Oremus for Wednesday, March 3, 2021

*The Mother of the Sons of Zebedee*, Maerten Jacobsz van Heemskerck

Antiphon¹

Ant. I shall meditate upon your commandments * which I greatly love;
I will extend my hands towards your commandments which I love.
V. I have said, “O Lord, my portion *
is to obey your words.”
With all my heart I implore your favor; *
as with your promise, have mercy. Psalm 119

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: Albert F Bayly ©
Tune: Pleading Saviour https://tinyurl.com/6brr5pxm

1 Lord, whose love in humble service
Bore the weight of human need,
Who upon the cross, forsaken,
Worked your mercy’s perfect deed:
We, your servants, bring the worship
Not of voice alone, but heart,
Consecrating to your purpose
Ev’ry gift that you impart.

2 Still the children wander homeless,
Still the hungry cry for bread.
Still the captives long for freedom,
Still in grief we mourn our dead.
As you, Lord, in deep compassion,
Healed the sick and freed the soul,
Use the love your Spirit kindles
Still to make your people whole.

3 As we worship, grant us vision,
Till your love’s revealing light
In its height and depth and greatness
Dawns upon our human sight,
Making known the needs and burdens
Your compassion bids us bear,
Stirring us to tireless striving,
Your abundant life to share.

4 Called through worship to your service,
Forth in your dear name we go
To the child, the youth, the aged,
Love in living deeds to show.
Hope and health, goodwill and comfort,
Counsel, aid, and peace we give
That your servants, Lord, in freedom
May your mercy know, and live.

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

Psalm 15 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y88d98g2)

1  Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle *
or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?
2  Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life *
and doeth the thing which is right,
and speaketh the truth from his heart.
3  He that hath used no deceit in his tongue,
nor done evil to his neighbour *
and hath not slandered his neighbour.
4  He that setteth not by himself,
but is lowly in his own eyes *
and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.
5  He that sweareth unto his neighbour,
and disappointeth him not *
though it were to his own hindrance.
6  He that hath not given his money upon usury *
nor taken reward against the innocent.
7  Whoso doeth these things *
shall never fall.
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 16 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydhl4u74)

1  Preserve me, O God *
for in thee have I put my trust.
2  O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord *
Thou art my God, my goods are nothing unto thee.
3  All my delight is upon the saints, that are in the earth *
and upon such as excel in virtue.
4  But they that run after another god *
shall have great trouble.
5  Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer *
neither make mention of their names within my lips.
6  The Lord himself is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup *
thou shalt maintain my lot.
7  The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground *
yea, I have a goodly heritage.
8  I will thank the Lord for giving me warning *
my reins also chasten me in the night-season.
9  I have set God always before me *
for he is on my right hand, therefore I shall not fall.
10  Wherefore my heart was glad, and my glory rejoiced *
my flesh also shall rest in hope.
11  For why? thou shalt not leave my soul in hell *
neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
12  Thou shalt shew me the path of life; in thy presence is the fulness of joy *
and at thy right hand there is pleasure 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 17 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yahr8qsc)

1  Hear the right, O Lord, consider my complaint *
and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
2  Let my sentence come forth from thy presence *
and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal.
3  Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the night-season;
thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me *
for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend.
4  Because of men’s works, that are done against the words of thy lips *
I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer.
5  O hold thou up my goings in thy paths *
that my footsteps slip not.
6  I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me *
incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words.
7  Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness,
thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee *
from such as resist thy right hand.
8  Keep me as the apple of an eye *
hide me under the shadow of thy wings,
9  From the ungodly that trouble me *
mine enemies compass me round about to take away my soul.
10  They are inclosed in their own fat *
and their mouth speaketh proud things.
11  They lie waiting in our way on every side *
turning their eyes down to the ground;
12  Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey *
and as it were a lion’s whelp, lurking in secret places.
13  Up, Lord, disappoint him, and cast him down *
deliver my soul from the ungodly, which is a sword of thine;
14  From the men of thy hand, O Lord,
from the men, I say, and from the evil world *
which have their portion in this life,
whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid treasure.
15  They have children at their desire *
and leave the rest of their substance for their babes.
16  But as for me, I will behold thy presence in righteousness *
and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it.
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 whom all hearts are glad
and all souls rejoice:
Show us the path of your presence,
that we may follow it in hope
and be filled with resurrection joy;
through Jesus Christ, our risen Savior. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Leviticus 26:1-13

