Morning

A Song of the Bride (Isaiah 61.10,11; 62.1-3)

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my soul shall exult in my God;

Who has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
and has covered me with the cloak of integrity,

As a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the earth puts forth her blossom,
and as seeds in the garden spring up,

So shall God make righteousness and praise
blossom before all the nations.

For Zion's sake, I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,

Until her deliverance shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation as a burning torch.

The nations shall see your deliverance,
and all rulers shall see your glory;

Then you shall be called by a new name
which the mouth of God will give.

You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

or:

Psalm 95:1-7

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 depths of the earth,*
 and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,*
 and his hands have moulded 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.*
 O that today you would hearken to his voice!

or:

this hymn:

The great God of heaven is come down to earth,
his mother a Virgin and sinless his birth;
the Father eternal his Father alone:
he sleeps in a manger; he reigns on the throne:
Refrain:
Then let us adore him and praise his great love:
to save us poor sinners he came from above.


A Babe on the breast of a Maiden he lies,
yet sits with the Father on high in the skies;
before him their faces the Seraphim hide,
while Joseph stands waiting, unscared, by his side: Refrain

Lo! here is Emmanuel, here is the Child,
the Son that was promised to Mary so mild;
whose power and dominion shall ever increase,
the Prince that shall rule o'er a kingdom of peace: Refrain

The Wonderful Counselor, boundless in might,
the Father's own image, the beam of his light;
behold him now wearing the likeness of man,
weak, helpless and speechless, in measure a span: Refrain

O wonder of wonders, which none can unfold:
the Ancient of days is an hour or two old;
the Maker of all things is made of the earth,
man is worshiped by angels and God comes to birth: Refrain

The Word in the bliss of the Godhead remains,
yet in flesh comes to suffer the keenest of pains;
he is that he was and for ever shall be,
but becomes that he was not, for you and for me. Refrain
    Henry Ramsden Bramley (1833-1917)

or:

this hymn:

A great and mighty wonder,
a full and holy cure!
The Virgin bears the Infant
with virgin-honor pure:
Refrain: Repeat the hymn again!
"To God on high be glory,
and peace on earth to men."


The Word becomes incarnate,
and yet remains on high;
and cherubim sing anthems
to shepherds from the sky; Refrain

While thus they sing your Monarch,
those bright angelic bands,
rejoice, ye vales and mountains,
ye oceans, clap your hands: Refrain

Since all he comes to ransom,
by all be he adored,
the infant born in Bethlehem,
the Savior and the Lord: Refrain
    Germanus (634-734); Trans: John Mason Neale, 1862

Evening

Of the Father's love begotten,
ere the worlds began to be,
he is Alpha and Omega,
he the source, the ending he,
of the things that are, that have been,
and that future years shall see,
evermore and evermore!

At his word the words were framèd;
he commanded; it was done:
heaven and earth and depths of ocean
in their threefold order one;
all that grows beneath the shining
of the moon and burning sun,
evermore and evermore!

O that birth for ever blessèd,
when the Virgin, full of grace,
by the Holy Ghost conceiving,
bare the Savior of our race;
and the Babe, the world's Redeemer,
first revealed his sacred face,
evermore and evermore!

This is he whom seers in old time
chanted of with one accord;
whom the voices of the prophets
promised in their faithful word;
now he shines, the long expected,
let creation praise its Lord,
evermore and evermore!

O ye heights of heaven, adore him;
angel-hosts, his praises sing;
powers, dominions, bow before him,
and extol our God and King;
let no tongue on earth be silent,
every voice in concert ring,
evermore and evermore!

Thee let old men, thee let young men,
thee let boys in chorus sing;
matrons, virgins, little maidens,
with glad voices answering:
let their guileless songs re-echo,
and the heart its music bring,
evermore and evermore!

Christ, to thee with God the Father,
and, O Holy Ghost, to thee,
hymn and chant and high thanksgiving,
and unwearied praises be;
honor, glory and dominion,
and eternal victory,
evermore and evermore!
    Marcus Aurelius Clemens Prudentius (348-413); trans. John Mason Neale, 1854; and Henry Williams Baker, 1861

or:

A Song of God's Descending (Psalm 18:1,6,7,10-14,28,29,31)

I love you, O Lord my strength.
The Lord is my crag, my fortress and my deliverer,

In my distress I called upon the Lord
and cried out to my God for help.

He heard my voice in his temple
and my cry came to his ears.

He parted the heavens and came down
and thick darkness was under his feet.

He rode upon the cherubim and flew;
he came flying on the wings of the wind.

He made darkness his covering round about him,
dark waters and thick clouds his pavilion.

From the brightness of his presence, through the clouds
burst hailstones and coals of fire.

The Lord also thundered out of heaven;
the Most High uttered his voice
with hailstones and coals of fire.

For you will save a lowly people
and bring down the high looks of the proud.

You also shall light my candle;
the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be bright.

As for God, his way is perfect;
the word of the Lord is tried in the fire;
he is a shield to all who trust in him.

or:

Phos hilaron

This hymn exists in several commonly-used translations.

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!

Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of Life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
    The Book of Common Prayer (1979)

O gladdening light,
of the holy glory of the immortal Father
heavenly, holy, blessed,
O Jesus Christ.

Now that we have come to the setting of the sun,
and see the evening light
we give praise to God,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Worthy are you at all times
to be worshipped with holy voices,
O Son of God and giver of life:
therefore all the world glorifies you.
    Common Worship: Daily Prayer, 2002

O gladsome Light, O grace
of God the Father's face,
the eternal splendor wearing;
celestial, holy, blest,
our Savior Jesus Christ,
joyful in thine appearing.

Now, ere day falleth quite,
we see the evening light,
our wonted hymn outpouring;
Father of might unknown,
thee, his incarnate Son,
and Holy Spirit adoring.

To thee of right belongs
all praise of holy songs,
O Son of God, Life-giver;
thee, therefore, O Most High,
the world doth glorify,
and shall exalt for ever.
    Robert Bridges, 1899     Music can be found here.

O brightness of the immortal Father's face,
most holy, heavenly, blest,
Lord Jesus Christ, in whom his truth and grace
are visibly expressed:

The sun is sinking now, and one by one
the lamps of evening shine;
we hymn the eternal Father, and the Son,
and Holy Ghost divine.

Worthy art thou at all times to receive
our hallowed praises, Lord.
O Son of God, be thou, in whom we live,
through all the world adored.
    Edward W. Eddis,, 1864     Music can be found here.

See also #25 and #26 in The Hymnal 1982 for "O gracious Light, Lord Jesus Christ"

The psalms are from Celebrating Common Prayer
(Mowbray), (c) The Society of Saint Francis
1992, which is used with permission.

The Song of God's Descending and the second Phos hilaron translation are from
Common Worship: Daily Prayer, Preliminary
Edition
, copyright © The Archbishops' Council, 2002.