Hilary
Hilary was born at Poitiers to a non-Christian family in about the year 315. They gave him an excellent education and he was proficient in Latin and Greek. After extensive personal study, he tells us that he was baptised at the age of thirty. He was elected bishop of the city in the year 350 and immediately became caught up in the Arian controversy, himself asserting that mortals of this world were created to practise moral virtues thus reflecting the one in whose image they are made, the eternal and creative first cause, God, and that Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, is of one substance with the Father. His learning and oratory led to his title of “Athanasius of the West”. He was known as a gentle, kind friend to all, even though his writings seemed severe at times. He died in the year 367. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/fuads5xa
I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord.
Should they cry to me in any distress,
I will hear them, and I will be their Lord for ever.
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: Hilary of Poitiers; trans. Dylan Schrader ©
Tune: Eisenach https://tinyurl.com/rcbvfd2
O splendid Giver of the light,
Though darkness covered earth before,
Now that the gloomy night has passed,
Thy brightness fills the sky once more.
Thou art the world’s true Morning Star,
Not that which dimly in the night
Is herald of the dawn to come
And shines with only meager light,
But brighter even than the sun,
The clearest Light and Day thou art,
Enlightening with blazing rays
The inner depths of mind and heart.
Let chastity of mind prevail,
And let not baser wants endure,
But send the Holy Ghost to keep
The temple of our bodies pure.
To thee, O Christ, our gracious king,
And to thy Father, glory be,
Who with the Spirit Paraclete
Forever reign in majesty.
PSALMS
Psalm 68 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybgjjxjc)
1 Let God arise, and let his enemies be scattered *
let them also that hate him flee before him.
2 Like as the smoke vanisheth, so shalt thou drive them away *
and like as wax melteth at the fire,
so let the ungodly perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God *
let them also be merry and joyful.
4 O sing unto God, and sing praises unto his Name *
magnify him that rideth upon the heavens, as it were upon an horse;
praise him in his Name JAH, and rejoice before him.
5 He is a Father of the fatherless,
and defendeth the cause of the widows *
even God in his holy habitation.
6 He is the God that maketh men to be of one mind in an house,
and bringeth the prisoners out of captivity *
but letteth the runagates continue in scarceness.
7 O God, when thou wentest forth before the people *
when thou wentest through the wilderness,
8 The earth shook, and the heavens dropped at the presence of God *
even as Sinai also was moved at the presence of God,
who is the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, sentest a gracious rain upon thine inheritance *
and refreshedst it when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation shall dwell therein *
for thou, O God, hast of thy goodness prepared for the poor.
11 The Lord gave the word *
great was the company of the preachers.
12 Kings with their armies did flee, and were discomfited *
and they of the household divided the spoil.
13 Though ye have lien among the pots,
yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove *
that is covered with silver wings, and her feathers like gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings for their sake *
then were they as white as snow in Salmon.
15 As the hill of Basan, so is God’s hill *
even an high hill, as the hill of Basan.
16 Why hop ye so, ye high hills? this is God’s hill,
in the which it pleaseth him to dwell *
yea, the Lord will abide in it for ever.
17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels *
and the Lord is among them, as in the holy place of Sinai.
18 Thou art gone up on high, thou hast led captivity captive,
and received gifts for men *
yea, even for thine enemies,
that the Lord God might dwell among them.
19 Praised be the Lord daily *
even the God who helpeth us, and poureth his benefits upon us.
20 He is our God, even the God of whom cometh salvation *
God is the Lord, by whom we escape death.
21 God shall wound the head of his enemies *
and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his wickedness.
22 The Lord hath said,
I will bring my people again, as I did from Basan *
mine own will I bring again, as I did sometime from the deep of the sea.
23 That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies *
and that the tongue of thy dogs may be red through the same.
24 It is well seen, O God, how thou goest *
how thou, my God and King, goest in the sanctuary.
25 The singers go before, the minstrels follow after *
in the midst are the damsels playing with the timbrels.
26 Give thanks, O Israel, unto God the Lord in the congregations *
from the ground of the heart.
