Oremus for Tuesday, April 30, 2024

July 25, 1973: Rev. Fr. Daniel Berrigan (right) protests the bombing in Cambodia, on the steps of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. AP Photos

Daniel Berrigan
Jesuit Daniel Berrigan, pirest, poet and peacemaker was one of the most influential voices in shaping Catholic thinking about war and peace during the past century. He died on this day in 2016 at the age of 94. Berrigan gained national attention for his work against the Vietnam War, including his participation in a striking act of civil disobedience with his brother, Philip, also a priest at the time, and seven others who became known as the Catonsville Nine. In 1968, the group burned draft records in the parking lot of a Maryland selective service office from which they had taken files. It was one of the most spectacular and high-profile actions of a lifetime of civil disobedience and protest against militarism, nuclear weaponry and U.S. war-making. He was a prolific writer who achieved a remarkable lyricism and poetic force when writing about subjects that normally were explored in academic and military circles. He also plumbed the scriptures and the spiritual depths of the Christian tradition in conducting retreats that challenged the status quo and often upended participants’ presumptions about life in America.1

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/rd485m56

O people of Sion, behold,
the Lord will come
to save the nations,
and the Lord will make
the glory of his voice
heard in the joy of your heart. Isaiah 30

Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires, known,
and from whom no secrets are hid:
Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa

O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory be 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.
Alleluia, alleluia!

HYMN: F. Richard Garland ©
Tune: Beecher https://tinyurl.com/4sje6mah

1 Save us, Lord, from war’s illusions,
Show to us the path of peace.
Heal us,Lord, from our confusions,
Give us, Lord, our soul’s release.
From the dawn of your creation,
You have sought the light of life.
You the source of our salvation,
Have desired the end to strife.

2 When we waste the earth’s resources,
Making implements to fight,
What we do, sadly, endorses
all the terrors we incite.
O, forgive our sinful actions,
Lead us in a better way.
Keep us from corrupt attractions
Lest our faithfulness decay.

3 Help us use the wealth of nations,
And assess a person’s worth,
So to bless the generations
That will follow us on earth.
We are stewards of your treasure.
We are called to work for peace:
Give us courage without measure
So your love, Lord, may increase.

4 You have called us, Lord, to vision,
And have wept when we have failed.
You still call us from division,
You, in Christ, have love unveiled.
Bid us turn our swords to plowshares,
Bend our spears to tend the vine:
Making sure that what our life shares
Will proclaim your love divine.

