Catherine of Siena
Catherine Benincasa was born in 1347, the second youngest of twenty-five children. Pious from her earliest years, she overcame family opposition to her vocation and became a Dominican tertiary at the age of eighteen. Nourished by a life of contemplative prayer and mystical experience, she devoted herself to active care for the poor and sick. She became increasingly sought out as an adviser on political as well as religious matters and, in 1376, she journeyed to Avignon as an ambassador to the pope and influenced his decision to return to Rome. She wrote a Dialogue on the spiritual life as well as numerous letters of counsel and direction, which stressed her devotion to the Precious Blood of Jesus. She suffered a stroke on 21 April and died eight days later, on this day in the year 1380. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/52jktxn4
To be near God is my happiness,
to place my hope in God the Lord. Psalm 73
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/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
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.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: F.B.P.; alt. Joseph Bromhead
Tune: Southwell https://tinyurl.com/2p9bcxht
1 Jerusalem, my happy home,
When shall I with you be?
When shall my sorrows have an end?
Your joys when shall I see?
2 Your saints are crowned with glory great;
They see God face to face;
They triumph still, they still rejoice
In that most holy place.
3 There David stands with harp in hand
As master of the choir:
Ten thousand times would we be blessed
Who might this music hear.
4 Our Lady sings Magnificat
With tune surpassing sweet;
And all the virgins join the song
While sitting at her feet.
5 There Magdalene has left her tears,
And cheerfully does sing
With blessed saints, whose harmony
In ev’ry street does ring.
6 Jerusalem, Jerusalem,
God grant that I may see
Your endless joy, and of the same
Partaker ever be!
PSALMS
Psalm 142 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya9l4yc4)
1 I cried unto the Lord with my voice *
yea, even unto the Lord did I make my supplication.
2 I poured out my complaints before him *
and shewed him of my trouble.
3 When my spirit was in heaviness thou knewest my path *
in the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.
4 I looked also upon my right hand *
and saw there was no man that would know me.
5 I had no place to flee unto *
and no man cared for my soul.
6 I cried unto thee, O Lord, and said *
Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.
7 Consider my complaint *
for I am brought very low.
8 O deliver me from my persecutors *
for they are too strong for me.
9 Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks unto thy Name *
which thing if thou wilt grant me,
then shall the righteous resort unto my company.
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 143 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y76nm8vs)
1 Hear my prayer, O Lord, and consider my desire *
hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness’ sake.
2 And enter not into judgement with thy servant *
for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul;
he hath smitten my life down to the ground *
he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.
4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within me *
and my heart within me is desolate.
5 Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works *
yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.
6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee *
my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.
7 Hear me, O Lord, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint *
hide not thy face from me,
lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
8 O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning,
for in thee is my trust *
shew thou me the way that I should walk in,
for I lift up my soul unto thee.
9 Deliver me, O Lord, from mine enemies *
for I flee unto thee to hide me.
10 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God *
let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.
11 Quicken me, O Lord, for thy Name’s sake *
and for thy righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And of thy goodness slay mine enemies *
and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.
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 142 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-142-1.mp3)
1 I cry to the LORD with my voice; *
to the LORD I make loud supplication.
2 I pour out my complaint before him *
and tell him all my trouble.
3 When my spirit languishes within me, you know my path; *
in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4 I look to my right hand and find no one who knows me; *
I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for me.
5 I cry out to you, O LORD; *
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Listen to my cry for help, for I have been brought very low; *
save me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your Name; *
when you have dealt bountifully with me,
the righteous will gather around me.
Psalm 143 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-143.mp3)
1 LORD, hear my prayer,
and in your faithfulness heed my supplications; *
answer me in your righteousness.
2 Enter not into judgment with your servant, *
for in your sight shall no one living be justified.
3 For my enemy has sought my life;
he has crushed me to the ground; *
he has made me live in dark places like those who are long dead.
4 My spirit faints within me; *
my heart within me is desolate.
5 I remember the time past; I muse upon all your deeds; *
I consider the works of your hands.
6 I spread out my hands to you; *
my soul gasps to you like a thirsty land.
7 O LORD, make haste to answer me; my spirit fails me; *
do not hide your face from me
or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8 Let me hear of your loving-kindness in the morning,
for I put my trust in you; *
show me the road that I must walk, for I lift up my soul to you.
9 Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD, *
for I flee to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do what pleases you, for you are my God; *
let your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 Revive me, O LORD, for your Name’s sake; *
for your righteousness’ sake, bring me out of trouble.
12 Of your goodness, destroy my enemies
and bring all my foes to naught, *
for truly I am your servant.
PRAYER
God our refuge,
when all friends have forsaken us
and enemies line all our paths,
come quickly to our aid.
Lead us out from captivity
into the light of your freedom,
secured for us in the sacrifice
of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
The Lord’s word came to me: Human one, show Jerusalem her detestable practices. Say, The Lord God proclaims to Jerusalem: By origin and birth you are from the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, your mother a Hittite. This is how you were treated on the day you were born: Your umbilical cord wasn’t cut, you weren’t washed clean with water or rubbed with salt, and you weren’t wrapped in blankets. No one took pity or cared enough to do any of these things for you. You were despised on the day of your birth and thrown out on the open field. When I happened to come by, I saw you flailing about in your blood. I said to you while you were still bloody, “Live!” I helped you to flourish like a young plant in the field, and you grew tall and became wonderfully endowed. Your breasts were firm, your hair beautifully thick. And you were completely naked.
