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: Clara H Scott
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/msz76389
1 Open my eyes that I may see
glimpses of truth thou hast for me.
Place in my hands the wonderful key
that shall unclasp and set me free.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my eyes, illumine me,
Spirit divine!
2 Open my ears that I may hear
voices of truth thou sendest clear,
and while the wave notes fall on my ear,
ev’rything false will disappear.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my ears, illumine me,
Spirit divine!
3 Open my mouth and let me bear
gladly the warm truth ev’rywhere.
Open my heart and let me prepare
love with thy children thus to share.
Silently now I wait for thee,
ready, my God, thy will to see.
Open my mouth, illumine me,
Spirit divine!
PSALMS
Psalm 79 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ssjuezl)
1 O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance *
thy holy temple have they defiled,
and made Jerusalem an heap of stones.
2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given
to be meat unto the fowls of the air *
and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the land.
3 Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem *
and there was no man to bury them.
4 We are become an open shame to our enemies *
a very scorn and derision unto them that are round about us.
5 Lord, how long wilt thou be angry *
shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?
6 Pour out thine indignation upon the heathen
that have not known thee *
and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob *
and laid waste his dwelling-place.
8 O remember not our old sins, but have mercy upon us, and that soon *
for we are come to great misery.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy Name *
O deliver us, and be merciful unto our sins, for thy Name’s sake.
10 Wherefore do the heathen say *
Where is now their God?
11 O let the vengeance of thy servants’ blood that is shed *
be openly shewed upon the heathen in our sight.
12 O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee *
according to the greatness of thy power,
preserve thou those that are appointed to die.
13 And for the blasphemy
wherewith our neighbours have blasphemed thee *
reward thou them, O Lord, seven-fold into their bosom.
14 So we, that are thy people, and sheep of thy pasture,
shall give thee thanks for ever *
and will alway be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation.
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 80 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ry2whon)
1 Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel,
thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep *
shew thyself also, thou that sittest upon the cherubims.
2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasses *
stir up thy strength, and come, and help us.
3 Turn us again, O God *
shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
4 O Lord God of hosts *
how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth?
5 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears *
and givest them plenteousness of tears to drink.
6 Thou hast made us a very strife unto our neighbours *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Turn us again, thou God of hosts *
shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
8 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt *
thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.
9 Thou madest room for it *
and when it had taken root it filled the land.
10 The hills were covered with the shadow of it *
and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedar-trees.
11 She stretched out her branches unto the sea *
and her boughs unto the river.
12 Why hast thou then broken down her hedge *
that all they that go by pluck off her grapes?
13 The wild boar out of the wood doth root it up *
and the wild beasts of the field devour it.
14 Turn thee again, thou God of hosts, look down from heaven *
behold, and visit this vine;
15 And the place of the vineyard that thy right hand hath planted *
and the branch that thou madest so strong for thyself.
16 It is burnt with fire, and cut down *
and they shall perish at the rebuke of thy countenance.
17 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand *
and upon the son of man,
whom thou madest so strong for thine own self.
18 And so will not we go back from thee *
O let us live, and we shall call upon thy Name.
19 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts *
shew the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole.
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 81 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tl45xkf)
1 Sing we merrily unto God our strength *
make a cheerful noise unto the God of Jacob.
2 Take the psalm, bring hither the tabret *
the merry harp with the lute.
3 Blow up the trumpet in the new-moon *
even in the time appointed, and upon our solemn feast-day.
4 For this was made a statute for Israel *
and a law of the God of Jacob.
5 This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony *
when he came out of the land of Egypt, and had heard a strange language.
6 I eased his shoulder from the burden *
and his hands were delivered from making the pots.
7 Thou calledst upon me in troubles, and I delivered thee *
and heard thee what time as the storm fell upon thee.
8 I proved thee also *
at the waters of strife.
9 Hear, O my people, and I will assure thee, O Israel *
if thou wilt hearken unto me,
10 There shall no strange god be in thee *
neither shalt thou worship any other god.
11 I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt *
open thy mouth wide, and I shall fill it.
12 But my people would not hear my voice *
and Israel would not obey me.
13 So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lusts *
and let them follow their own imaginations.
14 O that my people would have hearkened unto me *
for if Israel had walked in my ways,
15 I should soon have put down their enemies *
and turned my hand against their adversaries.
16 The haters of the Lord should have been found liars *
but their time should have endured for ever.
17 He should have fed them also with the finest wheat-flour *
and with honey out of the stony rock should I have satisfied thee.