You shall make for yourselves no idols and erect no carved images or pillars, and you shall not place figured stones in your land, to worship at them; for I am the Lord your God. You shall keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

If you follow my statutes and keep my commandments and observe them faithfully, I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. Your threshing shall overtake the vintage, and the vintage shall overtake the sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and live securely in your land. And I will grant peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid; I will remove dangerous animals from the land, and no sword shall go through your land. You shall give chase to your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. Five of you shall give chase to a hundred, and a hundred of you shall give chase to ten thousand; your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. I will look with favour upon you and make you fruitful and multiply you; and I will maintain my covenant with you. You shall eat old grain long stored, and you shall have to clear out the old to make way for the new. I will place my dwelling in your midst, and I shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and you shall be my people. I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be their slaves no more; I have broken the bars of your yoke and made you walk erect.

HYMN: Carol Doran ©
Tune: Bunessan https://tinyurl.com/4r3vsj4c

1 Every new morning
God gives us freely
hearts that are thankful,
strength for the task,
people who love us,
joy in our service,
all we have need of
if we but ask.

2 God will be with us
in all our thinking,
in all our speaking,
in all we do;
and as we praise him
by all our actions,
he will be with us,
seeing us through.

3 God in the morning,
God in the noontide,
God in the evening,
throughout the day;
God is within us,
and all around us,
behind, before us
all of the way.

Reading: Hebrews 7:11-19

Now if perfection had been attainable through the levitical priesthood—for the people received the law under this priesthood—what further need would there have been to speak of another priest arising according to the order of Melchizedek, rather than one according to the order of Aaron? For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well. Now the one of whom these things are spoken belonged to another tribe, from which no one has ever served at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests.

It is even more obvious when another priest arises, resembling Melchizedek, one who has become a priest, not through a legal requirement concerning physical descent, but through the power of an indestructible life. For it is attested of him, ‘You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchizedek.’ There is, on the one hand, the abrogation of an earlier commandment because it was weak and ineffectual (for the law made nothing perfect); there is, on the other hand, the introduction of a better hope, through which we approach God.

HYMN: Bernard of Cluny; trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Ewing https://tinyurl.com/8xhcuvat

1 Jerusalem the golden,
with milk and honey blest,
beneath your contemplation
sink heart and voice oppressed.
I know not, O I know not,
what joys await us there;
what radiancy of glory,
what bliss beyond compare.

2 They stand, those halls of Zion,
all jubilant with song,
and bright with many an angel,
and all the martyr throng.
The Prince is ever in them,
the daylight is serene;
the pastures of the blessed
are decked in glorious sheen.

3 There is the throne of David;
and there, from care released,
the song of them that triumph,
the shout of them that feast;
and they who with their Leader
have conquered in the fight,
forever and forever
are clad in robes of white.

4 O sweet and blessed country,
the home of God’s elect!
O sweet and blessed country
that eager hearts expect!
Jesus, in mercy bring us
to that dear land of rest;
who are, with God the Father
and Spirit, ever blest.

Reading: Matthew 20:17-28

While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, ‘See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.’

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favour of him. And he said to her, ‘What do you want?’ She said to him, ‘Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.’ But Jesus answered, ‘You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?’ They said to him, ‘We are able.’ He said to them, ‘You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.’

When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.’

CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6
(Uptown Worship Band: https://tinyurl.com/y8q877og)

Refrain:
Surely, it is God who saves;
I will and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my sure defense,
and he will be my Savior.

Therefore you shall draw water
and rejoice from the salvation spring.
On that day you shall say,
give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name. Refrain

Make his deeds known among the people;
they remember his Name on high.
Sing praise to the Lord, for he has done great things,
and this is known in all the world. Refrain

Cry aloud, O Zion, ring out your joy,
for the great one in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

LITANY OF CONFESSION ^CW:TS

We pray to the Lord for courage to give up other things
and to give ourselves to him this Lent.

Give your Church the courage
to give up her preoccupation with herself
and to give more time to your mission in the world.