Cantica Gaudia

Season of Easter: Wednesday Morning Prayer

Opening:  In your resurrection, O Christ, let heaven and earth rejoice. Alleluia!

Canticle: 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 and 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.

Psalm: Sing to the Lord a new song;
Praise her with words and silence.
Praise him through all your actions;
Praise her in sorrow and in joy.
Praise him with music and dancing,
With bodies moving in delight.
Let the wise sing out in their freedom;
Let the whole earth echo their song.
Let all God’s creatures be peaceful
And walk in the path of life.

Glory to God, Source of all being, Eternal Word, and Holy Spirit
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Reading: Glad and happy and sweet to our souls is the joyful, loving face of our Lord. For he always fixes his eyes upon us who live in love-longing; and he wants our soul to smile at him in return for his favors.

The Lord’s Prayer: Creator of all,
Alive in all things and greater than all things,
Your naming be held holy.
Your vision of our goodness be made manifest throughout the universe,
And your desires for us brought to fulfillment.
Give us that which is essential for our growth and work.
Offer forgiveness and healing to us as we forgive and heal those around us.
Protect us from unnecessary suffering and wasteful pain.
For all that is beautiful, strong and glorious has its roots in you
and expresses your will and your nature, which we share in, unendingly.  Amen.

Prayer: O Holy Spirit, whose presence is liberty, grant us that freedom of the spirit, which will not fear to tread in unknown ways, nor be held back by misgivings of ourselves and fear of others. Ever beckon us forward to the place of your will which is also the place of your power, O ever-leading, ever-loving Lord. Amen.

Collect: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Going Forth: With the power that raised Jesus from the dead at work within us, let us go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.