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 79 (Sons of Korah: https://tinyurl.com/xsyj848h)
O, God the nations have
Invaded your inheritance
Defiled your holy temple
Destroyed your city
As food to wild animals
They were given over
They poured out blood like water
Around Jerusalem
How long? How long?
How long? (How long, how long, O Lord)
How long? (How long, how long, O Lord)
We are objects of reproach
To our neighbors
Scorn and derision
To those around us
Pour upon the enemy
Who will not acknowledge you
Your anger on the kingdom
For they devoured us
How long? (How long, how long, O Lord)
How long? (How long, how long, O Lord)
Do not hold against us
The sins of the fathers
May your mercy quickly come
For we are in need
Help us God our Savior
For the glory of your name
Deliver and forgive us
For your name’s sake
Why should the nations say
‘Where is their God today?’
Before our eyes, make known to them
That you avenge us
How long, O, Lord
Will you be angry?
How long, Lord
Will your jealousy burn?
The groans of the prisoners
May they come before you
By the strength of your arm
Preserve those condemned to die
Pay back our enemies
They’re taunting toward you lord
And lead your flock, who praise you
For every
Every generation
Psalm 80 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-80.mp3)
1 Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, leading Joseph like a flock; *
shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim.
2 In the presence of Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, *
stir up your strength and come to help us.
3 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
4 O LORD God of hosts, *
how long will you be angered
despite the prayers of your people?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears; *
you have given them bowls of tears to drink.
6 You have made us the derision of our neighbors, *
and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
8 You have brought a vine out of Egypt; *
you cast out the nations and planted it.
9 You prepared the ground for it; *
it took root and filled the land.
10 The mountains were covered by its shadow *
and the towering cedar trees by its boughs.
11 You stretched out its tendrils to the Sea *
and its branches to the River.
12 Why have you broken down its wall, *
so that all who pass by pluck off its grapes?
13 The wild boar of the forest has ravaged it, *
and the beasts of the field have grazed upon it.
14 Turn now, O God of hosts, look down from heaven;
behold and tend this vine; *
preserve what your right hand has planted.
15 They burn it with fire like rubbish; *
at the rebuke of your countenance let them perish.
16 Let your hand be upon the man of your right hand, *
and son of man you have made so strong for yourself.
17 And so will we never turn away from you; *
give us life, that we may call upon your Name.
18 Restore us, O LORD God of hosts; *
show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
Psalm 81 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-81.mp3)
1 Sing with joy to God our strength *
and raise a loud shout to the God of Jacob.
2 Raise a song and sound the timbrel, *
the merry harp, and the lyre.
3 Blow the ram’s-horn at the new moon, *
and at the full moon, the day of our feast.
4 For this is a statute for Israel, *
a law of the God of Jacob.
5 He laid it as a solemn charge upon Joseph, *
when he came out of the land of Egypt.
6 I heard an unfamiliar voice saying, *
“I eased his shoulder from the burden;
his hands were set free from bearing the load.”
7 You called on me in trouble, and I saved you; *
I answered you from the secret place of thunder
and tested you at the waters of Meribah.
8 Hear, O my people, and I will admonish you: *
O Israel, if you would but listen to me!
9 There shall be no strange god among you; *
you shall not worship a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt and said, *
“Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”
11 And yet my people did not hear my voice, *
and Israel would not obey me.
12 So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their hearts, *
to follow their own devices.
13 Oh, that my people would listen to me! *
that Israel would walk in my ways!
14 I should soon subdue their enemies *
and turn my hand against their foes.
15 Those who hate the LORD would cringe before him, *
and their punishment would last for ever.
16 But Israel would I feed with the finest wheat *
and satisfy him with honey from the rock.
PRAYER
Strength of the weak,
defender of the needy,
rescuer of the poor,
deliver us from the power of wickedness,
that we may rejoice in your justice now and forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Moses continued, “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you as promised to you and your ancestors, you should set aside for the Lord whatever comes out of the womb first. All of the first males born to your animal belong to the Lord. But every first male donkey you should ransom with a sheep. If you don’t ransom it, you must break its neck. You should ransom every oldest male among your children. When in the future your child asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you should answer, ‘The Lord brought us with great power out of Egypt, out of the place we were slaves. When Pharaoh refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the oldest offspring in the land of Egypt, from the oldest sons to the oldest male animals. That is why I offer to the Lord as a sacrifice every male that first comes out of the womb. But I ransom my oldest sons.’ It will be a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with great power.”
When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though that was the shorter route. God thought, If the people have to fight and face war, they will run back to Egypt. So God led the people by the roundabout way of the Reed Sea desert. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt ready for battle. Moses took with him Joseph’s bones just as Joseph had made Israel’s sons promise when he said to them, “When God takes care of you, you must carry my bones out of here with you.” They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. The Lord went in front of them during the day in a column of cloud to guide them and at night in a column of lightning to give them light. This way they could travel during the day and at night. The column of cloud during the day and the column of lightning at night never left its place in front of the people.
