Jean-Pierre de Caussade
Jean-Pierre de Caussade (born 1675) was a French Jesuit who died on this day in 1751. He was appointed spiritual director of a community of nuns and decided to share with them his ideas on the spiritual life. The material was published a century after his death as Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence. The book has become a Christian devotional classic.
De Caussade gives us a rich and imaginative appreciation for the many ways that God speaks to us and others in the present moment. He also has a strong sense of everyday spirituality; in one passage, this eighteenth century spiritual director states that we are the sequel to the New Testament that is being written by the Holy Spirit. He challenges us to read “the book of life,” the record of divine action in the world, because we each have a divine purpose “in the plot of the Holy Scripture which unfolds every day.” 1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/ytnbfkw9
You are just, O Lord, and your judgment is right;
treat your servant in accord with your merciful love. Psalm 119
Merciful God,
you pardon all who truly repent and turn to you.
We humbly confess our sins and ask your mercy.
We have not loved you with a pure heart,
nor have we loved our neighbor as ourselves.
We have not done justice, loved kindness,
or walked humbly with you, our God.
Have mercy on us, O God, in your loving-kindness.
In your great compassion,
cleanse us from our sin.
Create in us a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within us.
Do not cast us from your presence,
or take your Holy Spirit from us.
Restore to us the joy of your salvation
and sustain us with your bountiful Spirit. Amen. BCW
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: Sylvia Dunstan ©
Tune: St Leonard https://tinyurl.com/2ajd7krp
1 Christ is King! Let earthly powers,
wealth, dominion, state and crown,
here before the Servant Savior
praise and worship and kneel down.
Jesus reigns, a cross exalts him;
suff’ring is the royal gown.
2 Christ is king! O saints be joyful;
grace and justice will be shown,
weakness lifted into glory,
pride and greed cast from their throne.
Jesus reigns, the once-rejected
has become the Cornerstone.
3 Christ is King! Death’s power is ended;
now there is no need for fear.
Love and love alone redeems us,
wipes away our guilt and tears.
Jesus reigns, the Lamb once-slaughtered
in abundant life appears.
PSALMS
Psalm 24 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9wmst8w)
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is *
the compass of the world, and they that dwell therein.
2 For he hath founded it upon the seas *
and prepared it upon the floods.
3 Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord *
or who shall rise up in his holy place?
4 Even he that hath clean hands, and a pure heart *
and that hath not lift up his mind unto vanity,
nor sworn to deceive his neighbour.
5 He shall receive the blessing from the Lord *
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of them that seek him *
even of them that seek thy face, O Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors *
and the King of glory shall come in.
8 Who is the King of glory *
it is the Lord strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors *
and the King of glory shall come in.
10 Who is the King of glory *
even the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.
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 25 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y6uy8tmx)
1 Unto thee, O Lord, will I lift up my soul;
my God, I have put my trust in thee *
O let me not be confounded, neither let mine enemies triumph over me.
2 For all they that hope in thee shall not be ashamed *
but such as transgress without a cause shall be put to confusion.
3 Shew me thy ways, O Lord *
and teach me thy paths.
4 Lead me forth in thy truth, and learn me *
for thou art the God of my salvation;
in thee hath been my hope all the day long.
5 Call to remembrance, O Lord, thy tender mercies *
and thy loving-kindnesses, which have been ever of old.
6 O remember not the sins and offences of my youth *
but according to thy mercy think thou upon me, O Lord, for thy goodness.
7 Gracious and righteous is the Lord *
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
8 Them that are meek shall he guide in judgement *
and such as are gentle, them shall he learn his way.
9 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth *
unto such as keep his covenant, and his testimonies.
10 For thy Name’s sake, O Lord *
be merciful unto my sin, for it is great.
11 What man is he, that feareth the Lord *
him shall he teach in the way that he shall choose.
12 His soul shall dwell at ease *
and his seed shall inherit the land.
13 The secret of the Lord is among them that fear him *
and he will shew them his covenant.
14 Mine eyes are ever looking unto the Lord *
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
15 Turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me *
for I am desolate, and in misery.
16 The sorrows of my heart are enlarged *
O bring thou me out of my troubles.
17 Look upon my adversity and misery *
and forgive me all my sin.
18 Consider mine enemies, how many they are *
and they bear a tyrannous hate against me.
19 O keep my soul, and deliver me *
let me not be confounded, for I have put my trust in thee.
20 Let perfectness and righteous dealing wait upon me *
for my hope hath been in thee.
21 Deliver Israel, O God *
out of all his troubles.
