Oremus for Monday, March 1, 2021

David
David, or Dewi, was a monk and a bishop in the sixth century. He was reputed to be an exemplar of the ascetic, spiritual life but was also highly regarded for his kindness and compassion to others, particularly the poor and the sick. He is believed to have founded the monastery at Menevia, now St David’s, and also at least a dozen other monasteries. He is said to have based his Rule for his monasteries on that of the Egyptian desert monks, with a strong emphasis on hard work, abstinence from alcohol and a refraining from unnecessary speech. He died in about the year 601 and has been regarded as the patron saint of Wales since at least the twelfth century. ^EH

Antiphon¹

Ant. Remember me, O Lord, *
you who dominate all authority;
put the right words on my lips,
so that my speech may be convincing in the presence of the King.
V. Save us by your power, and help me, †
who am alone and have no one but you, O Lord. *
You know all things. Esther 14

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/ufxekitx

God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory 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.

HYMN: William Rees; trans. William Edwards
Tune: Dim ond Iesu https://tinyurl.com/79wjhy8a

1 Here is love, vast as the ocean,
loving-kindness as the flood,
when the Prince of Life, our Ransom,
shed for us His precious blood.
Who His love will not remember?
Who can cease to sing His praise?
He can never be forgotten
throughout heav’n’s eternal days.

2 On the mount of crucifixion
fountains opened deep and wide;
through the floodgates of God’s mercy
flowed a vast and gracious tide.
Grace and love, like mighty rivers,
poured incessant from above,
and heav’n’s peace and perfect justice
kissed a guilty world in love.

3 In Thy truth Thou dost direct me
by Thy Spirit through Thy Word;
and Thy grace my need is meeting
as I trust in Thee, my Lord.
Of Thy fullness Thou art pouring
Thy great love and pow’r on me
without measure, full and boundless,
drawing out my heart to Thee.

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

Psalm 1 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yaev8zrk)

1  Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor stood in the way of sinners *
 and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful.
2  But his delight is in the law of the Lord *
 and in his law will he exercise himself day and night.
3  And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-side *
 that will bring forth his fruit in due season.
4  His leaf also shall not wither *
 and look, whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper.
5  As for the ungodly, it is not so with them *
 but they are like the chaff, which the wind
scattereth away from the face of the earth.
6  Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgement *
 neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
7  But the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous *
 and the way of the ungodly shall perish.
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 2 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya85zg8v)

1  Why do the heathen so furiously rage together *
 and why do the people imagine a vain thing?
2  The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel together *
 against the Lord, and against his Anointed.
3  Let us break their bonds asunder *
 and cast away their cords from us.
4  He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn *
 the Lord shall have them in derision.
5  Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath *
 and vex them in his sore displeasure.
6  Yet have I set my King *
 upon my holy hill of Sion.
7  I will preach the law, whereof the Lord hath said unto me *
 Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.
8  Desire of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance *
 and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.
9  Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron *
 and break them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.
10  Be wise now therefore, O ye kings *
 be learned, ye that are judges of the earth.
11  Serve the Lord in fear *
 and rejoice unto him with reverence.
12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and so ye perish from the right way *
 if his wrath be kindled, (yea, but a little,)
blessed are all they that put their trust in 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 3 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yabg6jbn)

1  Lord, how are they increased that trouble me *
 many are they that rise against me.
2  Many one there be that say of my soul *
 There is no help for him in his God.
3  But thou, O Lord, art my defender *
 thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head.
4  I did call upon the Lord with my voice *
 and he heard me out of his holy hill.
5  I laid me down and slept, and rose up again *
 for the Lord sustained me.
6  I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people *
 that have set themselves against me round about.
7  Up, Lord, and help me, O my God *
 for thou smitest all mine enemies upon the cheek-bone;
thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.
8  Salvation belongeth unto the Lord *
 and thy blessing is upon thy people.
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 4 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7jpb9m3)

1  Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness *
 thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble;
have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my prayer.
2  O ye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme mine honour *
 and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after leasing?
3  Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is godly *
 when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.
4  Stand in awe, and sin not *
 commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still.
5  Offer the sacrifice of righteousness *
 and put your trust in the Lord.
6  There be many that say *
 Who will shew us any good?
7  Lord, lift thou up *
 the light of thy countenance upon us.
8  Thou hast put gladness in my heart *
 since the time that their corn, and wine, and oil, increased.
9  I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest *
 for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.
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 5 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yd4gge8p)

1  Ponder my words, O Lord *
 consider my meditation.
2  O hearken thou unto the voice of my calling, my King, and my God *
 for unto thee will I make my prayer.
3  My voice shalt thou hear betimes, O Lord *
 early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
4  For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickedness *
 neither shall any evil dwell with thee.
5  Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight *
 for thou hatest all them that work vanity.
6  Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing *
 the Lord will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man.
7  But as for me, I will come into thine house,
even upon the multitude of thy mercy *
 and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
8  Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies *
 make thy way plain before my face.
9  For there is no faithfulness in his mouth *
 their inward parts are very wickedness.
10  Their throat is an open sepulchre *
 they flatter with their tongue.
11  Destroy thou them, O God;
let them perish through their own imaginations *
 cast them out in the multitude of their ungodliness;
for they have rebelled against thee.
12  And let all them that put their trust in thee rejoice *
 they shall ever be giving of thanks, because thou defendest them;
they that love thy Name shall be joyful in thee;
13  For thou, Lord, wilt give thy blessing unto the righteous *
 and with thy favourable kindness wilt thou defend him as with a shield.
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

You alone, O God, are holy and righteous,
and we praise you for protecting us in times of trial.
Keep us safe from all evil
and lead us in paths of justice
that we may know the joy of trusting Jesus Christ
our shield and defender. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Leviticus 25:13-28

In this year of jubilee you shall return, every one of you, to your property. When you make a sale to your neighbour or buy from your neighbour, you shall not cheat one another. When you buy from your neighbour, you shall pay only for the number of years since the jubilee; the seller shall charge you only for the remaining crop-years. If the years are more, you shall increase the price, and if the years are fewer, you shall diminish the price; for it is a certain number of harvests that are being sold to you. You shall not cheat one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.

