1 Alleluia!
O give thanks to the LORD who ís good,
whose love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God óf gods,
whose love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the LORD óf lords,
whose love endures forever;

4 who alone has wrought marveloús works,
whose love endures forever;
5 whose wisdom it was that made thé skies,
whose love endures forever;
6 who fixed the earth firmly on thé seas
whose love endures forever;

7 It was God who made the gréat lights,
whose love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule in thé day,
whose love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars in thé night,
whose love endures forever.

10 The first-born of the Egyptians Gód smote,
whose love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from thé midst,
whose love endures forever;
12 arm outstretched, with powerfúl hand,
whose love endures forever.

13 God divided the Red Sea ín two,
whose love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through thé midst,
whose love endures forever;
15 Who flung Pharaoh and his force in thé sea,
whose love endures forever.

16 God led the people through thé desert,
whose love endures forever.
17 Nations in their greatness Gód struck,
whose love endures forever;

18 Kings in their splendor Gód slew,
whose love endures forever.
19 Sihon, king of thé Amorites,
whose love endures forever;
20 and Og, the king óf Bashan,
whose love endures forever.

21 God let Israel inherit théir land,
whose love endures forever;
22 the heritage of Israel, Gód’s servant,
whose love endures forever.
23 God remembered us in oúr distress,
whose love endures forever;

24 God has snatched us away from oúr foes,
whose love endures forever.
25 God gives food to all livíng things,
whose love endures forever.
26 To the God of heaven gíve thanks,
whose love endures forever.
Alleluia!

Silent Reflection

1 O give the LORD, you children óf God,
give the LORD glory ánd power;
2 give the LORD the glory of hís name.
Adore the LORD, resplendent ánd holy.

3 The LORD’s voice resounding on thé waters,
the LORD on the immensity óf waters;
4 the voice of the LORD, full óf power,
the voice of the LORD, full óf splendor.

5 The LORD’s voice shattering thé cedars,
the LORD shatters the cedars óf Lebanon,
6 makes Lebanon leap like á calf
and Sirion like a young wíld ox.

7 (The LORD’s voice flashes flames óf fire.)
8 The LORD’s voice shaking the wilderness,*
the LORD shakes the wilderness óf Kadesh;
9 the LORD’s voice rending thé oak tree
and stripping the forést bare.

The God of glory thunders.*
10 In his temple they all cry´: “Glory!”
The LORD sat enthroned over thé flood;
the LORD sits as king fórever.
11 The LORD will give strength to his people,*
the LORD will bless his people wíth peace.

Praise the Father, the Son, and the Holy´ Spirit
both now and fórever.
The God who is, who was, and is tó come
at the end of thé ages.

Silent Reflection

1   In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, 2 the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. 3 Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

Through your holy prophets, you promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us,
to show mercy to our forebears,
and to remember your holy covenant.
[Refrain]

This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship you without fear,
holy and righteous before you,
all the days of our life.
[Refrain]

And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare the way,
to give God’s people the 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.
[Refrain]

Lord God, you are the light of the world: our true sun, our real day.  We, who have dwelt for too long in darkness rejoice that you have rescued us from the power of darkness and have made us inheritors with the saints in the light.  It was on the first day of creation that you made clear the brilliance of your love by commanding, “Let there be light!”
We confess that all-too-often we prefer the darkness to the light.  The light of your love has come into the world and we have preferred the darkness because we fear that our dark deeds will be exposed.  We confess the lust which permeates every aspect of life and which leads us to see not only objects, but people too, as things to be possessed and used to satisfy our most base appetites.
Save us Lord!  Help us to exchange the sin of lust for the virtue of love, for the night is far gone and the day is near and it is time for us to join you in the life which is the light of all people — a light and life which the darkness cannot overcome.  Today may our enlightened-discipleship join us to your work of bringing the light and life of your love to all people.  Let there be light!

All:In the name of the one who created the light,
who was and is the light of the world,
and who continues to illumine the hearts of all who seek, Amen.

[Deuteronomy. 6:4-9]
Leader: Hear this, people of God!  The Lord your God is one, and you shall love the Lord with all your heart and all your soul and with all your strength.  
People: We will ponder the faith when we rise up and as we walk through the day and when we lie down again — teaching the faith to our children.

Leader: May the strength of God sustain you and the Spirit of God direct you today and always.
People: Amen.

A sign of peace is exchanged as we depart.