MORNING PRAYER 1 – 15 March 2020
The third Sunday in Lent

Opening Hymn: CH 606 “As the deer pants for the water”
As the deer pants for the water
so my soul longs after you.
You alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship you.

You alone are my strength, my shield
to you alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart’s desire
and I long to worship you.

I want you more than gold or silver,
only you can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
and the apple of my eye.

You’re my friend and you are my brother,
even though you are a king.
I love you more than any other,
so much more than anything.

Martin Nystrom (b. 1956)
based on Psalm 94
Listen to and sing along with this hymn at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peZudXt9faU

SENTENCE OF SCRIPTURE
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
				    Psalm 51: 17
Let us humbly confess our sins unto almighty God.
Kneel
A GENERAL CONFESSION
Almighty and most merciful Father; We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. 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.
O Lord, open thou our lips
and our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Stand
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's name be praised.

Hymn: CH 305 “O breath of life, come sweeping through us” 
O Breath of life, come sweeping through us,
revive thy Church with life and power.
O Breath of life, come ,cleanse, renew us,
and fit thy Church to meet this hour.

O Wind of God, come, bend us, break us,
till humbly we confess our need;
then in thy tenderness re-make us,
revive, restore for this we plead.

O Breath of love, come breathe within us,
renewing thought and will and heart;
come, love of Christ, afresh to win us,
revive thy Church in every part.

Revive us, Lord! Is zeal abating
while harvest fields are vast and white?
Revive us, Lord, the world is waiting,
equip your Church to spread the light.

Elizabeth (Betty) A. P. Head (1850-1936)

Listen to and sing along with this hymn at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAjmYffP0us

A LESSON
from the Old Testament 
Exodus 17: 1-7
The reading below may be read, or an audio version listened to at:

https://www.biblica.com/bible/niv/exodus/17/

From the wilderness of Sin the whole congregation of the Israelites journeyed by stages, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. The people quarrelled with Moses, and said, ‘Give us water to drink.’ Moses said to them, ‘Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you test the Lord?’ But the people thirsted there for water; and the people complained against Moses and said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and livestock with thirst?’ So Moses cried out to the Lord, ‘What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to stone me.’ 5The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you; take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.’ Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. He called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarrelled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ 
After the reading silence may be kept.

THE PSALM
The Psalm may be said, or an audio version listened to and sung along with at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hok3yG9pvNo

Psalm 95
1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; 
   let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.
2  Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving 
   and be glad in him with psalms.
3  For the Lord is a great God 
   and a great king above all gods.
4  In his hand are the depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains are his also.
5  The sea is his, for he made it, 
   and his hands have moulded the dry land.
6  Come, let us worship and bow down and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7  For he is our God; 
   we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
8  O that today you would listen to his voice: 
   ‘Harden not your hearts as at Meribah, on that day at Massah in the wilderness,
9  ‘When your forebears tested me, and put me to the proof, 
   though they had seen my works.
10  ‘Forty years long I detested that generation and said, 
   “This people are wayward in their hearts; they do not know my ways.”
11  ‘So I swore in my wrath, 
   “They shall not enter into my rest.” ’

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
A LESSON
from the New Testament 
Romans 5: 1-11
The reading below may be read, or an audio version listened to at:

https://www.biblica.com/bible/niv/romans/5/
Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. And not only that, but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation
 
After the reading silence may be kept.

TE DEUM
The Canticle may be said, or an audio version listened to and sung along with at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbaz9T-RW-M

1	We praise thee, O God,
we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
2	All the earth doth worship thee,
the Father everlasting.
3	To thee all Angels cry aloud
the Heavens, and all the Powers therein,
To thee Cherubim, and Seraphim continually do cry,
4	Holy, Holy, Holy. Lord God of Sabaoth:
5	Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.
6	The glorious company of the apostles praise thee;
the goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee.
6	The noble army of Martyrs _ praise thee.
7	The holy Church
throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee;
8	The Father of an infinite majesty,
Thine honourable, true and only Son
also the Holy Spirit the Comforter.
9	Thou art the King of glory O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
10	When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
11	When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,:
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
12	Thou sittest at the right hand of God:
in the glory of the Father.
13	We believe that thou _ shalt come to be our judge.
14	We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
15	Make them to be numbered with thy saints
in glory everlasting.
16	O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage:
govern them and lift them up for ever.
17	Day by day we magnify thee
and we worship thy Name ever world without end.
18	Vouchsafe, O Lord
to keep us this day without sin.
19	O Lord, have mercy upon us,
have mercy upon us.
20	O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us,
as our trust is in thee.
21	O Lord, in thee have I trusted:
let me never be confounded.

