Oremus for Tuesday, December 8, 2020

Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Today is the feast marking 9 months prior to the feast of Mary’s birth on September 8. Like every other human being, Mary was born with traits and gifts which, in her case, made her open to accepting God’s will when the angel visited her and asked her to be the mother of our Savior.

Antiphon¹

Ant. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, *
and my soul shall be joyful in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation;
and with the robe of righteousness he has covered me,
as a bridegroom decked with a crown,
and as a bride adorned with her jewels.
V. I will extol you, O Lord, for you have rescued me: *
and have not made my enemies to rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I have cried to you, *
and you have healed me. Isaiah 61; Psalm 30

Almighty God,
give us grace to cast away the works of darkness,
and put on the armor of light,
now in the time of this mortal life
in which your Son Jesus Christ came
to visit us in great humility;
that in the last day,
when he shall come again in his glorious majesty
to judge both the living and the dead,
we may rise to the life immortal;
through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Music: https://tinyurl.com/ycn4djk5

O Lord, open my lips.
And my mouth will declare your praise.
Make haste, O God, to deliver me;
make haste to help me, O Lord.
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.
Praise to you, O Christ, Alleluia!

HYMN: Christopher Willcock ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/y4c8yxal

1 There is nothing told about this woman,
but that she had once become engaged,
and an angel addressed her and said:
“You are blessed among all your kind.” 

Refrain:
On this day all earth and all paradise 
join in naming you happy and blessed;
Virgin Mary, blessed are you. Blest are you.

2 There is nothing told about this woman,
but that she had brought into the world,
in the land of Judea, her son;
for some shepherds have passed on this tale. [Refrain]

3 There is nothing told about this woman,
but that she had searched for three long days
for her child who was busy elsewhere,
and her heart then did not understand. [Refrain]

4 There is nothing told about this woman,
but that she at Cana was a guest,
and that Jesus changed water to wine,
so that all might believe who he was. [Refrain]

5 There is nothing told about this woman,
but that she was standing by the cross
when her son stretched his arms out on high,
and met death with a thief on each side. [Refrain]

6 There is nothing told about this woman,
but that she was one in prayer with those
upon whom tongues of fire did descend,
and the Spirit baptized them with flame. [Refrain]

PSALMS
For psalms in contemporary language, https://tinyurl.com/y9tjh7rk

Psalm 41 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/urktsqu)

1  Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy *
 the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.
2  The Lord preserve him, and keep him alive,
that he may be blessed upon earth *
 and deliver not thou him into the will of his enemies.
3  The Lord comfort him, when he lieth sick upon his bed *
 make thou all his bed in his sickness.
4  I said, Lord, be merciful unto me *
 heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
5  Mine enemies speak evil of me *
 When shall he die, and his name perish?
6  And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity *
 and his heart conceiveth falsehood within himself,
and when he cometh forth he telleth it.
7  All mine enemies whisper together against me *
 even against me do they imagine this evil.
8  Let the sentence of guiltiness proceed against him *
 and now that he lieth, let him rise up no more.
9  Yea, even mine own familiar friend, whom I trusted *
 who did also eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me.
10  But be thou merciful unto me, O Lord *
 raise thou me up again, and I shall reward them.
11  By this I know thou favourest me *
 that mine enemy doth not triumph against me.
12  And when I am in my health, thou upholdest me *
 and shalt set me before thy face for ever.
13  Blessed be the Lord God of Israel *
 world without end. Amen.
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.

Psalms 42 and 43 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/wxrfhr8)
sung as the one psalm they originally were

1  Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks *
 so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
2  My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God *
 when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3  My tears have been my meat day and night *
 while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
4  Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself *
 for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God;
5  In the voice of praise and thanksgiving *
 among such as keep holy-day.
6  Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul *
 and why art thou so disquieted within me?
7  Put thy trust in God *
 for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.
8  My God, my soul is vexed within me *
 therefore will I remember thee concerning the land of Jordan,
and the little hill of Hermon.
9  One deep calleth another, because of the noise of the water-pipes *
 all thy waves and storms are gone over me.
10  The Lord hath granted his loving-kindness in the day-time *
 and in the night-season did I sing of him,
and made my prayer unto the God of my life.
11  I will say unto the God of my strength, Why hast thou forgotten me *
 why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
12  My bones are smitten asunder as with a sword *
 while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth;
13  Namely, while they say daily unto me *
 Where is now thy God?
14  Why art thou so vexed, O my soul *
 and why art thou so disquieted within me?
15  O put thy trust in God *
 for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my countenance, and my God.
1  Give sentence with me, O God,
and defend my cause against the ungodly people *
 O deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.
2  For thou art the God of my strength, why hast thou put me from thee *
 and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
3  O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me *
 and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling.
4  And that I may go unto the altar of God,
even unto the God of my joy and gladness *
 and upon the harp will I give thanks unto thee, O God, my God.
5  Why art thou so heavy, O my soul *
 and why art thou so disquieted within me?
6  O put thy trust in God *
 for I will yet give him thanks, which is the help of my countenance, and my God.
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.