PSALMS

Psalm 147 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/w8ysftd)
1  Praise the Lord, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God *
 yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.
2  The Lord doth build up Jerusalem *
 and gather together the out-casts of Israel.
3  He healeth those that are broken in heart *
 and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.
4  He telleth the number of the stars *
 and calleth them all by their names.
5  Great is our Lord, and great is his power *
 yea, and his wisdom is infinite.
6  The Lord setteth up the meek *
 and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.
7  O sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving *
 sing praises upon the harp unto our God;
8  Who covereth the heaven with clouds,
and prepareth rain for the earth *
 and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains,
and herb for the use of men;
9  Who giveth fodder unto the cattle *
 and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.
10  He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse *
 neither delighteth he in any man’s legs.
11  But the Lord’s delight is in them that fear him *
 and put their trust in his mercy.
12  Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem *
 praise thy God, O Sion.
13  For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates *
 and hath blessed thy children within thee.
14  He maketh peace in thy borders *
 and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.
15  He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth *
 and his word runneth very swiftly.
16  He giveth snow like wool *
 and scattereth the hoar-frost like ashes.
17  He casteth forth his ice like morsels *
 who is able to abide his frost?
18  He sendeth out his word, and melteth them *
 he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow.
19  He sheweth his word unto Jacob *
 his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.
20  He hath not dealt so with any nation *
 neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 148 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vjv42mh)
1  O praise the Lord of heaven *
 praise him in the height.
2  Praise him, all ye angels of his *
 praise him, all his host.
3  Praise him, sun and moon *
 praise him, all ye stars and light.
4  Praise him, all ye heavens *
 and ye waters that are above the heavens.
5  Let them praise the Name of the Lord *
 for he spake the word, and they were made;
he commanded, and they were created.
6  He hath made them fast for ever and ever *
 he hath given them a law which shall not be broken.
7  Praise the Lord upon earth *
 ye dragons, and all deeps;
8  Fire and hail, snow and vapours *
 wind and storm, fulfilling his word;
9  Mountains and all hills *
 fruitful trees and all cedars;
10  Beasts and all cattle *
 worms and feathered fowls;
11  Kings of the earth and all people *
 princes and all judges of the world;
12  Young men and maidens, old men and children,
praise the Name of the Lord *
 for his Name only is excellent,
and his praise above heaven and earth.
13  He shall exalt the horn of his people;
all his saints shall praise him *
 even the children of Israel,
even the people that serveth him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost,*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Psalm 149 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/rpojt8q)
1  O sing unto the Lord a new song *
 let the congregation of saints praise him.
2  Let Israel rejoice in him that made him *
 and let the children of Sion be joyful in their King.
3  Let them praise his Name in the dance *
 let them sing praises unto him with tabret and harp.
4  For the Lord hath pleasure in his people *
 and helpeth the meek-hearted.
5  Let the saints be joyful with glory *
 let them rejoice in their beds.
6  Let the praises of God be in their mouth *
 and a two-edged sword in their hands;
7  To be avenged of the heathen *
 and to rebuke the people;
8  To bind their kings in chains *
 and their nobles with links of iron.
9  That they may be avenged of them, as it is written *
 Such honour have all his saints.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Psalm 150 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vm5vf4z)
1  O praise God in his holiness *
 praise him in the firmament of his power.
2  Praise him in his noble acts *
 praise him according to his excellent greatness.
3  Praise him in the sound of the trumpet *
 praise him upon the lute and harp.
4  Praise him in the cymbals and dances *
 praise him upon the strings and pipe.
5  Praise him upon the well-tuned cymbals *
 praise him upon the loud cymbals.
6  Let every thing that hath breath *
 praise the Lord.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost,*
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.

Psalm 147 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-147-Lukan.mp3)
Ant. Sing to our God with thanksgiving;*
 Zion, praise your God!*

1 Alleluia! How good it is to praise our God!*
 How pleasant and how fitting to sing God’s praise!
2 ADONAI rebuilds Jerusalem and gathers Israel’s exiles.*
 3 God heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4 God knows the number of the stars*
 and calls each one by name.
5 Great is ADONAI, and mighty in power;*
 there is no limit to God’s wisdom.
6 ADONAI lifts up the oppressed,*
 and casts the corrupt to the ground.
7 Sing to our God with thanksgiving;*
 sing praise with the harp to our God –
8 who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth,*
 who makes grass sprout on the mountains
and herbs for the service of the people,
9 who gives food to the cattle,*
 and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 God does not thrill to the strength of the horse,*
 or revel in the fleetness of humans.
11 ADONAI delights in those who worship with reverence,*
 and put their hope in God’s steadfast love.
12 Jerusalem, give glory to ADONAI!*
 Zion, praise your God!
13 For God strengthens the bars of your gates,*
 and blesses your children within you.
14 God has granted peace within your borders,*
 and fills you with the finest wheat.
15 God sends forth a command to the earth – swiftly runs the word!*
 16 God spreads snow like wool and scatters frost like ashes.
17 God hurls hail like pebbles –*
 who can stand before God’s freezing winds?
18 Then God sends a word and melts them;*
 God lets the breeze blow and the waters run again.
19 God’s words have been revealed to the chosen people,*
 God’s decrees and laws to Israel.
20 God has not done this with any other nation;*
 they do not know God’s law. Alleluia!
Glory to you, O Trinity, most holy and blessed;*
One God, now and forever. Amen.

Ant. Sing to our God with thanksgiving;*
 Zion, praise your God!

Psalm 148
(Temple tone: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-148-Victor.mp3)
1 Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his host.
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, shining stars.
4 Praise him, highest heavens
and the waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord.
He commanded: they were made.
6 He fixed them for ever,
gave a law which shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
sea creatures and all oceans,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy winds that obey his word;
9 all mountains and hills,
all fruit trees and cedars,
10 beasts, wild and tame,
reptiles and birds on the wing;
11 all earth’s kings and peoples,
earth’s princes and rulers,
12 young men and maidens,
the old men together with children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord
for he alone is exalted.
The splendor of his name
reaches beyond heaven and earth.
14 He exalts the strength of his people.
He is the praise of all his saints,
of the sons of Israel,
of the people to whom he comes close.

