Morning Prayer for Thursday March 19th 2026

Today in the church is a High Holy Day in that we remember and recognize Jesus's earthly dad, Joseph. Joseph is our Saint of the day. Here is a link to our liturgy: Morning Prayer 3.19.26, Saint Joseph | Daily Office Network

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:02

Good morning and welcome. I'm Father Tom Roy, the vicar of the Daily Office Network. I'm an ordained priest in the Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Minnesota. Today is the 19th of March 2026. In the life of the church, we remember Saint Joseph. The Daily Office Network is a community of Christians who gather together on a daily basis to pray morning prayer. We use the 1979 Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer. We mix an artwork, a news story. We have a video at the end many times. We come from several different faith traditions in several different countries. All are welcome here, where we do our best to exercise tolerance and decency with one another. Now let's begin morning prayer. We are also posting our services on our podcast on Apple and Spotify. You can find those by searching Daily Office Network. It was no messenger or angel, but his presence that saved them. In his love and in his pity, he redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. It is a gun violence Thursday. When that happens, I usually try to find a gun violence story to use at the top if I can. We do have one today, and it's not from the United States. Someone opened fire on the U.S. consulate building in Toronto, Canada last week, pictured above. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Kearney called the gunfire a reprehensible act of violence and an attempt at intimidation and said, I'm relieved that no one was injured. In a statement, Prime Minister Mark Kearney said police and federal agencies will get the resources that they need to ensure that the perpetrators of these violent acts are identified and brought to the full weight of justice. The shooting came just days after two synagogues were hit overnight by gunfire in the Greater Toronto area, prompting an increased police presence. Police said there were no injuries from these incidents either, but bullet holes were found in the front door of one synagogue. Carney said the shootings at the synagogues were an assault on the rights of Jewish Canadians to live and pray in safety, and he promised to protect places of worship. It was unclear if the firing at the synagogues and the shots fired on the U.S. consulate were linked to each other or ongoing U.S. Israeli war with Iran. We give thanks to the Father who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance in the saints and light. Addie, would you lead us in the invitatory and the Psalter?

SPEAKER_09 3:00

Lord, open our lips.

SPEAKER_04 3:03

And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

SPEAKER_09 3:06

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. Serve the Lord with gladness and come before God's presence with a song. You are Lord indeed our God. You yourself have made us, and we are yours. We are your people and the sheep of your pastor. We enter your gates with thanksgiving. We come into your courts with praise. We give thanks to you and call upon your name. For you, O Lord, are God. Your mercy is everlasting, and your faithfulness endures from age till you are muted.

SPEAKER_04 4:08

Thank you, Eddie. Our psalm this morning is Psalm number 132. I'm going to ask Jill and Martha to lead our psalm. Jill, would you start?

SPEAKER_11 4:20

Lord, remember David and all the hardships he endured.

SPEAKER_03 4:29

I saw an oto the Lord. Avowed, a vow to the mighty one of Jacob.

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I will not come under the roof of my house nor climb up onto my bed.

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I will not allow my eyes to sleep or let my eyes slumber.

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Until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the mighty one of Jacob.

SPEAKER_03 5:02

The ark he heard it was in Ephraitra. He found it in the fields of Jeremiah.

SPEAKER_11 5:10

Let us go to God's dwelling place. Let us fall upon our knees before God's footstool.

SPEAKER_03 5:24

You and the ark of your strength.

SPEAKER_11 5:27

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness. Let your faithful people sing with joy. Their children will sit upon your throne forevermore.

SPEAKER_03 6:10

For the Lord has chosen Zion and desire it for the holy habitation.

SPEAKER_11 6:18

This shall be my resting place forever. Here will I dwell for in Zion I delight. I will clothe its priests with salvation and its faithful people will rejoice and sing.

SPEAKER_03 6:52

I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.

SPEAKER_11 6:56

As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame. But as for him, his crown will shine.

SPEAKER_03 7:12

As it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 7:19

Amen. Thank you, Joel and Martha. Our reading is from Isaiah chapter 63, verses 7 through 16. Chad, would you lead this?

SPEAKER_01 7:49

I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord, the praiseworthy acts of the Lord, because of all that the Lord has done for us and the great favor for the house of Israel that He has shown them according to His mercy, according to the abunding abounding of His steadfast love. For He said, Surely they are my people, children who do not deal falsely, and He became their Savior in all their distress. It was no messenger or angel, but His presence that saved them. In His love and in His pity He redeemed them. He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled and grieved by His ho and grieved His Holy Spirit, therefore he became their enemy. He himself fought against them. Then they remembered the days of old of Moses his servant. Where is the one who brought them up out of the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who put within them his Holy Spirit? Who caused his glorious arm to march at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them to make for himself an everlasting name, who led them through the in through the depths? Like a horse in the desert, they did not stumble. Like cattle that go down into the valley, the Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. Thus you led your people to make for yourself a glorious name. Look down from heaven and see, from your glorious and holy habitation, where are your zeal and your might, the yearning of your heart and your compassion? They are withheld from me, for you are our Father. Though Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us, you, O Lord, are our Father. Our redeemer from of old is your name. The word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_04 9:54

Thanks be to God. Thank you, Chad. Our first canticle is Song of Zechariah. Mother Angel, would you lead this?

SPEAKER_08 10:06

In the tender compassion of God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us. Blessed are you, Lord, the God of Israel. You have come to your people and set them free. You have raised up for us a mighty Savior, born of the house of your servant David. Through your holy prophets, you promised a bold 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. This was the oath you 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. And your 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 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 fit into the way of peace. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us.

