Cicely Saunders
Cicely Saunders founded the first modern hospice and, more than anybody else, was responsible for establishing the discipline and the culture of palliative care. She introduced effective pain management and insisted that dying people needed dignity, compassion, and respect, as well as rigorous scientific methodology in the testing of treatments. She abolished the prevailing ethic that patients should be cured, that those who could not be cured were a sign of failure, and that it was acceptable and even desirable to lie to them about their prognosis. She put paid to the notion that dying people should wait until their painkillers had worn off before they received another dose, and scotched the notion that the risk of opiate addiction was an issue in their pain management. She died on this day in 2005. 1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3wcmx574
Receive the joy of your glory, giving thanks to God,
who has called you into the heavenly kingdom, alleluia. 2 Ezra
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: Henry Francis Lyte
Tune: Eventide https://tinyurl.com/d3wra58s
1 Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!
when other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me.
2 Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
3 I need thy presence every passing hour;
what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
4 I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.
5 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies:
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
PSALMS
Psalm 71 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybx8s3ew)
1 In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust,
let me never be put to confusion *
but rid me, and deliver me, in thy righteousness;
incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
2 Be thou my strong hold, whereunto I may alway resort *
thou hast promised to help me,
for thou art my house of defence, and my castle.
3 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly *
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
4 For thou, O Lord God, art the thing that I long for *
thou art my hope, even from my youth.
5 Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born *
thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb;
my praise shall be always of thee.
6 I am become as it were a monster unto many *
but my sure trust is in thee.
7 O let my mouth be filled with thy praise *
that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long.
8 Cast me not away in the time of age *
forsake me not when my strength faileth me.
9 For mine enemies speak against me,
and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together, saying *
God hath forsaken him; persecute him, and take him,
for there is none to deliver him.
10 Go not far from me, O God *
my God, haste thee to help me.
11 Let them be confounded and perish that are against my soul *
let them be covered with shame and dishonour that seek to do me evil.
12 As for me, I will patiently abide alway *
and will praise thee more and more.
13 My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation *
for I know no end thereof.
14 I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God *
and will make mention of thy righteousness only.
15 Thou, O God, hast taught me from my youth up until now *
therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.
16 Forsake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am gray-headed *
until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,
and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.
17 Thy righteousness, O God, is very high *
and great things are they that thou hast done;
O God, who is like unto thee?
18 O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me!
and yet didst thou turn and refresh me *
yea, and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again.
19 Thou hast brought me to great honour *
and comforted me on every side.
20 Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness, O God,
playing upon an instrument of musick *
unto thee will I sing upon the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
21 My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee *
and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered.
22 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long *
for they are confounded and brought unto shame
that seek to do me evil.
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 72 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya9qaxre)
1 Give the King thy judgements, O God *
and thy righteousness unto the King’s son.
2 Then shall he judge thy people according unto right *
and defend the poor.
3 The mountains also shall bring peace *
and the little hills righteousness unto the people.
4 He shall keep the simple folk by their right *
defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrong doer.
5 They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and moon endureth *
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like the rain into a fleece of wool *
even as the drops that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish *
yea, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth.
8 His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other *
and from the flood unto the world’s end.
9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him *
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give presents *
the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down before him *
all nations shall do him service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor when he crieth *
the needy also, and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall be favourable to the simple and needy *
and shall preserve the souls of the poor.
14 He shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15 He shall live, and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia *
prayer shall be made ever unto him, and daily shall he be praised.
16 There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills *
his fruit shall shake like Libanus,
and shall be green in the city like grass upon the earth.
17 His Name shall endure for ever;
his Name shall remain under the sun among the posterities *
which shall be blessed through him; and all the heathen shall praise him.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel *
which only doeth wondrous things ;
19 And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever *
and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty. Amen, 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.
Psalm 71 (Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-71-KH.mp3)
I take refuge in you, LORD;
let me not always be shamed.
In your righteousness deliver;
extend your ear and save.
Be to me a rock of refuge
where I can always come;
For you give command to save,
my fortress and my rock.
My God, please rescue me
from the hand of the wicked
From the grip of evil men,
from the grasp of the embittered,
Lord GOD, you are my hope,
my confidence from youth.
