Morning Prayer :: Daily Office 1662

December 17, 2025 :: Morning Prayer

Wednesday after the Third Sunday of Advent

Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.'

DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of almighty God our heavenly Father, but confess them with a humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart, to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God, yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me,

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 those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent, According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesu 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.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, and hath given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins: He pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel; wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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.

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

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
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.

Psalm 95. Venite, exultemus.

O come, let us sing unto the Lord; let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, and a great king above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth, and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his and he made it, and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us worship and fall down, and kneel before the Lord our maker.

For he is the Lord our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

Today if ye will hear his voice – 'Harden not your hearts as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness,

When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation and said, "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways",

Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest.'

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 86. Inclina, Domine.

Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and in misery.

Preserve thou my soul, for I am holy; my God, save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee.

Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I will call daily upon thee.

Comfort the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

For thou, Lord, art good and gracious, and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Give ear, Lord, unto my prayer, and ponder the voice of my humble desires.

In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee, for thou hearest me.

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; there is not one that can do as thou doest.

All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee, O Lord, and shall glorify thy name.

For thou art great and doest wondrous things; thou art God alone.

Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth; O knit my heart unto thee, that I may fear thy name.

I will thank thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and will praise thy name for evermore.

For great is thy mercy toward me, and thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell.

O God, the proud are risen against me; and the congregations of mighty men have sought after my soul, and have not set thee before their eyes.

But thou, O Lord God, art full of compassion and mercy, long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth.

O turn thee then unto me and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and help the son of thine handmaid.

Show some token upon me for good, that they who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because thou, Lord, hast holpen me and comforted me.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 87. Fundamenta ejus.

Her foundations are upon the holy hills; the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

Very excellent things are spoken of thee, thou city of God.

I will think upon Rahab and Babylon with them that know me.

Behold ye the Philistines also, and they of Tyre, with the Ethiopians – lo, there was he born.

And of Sion it shall be reported that many were born in her, and the Most High shall stablish her.

The Lord shall rehearse it when he writeth up the peoples, that he was born there.

The singers also and trumpeters shall he rehearse: 'All my fresh springs shall be in thee.'

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 88. Domine Deus.

O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee: O let my prayer enter into thy presence; incline thine ear unto my calling.

For my soul is full of trouble, and my life draweth nigh unto hell.

I am counted as one of them that go down into the pit, and I have been even as a man that hath no strength,

Free among the dead, like unto them that are wounded and lie in the grave, who are out of remembrance and are cut away from thy hand.

Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in a place of darkness, and in the deep.

Thine indignation lieth hard upon me, and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms.

Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me, and made me to be abhorred of them.

I am so fast in prison that I cannot get forth.

My sight faileth for very trouble; Lord, I have called daily upon thee; I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.

Dost thou show wonders among the dead? or shall the dead rise up again and praise thee?

Shall thy loving-kindness be showed in the grave? or thy faithfulness in destruction?

Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten?

Unto thee have I cried, O Lord, and early shall my prayer come before thee.

Lord, why abhorrest thou my soul, and hidest thou thy face from me?

I am in misery, and like unto him that is at the point to die; even from my youth up, thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind.

Thy wrathful displeasure goeth over me, and the fear of thee hath undone me.

They came round about me daily like water, and compassed me together on every side.

My lovers and friends hast thou put away from me, and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Here beginneth the 47th chapter of Isaiah.

Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

Take the millstones, and grind meal: uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man.

As for our redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name, the Holy One of Israel.

Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called, The lady of kingdoms.

I was wroth with my people, I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thine hand: thou didst shew them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children:

But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me.

Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off: and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame: there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast laboured, even thy merchants, from thy youth: they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee.

Here endeth the first lesson.

O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye waters that be above the firmament, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye sun and moon, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye showers and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye winds of God, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye dews and frosts, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye frost and cold, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye ice and snow, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye nights and days, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye lightnings and clouds, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O let the earth bless the Lord: yea, let it praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye mountains and hills, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O all ye green things upon the earth, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye wells, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye seas and floods, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O all ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O all ye beasts and cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O let Israel bless the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Here beginneth the 17th chapter of Acts.

Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews:

And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures,

Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ.

And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.

But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.

And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Cæsar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.

And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.

And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go.

And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.

These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.

Therefore many of them believed; also of honourable women which were Greeks, and of men, not a few.

But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowledge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and stirred up the people.

And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and Timotheus abode there still.

And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

(For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

So Paul departed from among them.

Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

Here endeth the second lesson.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people,

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of his servant David,

As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began:

That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us,

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, and to remember his holy covenant,

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham: that he would give us,

That we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

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,

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, for the remission of their sins,

Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us,

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 Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

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 Ghost, 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 Ghost, The holy catholic church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save them that rule.
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.

O Lord Jesu Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee: Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Almighty God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility, that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty, to judge both the quick and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

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.

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 what is righteous in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Litany

O God the Father of heaven, have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O God the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

O holy, blessed, and glorious Trinity, three persons and one God, have mercy upon us miserable sinners.

Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins. Spare us, good Lord; spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever.

Spare us, good Lord.

From all evil and mischief; from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the devil; from thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From fornication, and all other deadly sin; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh, and the devil,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From lightning and tempest; from plague, pestilence, and famine; from battle and murder, and from sudden death,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From all sedition, privy conspiracy, and rebellion; from all false doctrine, heresy, and schism; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment,

Good Lord, deliver us.

By the mystery of thy holy incarnation; by thy holy nativity and circumcision; by thy baptism, fasting, and temptation,

Good Lord, deliver us.

By thine agony and bloody sweat; by thy cross and passion; by thy precious death and burial; by thy glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Ghost,

Good Lord, deliver us.

In all time of our tribulation, in all time of our wealth, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgement,

Good Lord, deliver us.

We sinners do beseech thee to hear us, O Lord God, and that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy church universal in the right way,