Praying the Lauds - Your Daily Christian Morning Prayer

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - October 1, 2022 | Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church "Thus says the Lord: Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." - Mt. 18:3 Today is the Memorial of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (1873-1897), more popularly known as "the Little Flower." Although just an obscure cloist...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 30, 2022 | Memorial of St. Jerome, Priest and Doctor of the Church "Blessed indeed is he who ponders the law of the Lord day and night: he will yield his fruit in due season." - Ps. 1:2-3 Born in Dalmatia of a Christian in 340, St. Jerome was baptized in Rome, while taking his classical courses. He then studied under the best masters in foreign cities. He was at...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 29, 2022 | Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels "Bless the Lord, all you angels, you ministers, who do his will." - Ps. 103:21 The liturgy celebrates the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels who are venerated in the tradition of the Church. Michael (Who is like God?) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his e...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 29, 2022 | Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels "Bless the Lord, all you angels, you ministers, who do his will." - Ps. 103:21 The liturgy celebrates the Feast of Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, archangels who are venerated in the tradition of the Church. Michael (Who is like God?) was the archangel who fought against Satan and all his e...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 28, 2022 | Memorial of Sts. Lorenzo Ruiz and companions, Martyrs "I shall die for God, and for Him I would give many thousands of lives if I had them." - St. Lorenzo Ruiz St. Lorenzo Ruiz was a devoted husband and father of three children in the Philippines during the seventeenth century. After he was unjustly accused of murder, he fled with Christian missionari...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 27, 2022 | Memorial of St. Vincent de Paul, Priest and Founder "Let us love God; but at the price of our hands and sweat of our face." - St. Vincent de Paul St. Vincent de Paul (1581-1660) was born in Gascony, France, and died in Paris. He studied theology at Toulouse and was ordained a priest in 1600. As a young priest he fell into the hands of Mohammedan pirat...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 26, 2022 | Monday in the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time/ Optional Memorial of Sts. Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs "The Son of Man came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Mark 10:45 According to tradition, Saints Cosmas and Damian suffered martyrdom in Syria during the Roman persecution of Diocletian, around 303 A.D. Not much is known about th...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 25, 2022 | Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) "I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you." - Ez. 36:26 What do you want to trade in exchange for a new heart? Whether in poverty or in abundance, in sorrow or in joy, in uncertainty or in confidence, we can always desire for a new heart that trusts and rests in the Lord. Let us pray t...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 24, 2022 | Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. "Today's memorial is a remembrance of the maternal example and discipleship of the Blessed Virgin Mary who, strengthened by faith and hope, on that 'great Saturday' on which Our Lo...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 23, 2022 | Memorial of St. Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest "Your priests, O Lord, shall be clothed with justice; your holy ones shall ring out their joy." - Ps 132 (131):9 More popularly known as Padre Pio, St. Pius, was born in 1887 in the small Italian village of Pietrelcina.  He joined the Capuchin Friars at the age of sixteen and was ordained a priest seven...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 22, 2022 | Thursday of the 25th Week in Ordinary Time "I am the way and the truth and the life, says the Lord; no one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6 The works of man are vanity, says Qoheleth. We can become too focused on the things of the earth that we forget to work on the things of heaven. Today we have been given another lease in life. L...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 21, 2022 | Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist "As Jesus passed by, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the customs post. He said to him, 'Follow me.' And he got up and followed him." - Mt. 9:9-13 Today is the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist. At the time that Jesus summoned him to follow Him, Matthew was a publican, that is, a tax-collect...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 20, 2022 | Memorial of St. Andrew Kim Taegǒn, Paul Chong Hasang, and companions, Martyrs "The Lord is the king of martyrs: come, let us adore him." - antiphon, Lauds St. Andrew was born in Seoul, Korea, to converts to the faith. His father was a martyr. Baptized at the age of 15, he travelled 1300 miles to the nearest seminary in South China and was ordained Kor...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 19, 2022 | Memorial of St. Januarius, Bishop and Martyr "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father." - Mt. 5:16 Little is known about St. Januarius. He was Bishop of Benevento in Campania. He died near Naples, about the year 305, martyred under the persecution of Emperor Diocletian. Around the year 400...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 18, 2022 | Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time "On this day, the first of days, God the Father’s Name we praise; Who, creation’s Lord and spring, Did the world from darkness bring." - Hymn, Lauds Every Sunday we commemorate Christ's resurrection and we thank God our Creator for the first rays of the dawn, for another new day, another new week to praise and dwel...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 17, 2022 | Saturday of the Twenty-Fourth Week in Ordinary Time "Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance." - LK 8:15 God is pleased when we bear lasting fruits for His Kingdom. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, He nurtures us and prunes us so that we may grow in faith, hope and love. May we not be...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 16, 2022 | Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs "The Lord is the king of martyrs: come, let us adore him." - Lauds antiphon Today's Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian commemorates two friends in the service of Christ and his Church. Cornelius, a Roman, was the twenty-first Pope during the reign of the Emperor Gallus and Volusian...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 15, 2022 | Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows "Rejoice, O sorrowful Mother; after your great sufferings, you sine forth as Queen, enthroned beside your Son." - Benedictus, antiphon Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady has its roots in Sacred Scripture and in Christian piety, which always associates the Blessed Mother with her suffering Son. Today's feast was i...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 14, 2022 | Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross  "We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you, because by your Cross you have redeemed the world." - Lauds, responsory This Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross was observed in Rome before the end of the seventh century. It commemorates the recovery of the Holy Cross, which had been placed on Mount Calvary b...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 13, 2022 | Memorial of St. John Chrysostom, Bishop and Doctor of the Church "Those who are wise will shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament and those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars for ever." - Dn 12:3 St. John Chrysostom (347-407), born in Antioch, was a great genius. His powerful eloquence earned him the surname of Chrysostom,...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 12, 2022 | Memorial of the Most Holy Name of Mary God the Father is glorified by the exalted role in salvation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Thus, her name is a name of honor, a holy name, a maternal name, and a name responsive to the needs of the Church. Through the intercession of Mary,  may we offer our lives as our continuous praise to God,  Father,...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 11, 2022 | Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time "Praise the Lord, for his loving kindness will never fail, alleluia." - Lauds, antiphon God called us while we were yet sinners, let us open our hearts to praise the God of power and goodness, for he loves us and knows our needs. Begin this holy day with the universal prayer of the Church through the ancient tradi...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 10, 2022 | Saturday Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary On Saturdays in Ordinary Time when there is no obligatory memorial, an optional memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary is allowed. "Today's memorial is a remembrance of the maternal example and discipleship of the Blessed Virgin Mary who, strengthened by faith and hope, on that 'great Saturday' on which Our Lo...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 9, 2022 | Friday of the Twenty-Third Week in Ordinary Time "Can the blind lead the blind?" - Luke 6:39 By virtue of our baptism, we are called to spread the Gospel to others. But before we can do this, we must acquaint ourselves with and believe in that Gospel. May we strive to seek what is infinitely valuable and never be complacent in our life of faith. Join t...

LISTEN | Morning Prayer - September 8, 2022 | Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary "Let us celebrate with joy the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, for from her arose the sun of justice, Christ our God." - Lauds antiphon Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Mary was born to be the mother of the Savior of the world, the spiritual mot...