You have held me since my birth,
even from my mother’s womb;
My praise is perpetual
I’m a wonder to the crowd,
my refuge is so strong.
My mouth is filled with praise
and your glory all day long.
Don’t leave in my old age
nor when my strength expires.
For my foes who watch my life,
take counsel and conspire
Saying, “God has left, give chase;
seize him with none to save”
My God, be not far off;
and to my help make haste!
O let them be ashamed,
who bring my soul alarm
O cover them with shame,
who seek to do me harm.
My praise is perpetual
As for me, I’ll always hope,
and praise you more and more.
Of your justice my mouth speaks,
your salvation all day long;
Their sum cannot be known,
all the deeds of the Lord God;
Of your righteousness I’ll tell,
of yours and yours alone.
God trained me from my youth,
and still your works I’m praising.
Even when I’m old and gray,
O God, do not forsake me,
Until I tell your power
to this age and those to come
Of your justice to the heav’ns.
Who is like you, O my God?
My praise is perpetual
You who’ve shown me many trials,
again you will revive me,
From the deepest place on earth
you’ll bring a new arising.
My greatness you’ll increase
when you turn back to console.
I will praise you with a harp,
for your faithfulness, O God;
With the lyre I’ll sing to you,
O Holy One of Israel.
And my lips will shout for joy;
the praise of my redeemed soul.
My tongue will also tell
of your justice all the day;
For those sought my harm
are turned back and ashamed.
My praise is perpetual
My praise is perpetual
Psalm 72 (Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-72-KH.mp3)
Give the King your justice, O God;
and your righteousness to the Royal Son
May he judge your people with equity
and all of the poor with justice
Let the mountains bring peace to the people
and the hills bear righteousness
He’ll defend the poor of the nation,
help poor children and crush oppressors
Amen and amen
May his honor endure like the sun
and as long as the moon for all ages
May he come down like rain on the field,
like showers that water the earth
In his days may righteousness flourish
and great peace till the moon is no more
Amen and amen
May his rule be from sea to sea,
from the river to the ends of the earth
Desert dwellers shall bow down to him,
and the hostile shall all lick the dust
May the kings of Tarshish bring tribute
and the kings of Sheba bring gifts
O let all the kings fall prostrate,
and may all the nations serve him
Amen and amen.
For he saves the needy who call,
the afflicted and those with no helper
For the weak and the poor his compassion
will save the souls of the needy
From oppression and violence he saves them;
and their blood is dear in his sight
Amen and amen.
So long may he live!
May the gold of Sheba be given
Let there be perpetual prayers
and blessings for him all the day
May the grain of the earth be abundant;
may it wave on mountain peaks
May its fruit be like unto Lebanon;
in the towns let people blossom
Amen and amen.
May his name endure forever
and his fame live on like the sun
May men bless themselves by him,
and all nations call him blessed
Bless the LORD, the God of Israel,
who alone can work such wonders
Bless his glorious name forever;
may his glory fill the whole earth
Amen and amen.
PRAYER
God our strong fortress,
do not desert us in old age.
Help us to follow your will
through all our years
and under all circumstances,
that forever we may praise your faithfulness;
through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Reading: Amos 5:10-17
They hate the one who judges at the city gate,
and they reject the one who speaks the truth.
Truly, because you crush the weak,
and because you tax their grain,
you have built houses of carved stone,
but you won’t live in them;
you have planted pleasant vineyards,
but you won’t drink their wine.
I know how many are your crimes,
and how numerous are your sins—
afflicting the righteous,
taking money on the side,
turning away the poor who seek help.
Therefore, the one who is wise will keep silent in that time;
it is an evil time.
Seek good and not evil,
that you may live;
and so the Lord, the God of heavenly forces,
will be with you just as you have said.
Hate evil, love good,
and establish justice at the city gate.
Perhaps the Lord God of heavenly forces
will be gracious to what is left of Joseph.
Truly, the Lord proclaims,
the God of heavenly forces, the Lord:
Crying will be heard in all the squares.
In all the streets they will say, “Oh no! Oh no!”
They will call upon the farmers to wail,
and those skilled in mourning to lament.