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 26 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9r5o6yo)
1 Be thou my Judge, O Lord, for I have walked innocently *
my trust hath been also in the Lord, therefore shall I not fall.
2 Examine me, O Lord, and prove me *
try out my reins and my heart.
3 For thy loving-kindness is ever before mine eyes *
and I will walk in thy truth.
4 I have not dwelt with vain persons *
neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.
5 I have hated the congregation of the wicked *
and will not sit among the ungodly.
6 I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord *
and so will I go to thine altar;
7 That I may shew the voice of thanksgiving *
and tell of all thy wondrous works.
8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house *
and the place where thine honour dwelleth.
9 O shut not up my soul with the sinners *
nor my life with the blood-thirsty;
10 In whose hands is wickedness *
and their right hand is full of gifts,
11 But as for me, I will walk innocently *
O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot standeth right *
I will praise the Lord in the congregations.
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 24 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-24-MH.mp3)
1 The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all its peoples.
2 It is he who set it on the seas;
on the waters he made it firm.
3 Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
4 The man with clean hands and pure heart,
who desires not worthless things,
(who have not sworn so as to deceive their neighbor.)
5 He shall receive blessings from the Lord
and reward from the God who saves him .
6 Such are the men who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
7 O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
8 Who is the king of glory?
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, the Lord, the valiant in war.
9 O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors.
Let him enter, the king of glory!
10 Who is he, the king of glory?
He, the Lord of armies, he is the king of glory.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 25 (LSB Tone I: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-25-LSB.mp3)
1 To you, O LORD,*
I lift up my soul.
2 O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame;*
let not my enemies exult over me.
3 Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame;*
they shall be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD;*
teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth and teach me,
for you are the God of my sal- vation;*
for you I wait all the day long.
6 Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love,*
for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions;*
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD;*
therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right,*
and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness,*
for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
11 For your name’s sake, O LORD,*
pardon my guilt, for it is great.
12 Who is the man who fears the LORD?*
Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
13 His soul shall abide in well-being,*
and his offspring shall inherit the land.
14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him,*
and he makes known to them his covenant.
15 My eyes are ever toward the LORD,*
for he will pluck my feet out of the net.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,*
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17The troubles of my heart are enlarged;*
bring me out of my distresses.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,*
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes,*
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 Oh, guard my soul, and deliver me!*
Let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,*
for I wait for you.
22Redeem Israel, O God,*
out of all his troubles.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son*
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the be ginning,*
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Psalm 26 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-26-MH.mp3)
1 Give judgment for me, O Lord:
for I walk the path of perfection.
I trust in the Lord; I have not wavered.
2 Examine me, Lord, and try me;
O test my heart and my mind,
3 for your love is before my eyes
and I walk according to your truth.
4 I never take my place with liars
and with hypocrites I shall not go.
5 I hate the evil-doer’s company:
I will not take my place with the wicked.
6 To prove my innocence I wash my hands
and take my place around your altar,
7 singing a song of thanksgiving,
proclaiming all your wonders.
8 O Lord, I love the house where you dwell,
the place where your glory abides.
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men
10 in whose hands are evil plots,
whose right hands are filled with gold.
11 As for me, I walk the path of perfection.
Redeem me and show me your mercy.
12 My foot stands on level ground:
I will bless the Lord in the assembly.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son :
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :
world without end. Amen.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus,
you came to us in our bondage,
and led us to freedom by the cross and resurrection.
May our lives praise you,
and our lips proclaim your mighty power to all people
that they may find their hope in you,
and live to your honor and glory,
now and forever. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
The Lord proclaimed to me: Go and buy a linen undergarment. Wear it for a while without washing it. So I bought a linen undergarment, as the Lord told me, and I put it on. The Lord spoke to me again: Take the undergarment that you are wearing and go at once to the Euphrates and put it under a rock. So I went and buried it at the Euphrates, as the Lord instructed. After a long time, the Lord said to me: Return to the Euphrates and dig up the undergarment that I commanded you to bury there. So I went to the Euphrates and I dug up the linen undergarment from the place I had buried it. But it was ruined and good for nothing.
Then the Lord’s word came to me: The Lord proclaims: In the same way I will ruin the brazen pride of Judah and Jerusalem! Instead of listening to me, this wicked people follow their own willful hearts and pursue other gods, worshipping and serving them. They will become like this linen garment—good for nothing! Just as a linen undergarment clings to the body, so I created the people of Israel and Judah to cling to me, declares the Lord, to be my people for my honor, praise, and grandeur. But they wouldn’t obey.
