O God who brought the light to birth, the moon and all the starry skies, who set in space the globe of earth and made the sun in splendour rise, teach us to love the light, we pray, and walk as children of the day. A fertile earth, a sky and sea, you filled with creatures great and small, and fashioned humankind to be your own vice-regents over all: teach us your fragile world to tend, and live as all creation's friend. Delight and purpose, work and rest, and innocence a garden made, with human love and marriage blest, before the flowers began to fade: teach us your purpose to fulfil and find delight within your will. What sin was theirs who fell from grace enslaved by one forbidden tree, to found a fallen human race no longer unashamed and free: teach us to flee from Satan's power and keep us in temptation's hour. For Christ has crushed the serpent's head to put an end to griefs and sins; through him the powers of death are dead and resurrection life begins: teach us to make his triumphs plain, and in him live, and rise, and reign.