PRAYER

Gracious God,
in the night of distress we forget the days of sun and joy.
When we do not know your presence,
preserve us from the deep torrent of despair.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Malachi 1:1-5

An oracle. The word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi.

I have loved you, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have you loved us?’ Is not Esau Jacob’s brother? says the Lord. Yet I have loved Jacob but I have hated Esau; I have made his hill country a desolation and his heritage a desert for jackals. If Edom says, ‘We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,’ the Lord of hosts says: They may build, but I will tear down, until they are called the wicked country, the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever. Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, ‘Great is the Lord beyond the borders of Israel!’

HYMN: Horatius Bonar
Tune: St Bride https://tinyurl.com/yymho9ey

1 Come Lord, and tarry not;
Bring the long-looked-for day;
O why these years of waiting here,
These ages of delay?

2 Come, for Thy saints still wait;
Daily ascends their sigh:
The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come”:
Dost Thou not hear the cry?

3 Come, for creation groans,
Impatient of Thy stay,
Worn out with these long years of ill,
These ages of delay.

4 Come, and make all things new;
Build up this ruined earth;
Restore our faded Paradise,
Creation’s second birth.

5 Come, and bring Thy reign
Of everlasting peace;
Come, take the kingdom to Thyself,
Great King of Righteousness.

Reading: Philippians 3:9b-16

I do not have any righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on towards the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained.

HYMN: Bernard of Clairvaux; trans. Edward Caswall
Music: St Agnes https://tinyurl.com/y8yxxakp

1 Jesu, the very thought of thee
with sweetness fills the breast;
but sweeter far thy face to see,
and in thy presence rest.

2 No voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
nor can the memory find
a sweeter sound than Jesu’s name,
the Saviour of mankind.

3 O hope of every contrite heart,
O joy of all the meek,
to those who ask how kind thou art,
how good to those who seek!

4 But what to those who find? Ah, this
nor tongue nor pen can show;
the love of Jesus, what it is
none but his loved ones know.

5 Jesu, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
in thee be all our glory now,
and through eternity.

Reading: Mark 12:35-40

While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, ‘How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared,
“The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand,
   until I put your enemies under your feet.’ ”
David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?’ And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

As he taught, he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets! They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’

CANTICLE Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
(Andrew Rottner: https://tinyurl.com/ybqv7yxk)

He who is mighty, has shown great strength to me
And his mercy is for those who fear his holy name
And he has shown strength with his arm and his law
And he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

He who is mighty has brought the wicked shame
And his anger is for those who curse his holy name
And he has shown rage with the mighty in their thrones
And he has lifted the low into his glorious home

O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.

He who is mighty has not forgotten me
And his helping is for those to serve his holy name
He has shown remembrance with his servant Israel
And he spoke the promise from which all my doubts dispel

O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.
O my soul magnifies the Lord,
Yes my soul magnifies the Lord.

THE PRAYERS ^CCP

Watchful at all times,
let us pray for strength to stand with confidence
before our Maker and Redeemer.

That God may bring in his kingdom with judgement and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That God may establish among the nations
his sceptre of righteousness, let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That the Church may seek him in the scriptures
and recognise him in the breaking of the bread,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That God may bind up the broken‑hearted,
restore the sick and raise up all who have fallen,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That the light of God’s coming may dawn
on all who live in darkness and in the shadow of death,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

That with all the saints in light,
we may shine forth as lights of the world,
let us pray to the Lord:
Come in your might, Lord Jesus.

(Karin Simmons: https://tinyurl.com/y7vwp7dd)

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.
Lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God,
in choosing the virgin Mary to be the mother of your Son,
you made known your gracious regard
for the poor, the lowly, and the despised.
Grant us grace to receive your word in humility,
and so to be made one with your Son,
Jesus Christ our Savior and Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. ^ELW

Music: https://tinyurl.com/y9efvwm5
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with us all. Amen. 2 Cor. 13:14

---

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

^EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997

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

^CCP Celebrating Common Prayer © 1993 Society of St Francis

¹ Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©

^ELW Evangelical Lutheran Worship

The three main scripture readings are from the The New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Edition, The New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662).

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 © 2020 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.