You shall observe my statutes and faithfully keep my ordinances, so that you may live on the land securely. The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live on it securely. Should you ask, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’ I will order my blessing for you in the sixth year, so that it will yield a crop for three years. When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating from the old crop; until the ninth year, when its produce comes in, you shall eat the old. The land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is mine; with me you are but aliens and tenants. Throughout the land that you hold, you shall provide for the redemption of the land.

If anyone of your kin falls into difficulty and sells a piece of property, then the next-of-kin shall come and redeem what the relative has sold. If the person has no one to redeem it, but then prospers and finds sufficient means to do so, the years since its sale shall be computed and the difference shall be refunded to the person to whom it was sold, and the property shall be returned. But if there are not sufficient means to recover it, what was sold shall remain with the purchaser until the year of jubilee; in the jubilee it shall be released, and the property shall be returned.

HYMN: Philip Doddridge
Tune: Bristol https://tinyurl.com/uz52ecjd

1 Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long:
let every heart prepare a throne,
and every voice a song.

2 He comes, the prisoners to release
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before him burst,
the iron fetters yield.

3 He comes, the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the treasures of his grace
to enrich the humble poor.

4 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heaven’s eternal arches ring
with thy belovèd name.

Reading: Hebrews 6:9-20

Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints, as you still do. And we want each one of you to show the same diligence, so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

When God made a promise to Abraham, because he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, ‘I will surely bless you and multiply you.’ And thus Abraham, having patiently endured, obtained the promise. Human beings, of course, swear by someone greater than themselves, and an oath given as confirmation puts an end to all dispute. In the same way, when God desired to show even more clearly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it by an oath, so that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible that God would prove false, we who have taken refuge might be strongly encouraged to seize the hope set before us. We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain, where Jesus, a forerunner on our behalf, has entered, having become a high priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek.

HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: Lasus https://tinyurl.com/sk74bjct

1 God is the refuge of his saints, 
When storms of sharp distress invade; 
ere we can offer our complaints 
behold him present with his aid!

2 Let mountains from their seats be hurled 
down to the deep, and buried there, 
convulsions shake the solid world, 
our faith shall never yield to fear. 

3 Loud may the troubled ocean roar; 
in sacred peace our souls abide, 
while every nation, every shore, 
still quakes and dreads the swelling tide.

4 There is a stream, whose gentle flow 
makes glad the city of our God, 
life, love, and joy, still gliding through, 
refreshing our divine abode. 

5 That sacred stream, your holy word, 
our grief allays, our fear controls; 
sweet peace your promises afford, 
and give new strength to fainting souls. 

6 Zion enjoys her Monarch’s love, 
steadfast against a threatening hour; 
nor can her firm foundations move, 
built on his truth and armed with power. 

Reading: Matthew 19:23-30

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’

Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.’

CANTICLE Isaiah 55:6-11
(Setting by Gregory Wilbur: https://tinyurl.com/yawmg8fp)

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found,
Call ye upon him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts:

And let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
My ways and thoughts are higher than yours.

And let him return unto the Lord,
and he will have mercy upon him;
and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

For as the rain cometh down, and snow from heaven,
And maketh it bring forth and bud that it may give seed to sow,
that it may give bread to eat.

So shall my world be that goeth forth out of my mouth:
It shall not return unto me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please it shall prosper
in the thing whereunto I sent it.

THE PRAYERS ^BCW

In penitence and faith let us make our prayer to the Father
and ask for his mercy and grace.

For your holy people,
that they may triumph over evil and grow in grace:
We pray to you, O Lord.

For candidates for baptism and confirmation,
that they may live by every word that proceeds from your mouth:
We pray to you, O Lord.

For the leaders of the nations,
that you will guide them in the ways of mercy and truth:
We pray to you, O Lord.

For the needy,
that they may not be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor be taken away:
We pray to you, O Lord.

For the sick in body, mind and spirit,
that they may know your power to heal:
We pray to you, O Lord.

For the poor in spirit,
that they may inherit the kingdom of heaven
and see you face to face: :
We pray to you, O Lord.

Let us commend the world, for which Christ suffered,
to the mercy and protection of God. Amen.

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today the bread of life;
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.

Everlasting God,
who stored in the hearts of your people
a fragrant memory of your servant David,
grant us wisdom in the care of your Church
and zeal in the proclamation of your gospel,
that we may show forth your abiding love
in a dark and anxious world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. ^FAS

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.

^DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.

^CW:DP Common Worship: Daily Prayer, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2005 and published by Church House Publishing.

^FAS For All the Saints, Revised Ed. © Anglican Church of Canada

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

The 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.