Cantica Gaudia

Season of Easter: Saturday Morning Prayer

Opening:  The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.

Canticle: Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord,
Praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
Praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord,
O heavens and all waters above the heavens,
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord,
Praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Glorify the Lord, O nights and days,
O shining light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord,
Praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son and Holy Spirit
Praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
Praise him and highly exalt him for ever.

Psalm: How various are these deeds
That you have performed so shapely
The earth so full of your riches
Here is the vast wide sea
In which creatures without number
Of all sizes and kinds crawl and swim or drift and wave
There the great ships make their voyages
And huge whales journey and breach without tiring
All these wait upon you to give them their food in due season
What you give they gather
You open your hand and they are satisfied
Hide your face and they vanish
Remove your breath and they perish
Return to the dust they were made from
Breathe again your breath and they enter life renewed
Refreshing the face of the earth
Your glory endures forever
Your work is an endless rejoicing
You who glance at the earth and she trembles
Who touch the mountains and they smoke
While I live my songs will be for you
While I am I’ll speak my gratefulness
May my words be agreeable
Yes I will share your rejoicing
May all that denies you be denied
And all that demeans you pass
My soul is for your blessing –
I praise that too

Glory to God, who created us, bears our pain, and loves us, now and forever.

Reading: The coming of the kingdom is perpetual. Again and again freshness, novelty, power from beyond the world, break in by unexpected paths, bringing unexpected change. Those who cling to tradition and fear all novelty in God's relation with his world deny the creative action of the Holy Spirit, and forget that what is now tradition was once innovation; that the real Christian is always a revolutionary, belongs to a new race, and has been given a new name and a new song.

The Lord’s Prayer: Abba our God,
Whom the heavens disclose,
May your name be held holy,
Your authority come.
May your longing be fulfilled
As in heaven, so on earth.
Give us today the bread of tomorrow,
And cancel our debts
As we have already forgiven our debtors.
Do not draw us in
To sinful enticement,
But set us free
From the grip of evil;
For authority and power and glory
Are yours alone, for ever.  Amen.

Prayer: O Holy One, who has filled the world with beauty: open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works, that rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness, for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Collect:  Risen Christ, whose absence leaves us paralyzed, but whose presence is overwhelming: breathe on us with your abundant life, that where we cannot see we may have courage to believe that we may be raised with you.  Amen.

Going Forth: We go forth rejoicing, as Christ's hands, eyes and heart. Alleluia!