Psalm 149 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-149.mp3)
1 Hallelujah!
Sing to the LORD a new song; *
sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.
2 Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; *
let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
3 Let them praise his Name in the dance; *
let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people *
and adorns the poor with victory.
5 Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; *
let them be joyful on their beds.
6 Let the praises of God be in their throat *
and a two-edged sword in their hand;
7 To wreak vengeance on the nations *
and punishment on the peoples;
8 To bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles with links of iron;
9 To inflict on them the judgment decreed; *
this is glory for all his faithful people.
Hallelujah!

Psalm 150 (Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-150-KH.mp3)
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Praise God in his sanctuary;
Praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his awesome deeds;
Praise him with exceeding greatness!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
Praise him with harp and lute!
Praise him with timbrel and dance;
Praise him with strings and pipe!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Praise him with sounding cymbals;
Praise him with crashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes,
Praise the LORD!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

PRAYER

O God,
none can compare with you,
for your wondrous deeds for our salvation are without number.
Make us bold witnesses to your faithfulness
that all the earth may rejoice in your love toward us
in Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Awake, awake,
    put on your strength, Zion!
    Put on your splendid clothing,
    Jerusalem, you holy city;
        for the uncircumcised and unclean
        will no longer come into you.
Shake the dust off yourself;
    rise up; sit enthroned, Jerusalem.
Loose the bonds from your neck,
    captive Daughter Zion!

The Lord proclaims:
You were sold for nothing,
    and you will be redeemed without money.
The Lord God proclaims:
Long ago my people went down
    to reside in Egypt.
    Moreover, Assyria has oppressed them without cause.
And now what have I here? says the Lord.
    My people are taken away for nothing.
Their rulers wail, says the Lord,
    and continually all day long my name is despised.
Therefore, my people will know my name on that day;
    I’m the one who promises it; I’m here.

How beautiful upon the mountains
    are the feet of a messenger
    who proclaims peace,
    who brings good news,
    who proclaims salvation,
    who says to Zion, “Your God rules!”
Listen! Your lookouts lift their voice;
    they sing out together!
    Right before their eyes they see the Lord returning to Zion.

Break into song together, you ruins of Jerusalem!
The Lord has comforted his people and has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm in view of all the nations;
    all the ends of the earth have seen our God’s victory.

Depart! Depart! Go out from there!
    Unclean! Don’t touch!
    Get out of that place; purify yourselves,
    carriers of the Lord’s equipment!
You won’t go out in a rush,
    nor will you run away,
    because the one going before you is the Lord;
    your rear guard is the God of Israel.

HYMN: Mary Ann Thomson
Tune: Tidings https://tinyurl.com/bdhasyzu

1 O Christians, haste, your mission high fulfilling,
to tell to all the world that God is light,
that he who made all nations is not willing
one soul should perish, lost in shades of night.

Refrain:
Publish glad tidings, tidings of peace,
tidings of Jesus, redemption and release.

2 Behold how many thousands still are lying
bound in the dreary prison-house of sin
with none to tell them of the Savior’s dying
or of the life he died for them to win. [Refrain]

3 Proclaim to ev’ry people, tongue, and nation
that God, in whom they live and move, is love;
tell how he stooped to save his lost creation
and died on earth that they might live above. [Refrain]

4 Send heralds forth to bear the message glorious,
give of your wealth to speed them on their way;
pour out your soul for them in prayer victorious;
O Christians, haste to bring the brighter day! [Refrain]

Since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all God’s people, this is the reason that I don’t stop giving thanks to God for you when I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, will give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation that makes God known to you. I pray that the eyes of your heart will have enough light to see what is the hope of God’s call, what is the richness of God’s glorious inheritance among believers, and what is the overwhelming greatness of God’s power that is working among us believers. This power is conferred by the energy of God’s powerful strength. God’s power was at work in Christ when God raised him from the dead and sat him at God’s right side in the heavens, far above every ruler and authority and power and angelic power, any power that might be named not only now but in the future. God put everything under Christ’s feet and made him head of everything in the church, which is his body. His body, the church, is the fullness of Christ, who fills everything in every way.