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Coleraine https://tinyurl.com/2arjadpf
1 Captain of Israel’s host, and Guide
Of all who seek the land above,
Beneath Thy shadow we abide,
The cloud of Thy protecting love;
Our strength, Thy grace; our rule, Thy word;
Our end, the glory of the Lord.
2 By Thine unerring Spirit led,
We shall not in the desert stray;
We shall not full direction need,
Nor miss our providential way;
As far from danger as from fear,
While love, almighty love, is near.
One day, when we were on the way to the place for prayer, we met a slave woman. She had a spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She made a lot of money for her owners through fortune-telling. She began following Paul and us, shouting, “These people are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming a way of salvation to you!” She did this for many days.
This annoyed Paul so much that he finally turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave her!” It left her at that very moment.
Her owners realized that their hope for making money was gone. They grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the officials in the city center. When her owners approached the legal authorities, they said, “These people are causing an uproar in our city. They are Jews who promote customs that we Romans can’t accept or practice.” The crowd joined in the attacks against Paul and Silas, so the authorities ordered that they be stripped of their clothes and beaten with a rod. When Paul and Silas had been severely beaten, the authorities threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to secure them with great care. When he received these instructions, he threw them into the innermost cell and secured their feet in stocks.
Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. All at once there was such a violent earthquake that it shook the prison’s foundations. The doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. When the jailer awoke and saw the open doors of the prison, he thought the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul shouted loudly, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!”
The jailer called for some lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He led them outside and asked, “Honorable masters, what must I do to be rescued?”
They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your entire household.” They spoke the Lord’s word to him and everyone else in his house. Right then, in the middle of the night, the jailer welcomed them and washed their wounds. He and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his home and gave them a meal. He was overjoyed because he and everyone in his household had come to believe in God.
HYMN: William T Sleeper
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/sfay7nrs
1 Out of my bondage, sorrow and night,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into thy freedom, gladness, and light,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of my sickness into thy health,
Out of my want and into thy wealth,
Out of my sin and into thyself,
Jesus, I come to thee.
2 Out of my shameful failure and loss,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the glorious gain of thy cross,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of earth’s sorrows into thy balm,
Out of life’s storms and into thy calm,
Out of distress to jubilant psalm,
Jesus, I come to thee.
3 Out of unrest and arrogant pride,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into thy blessed will to abide,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of my self to dwell in thy love,
Out of despair into raptures above,
Upward for aye on wings like a dove,
Jesus, I come to thee.
4 Out of the fear and dread of the tomb,
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come;
Into the joy and light of thy home,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Out of the depths of ruin untold,
Into the peace of thy sheltering fold,
Ever thy glorious face to behold,
Jesus, I come to thee.
Jesus’ disciples came and said to him, “Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowds?” Jesus replied, “Because they haven’t received the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but you have. For those who have will receive more and they will have more than enough. But as for those who don’t have, even the little they have will be taken away from them. This is why I speak to the crowds in parables: although they see, they don’t really see; and although they hear, they don’t really hear or understand. What Isaiah prophesied has become completely true for them:
You will hear, to be sure, but never understand;
and you will certainly see but never recognize what you are seeing.
For this people’s senses have become calloused,
and they’ve become hard of hearing,
and they’ve shut their eyes
so that they won’t see with their eyes
or hear with their ears
or understand with their minds,
and change their hearts and lives that I may heal them.
“Happy are your eyes because they see. Happy are your ears because they hear. I assure you that many prophets and righteous people wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t.”
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
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.
(Traditional chant: http://oremus.org/chant/LP-1940.mp3)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
God, you are the power of liberation,
calling your servant Moses
to lead your people into freedom,
and giving him the wisdom to proclaim your holy law.
Be our Passover from the land of injustice,
be the light that leads us to the perfect rule of love,
that we may be citizens of your unfettered reign;
we ask this through Jesus Christ,
the pioneer of our salvation. Amen. RCLP
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
Donation to Support This Ministry
Since 1993, Oremus has been done on a volunteer basis. If you are able, please consider supporting this work at the PayPal link below. For software reasons, I’ve set the value at $10.00, but feel free to change it. Thank you.
$10.00
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
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 Lord’s Prayer is the traditional chant as set in The Hymnal 1940 and sung by Kathryn Mannyng https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsJ2TB9pLbU
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 80 and 81 are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 79 is by Sons of Korah.
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.
Oremus 