
It is he that delivereth me from my cruel enemies, and setteth me up above mine adversaries: * thou shalt rid me from the wicked man.
 
For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O LORD, among the Gentiles, * and sing praises unto thy Name.
 
Great prosperity giveth he unto his King, * and showeth loving-kindness unto David his anointed, and unto his seed for evermore.



 

First Set of Propers     Second Set of Propers

 

The First Lesson (First Set of Propers)


Exodus 16:4-15


Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no. And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt: And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the Lord; for that he heareth your murmurings against the Lord: and what are we, that ye murmur against us? And Moses said, This shall be, when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord. And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the Lord: for he hath heard your murmurings. And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God. And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat.

 

The First Lesson (Second Set of Propers)


*Ezekiel 39:21


And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the Lord their God from that day and forward. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Now will I bring again the captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the Lord their God, which caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord God.



 

First Set of Propers     Second Set of Propers

 

The Second Lesson (First Set of Propers)


St. John 6:27-40


Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

The Second Lesson (Second Set of Propers)


II Corinthians 3:12


Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not stedfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.



 

The Collect

Fourth Sunday in Lent

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



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