HYMN: Sylvia G Dunstan ©
Tune: Triumph https://tinyurl.com/3tuyufnd

1 You, Lord, are both Lamb and Shepherd.
You, Lord, are both prince and slave.
You, peacemaker and sword-bringer
of the way you took and gave.
You, the everlasting instant;
you, whom we both scorn and crave.

2 Clothed in light upon the mountain,
stripped of might upon the cross,
shining in eternal glory,
beggar’d by a soldier’s toss,
you, the everlasting instant;
you who are both gift and cost.

3 You, who walk each day beside us,
sit in power at God’s side.
You, who preach a way that’s narrow,
have a love that reaches wide.
You, the everlasting instant;
you, who are our pilgrim guide.

4 Worthy is our earthly Jesus!
Worthy is our cosmic Christ!
Worthy your defeat and vict’ry;
worthy still your peace and strife.
You, the everlasting instant;
you, who are our death and life.

Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” 

Then the Pharisees said to him, “Because you are testifying about yourself, your testimony isn’t valid.” 
Jesus replied, “Even if I testify about myself, my testimony is true, since I know where I came from and where I’m going. You don’t know where I come from or where I’m going. You judge according to human standards, but I judge no one. Even if I do judge, my judgment is truthful, because I’m not alone. My judgments come from me and from the Father who sent me. In your Law it is written that the witness of two people is true. I am one witness concerning myself, and the Father who sent me is the other.”

They asked him, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You don’t know me and you don’t know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father.” He spoke these words while he was teaching in the temple area known as the treasury. No one arrested him, because his time hadn’t yet come.

Jesus continued, “I’m going away. You will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I’m going, you can’t come.” The Jewish leaders said, “He isn’t going to kill himself, is he? Is that why he said, ‘Where I’m going, you can’t come’?”

He said to them, “You are from below; I’m from above. You are from this world; I’m not from this world. This is why I told you that you would die in your sins. If you don’t believe that I Am, you will die in your sins.” “Who are you?” they asked.

Jesus replied, “I’m exactly who I have claimed to be from the beginning. I have many things to say in judgment concerning you. The one who sent me is true, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.” They didn’t know he was speaking about his Father. So Jesus said to them, “When the Human One is lifted up, then you will know that I Am. Then you will know that I do nothing on my own, but I say just what the Father has taught me. He who sent me is with me. He doesn’t leave me by myself, because I always do what makes him happy.” While Jesus was saying these things, many people came to believe in him.

CANTICLE Revelation 5:12-14 (LBW)
(John Ylsivaker ELW Setting 8: https://tinyurl.com/r4t5bzze)

Refrain:
This is the feast of victory for our God,
for the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia.
1 Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,
whose blood set us free to be people of God.
Power, riches, wisdom, and strength,
and honor, blessing, and glory are his. [Refrain]
2 Sing with all the people of God,
and join in the hymn of all creation.
Blessing, honor, glory, and might
be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen. [Refrain]

THE PRAYERS BCW

O Christ, in your resurrection,
the heavens and the earth rejoice.
Alleluia!
By your resurrection you broke open the gates of hell,
and destroyed sin and death.
Keep us victorious over sin.
By your resurrection you raised the dead,
and brought us from death to life.
Guide us in the way of eternal life.
By your resurrection you confounded your guards and executioners,
and filled the disciples with joy.
Give us joy in your service.
By your resurrection you proclaimed good news to the women and apostles,
and brought salvation to the whole world.
Direct our lives as your new creation.

(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL

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;
and 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 for ever. Amen.

Almighty God, you have surrounded us with a great cloud of witnesses: Grant that we, encouraged by the good example of your servant Daniel, may persevere in running the race that is set before us, until at last we may with him attain to your eternal joy; through Jesus Christ, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. BCP79

https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!

Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.    Ephesians 3:20,21


Donation to Support This Ministry

Since 1993, Oremus has been done on a volunteer basis. If you are able, please consider supporting this work at the PayPal link below. For software reasons, I’ve set the value at $10.00, but feel free to change it. Thank you.

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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.

RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.

1 https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/daniel-berrigan-poet-peacemaker-dies-94

BCP79 The Book of Common Prayer (1979), The Episcopal Church

The scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.

The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalm 38 and 39 are from The Grail Psalter and are from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured. Psalm 40 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel.

Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.

Compilation © 2024 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.

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