A LESSON
from the Gospels 
John 4: 5-42 
The reading below may be read, or an audio version listened to at:

https://www.biblica.com/bible/niv/john/4/
So he came to a Samaritan city called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired out by his journey, was sitting by the well. It was about noon. 
A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, ‘Give me a drink’. (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?’ (Jews do not share things in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, ‘If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, “Give me a drink”, you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, you have no bucket, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us the well, and with his sons and his flocks drank from it?’ Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, give me this water, so that I may never be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water.’ 
Jesus said to her, ‘Go, call your husband, and come back.’ The woman answered him, ‘I have no husband.’ Jesus said to her, ‘You are right in saying, “I have no husband”; for you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true!’ The woman said to him, ‘Sir, I see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshipped on this mountain, but you say that the place where people must worship is in Jerusalem.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.’ The woman said to him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I am he, the one who is speaking to you.’ 
Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, ‘What do you want?’ or, ‘Why are you speaking with her?’ Then the woman left her water-jar and went back to the city. She said to the people, ‘Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He cannot be the Messiah, can he?’ They left the city and were on their way to him. 
Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, ‘Rabbi, eat something.’ But he said to them, ‘I have food to eat that you do not know about.’ So the disciples said to one another, ‘Surely no one has brought him something to eat?’ Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to complete his work. Do you not say, “Four months more, then comes the harvest”? But I tell you, look around you, and see how the fields are ripe for harvesting. The reaper is already receiving wages and is gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, “One sows and another reaps.” I sent you to reap that for which you did not labour. Others have laboured, and you have entered into their labour.’ 
Many Samaritans from that city believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I have ever done.’ So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them; and he stayed there for two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, ‘It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Saviour of the world.’

After the reading silence may be kept.

BENEDICTUS
The Canticle may be said, or an audio version listened to and sung along with at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rYw41Tkk_c

The Song of Zechariah    Luke 1: 68-79
1	Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he hath visited and redeemed his people,
2	And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us
in the house of his servant David;
3	As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets
which have been since the world began;
4	That we should be saved from our enemies,
and from the hands of all that hate us,
5	To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers,
and to remember his holy covenant;
6	To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham:
that he would give us,
7	That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies
might serve him without fear,
8	In holiness and righteousness before him
all the days of our life.
9	And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest,:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
10	To give knowledge of salvation unto his people,
for the remission of their sins,
11	Through the tender mercy of our God
whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us,
12	To give light to them that sit in darkness and in 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 ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
THE APOSTLES' CREED
is said 
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence he shall come to judge the quick 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.
Kneel
Let us pray.
Lord, have mercy upon us
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon 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. Amen.
O Lord, show thy mercy upon us
and grant us thy salvation.
O Lord, guide and defend our rulers
and mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy ministers with righteousness
and make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people
and bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord,
because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
O God, make clean our hearts within us
and take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
THE COLLECTS
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY
We beseech thee, Almighty God, 
mercifully to look upon thy people; 
that by thy great goodness 
they may be governed and preserved evermore, both in body and soul; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE COLLECT OF THE SEASON OF LENT
Almighty and everlasting God, 
you hatest nothing that thou hast made 
and dost forgive the sins of all them that 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.

THE SECOND COLLECT For Peace
O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
THE THIRD COLLECT For Grace
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ARCHBISHOP’S PRAYER IN THE TIME OF THE CORONAVIRUS
Almighty and All-loving God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we pray to you through Christ the Healer
for those who suffer from the Coronavirus Covid-19
in Ireland and across the world.
We pray for all who reach out to those who mourn the loss
of each and every person who has dies as a result of contracting the disease.
Give wisdom to policymakers,
skill to researchers,
comfort to everyone in distress
and a sense of calm to us all in these days of uncertainty and distress.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord
who showed compassion to the outcast,
acceptance to the rejected
and love to those to whom no love is shown. Amen.

Prayers and thanksgivings may be said.
Closing Hymn: CH 611 “Christ be beside me”
Christ be beside me,
Christ be before me,
Christ be behind me,
King of my heart.
Christ be within me,
Christ be below me,
Christ be above me,
never to part.

Christ on my right hand,
Christ on my left hand,
Christ all around me,
shield in the strife.
Christ in my sleeping,
Christ in my sitting,
Christ in my rising, 
light of my life.

Christ be in all hearts,
thinking about me,
Christ be on all tongues
telling of me.
Christ be the vision
in eyes that see me
in ears that hear me,
Christ ever be.

James Quinn (1919-2010)
adapted from The Breastplate of St Patrick

Listen to and sing along with this hymn at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CJv4p5CuKc

Prayers
A prayer for the President and all in authority
Almighty God, who rulest over the kingdoms of the world; We commend to thy merciful care the people of this land, that being guarded by thy providence, they may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of this State and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, that they may serve thy people faithfully to thy honour and glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer for the Houses of the Oireachtas
Almighty God, source of all authority and wisdom: guide by your Spirit those who represent us in Dáil and Seanad. As representatives of the people keep them humble, as legislators make them compassionate, and as politicians defend their integrity. So may the proceedings of the Oireachtas serve the truth and promote the common good. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ, the servant Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Clergy and People
Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all People committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
O God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially, we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted or distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired]; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.
A General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants Do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us, and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation and all the blessings of this life: But above all, for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom with thee and the Holy Spirit Be all honour and glory, World without end. Amen.
A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom
Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.	2 Corinthians 13: 13