Oremus for Saturday, January 28, 2023

Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas was the greatest thinker and teacher of the medieval church. He was born in 1225 and became a Dominican. He offered the church a deep theological understanding of the physical world as conveying divine truth, even though faith is needed for other aspects of God’s truth. His profound thought and gentle spirit earned him the title “the angelic doctor”. Some of his eucharistic hymns are still sung. He died in 1274. ^FATS

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/4s87yty8

Remember your word to your servant, O Lord,
by which you have given me hope.
This is my comfort when I am brought low. 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/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. John Athelstan Laurie Riley
Tune: Lauda Sion https://tinyurl.com/mr2nnwu4

1. Zion, praise thy Savior, singing
hymns with exultation ringing,
praise thy King and Shepherd true.
Honor Christ, thy voice upraising,
who surpasseth all thy praising;
never canst thou reach his due.

2. Let the Bread, life-giving, living,
be our theme of glad thanksgiving,
now in truth before thee set;
as of old the Lord provided
when the twelve, divinely guided,
at the holy table met.

3. What he did, at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
his memorial ne’er to cease;
his command for guidance taking,
bread and wine we hallow,
making thus our sacrifice of peace.

4. Full and clear sing out thy praising,
gracious hymns of joy upraising
in thy hearts and soul today;
for today the new oblation
of the new King’s revelation
bids us feast in glad array.

5. Very Bread, good Shepherd, tend us,
Jesus, of thy love befriend us,
Lord, refresh us and defend us,
thine eternal goodness send us
in the land of life to see:

6. Thou, who all things canst and knowest,
who on earth such food bestowest,
grant us, with thy saints, though lowest,
where the heavenly feast thou showest,
fellow-heirs and guests to be.

PSALMS

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.

Psalm 132 (LSB Tone G: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-132-LSB.mp3)
1 Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor,*
 all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the LORD*
 and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house*
 or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes*
 or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the LORD,*
 a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;*
 we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;*
 let us worship at his footstool!”
8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,*
 you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,*
 and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,*
 do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:*
 “One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them,*
 their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;*
 he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;*
 here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;*
 I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,*
 and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;*
 I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,*
 but on him his crown will shine.”
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.

Psalm 133 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-133.mp3)
1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,
3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

Psalm 134 (LSB Tone D: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-134-LSB.mp3)
1 Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,*
 who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place*
 and bless the LORD!
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,*
 he who made heaven and earth!
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.

Psalm 135 (Jason Silver: https://tinyurl.com/x69vtdh3)
Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Give praise, O servants of the Lord,
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of His temple.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing to his name, for he is gracious.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.

For I know that the Lord is great;
Our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever the Lord pleases, so he does,
In heaven and on earth, in the ocean deep.
It is He who makes clouds to rise
Makes lightning, wind, and rain
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt…
Against Pharaoh and his servants.

Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Give praise, O servants of the Lord,
You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of His temple.
Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing to his name, for he is gracious.
For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.

He struck down many nations and
Killed many kings and rulers
And gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to God’s people, Israel.
Your name, Lord, endures for ever,
Your fame throughout all time.
The Lord will defend his people,
Have compassion on his servants.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
They have mouths, but do not speak;
Have eyes, but do not see; have ears, but do not hear,
Those who make them, who trust them
Shall become like them!

O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
O you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord!

Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
He who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

PRAYER

Creator of the universe,
from whom all things come,
to whom all things return,
give your people such unity of heart and mind,
that all the world may grow in the life of your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD

Reading: Nehemiah 4:10-23

Meanwhile, our enemies were saying: “Before they know or see anything, we can be in their midst and start to kill them. We’ll stop the work!”

Now the Jews who were living near them came and said to us again and again, “You must return to us!”

So I took up a position in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall in an open area. Then I stationed the people by families, and they had their swords, spears, and bows. After reviewing this, I stood up and said to the officials, the officers, and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them! Remember that the Lord is great and awesome! Fight for your families, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses!”

Then our enemies heard that we had found out and that God had spoiled their plans. So we all returned to doing our own work on the wall. But from that day on, only half of my workers continued in the construction, while the other half held the spears, shields, bows, and body armor. Meanwhile, the leaders positioned themselves behind the whole house of Judah, who were building the wall. The carriers did their work with a load in one hand and a weapon in the other. The builders built with swords fastened in their belts, and the trumpeter stayed by my side.

Then I said to the officials, the officers, and the rest of the people, “The work is very spread out, and we are far apart from each other along the wall. When you hear the trumpet sound, come and gather where we are. Our God will fight for us!” So we continued the work, with half of them holding spears from dawn until dusk.

I also said to the people at that time, “Let every man and his servant spend the night in Jerusalem so that we can guard during the night and work during the day.” Neither I nor my relatives, nor my servants, nor my bodyguards took off our clothes, even when they sent for water.

