Oremus for Monday, March 29, 2021

Antiphon¹

Ant. Ask of me, * and I will give you the nations as your inheritance
and the utmost parts of the earth as your possession.
V. Why do the nations conspire, *
and the peoples plot in vain?
They arise, the kings of the earth; *
princes plot against the Lord and his Anointed.
“Let us burst asunder their fetters. *
L et us cast off from us their chains.” Psalm 2

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: Ernest Hardy, known as Father Andrew
Tune: Albano https://tinyurl.com/r654kzex

1 O dearest Lord, thy sacred head
with thorns was pierced for me;
O pour thy blessing on my head
that I may think for thee.

2 O dearest Lord, thy sacred hands
with nails were pierced for me;
O shed thy blessing on my hands
that they may work for thee.

3 O dearest Lord, thy sacred feet
with nails were pierced for me;
O pour thy blessing on my feet
that they may follow thee.

4 O dearest Lord, thy sacred heart
with spear was pierced for me;
O pour thy Spirit in my heart
that I may live for thee.

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

Psalm 139 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/qk5mvmw)

1  O Lord, thou hast searched me out, and known me *
 thou knowest my down-sitting, and mine up-rising;
thou understandest my thoughts long before.
2  Thou art about my path, and about my bed *
 and spiest out all my ways.
3  For lo, there is not a word in my tongue *
 but thou, O Lord, knowest it altogether.
4  Thou hast fashioned me behind and before *
 and laid thine hand upon me.
5  Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me *
 I cannot attain unto it.
6  Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit *
 or whither shall I go then from thy presence?
7  If I climb up into heaven, thou art there *
 if I go down to hell, thou art there also.
8  If I take the wings of the morning *
 and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea;
9  Even there also shall thy hand lead me *
 and thy right hand shall hold me.
10  If I say, Peradventure the darkness shall cover me *
 then shall my night be turned to day.
11  Yea, the darkness is no darkness with thee,
but the night is as clear as the day *
 the darkness and light to thee are both alike.
12  For my reins are thine *
 thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
13  I will give thanks unto thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made *
 marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
14  My bones are not hid from thee *
 though I be made secretly, and fashioned beneath in the earth.
15  Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect *
 and in thy book were all my members written;
16  Which day by day were fashioned *
 when as yet there was none of them.
17  How dear are thy counsels unto me, O God *
 O how great is the sum of them!
18  If I tell them, they are more in number than the sand *
 when I wake up I am present with thee.
19  Wilt thou not slay the wicked, O God *
 depart from me, ye blood-thirsty men.
20  For they speak unrighteously against thee *
 and thine enemies take thy Name in vain.
21  Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee *
 and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22  Yea, I hate them right sore *
 even as though they were mine enemies.
23  Try me, O God, and seek the ground of my heart *
 prove me, and examine my thoughts.
24  Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me *
 and lead me in the way everlasting.
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 140 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/syzjs5r)

1  Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man *
 and preserve me from the wicked man.
2  Who imagine mischief in their hearts *
 and stir up strife all the day long.
3  They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent *
 adder’s poison is under their lips.
4  Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly *
 preserve me from the wicked men,
who are purposed to overthrow my goings.
5  The proud have laid a snare for me,
and spread a net abroad with cords *
 yea, and set traps in my way.
6  I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God *
 hear the voice of my prayers, O Lord.
7  O Lord God, thou strength of my health *
 thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8  Let not the ungodly have his desire, O Lord *
 let not his mischievous imagination prosper, lest they be too proud.
9  Let the mischief of their own lips fall upon the head of them *
 that compass me about.
10  Let hot burning coals fall upon them *
 let them be cast into the fire, and into the pit,
that they never rise up again.
11  A man full of words shall not prosper upon the earth *
 evil shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him.
12  Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor *
 and maintain the cause of the helpless.
13  The righteous also shall give thanks unto thy Name *
 and the just shall continue in thy sight.
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 141 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/wrx2qat)

1  Lord, I call upon thee, haste thee unto me *
 and consider my voice when I cry unto thee.
2  Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense *
 and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
3  Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth *
 and keep the door of my lips.
4  O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing *
 let me not be occupied in ungodly works with the men that work wickedness,
lest I eat of such things as please them.
5  Let the righteous rather smite me friendly *
 and reprove me.
6  But let not their precious balms break my head *
 yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.
7  Let their judges be overthrown in stony places *
 that they may hear my words, for they are sweet.
8  Our bones lie scattered before the pit *
 like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.
9  But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God *
 in thee is my trust, O cast not out my soul.
10  Keep me from the snare that they have laid for me *
 and from the traps of the wicked doers.
11  Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together *
 and let me ever escape them.
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

Almighty God, creator of the universe,
we are awed by your wondrous works
and overwhelmed by your infinite wisdom.
For all your majesty we praise you;
yet even more
we rejoice that you do not forget us,
that you want to know us,
that you come to care for us,
sisters and brothers of Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Isaiah 52:13-15

See, my servant shall prosper;
   he shall be exalted and lifted up,
   and shall be very high.
Just as there were many who were astonished at him
   —so marred was his appearance, beyond human semblance,
   and his form beyond that of mortals—
so he shall startle many nations;
   kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which had not been told them they shall see,
   and that which they had not heard they shall contemplate.