HYMN: Philip Doddridge
Tune: Schumann https://tinyurl.com/3cn6h6u5
1 The swift declining day,
How fast its moments fly!
While evening’s broad and gloomy shade
Gains on the western sky.
2 Ye mortals, mark its pace,
And use the hours of light;
And know, its Maker can command
At once eternal night.
3 Give glory to the Lord,
Who rules the whirling sphere;
Submissive at his footstool bow,
And seek salvation there.
4 Then shall new lustre break
Through death’s impending gloom,
And lead you to unchanging light,
In your celestial home.
The Law is a shadow of the good things that are coming, not the real things themselves. It never can perfect the ones who are trying to draw near to God through the same sacrifices that are offered continually every year. Otherwise, wouldn’t they have stopped being offered? If the people carrying out their religious duties had been completely cleansed once, no one would have been aware of sin anymore. Instead, these sacrifices are a reminder of sin every year, because it’s impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Therefore, when he comes into the world he says,
You didn’t want a sacrifice or an offering,
but you prepared a body for me;
you weren’t pleased with entirely burned offerings or a sin offering.
So then I said,
“Look, I’ve come to do your will, God.
This has been written about me in the scroll.”
He says above, You didn’t want and you weren’t pleased with a sacrifice or an offering or with entirely burned offerings or a purification offering, which are offered because the Law requires them. Then he said, Look, I’ve come to do your will. He puts an end to the first to establish the second. We have been made holy by God’s will through the offering of Jesus Christ’s body once for all.
HYMN: Timothy Dudley-Smith ©
Tune: Magdalen College https://tinyurl.com/2p9u3bw2
1 No temple now, no gift of price,
No priestly round of sacrifice,
Retain their ancient pow’rs.
As shadows fade before the sun
The day of sacrifice is done,
The day of grace is ours.
2 The dying Lord our ransom paid,
One final full self-off’ring made,
Complete in ev’ry part.
His finished sacrifice for sins
The covenant of grace begins,
The law within the heart.
3 In faith and confidence draw near,
Within the holiest appear,
With all who praise and pray;
Who share one family, one feast,
One great imperishable Priest,
One new and living way.
4 For Christ is ours! With purpose true
The pilgrim path of faith pursue,
The road that Jesus trod;
Until by His prevailing grace
We stand at last before His face,
Our Saviour and our God.
Jesus said, “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it to tenant farmers and took a trip. When it was time for harvest, he sent his servants to the tenant farmers to collect his fruit. But the tenant farmers grabbed his servants. They beat some of them, and some of them they killed. Some of them they stoned to death.
“Again he sent other servants, more than the first group. They treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said. But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him and we’ll have his inheritance.’ They grabbed him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
“When the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenant farmers?” They said, “He will totally destroy those wicked farmers and rent the vineyard to other tenant farmers who will give him the fruit when it’s ready.”
Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. The Lord has done this, and it’s amazing in our eyes? Therefore, I tell you that God’s kingdom will be taken away from you and will be given to a people who produce its fruit. Whoever falls on this stone will be crushed. And the stone will crush the person it falls on.”
Now when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard the parable, they knew Jesus was talking about them. They were trying to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, who thought he was a prophet.
CANTICLE Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/ycrn2d4f)
Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor, and kingship,
All people will obey him.
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.
the nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
the time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our god and the authority
of his anointed one,
for the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!
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
Giver of life, we wait with you to offer the hope
that comes from the cross to earth’s darkest places.
Where pain is deep and affection is denied:
let love break through.
Where justice is destroyed,
let sensitivity to right spring up.
Where hope is crucified,
let faith persist.
Where peace has no chance,
let passion live on.
Where truth is trampled underfoot,
let the struggle continue.
Where fear paralyzes,
let forgiveness break through.
Eternal God, reach into the silent darkness of our souls
with the radiance of the cross.
O you who are the bearer of all pain,
have mercy on us.
Giver of life,
have mercy on us.
Merciful God,
have mercy on us. Amen.
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.
God of truth,
whose Wisdom set her table
and invited us to eat the bread
and drink the wine of the kingdom:
help us to lay aside all foolishness
and to live and walk in the way of insight,
that we may come with Jean-Pierre de Caussade
to the eternal feast of heaven;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. EH
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
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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
2 Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk
WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Psalms 24 and 26 are from The Grail Psalter and are from the Manual Hopper YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/manualhopper/featured. The modern version of Psalms 25 is from Lutheran Service Book and the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg.
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 © 2024 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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