HYMN: James Montgomery
Tune: Monkland https://tinyurl.com/bddfnkwh

1 To your temple I repair;
Lord, I love to worship there,
when within the veil I meet
Christ before the mercy seat.

2 Thro’ him I am reconciled,
through him I become your child.
Abba, Father, give me grace
in your courts to seek your face.

3 While your glorious praise is sung,
touch my lips, unloose my tongue,
that my joyful soul may bless
Christ the Lord, my righteousness.

4 While the pray’rs of saints ascend,
God of love, to mine attend.
Hear me, for your Spirit pleads;
hear, for Jesus intercedes.

5 While I listen to your law,
fill my heart with humble awe,
let your gospel bring to me
life and immortality.

6 While your minister proclaims
peace and pardon in your name,
by your grace, through faith, may I
hear you speaking from the sky.

7 From your house when I return,
may my heart within me burn,
and at evening let me say,
“I have walked with God today!”

Reading: Hebrews 10:11-25

Every priest stands every day serving and offering the same sacrifices over and over, sacrifices that can never take away sins. But when this priest offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right side of God. Since then, he’s waiting until his enemies are made into a footstool for his feet, because he perfected the people who are being made holy with one offering for all time.

The Holy Spirit affirms this when saying,

When there is forgiveness for these things, there is no longer an offering for sin.

Brothers and sisters, we have confidence that we can enter the holy of holies by means of Jesus’ blood, through a new and living way that he opened up for us through the curtain, which is his body, and we have a great high priest over God’s house.

Therefore, let’s draw near with a genuine heart with the certainty that our faith gives us, since our hearts are sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies are washed with pure water.

Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering, because the one who made the promises is reliable.

And let us consider each other carefully for the purpose of sparking love and good deeds. Don’t stop meeting together with other believers, which some people have gotten into the habit of doing. Instead, encourage each other, especially as you see the day drawing near.

HYMN: Thomas Aquinas; trans. Edward Caswall
Tune: Verbum supernum https://tinyurl.com/mvc4dujt

The Word, descending from above,
Though with the Father still on high,
Went forth upon his work of love,
And soon to life’s last eve drew nigh.

He shortly to a death accurs’d
By a disciple shall be given;
But, to his twelve disciples, first
He gives Himself, the Bread from Heaven.

Himself in either kind He gave;
He gave his Flesh, He gave his Blood;
Of flesh and blood all men are made;
And He of man would be the Food.

At birth, our brother He became;
At board, Himself as food He gives;
To ransom us He died in shame;
As our reward, in bliss He lives.

O saving Victim! opening wide
The gate of Heav’n to man below!
Our foes press on from every side; —
Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.

To thy great Name be endless praise,
Immortal Godhead, One in Three!
Oh, grant us endless length of days,
In our true native land, with Thee!

Reading: John 6:22-29

The next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the lake realized that only one boat had been there. They knew Jesus hadn’t gone with his disciples, but that the disciples had gone alone. Some boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they had eaten the bread over which the Lord had given thanks. When the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and came to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

Jesus replied, “I assure you that you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate all the food you wanted. Don’t work for the food that doesn’t last but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Human One will give you. God the Father has confirmed him as his agent to give life.” They asked, “What must we do in order to accomplish what God requires?” Jesus replied, “This is what God requires, that you believe in him whom God sent.”

CANTICLE Isaiah 26:9-20
(Katie Tracy and Mark Ribera: https://tinyurl.com/y76wq85c)

In our distress we sought the Lord;
Poured out a whispered prayer
Cried out, seeking deliverance;
His mercy met us there
Empty idols have ruled over us;
These hardened hearts of stone
The Lord has brought salvation, sweet;
We rest in him alone
Refrain:
Trust in the Lord forevermore
He is our fortress strong
Souls, cling to this everlasting rock
to our salvation sure

May the wicked learn your power;
May they believe your truth
For your righteousness and justice;
Bring peace upon the earth Refrain

To you who dwell in dust, awake! Rise up and sing for joy!
The Lord will redeem you at last; And life shall be restored

THE PRAYERS ^PWC

God of compassion, answer us in the day of trouble,
send us help from your holy place.
Show us the path of life,
for in your presence is joy.
Give justice to the orphaned and oppressed
and break the power of wickedness and evil.
Look upon the hungry and sorrowful
and grant them the help for which they long.
Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad;
may your glory endure for ever.
You have dominion over all
and with you is our redemption.

Setting: Sanford Dole https://tinyurl.com/y7ldq7h5

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as 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,
you give us all our wisdom, all our knowledge;
we thank you for Thomas,
for his supreme discovery
that everything he thought, everything he wrote was straw
compared with your inexpressible riches.
Enlighten us more and more
by the work of scholars and believers
and deepen our devotion by the example of saintly lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^FATS

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.

^FATS For All the Saints, © The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, 2014

^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.

The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.

The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language versions of Psalms 132 and 134 are in the version used in Lutheran Service Book: Pew Edition Concordia Publishing House, and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 133 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 135 is by Jason Silver https://jasonsilver.com/.

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 © 2023 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.