Praying the Lauds - Your Daily Christian Morning Prayer

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - February 3, 2023 | Memorial of St. Blaise, Bishop and Martyr "Go and teach all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, until the end of the world." - Mt. 28:19a, 20b St. Blaise (or Blase) (d. 320) enjoyed widespread veneration in the Eastern and Western Churches due to many cures attributed to him. According to tradition, he was Bishop of Sebaste in Armenia and was...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - February 2, 2023 | Feast of the Presentation of the Lord "My eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared in the sight of all the peoples." - Luke 2:30-31 Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord which occurs forty days after the birth of Jesus.  Though Jesus was the Son of God and himself is God, Jesus was still brought up in the fa...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - February 1, 2023 | Wednesday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time "A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and among his own kin and in his own house." - Mark 6:4 How do you handle rejections in life? Rejection, especially by our own relatives can be a very painful experience. Jesus was also rejected. Yet despite this, it did not stop doing him from doing...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 31, 2023 | Memorial of St. John Bosco, Priest "Christ is the chief shepherd, the leader of his flock: come, let us adore him." - antiphon St. John Bosco (1815-1888), born in Italy, was the founder of the Salesian Society, named in honor of St. Francis de Sales, and of the Daughters of Mary, Help of Christians. His lifework was the welfare of young boys and girls,...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 30, 2023 | Monday of the Fourth Week in Ordinary Time "Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord" - Ps. 31:25 All of us, in one way or the other, battle with our inner demons. These "evil spirits" like pride, attachments, bad habits and many more, isolate us from others. Jesus alone can drive these "evil spirits" from us. Let us take comfort in His Wo...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 29, 2023 | Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A) "Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of heaven is theirs!" - Mt. 5:3 God's heavenly reward awaits those of us who persevere in loving, serving, praising and glorifying Him despite the many hardships and difficulties we may endure.  Let us ask God for the grace to recognize the blessings amidst the cha...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 28, 2023 | Memorial of St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church "The Lord is the source of all wisdom: come, let us adore him." - antiphon St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) is the Dominican Order's greatest glory. He ranks among the greatest writers and theologians of all time. His most important work, the Summa Theologiae , an explanation and summary of t...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 27, 2023 | Friday of the Third Week in Ordinary Time "Take delight in the LORD, and he will grant you your heart’s requests." - Ps. 37:4 God holds our best interest and it is in Him that we will find the joy and fullness we seek in life. He invites us to commit all our ways to Him for He is trustworthy and He will act. May we open our hearts to God's merciful love...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 26, 2023 | Memorial of Sts. Timothy and Titus, Bishops "Go into all the world, and proclaim the Gospel." - Mk 16:15 Timothy and Titus were converted to Christianity by St Paul, and became his companions and helpers. Paul entrusted Timothy with the care of the Christians in Ephesus, and sent Titus to Crete to look after the Christians there. He wrote them the so-ca...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 25, 2023 | Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle "I live by faith in the Son of God, who has loved me and given himself up for me." - Gal 2:2 The Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul celebrates St. Paul turning away from persecution of Christians to promoting Christianity. St. Paul, named Saul at his circumcision, a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, was born at...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 24, 2023 | Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church "Behold a faithful and prudent steward to give them their allowance of food at the proper time." - Lk 12:42 Today is the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales (1567-1622), Bishop and Doctor of the Church. St. Francis' ardent love of God and souls, his great kindliness, rare wisdom and sure tea...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 23, 2023 | Monday in the Third Week in Ordinary Time "Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel." - 2 Tim. 1:10 The Word of God nourishes and sustains His people for the Kingdom. From Jan. 23 to 29, the Church in the Philippines celebrate National Bible Week. All Filipinos are enjoined for one week to focus on the rea...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 22, 2023 | Third Sunday in Ordinary Time (Sunday of the Word of God) "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone." - Is. 9:1 Christ came to bring to those who believe in Him, liberation from that which oppresses them. His light conquers the darkness that shrouds the world with gloom and in...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 21, 2023 | Memorial of St. Agnes, Virgin and Martyr "Behold, now she follows the Lamb who was crucified for us, powerful in virginity, modesty her offering, a sacrifice on the altar of chastity." - Entrance antiphon St. Agnes (c. 304), like St. Cecilia, is to be numbered among the most famous martyrs of Rome. When the Diocletian persecution was at its height, and...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 20, 2023 | Friday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time "Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and they came to him... that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons" - Mk 3:13-15 God made many covenants with his people in Old Testament times but the people regularly broke them. He...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 19, 2023 | Thursday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time "Our Savior Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life to light through the Gospel." - 2 Timothy 1:10 The people throughout the Gospels had come to Jesus to hear him preach and to experience healing. Like them, we too come to Jesus not only hoping to be healed, but more profoundly, hoping to be saved f...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 18, 2023 | Wednesday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time "Stretch out your hand." - Mark 3:5 A simple command that manifested healing for the paralyzed man who encountered Jesus on a Sabbath. In healing him, Jesus emphatically demonstrates the true meaning of the Sabbath. In "stretching out" His arms and hands, God has come heal us and save us. May we too stretch...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 17, 2023 | Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot "If you would be perfect, go, self what you have, give to the poor, and follow me, says the Lord." - Mt. 19:21 The Church celebrates the Memorial of St. Anthony, Abbot (251-356) from the 3rd century. St. Anthony, the father of monks, retired to the desert at about the age of eighteen in order to live in perfect solitude. H...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 16, 2023 | Monday in the Second Week of Ordinary Time "No one sews a piece of unshrunken cloth on an old cloak. If he does, its fullness pulls away, the new from the old, and the tear gets worse." - Mark 2:21 What are the old ungodly ways and habits that God wants you to shed this year so as to accommodate the new ways of the Gospel? What is hindering you from gro...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 15, 2023 | Feast of the Sto. Niño Holy Childhood Day / Week of Prayer for Christian Unity "For a child is born to us, a son is given to us; upon his shoulder dominion rests. They name him Wonder-Counselor, God-Hero, Father-Forever, Prince of Peace" - Is. 9:6 God has indeed come down for us to become a little Niño, embracing the lowliness of our human nature so we...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 14, 2023 | Saturday of the First Week in Ordinary Time "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners." - Mark 2:17 Do you see yourself weak, sick and in need of God's healing? Jesus comes for you and He invites you to draw closer to Him for He loves you and cares for you. Join the People of God in praying the universal prayer of the Church through the Office o...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 13, 2023 | Friday of the First Week in Ordinary Time Attend to the pleas of your people with heavenly care,  O Lord, we pray,  that they may see what must be done  and gain strength to do what they have seen.  Join the People of God in praying the universal prayer of the Church through the Office of Lauds. Listen, share and subscribe to Friday'...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 12, 2023 | Thursday of the First Week in Ordinary Time "If today you hear his voice, harden not your hearts." - Ps. 95:8 Jesus preached the Gospel of the Kingdom and cured every disease among the people. Despite His best interests for us, we would often times stray from God's ways because of the demands and responsibilities of the Gospel, forgetting that His grace...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 11, 2023 | Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time "The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes." - Mark 1:22 Jesus became human like us who knows our strengths and weaknesses, in order to plead on our behalf and understand our earthly struggles. He continues to cure people of their illnesses n...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - January 10, 2023 | Tuesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time "The people were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes." - Mark 1:22 Do you recognize God's authority in your life? The people of Jesus' time were amazed by how he speaks and recognized the authority with which he acts. As we begin the Ordinary Time, let u...