The Joy of Morning

Psalm 95 is the customary opening psalm prayed in the Liturgy of the Hours to mark the beginning of the day. It is a song of praise, joy, and worship in our God. What better way to begin each day than with joy?

Morning begins with a fresh start.
Opening psalm lifts a night-weary heart.
Songbirds beckon open sleepy eyes.
The Heart quickens as old bones arise.
A Smile greets a weathered face.
Heaven has truly touched this place.

"O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!" (Psalm 95.1)

Rising Sun

Joy is the substance of meaning:
The flow of hope's eternal breath;
The essence of the heart's being
Which beats beyond the reach of death.

Joy is inhaled like night at dawn:
Absorbing darkness and despair;
Filling the soul with fresh intone --
A psalm of morning fills the air.

How can the birds not sing for joy
As dew refreshes all the earth,
And the first rays of light deploy
Heaven in hearts which sing with mirth?

And what fulfillment can there be
Apart from ONE who blesses all?
Whose denouement's eternity
With all His creatures great and small?

Now, sing for joy, God's little one!
Shine with your heart -- the rising sun.

"Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing!" (Isaiah 49.13a)

Lord, smile in me for all I meet this day. Breathe hope into all our disarray. Amen.