When I passed by you, I realized that you were ready for love. So I spread my cloak over you and covered your nakedness. I made a solemn promise and entered into a covenant with you, and you became mine. This is what the Lord God says. Then I washed you with water, rinsed off your blood, and poured oil on you. I clothed you with colorful garments, put fine sandals on you, wrapped your head in linen, and covered you with jewels. I adorned you with fine jewelry, and put bracelets on your wrists and a necklace around your neck. I put a ring in your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head. I adorned you with gold and silver, and your garments were made of the finest linen and brocade. You ate the finest flour, honey, and oil. You became very beautiful, fit for royalty. Among the nations you were famous for your beauty. It was perfect because of the splendor that I had given you. This is what the Lord God says.
HYMN: Robert Murray
Tune: Beecher
1 Lord, you love the cheerful giver,
who with open heart and hand
blesses freely, as a river
that refreshes all the land.
Grant us then the grace of giving
with a spirit large and free,
that our life and all our living
we may consecrate to thee.
2 We are thine, thy mercy sought us,
found us in death’s dreadful way,
to the fold in safety brought us,
nevermore from thee to stray.
Thine own life thou freely gavest
as an off’ring on the cross
for each sinner whom thou savest
from eternal shame and loss.
3 Blest by thee with gifts and graces,
may we heed thy church’s call;
gladly in all times and places
give to thee who givest all.
Thou hast bought us, and no longer
can we claim to be our own;
ever free and ever stronger,
we shall serve thee, Lord, alone.
4 Savior, thou hast freely given
all the blessings we enjoy,
earthly store and bread of heaven,
love and peace without alloy;
humbly now we bow before thee,
and our all to thee resign;
for the kingdom, pow’r, and glory
are, O Lord, forever thine.
Therefore, if you were raised with Christ, look for the things that are above where Christ is sitting at God’s right side. Think about the things above and not things on earth. You died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
So put to death the parts of your life that belong to the earth, such as sexual immorality, moral corruption, lust, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). The wrath of God is coming upon disobedient people because of these things. You used to live this way, when you were alive to these things. But now set aside these things, such as anger, rage, malice, slander, and obscene language. Don’t lie to each other. Take off the old human nature with its practices and put on the new nature, which is renewed in knowledge by conforming to the image of the one who created it. In this image there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all things and in all people.
Therefore, as God’s choice, holy and loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Be tolerant with each other and, if someone has a complaint against anyone, forgive each other. As the Lord forgave you, so also forgive each other. And over all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. The peace of Christ must control your hearts—a peace into which you were called in one body. And be thankful people. The word of Christ must live in you richly. Teach and warn each other with all wisdom by singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts. Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him.
HYMN: Kate B Wilkinson
Tune: St Leonard’s https://tinyurl.com/25p3rze6
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.
Jesus said, “No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be loyal to the one and have contempt for the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.
“Therefore, I say to you, don’t worry about your life, what you’ll eat or what you’ll drink, or about your body, what you’ll wear. Isn’t life more than food and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds in the sky. They don’t sow seed or harvest grain or gather crops into barns. Yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth much more than they are? Who among you by worrying can add a single moment to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? Notice how the lilies in the field grow. They don’t wear themselves out with work, and they don’t spin cloth. But I say to you that even Solomon in all of his splendor wasn’t dressed like one of these. If God dresses grass in the field so beautifully, even though it’s alive today and tomorrow it’s thrown into the furnace, won’t God do much more for you, you people of weak faith? Therefore, don’t worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ Gentiles long for all these things. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them. Instead, desire first and foremost God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore, stop worrying about tomorrow, because tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
CANTICLE Exodus 15
(John Schiavone: https://tinyurl.com/ybknobsb)
Ant. I will sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him. Ant.
The Lord is a warrior, LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea. Ant.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O Lord, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O Lord, has shattered the enemy. Ant.
You brought in the people you redeemed
and planted them on the mountain of your inheritance—
the place where you made your seat, O Lord,
the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands established.
The Lord shall reign forever and ever. Ant.
THE PRAYERS PWC
May we live as those who believe in the triumph of the cross.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May all people receive the good news of Christ’s victory.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May those born to new life in the waters of baptism
know the power of Christ’s resurrection.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May those who suffer pain and anguish
find healing and peace in the compassion of Christ.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
May we be united in Christ’s undying love
with all who have passed through the gates of death.
Redeemer of Israel, hear our prayer.
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.
Everlasting God,
you kindled such holy love
in the heart of your servant Catherine
that she devoted her life to the poor and the sick
and to the peace and unity of your Church.
Grant us strength to meditate
upon the passion of your Son,
that we may work in the image of his compassion
until we rejoice in the revelation of his glory;
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. FAS
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk
FAS For All the Saints, Anglican Church of Canada.
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.
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
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 version of Psalm 78 is in the version 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 © 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.
Oremus 
Thank you so much for getting these inspiring treasury of prayers to down under in time for early Lauds.
Just one request…could the source attribution of the scriptural readings be restored?
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