(Make the sign of the cross with your right thumb on your lips, saying:)

Lord, open my lips and my mouth will proclaim your praise.

INVITATORY: Let us worship before the Lord, our maker.

Psalm 24 (23)
The Lord's is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things,
(who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.)

He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him.
These are the ones who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.

O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,
the Lord, the valiant in war.

O gates, lift high your heads;
grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!

Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies,
he is the king of glory.

Glory be 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

Let us worship before the Lord, our maker.

ANT: O Lord, in your light we see light itself.

Psalm 36 (35)
Sin whispers to sinners
in the depths of their hearts.
There is no fear of God before his eyes.

He so flatter himselve in his mind
that he knows not his guilt.
In his mouth is mischief and deceit.
All wisdom is gone.

He plots the defeat of goodness
as he lies in bed.
He has set his feet on evil ways,
he clings to what is evil.

Your love, Lord, reaches to heaven,
your truth to the skies.
Your justice is like God's mountain,
your judgments like the deep.

To man and beasts you give protection.
O Lord, how precious is your love.
My God, the children of the earth
find refuge in the shelter of your wings.

They feast on the riches of your house;
they drink from the stream of your delight.
In you is the source of life
and in your light we see light.

Keep on loving those who know you,
doing justice for upright hearts.
Let the foot of the proud not crush me
nor the hand of the wicked cast me out.

See how the evildoers fall!
Flung down, they shall never arise.

Glory be 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: O Lord, in your light we see light itself.

READING (Tobit 4:15a, 16a, 18a, 19)
Do to no one what you yourself dislike.
Give to the hungry some of your bread,
and to the naked some of your clothing.
Seek counsel from every wise man.
At all times bless the Lord God,
and ask him to make all your paths straight
and to grant success to all your endeavors and plans.

[Reflect on the Reading, applying it to your life today.]

ANT: Show us your mercy, Lord: remember your holy covenant.

CANTICLE OF ZECHARIAH (Luke 1:68-79)
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 will be for ever. Amen

ANT: Show us your mercy, Lord: remember your holy covenant.

INTERCESSIONS
Let us give thanks to Christ and offer him continual praise,
for he sanctifies us and call us his brothers and sisters:
Lord, help us to grow in holiness.

With single-minded devotion we dedicate the beginnings of this day
to the honor of your resurrection,
may we make the whole day pleasing to you by our works of holiness.

As a sign of your love, you renew each day for the sake of our well being and happiness,
renew us daily for the sake of your glory.

Teach us today to recognize your presence in all people,
especially in the poor and in those who mourn.

Grant that we may live today in peace with all people,
never rendering evil for evil.

[Pray for your special intentions.]

OUR FATHER
And now we pray to God the Father in the words that Jesus taught us.

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, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen

PRAYER
God our Savior,
hear our morning prayer;
help us to follow the light
and live the truth.
In you we have been born again
as sons and daughters of light;
may we be your witnesses before all the world.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen