Oremus for Thursday, January 28, 2021

Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas has been described as the greatest thinker and teacher of the mediæval church. Born at Rocca Secca, near Aquino, in Italy, Thomas was educated first by the Benedictines at Monte Cassino and then at the University of Naples. Against his family’s wishes, he joined the mendicant Dominican Order of Preachers. His profound, theological wisdom and capacity to impart this, as well in homilies as in hymns, along with his gentleness of spirit in dealing with all, earned him the title “the angelic doctor”. He died on 7 March 1274, en route to the Council of Lyons. ^EH

Antiphon¹

Ant. Andrew said to his brother Simon:
“We have found the Messiah” which means Christ;
and he led him to Jesus.
V. I will bless the Lord at all times; *
praise of him is always in my mouth.
In the Lord my soul shall make its boast; *
the humble shall hear and be glad. John 1; Psalm 34

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/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: Thomas Aquinas; trans. Edward Caswall
Tune: Grafton https://tinyurl.com/3btanker

1 Now, my tongue, the mystery telling
of the glorious body sing,
and the blood, all price excelling,
which the Gentiles’ Lord and King,
in a Virgin’s womb once dwelling,
shed for this world’s ransoming.

2 Given for us, and condescending
to be born for us below,
he, with us in converse blending,
dwelt the seed of truth to sow,
till he closed with wondrous ending
his most patient life of woe.

3 That last night, at supper lying,
‘mid the Twelve, his chosen band,
Jesus, with the law complying,
keeps the feast its rites demand;
then, more precious food supplying,
gives himself with his own hand.

4 Word-made-flesh, true bread he maketh
by his word his flesh to be,
wine his blood; which whoso taketh
must from carnal thoughts be free:
faith alone, though sight forsaketh,
shows true hearts the mystery.

5 Therefore we, before him bending,
this great sacrament revere:
types and shadows have their ending,
for the newer rite is here;
faith, our outward sense befriending,
makes our inward vision clear.

6 Glory let us give and blessing
to the Father and the Son,
honour, might, and praise addressing,
while eternal ages run;
ever too his love confessing,
who, from both, with both is One. Amen.

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

Psalm 132 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tv4ygfu)

1  Lord, remember David *
 and all his trouble;
2  How he sware unto the Lord *
 and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob;
3  I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house *
 nor climb up into my bed;
4  I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eye-lids to slumber *
 neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
5  Until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord *
 an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6  Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata *
 and found it in the wood.
7  We will go into his tabernacle *
 and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
8  Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place *
 thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9  Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness *
 and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
10  For thy servant David’s sake *
 turn not away the presence of thine Anointed.
11  The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David *
 and he shall not shrink from it;
12  Of the fruit of thy body *
 shall I set upon thy seat.
13  If thy children will keep my covenant,
and my testimonies that I shall learn them *
 their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.
14  For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself *
 he hath longed for her.
15  This shall be my rest for ever *
 here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
16  I will bless her victuals with increase *
 and will satisfy her poor with bread.
17  I will deck her priests with health *
 and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
18  There shall I make the horn of David to flourish *
 I have ordained a lantern for mine Anointed.
19  As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame *
 but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
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 133 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tlrm8lu)

1  Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is *
 brethren, to dwell together in unity !
2  It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
that ran down unto the beard *
 even unto Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
3  Like as the dew of Hermon *
 which fell upon the hill of Sion.
4  For there the Lord promised his blessing *
 and life for evermore.
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 134 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/v5kga57)

1  Behold now, praise the Lord *
 all ye servants of the Lord;
2  Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord *
 even in the courts of the house of our God.
3  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary *
 and praise the Lord.
4  The Lord that made heaven and earth *
 give thee blessing out of Sion.
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 135 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/w3blm5w)

1  O praise the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord *
 praise it, O ye servants of the Lord;
2  Ye that stand in the house of the Lord *
 in the courts of the house of our God.
3  O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious *
 O sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4  For why? the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself *
 and Israel for his own possession.
5  For I know that the Lord is great *
 and that our Lord is above all gods.
6  Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth *
 and in the sea, and in all deep places.
7  He bringeth forth the clouds from the ends of the world *
 and sendeth forth lightnings with the rain,
bringing the winds out of his treasures.
8  He smote the first-born of Egypt *
 both of man and beast.
9  He hath sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee,
O thou land of Egypt *
 upon Pharaoh, and all his servants.
10  He smote divers nations *
 and slew mighty kings;
11  Sehon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Basan *
 and all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12  And gave their land to be an heritage *
 even an heritage unto Israel his people.
13  Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for ever *
 so doth thy memorial, O Lord, from one generation to another.
14  For the Lord will avenge his people *
 and be gracious unto his servants.
15  As for the images of the heathen, they are but silver and gold *
 the work of men’s hands.
16  They have mouths, and speak not *
 eyes have they, but they see not.
17  They have ears, and yet they hear not *
 neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18  They that make them are like unto them *
 and so are all they that put their trust in them.
19  Praise the Lord, ye house of Israel *
 praise the Lord, ye house of Aaron.
20  Praise the Lord, ye house of Levi *
 ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
21  Praised be the Lord out of Sion *
 who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
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