HYMN: Venantius Honorius Clementianus Fortunatus; trans. John Mason Neale
Tune: Kedron https://tinyurl.com/9ka2nkc7

1. The royal banners forward go,
the cross shines forth in mystic glow;
where he through whom our flesh was made,
in that same flesh our ransom paid.

2. Fulfilled is all that David told
in true prophetic song of old,
how God the nations’ King should be
for God is reigning from the tree.

3. O tree of beauty, tree most fair,
ordained those holy limbs to bear
gone is thy shame, each crimson bough
proclaims the King of glory now.

4. Blest tree, whose chosen branches bore
the wealth that did the world restore,
the price which none but he could pay,
and spoil the spoiler of his prey.

5. O cross, our one reliance, hail!
Still may thy power with us avail
to save us sinners from our sin,
God’s righteousness for all to win.

6. To thee, eternal Three in One,
let homage meet by all be done;
as by the cross thou dost restore
so rule and guide us evermore.

Reading: Colossians 1:18-23

He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.

And you who were once estranged and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his fleshly body through death, so as to present you holy and blameless and irreproachable before him— provided that you continue securely established and steadfast in the faith, without shifting from the hope promised by the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven. I, Paul, became a servant of this gospel.

HYMN: Frances Ridley Havergal
Tune: Angels’ Story https://tinyurl.com/jpaj3b37

1 O Savior, precious Savior,
whom yet unseen we love,
O name of might and favor,
all other names above;
we worship you, we bless you,
to you alone we sing;
we praise you, and confess you
our holy Lord and King.

2 O bringer of salvation,
who wondrously has wrought,
yourself the revelation
of love beyond our thought;
we worship you, we bless you,
to you alone we sing;
we praise you, and confess you
our gracious Lord and King.

3 In you all fullness dwelling,
all grace and pow’r outpours:
the glory all-excelling,
O Son of God, is yours;
we worship you, we bless you,
to you alone we sing;
we praise you, and confess you
our glorious Lord and King.

4 O grant the consummation
of this our song above
in endless adoration
and everlasting love;
then shall we praise and bless you
where perfect praises ring,
and evermore confess you
our Savior and our King.

Reading: Matthew 26:1-16

When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.’

Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and they conspired to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. But they said, ‘Not during the festival, or there may be a riot among the people.’

Now while Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very costly ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table. But when the disciples saw it, they were angry and said, ‘Why this waste? For this ointment could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.’ But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, ‘Why do you trouble the woman? She has performed a good service for me. For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. By pouring this ointment on my body she has prepared me for burial. Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.’

Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he began to look for an opportunity to betray him.

CANTICLE 1 Peter 2:21-24
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/y94v9fvt)

Ant. If we share fully in the sufferings of Christ,
through Christ we shall know the fullness of his consolation.

Christ suffered for you,
and left you an example
to have you follow in his footsteps.
He did no wrong;
no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted,
he returned no insult.
When he was made to suffer,
he did not counter with threats.
Instead he delivered himself up
to the One who judges justly.
In his own body
he brought your sins to the cross,
so that all of us, dead to sin,
could live in accord with God’s will.
By his wounds you were healed.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE PRAYERS ^WS2

Lamb of God,
being human, you knew the pain the cross would inflict;
being divine, you knew it was the only way we could be redeemed.
We praise you for willingly suffering a cruel death so that we may experience the
glories of heaven. And so we thank you
for the redemption of creation . . .
for the sacrifice of your servants around the world . . .
for your work as it continues in our community . . .
for the sacrifice of those who serve us in your name . . .
for our redemption . . .
While your death and resurrection assure us of your victory
over evil, we have yet to experience that reality in its fullest.
And so today we pray
for creation and its care . . .
for the nations of the world . . .
for our nation and its leaders . . .
for this community and those who are in authority . . .
for the church universal as it works on your behalf . . .
for this local church in its ministry . . .
for persons with particular needs . . .

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.

God of all joy,
fill our souls to overflowing
with the fullness of your grace.
Remind us of your triumph over the tragedy of the cross,
and your victory for us over the powers of sin and death,
so that we may reflect your glory
as disciples of Jesus Christ,
our risen Lord. Amen. ^BCW

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.

^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/ ©

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.