Thursday, December 5
The Morning Office To Be Observed on the Hour or Half Hour Between 6 and 9 a.m.

First Week of Advent


The Call to Prayer
Know this: The LORD himself is God;* he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.
Psalm 100:2

The Request for Presence
For God alone my soul in silence waits;* truly, my hope is in him.
Psalm 62:6


The Greeting

Your testimonies are very sure,* and holiness adorns your house, O LORD, for ever and for evermore.
Psalm 93:6

The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;* we bless you from the house of the LORD.
Psalm 118:26

A Reading

In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man called Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. He went in and said to her, ‘Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favor! The Lord is with you.’ She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favor.’
Luke 1:26-31

The Refrain

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;* we bless you from the house of the LORD.
Psalm 118:26

The Morning Psalm

Your Garments Are Fragrant with Myrrh, Aloes, and Cassia

My heart is stirring with a noble song; let me recite what I have fashioned for the king;* my tongue shall be the pen of a skilled writer. You are the fairest of men;* grace flows from your lips, because God has blessed you for ever. Strap your sword upon your thigh, O mighty warrior,* in your pride and in your majesty. Ride out and conquer in the cause of truth* and for the sake of justice. Your right hand will show you marvelous things;* your arrows are very sharp, O mighty warrior. The peoples are falling at your feet,* and the king’s enemies are losing heart. Your throne, O God, endures for ever and ever,* a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of your kingdom; you love righteousness and hate iniquity. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you* with the oil of gladness above your fellows. All your garments are fragrant with myrrh, aloes, and cassia,* and the music of strings from ivory palaces makes you glad. Kings’ daughters stand among the ladies of the court;* on your right hand is the queen, adorned with the gold of Ophir. “Hear, O daughter; consider and listen closely;* forget your people and your father’s house. The king will have pleasure in your beauty;* he is your master; therefore do him honor.”
Psalm 45:1-12

The Refrain

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord;* we bless you from the house of the LORD.
Psalm 118:26

The Cry of the Church

O God, come to my assistance! O Lord, make haste to help me!

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be your Name. May your kingdom come, and 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. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for yours are the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

The Prayer Appointed for the Week

Almighty God, give all of us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your 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 living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.†

The Concluding Prayer of the Church

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought me in safety to this new day: Preserve me with your mighty power, that I may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all I do direct me to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.†