Family Prayer
In the Morning
These devotions follow the basic structure of the Daily Office of the Church and are particularly appropriate for families with young children.
The Reading and the Collect may be read by one person, and the other parts said in unison, or in some other convenient manner.
Opening Sentence
O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise.
PSALM 51:15
The Lord is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him.
HABAKKUK 2:20
The Psalm
Psalm 51:10-12
Miserere mei, Deus
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,*
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,*
and take not your holy Spirit from me.
12 O give me the comfort of your help again,*
and sustain me with your willing Spirit.
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 READING FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE
COLOSSIANS 3:1-4
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Judith 12
Judith as a Guest of Holofernes
Then he commanded them to bring her in where his silver dishes were kept, and ordered them to set a table for her with some of his own food and to serve her with his own wine. 2 But Judith said, “I cannot eat it, lest it be an offense; but I will be provided from the things I have brought with me.” 3 Holofer′nes said to her, “If your supply runs out, where can we get more like it for you? For none of your people is here with us.” 4 Judith replied, “As your soul lives, my lord, your servant will not use up the things I have with me before the Lord carries out by my hand what he has determined to do.”
5 Then the servants of Holofer′nes brought her into the tent, and she slept until midnight. Along toward the morning watch she arose 6 and sent to Holofer′nes and said, “Let my lord now command that your servant be permitted to go out and pray.” 7 So Holofer′nes commanded his guards not to hinder her. And she remained in the camp for three days, and went out each night to the valley of Bethu′lia, and bathed at the spring in the camp. 8 When she came up from the spring she prayed the Lord God of Israel to direct her way for the raising up of her people. 9 So she returned clean and stayed in the tent until she ate her food toward evening.
Judith Attends Holofernes’ Banquet
10 On the fourth day Holofer′nes held a banquet for his slaves only, and did not invite any of his officers. 11 And he said to Bago′as, the eunuch who had charge of all his personal affairs, “Go now and persuade the Hebrew woman who is in your care to join us and eat and drink with us. 12 For it will be a disgrace if we let such a woman go without enjoying her company, for if we do not embrace her she will laugh at us.” 13 So Bago′as went out from the presence of Holofer′nes, and approached her and said, “This beautiful maidservant will please come to my lord and be honored in his presence, and drink wine and be merry with us, and become today like one of the daughters of the Assyrians who serve in the house of Nebuchadnez′zar.” 14 And Judith said, “Who am I, to refuse my lord? Surely whatever pleases him I will do at once, and it will be a joy to me until the day of my death!” 15 So she got up and arrayed herself in all her woman’s finery, and her maid went and spread on the ground for her before Holofer′nes the soft fleeces which she had received from Bago′as for her daily use, so that she might recline on them when she ate.
16 Then Judith came in and lay down, and Holofer′nes’ heart was ravished with her and he was moved with great desire to possess her; for he had been waiting for an opportunity to deceive her, ever since the day he first saw her. 17 So Holofer′nes said to her, “Drink now, and be merry with us!” 18 Judith said, “I will drink now, my lord, because my life means more to me today than in all the days since I was born.” 19 Then she took and ate and drank before him what her maid had prepared. 20 And Holofer′nes was greatly pleased with her, and drank a great quantity of wine, much more than he had ever drunk in any one day since he was born.
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.
Intercessions
A hymn or canticle may be used.
Prayers may be offered for ourselves and others.
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
The Collect
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Wednesday after the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, or the Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity (Proper 28)
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people, that bringing forth in abundance the fruit of good works, they may be abundantly rewarded when our Savior Jesus Christ comes to restore all things; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A COLLECT FOR GRACE
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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