SPEAKER_04 12:08

Thank you, Mother Unjo. This is by Brian Kershnik from two thousand and six. It's called Nativity. Angels crowd around baby Jesus if Joe as Joseph wonders what just hit them. Deacon Elizabeth, would you lead this?

SPEAKER_07 12:47

Sure. Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to dismiss her quietly. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, a new ear, to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet. Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us. When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as he as the angel of the Lord commanded him. He took her as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had borne a son, and he named him Jesus. The word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_04 14:16

Thanks be to God. Thank you, deacon. Our next canticle is we praise you, O God, the Todayum. Mother Angel.

SPEAKER_08 14:30

We praise you, O God. We acclaim you as Lord. All creation worships you, the Father everlasting. To you, all angels, all the powers of heaven, cherubim and seraphim sing in endless praise. Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world, the holy church acclaims you, Father of Majesty Unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the King of Glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you took our flesh to set us free, you humbly chose the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory. We believe that you will come to be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.

SPEAKER_04 16:07

Thank you, Mother Angel. And now the Apostles' Creed, Carol, would you lead us in the creed?

SPEAKER_02 16:19

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who is conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, 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. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and 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.

SPEAKER_04 17:11

Amen. Thank you, Carol. Now the prayers begin with our Lord's Prayer. Marcia, would you lead us in the Lord's Prayer, and then we'll read the suffrages.

SPEAKER_06 17:28

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. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 17:55

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.

SPEAKER_06 17:59

Govern and uphold them now and always.

SPEAKER_04 18:02

Day by day we bless you.

SPEAKER_06 18:04

We praise your name forever.

SPEAKER_04 18:07

Lord, keep us from all sin today.

SPEAKER_06 18:10

Have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy.

SPEAKER_04 18:14

Lord, show us your love and mercy.

SPEAKER_06 18:17

For we put our trust in you.

SPEAKER_04 18:20

In you, Lord, is our hope.

SPEAKER_06 18:22

And we shall never hope in vain.

SPEAKER_04 18:26

Thank you, Marcia. A depiction of Joseph, our saint of the day, and the baby Jesus. A really early picture. Our artist on that one is unknown. Now we have two prayers: a collect of the day for Saint Joseph and a collect for guidance. Deacon Diana, would you lead these two prayers?

SPEAKER_00 18:57

Oh God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother, give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being. We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life, we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 19:46

Amen. Thank you, Deacon. And now is our sad duty to report America's gun toll. Look at how many people get shot or killed each week in our country with all the guns that we have lying around. This is the week that ended on Monday. That's when we draw our stats, is on Mondays. And our spotlight goes to Minneapolis, Minnesota. It's a residential neighborhood, maybe five, six, seven blocks from North Memorial Medical Center, just right in the middle of a block, basically. Local police were alerted on the 14th, which was Saturday, at 5.30 p.m. by a what's what's called a shot spotter. A shot spotter is a device that detects gunfire or that a shooting has occurred. This time it alerted them to the 3,000 block of Russell Avenue in Minneapolis, the area in the residential neighborhood. Police did respond to that location, however, there was nobody there. About 10 minutes later, four injured people showed up at two different hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Police believe this was a dispute between four people that escalated into settling it with a gun. North Memorial, like I said, is only a few blocks away. You can see it. It's over on the left in the depiction of the area. The other two went to Hennepin County Medical Center, which is a little ways from there. We look at our totals from last week, those killed by gunfire in the United States. It actually went up just a little bit by 19. It went to 239, so 239 people. It was 220 the week before. It brings our year-to-date total killed in our country by gunfire to 2,480. Those injured by gunfire in the United States, 372, and that actually went down. It was 398 the week before. We don't usually see that. We usually see them both go up or both go down, not different like this, but that's what it was. It brings our total injured year to date to 4,177. And so we pray a prayer to end gun violence. Paul, would you lead us in this prayer?

SPEAKER_10 22:04

O Lord our God, we pray for the victims of the other pandemic, as gun violence ravages our homes, our streets, our businesses, schools, and houses of worship. We pray for the children killed and injured, for their families, classmates, teachers, and school employees. We pray for teenagers gunned down before their lives have really started. We pray for police officers who keep fighting a never ending battle while trying to keep themselves and everyone else safe. And we pray for an end to racial profiling in law enforcement. We pray for all who are depressed or mentally ill, wanting to hurt themselves or others. In a nation where guns are everywhere. We pray for the victims of crime who are forced to defend themselves and their loved ones. We pray for anti violence activists and community leaders in a place when new methods of protest and reform must be created. Let your demands for justice and cries for peace be heard, O Lord, in your legislative chambers and in our hearts. May your healing grace overtake this land through our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

SPEAKER_04 23:43

Amen. Thank you, Paul. And now is our prayer time. We'll continue with the prayer for the mission of the church. I'm going to ask Robert to lead this and then I'll bless the Lord and bless us.

SPEAKER_05 24:02

Almighty God, you sent your son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself. We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your servants call upon your name. For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.

SPEAKER_04 24:37

Life is short, and we don't have much time to gladden the hearts of those that make this journey with us. So be swift to love and make haste to be kind. God's blessing be with you. Christ's peace be with you. The Spirit's outpouring be with you now and always. Amen.

SPEAKER_03 24:55

Amen.

SPEAKER_04 24:57

And that is morning prayer on this day when we remember Saint Joseph, Jesus' earthly dad. Thank you for coming to pray today. Wherever you go, take that love of Jesus that lives inside of you in your heart. Share that Jesus with the world. Show that Jesus to the world. Many need to see Jesus right now. Hope to see you back with us again tomorrow.