Morning Prayer - April 19, 2026

Today's Readings

Psalm 148:1-14

Psalm 149:1-9

Psalm 150:1-6

Exodus 18:1-12

1 John 2:7-17

Mark 16:9-20

Easter
Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter
Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen Alleluia

From Easter to Pentecost, Christ the Passover can be used in place of the Venite or Jubilate.

Christ the Passover 1 Corinthians 5:7 to 8; Romans 6:9 to 11; 1 Corinthians 15:20 to 22
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all;
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin,
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.

Christ has been raised from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death,
by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

Venite

ⓘ 'Venite' is Latin for 'O Come,' the opening word of Psalm 95: Venite exultemus Domino ('O Come, let us sing to the LORD').

Psalm 95:1 to 7
Come, let us sing to the Lord;
   let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving
   and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth,
   and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
   and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.
    Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Antiphon:

ⓘ A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossian 3:1

The Lessons

Psalm 148

⁽¹⁾ Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights!⁽²⁾ Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts!⁽³⁾ Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light!⁽⁴⁾ Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens!

⁽⁵⁾ Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created.⁽⁶⁾ He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away.⁽⁷⁾ Praise the LORD from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths;⁽⁸⁾ Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word;

⁽⁹⁾ Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars;⁽¹⁰⁾ Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl;⁽¹¹⁾ Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth;⁽¹²⁾ Both young men and maidens; Old men and children.

⁽¹³⁾ Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth and heaven.⁽¹⁴⁾ And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints -- Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the LORD!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 149

⁽¹⁾ Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise in the assembly of saints.⁽²⁾ Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.⁽³⁾ Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.⁽⁴⁾ For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation.

⁽⁵⁾ Let the saints be joyful in glory; Let them sing aloud on their beds.⁽⁶⁾ Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, And a two-edged sword in their hand,⁽⁷⁾ To execute vengeance on the nations, And punishments on the peoples;⁽⁸⁾ To bind their kings with chains, And their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁽⁹⁾ To execute on them the written judgment -- This honor have all His saints. Praise the LORD!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 150

⁽¹⁾ Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty firmament!⁽²⁾ Praise Him for His mighty acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!⁽³⁾ Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp!⁽⁴⁾ Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!

⁽⁵⁾ Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals!⁽⁶⁾ Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Exodus Chapter 18

⁽¹⁾ And Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people -- that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.⁽²⁾ Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her back,⁽³⁾ with her two sons, of whom the name of one was Gershom (for he said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land')⁽⁴⁾ and the name of the other was Eliezer (for he said, 'The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh');

⁽⁵⁾ and Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at the mountain of God.⁽⁶⁾ Now he had said to Moses, 'I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.'⁽⁷⁾ So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent.⁽⁸⁾ And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them.

⁽⁹⁾ Then Jethro rejoiced for all the good which the LORD had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.⁽¹⁰⁾ And Jethro said, 'Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.⁽¹¹⁾ Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them.'⁽¹²⁾ Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

1 John Chapter 2

⁽⁷⁾ Brethren, I write no new commandment to you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you heard from the beginning.⁽⁸⁾ Again, a new commandment I write to you, which thing is true in Him and in you, because the darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.⁽⁹⁾ He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.⁽¹⁰⁾ He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.

⁽¹¹⁾ But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.⁽¹²⁾ I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.⁽¹³⁾ I write to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, Because you have overcome the wicked one. I write to you, little children, Because you have known the Father.⁽¹⁴⁾ I have written to you, fathers, Because you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, Because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, And you have overcome the wicked one.

⁽¹⁵⁾ Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.⁽¹⁶⁾ For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.⁽¹⁷⁾ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Mark Chapter 16

⁽⁹⁾ Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons.⁽¹⁰⁾ She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.⁽¹¹⁾ And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.⁽¹²⁾ After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country.

⁽¹³⁾ And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.⁽¹⁴⁾ Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen.⁽¹⁵⁾ And He said to them, 'Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.⁽¹⁶⁾ He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

⁽¹⁷⁾ And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues;⁽¹⁸⁾ they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.'⁽¹⁹⁾ So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.⁽²⁰⁾ And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Song of Zechariah Luke 1: 68 to 79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham,
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

You are God
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord; we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not shun the Virgin's womb.
You overcame the sting of death
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.

The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living 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.

The Prayers

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,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages

ⓘ A simple prayer to God for help, mercy, or intercession, rooted in the Latin word for support.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Seasonal Collect: Third Sunday of Easter
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.

Collect of the Day: O God, you make us glad with the weekly remembrance of the glorious resurrection of your Son our Lord: Give us this day such blessing through our worship of you, that the week to come may be spent in your favor; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others.

Closing Prayers

Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable 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 pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

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 13:14