SATURDAY MORNING
Advent of the Word

OPENING RESPONSES

O Lord, open my lips.
 And my mouth shall declare your praise.

The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the fields will clap their hands.
For behold, our Lord and ruler is coming to reign forever.  Alleluia!

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

All may bow.

Glory be to God - Maker, Christ and Holy Spirit -
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever,
world without end.  Amen.

CHANT

The Lord is my light
My light and salvation
In God I trust
In God I trust.

SCRIPTURE READING(S) OF THE DAY

Silent reflection.

Either this Morning Canticle or the Benedictus  may be said or sung:

CANTICLE IN PRAISE OF WISDOM

She is the breath of the power of God:
pure emanation of the power of the Almighty;
Nothing impure can find a home in her:
She is a reflection of the eternal light,
untarnished mirror of God's active power,
image of God's goodness.
Although alone, she can do all:
herself unchanging, she makes all things new.
In each generation she passes into holy souls,
making them friends of God and prophets,
for God loves the one who lives with Wisdom.
She is indeed more splendid than the sun,
 she outshines all the constellations;
compared with light she takes first place,
for light must yield to night,
but over Wisdom evil can never triumph:
 for she deploys her strength in all the world,
 ordering all things for good.

The Psalms, Readings and Canticles conclude with the Gloria Patri:

Glory be to God - Maker, Christ and Holy Spirit -
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever,
world without end.  Amen.

PRAYERS

All may kneel.

Lord, have mercy
 Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy.

The Lord's Prayer  may be said or sung.

Come, O fertile Spirit of God,
cover your people with a mantle of love.
In your passion, overpower us;
in your longing, ravish us.
Waken our sleeping bodies;
make them alive with a hunger for justice.
Rekindle the fires of our deepest spiritual longing,
make them roar with a yearning for peace.
Bring to birth in us a Word, a Song,
in whose sound the whole cosmos will find its rejoicing.
Amen.

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession may be offered.

The prayers are concluded with the Morning Collect.

BLESSING

God be in our heads, and in our understanding.
God be in our eyes, and in our looking.
God be in our mouths, and in our speaking.
God be in our hearts, and in our thinking.
God be at our end, and at our departing.

OPENING RESPONSES

O God, make speed to save us.
 O Lord, make haste to help us.

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us;
we have seen his glory, the glory of a father’s only son,
full of grace and truth.

The day is now past and the night is at hand,
so let us pray with one heart and mind:

All may bow.

Glory be to God - Maker, Christ and Holy Spirit -
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever,
world without end.  Amen.

CHANT

Wait for the Lord
The day is near
Wait for the Lord
 Keep watch, take heart!

SCRIPTURE READING(S) OF THE DAY

Silent reflection.

Either this Evening Canticle or the Magnificat  is said or sung:

CANTICLE OF THE WORD

In the beginning was the Word:
 and the Word was with God,
and the Word was the same as God:
 he was in the beginning with God.
All things were made through him:
 and without him,
 was not anything made that was made.
In him was life:
 and that life was the light of all people.
The light shines in the darkness:
and the darkness bas not overcome it.
He was in the world:
and though the world was made through him
yet the world knew him not.
He came to his own home:
but his own people received him not.
But to all who received him,
who believed on his name:
 he gave the power to become children of God;
born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh:
 nor of the will of a man but of God.
And the Word became flesh:
 and dwelt among us full of grace and truth.
We have beheld his glory;
 glory as of the only son of the Father;
And from his fullness have we all received:
grace upon grace.

The Psalms, Readings and Canticles conclude with the Gloria Patri:

Glory be to God - Maker, Christ and Holy Spirit -
as in the beginning, so now, and for ever,
world without end.  Amen.

PRAYERS

All may kneel.

Lord, have mercy
 Christ, have mercy
Lord, have mercy.

The Lord's Prayer is said or sung.

Prayers of thanksgiving and intercession may be offered.

The prayers conclude with this Evening Collect:

God of hope and joy,
the day draws near when the glory of your Son
will brighten the night of the waiting world.
Let no sorrow hinder the joy of those who seek him.
Let no sin obscure the vision of wisdom
granted to those who find him.
We ask through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

BLESSING

The blessing of the God of Sarah and Abraham,
the blessing of Christ, born of Mary,
the blessing of the Holy Spirit,
who broods over the whole creation,
be with us all.

Let us bless the Lord:
God's name be praised.