In all the vineyards there will be bitter crying because
I will pass through your midst,
says the Lord.
HYMN: Martin Leckebusch ©
Tune: Bow Brickhill https://tinyurl.com/f3u3w573
1 Forgive us when our deeds ignore
your righteous rule of all the earth,
when our decisions harm the poor,
denying their eternal worth.
2 Forgive us when we tum aside
from what is honest, true and fair,
when dreams of pleasure, wealth and pride
supplant your clear commands to care.
3 Forgive us, Lord, our endless greed
for what was never truly ours,
when, driven more by want than need,
we harness this world’s brutal powers.
4 Forgive us that we change the rules
by which the game of life is played,
and never learn to wield the tools
which could see joy and hope remade.
5 Forgive us, God! Our lives betray
our shallow, vague response to grace;
so help us walk your holy way,
to make your world a better place.
Reading: Philippians 2:1-11
Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort in love, any sharing in the Spirit, any sympathy, complete my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, being united, and agreeing with each other. Don’t do anything for selfish purposes, but with humility think of others as better than yourselves. Instead of each person watching out for their own good, watch out for what is better for others. Adopt the attitude that was in Christ Jesus:
Though he was in the form of God,
he did not consider being equal with God something to exploit.
But he emptied himself
by taking the form of a slave
and by becoming like human beings.
When he found himself in the form of a human,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Therefore, God highly honored him
and gave him a name above all names,
so that at the name of Jesus everyone
in heaven, on earth, and under the earth might bow
and every tongue confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
HYMN: Kate B Wilkinson
Tune: Griffin’s Brook https://tinyurl.com/36u3ynyd
1 May the mind of Christ my Saviour
live in me from day to day,
by his love and power controlling
all I do or say.
2 May the word of God dwell richly
in my heart from hour to hour,
so that all may see I triumph
only through his power.
3 May the peace of God my Father
rule my life in everything,
that I may be calm to comfort
sick and sorrowing.
4 May the love of Jesus fill me,
as the waters fill the sea;
him exalting, self abasing —
this is victory.
5 May I run the race before me,
strong and brave to face the foe,
looking only unto Jesus
as I onward go.
Reading: John 14:21-26
Jesus said, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.”
Judas (not Judas Iscariot) asked, “Lord, why are you about to reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered, “Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words. The word that you hear isn’t mine. It is the word of the Father who sent me.
“I have spoken these things to you while I am with you. The Companion, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I told you.”
CANTICLE Song of the Three Young Men 29-34
(Setting by Timothy R. Smith: https://tinyurl.com/ycrdhlqc)
Refrain:
Glory and praise, glory and praise, glory and praise for ever!
Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
and blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all ages. Refrain
Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Refrain
Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Refrain
Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Refrain
THE PRAYERS PWC
Creator of all, open a path for your Word
to declare the mystery of Christ.
Turn now, O God of hosts;
behold and tend the vine you have planted.
May your people rejoice and sing,
and your ministers be clothed with salvation.
May they stand and feed your flock
in the strength of your name.
Keep from trouble all those who trust in you
and forget not the poor for ever.
Have mercy upon us,
as we have put our hope in you.
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.
Life-giving God,
you alone have power over life and death,
over health and sickness.
Give power, wisdom, and gentleness
to those who follow the lead of Cicely Saunders,
that they, bearing with them your presence,
may not only heal but bless,
and shine as lanterns of hope
in the darkest hours of pain and fear;
through Jesus Christ, the healer of body and soul,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. FAS
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
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
BCP79 The Book of Common Prayer (1979), The Episcopal Church
1 https://www.bmj.com/content/suppl/2005/07/18/331.7509.DC1
PWC PRAY WITHOUT CEASING: Morning and Evening Prayer for the Seasons of the Church Year Prepared by The Rev’d Dr Richard Geoffrey Leggett on behalf of The Liturgy Task Force of the Anglican Church of Canada, May 2016.
FAS For All the Saints, Revised Ed. © Anglican Church of Canada
The three main scripture readings are from the Common English Bible © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern versions of Psalms 71 and 72 are sung by Karl Kohlhase http://www.k4communications.com/karl/index.html.
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 © 2021 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.
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