Holy One, open our lips:
and we shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to God, Source of all being,
Eternal Word and Holy Spirit;*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.
Variable Psalms
Mondays: From Psalm 116, Dilexi, quoniam
I love the Lord *
who has heard the voice of my supplication,
who has listened to me *
whenever I called.
I came to grief and sorrow; *
then I called upon the name of the Lord:
Gracious is the Lord and righteous; *
our God is full of compassion.
Turn again to your rest, O my soul, *
for the Lord has treated you well.
I will walk in the presence of the Lord *
in the land of the living.
How shall I repay you, O Lord, *
for all the good things you have done for me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation *
and call upon your name.
I will fulfil my vows to the Lord *
in the presence of all the people.
In the courts of the house of the Lord, *
in the midst of you, O Jerusalem. Hallelujah!
CLOSING Isaiah 40
The Lord is the everlasting God,*
the Creator of the ends of the earth,
who does not faint nor grow weary,*
whose understanding is unsearchable,
who gives power to the faint,*
increase of strength to those who have no might.
Even youth shall faint and be weary;*
the young shall fall exhausted.
But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;* they shall mount up with wings like eagles.
They shall run and not be weary,*
they shall walk and not faint.
READING: Romans 1:1–15
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy scriptures, the gospel concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be Son of God with power according to the spirit of holiness by resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for the sake of his name, including yourselves who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,
To all God’s beloved in Rome, who are called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God’s will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as I have among the rest of the Gentiles. I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish — hence my eagerness to proclaim the gospel to you also who are in Rome.
Silence
PRAYERS
We have not put the voice of the voiceless first.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
We have colluded with the structures of greed.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
We have put money first, loving it too much.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
MONDAYS:
That Christians may never cease to go towards all people,
and become ferments of reconciliation in the human family,
we pray to the Lord.
For all who believe, for those who have a ministry in the Church,
that they may be faithful witnesses to the Gospel,
we pray to the Lord.
That the goods of the earth may be shared among all,
we pray to the Lord.
For all the nations of the earth, that wars and violence may cease,
we pray to the Lord.
For the poor and the afflicted,
we pray to the Lord.
For those who are persecuted on account of Christ’s name,
for all who are seeking justice,
we pray to the Lord.
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
COLLECTS
Mondays: Jesus, Love of all loving, you were always in me and I was forgetting you. You were in my heart of hearts and I was looking for you elsewhere. When I kept myself far from you, you were waiting for me. And now I dare to tell you: Risen Christ, you are my life. Amen
Almighty God, without you we are not able to please you. Mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
God most holy, we give you thanks for bringing us out of the shadow of night into the light of morning; and we ask you for the joy of spending this day in your service, so that when evening comes, we may once more give you thanks, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
The Lord bless us and preserve us from all evil; and bring us to life eternal. Amen.
St Ternans Banchory 