Deliver us, O God,
from the tyranny of idols;
they cannot give happiness or life;
they bind us to the ways of death.
Claim us as your own
and lead us in the way, the truth, and the life,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Judges 12:1-7

The men of Ephraim were called to arms, and they crossed to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, ‘Why did you cross over to fight against the Ammonites, and did not call us to go with you? We will burn your house down over you!’ Jephthah said to them, ‘My people and I were engaged in conflict with the Ammonites who oppressed us severely. But when I called you, you did not deliver me from their hand. When I saw that you would not deliver me, I took my life in my hand, and crossed over against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave them into my hand. Why then have you come up to me this day, to fight against me?’ Then Jephthah gathered all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead defeated Ephraim, because they said, ‘You are fugitives from Ephraim, you Gileadites—in the heart of Ephraim and Manasseh.’ Then the Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever one of the fugitives of Ephraim said, ‘Let me go over’, the men of Gilead would say to him, ‘Are you an Ephraimite?’ When he said, ‘No’, they said to him, ‘Then say Shibboleth’, and he said, ‘Sibboleth’, for he could not pronounce it right. Then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. Forty-two thousand of the Ephraimites fell at that time.

Jephthah judged Israel for six years. Then Jephthah the Gileadite died, and was buried in his town in Gilead.

HYMN: John Aikin
Tune: Tallis’ Lamentation https://tinyurl.com/ypuuwzof

While sounds of war are heard around,
And death and ruin strew the ground,
To Thee we look, on Thee we call,
The Parent and the Lord of all.

Thou, who hast stamped on human kind
The image of a heaven-born mind,
And in a Father’s wide embrace
Hast cherished all the kindred race;

Great God! whose powerful hand can bind
The raging waves, the furious wind,
O bid the human tempest cease,
And hush the maddening world to peace.

With reverence may each hostile land
Hear and obey that high command,
Thy Son’s blest errand from above—
“My children, live in mutual love!”

Reading: Romans 8:14-27

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God; for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

HYMN: John R MacDuff
Tune: Unser Herrscher https://tinyurl.com/voyvqbc0

1 Christ is coming! Let creation
from her groans and travail cease;
let the glorious proclamation
hope restore and faith increase:
Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
Come, thou blessed Prince of Peace.

2 Earth can now but tell the story
of thy bitter cross and pain;
she shall yet behold thy glory, 
when thou comest back to reign:
Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
Let each heart repeat the strain.

3 Long thine exiles have been pining,
far from rest, and home, and thee:
but, in heav’nly vestures shining,
they their loving Lord shall see:
Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
Haste the joyous jubilee.

4 With that blessed hope before us,
let no harp remain unstrung;
let the mighty advent chorus
onward roll from tongue to tongue:
“Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come!”

Reading: Matthew 7:21-29

Jesus continued, ‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

CANTICLE Revelation 15:3-4
(Setting: Peter La Grand https://tinyurl.com/wvxnqrj)

You alone are holy
You alone are holy
Great and marvelous are your deeds
For you alone are holy

Who will not fear you O Lord?
And bring glory to your name
Just and true are you ways
King of the ages
…
All nations will come and worship you
For you alone are holy
…
All your righteous ways have been seen
For you alone are holy 

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

Loving God, as the rising sun chases away the night, so you have scattered the
power of death in the rising of Jesus Christ, and you bring us all blessings in him.
Especially we thank you for
the community of faith in our church . . .
those with whom we work or share common concerns . . .
the diversity of your children . . .
indications of your love at work in the world . . .
those who work for reconciliation. . . .

Mighty God, with the dawn of your love you reveal your victory over all that would
destroy or harm, and you brighten the lives of all who need you.
Especially we pray for
families suffering separation . . .
people different from ourselves . . .
those isolated by sickness or sorrow . . .
the victims of violence or warfare . . .
the church in the Pacific region. . . .

Setting by Eric Wyse:²

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.

Eternal God,
who enriched your Church with the learning and holiness
   of your servant Thomas Aquinas:
give to all who seek you
a humble mind and a pure heart
that they may know your Son Jesus Christ
as the Way, the Truth and the Life;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. ^EH

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.

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

^WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources

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

2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk

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.