27 There is little Benjamin their ruler,
and the princes of Judah their counsel *
the princes of Zabulon, and the princes of Nephthali.
28 Thy God hath sent forth strength for thee *
stablish the thing, O God, that thou hast wrought in us,
29 For thy temple’s sake at Jerusalem *
so shall kings bring presents unto thee.
30 When the company of the spear-men,
and multitude of the mighty are scattered abroad
among the beasts of the people,
so that they humbly bring pieces of silver *
and when he hath scattered the people that delight in war;
31 Then shall the princes come out of Egypt *
the Morians’ land shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.
32 Sing unto God, O ye kingdoms of the earth *
O sing praises unto the Lord;
33 Who sitteth in the heavens over all from the beginning *
lo, he doth send out his voice, yea, and that a mighty voice.
34 Ascribe ye the power to God over Israel *
his worship, and strength is in the clouds.
35 O God, wonderful art thou in thy holy places *
even the God of Israel;
he will give strength and power unto his people;
blessed be God.
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 68 (LSB Tone K: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-68-LSB.mp3)
1 God shall arise, his enemies shall be scattered;*
and those who hate him shall flee before him!
2 As smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;*
as wax melts before fire, so the wicked shall perish before God!
3 But the righteous shall be glad; they shall exult before God;*
they shall be jubilant with joy!
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;*
lift up a song to him who rides through the deserts;
his name is the LORD; exult before him!
5 Father of the fatherless and protector of widows*
is God in his holy habitation.
6 God settles the solitary in a home;
he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,*
but the rebellious dwell in a parched land.
7 O God, when you went out before your people,*
when you marched through the wilderness,
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
before God, the One of Sinai,*
before God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;*
you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it;*
in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gives the word;*
the women who announce the news are a great host:
12 “The kings of the armies— they flee, they flee!”*
The women at home divide the spoil—
13 though you men lie among the sheepfolds—*
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,*
let snow fall on Zalmon.
15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;*
O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,*
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the LORD will dwell forever?
17 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
thousands upon thousands;*
the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 You ascended on high,
leading a host of captives in your train
and receiving gifts among men,*
even among the rebellious,
that the LORD God may dwell there.
19 Blessèd be the Lord, who daily bears us up;*
God is our salvation.
20 Our God is a God of salvation,*
and to GOD, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 But God will strike the heads of his enemies,*
the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said, “I will bring them back from Bashan,*
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may strike your feet in their blood,*
that the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”
24 Your procession is seen, O God,*
the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 the singers in front, the musicians last,*
between them virgins playing tambourines:
26 “Bless God in the great congregation,*
the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27 There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
the princes of Judah in their throng,*
the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.
28 Summon your power, O God,*
the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem*
kings shall bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.*
Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31 Nobles shall come from Egypt;*
Cush shall hasten to stretch out her hands to God.
32 O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;*
sing praises to the Lord,
33 to him who rides in the heavens, the ancient heavens;*
behold, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God,*
whose majesty is over Israel, and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God from his sanctuary;*
the God of Israel—
he is the one who gives power and strength to his people.
Blessèd be God!
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.
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
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created.
On the day the Lord God made earth and sky— before any wild plants appeared on the earth, and before any field crops grew, because the Lord God hadn’t yet sent rain on the earth and there was still no human being to farm the fertile land, though a stream rose from the earth and watered all of the fertile land— the Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into his nostrils. The human came to life. The Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east and put there the human he had formed. In the fertile land, the Lord God grew every beautiful tree with edible fruit, and also he grew the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
A river flows from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides into four headwaters. The name of the first river is the Pishon. It flows around the entire land of Havilah, where there is gold. That land’s gold is pure, and the land also has sweet-smelling resins and gemstones. The name of the second river is the Gihon. It flows around the entire land of Cush. The name of the third river is the Tigris, flowing east of Assyria; and the name of the fourth river is the Euphrates.
The Lord God took the human and settled him in the garden of Eden to farm it and to take care of it. The Lord God commanded the human, “Eat your fill from all of the garden’s trees; but don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because on the day you eat from it, you will die!”
HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: London New https://tinyurl.com/ytn2t697
1 We sing th’ almighty pow’r of God,
Who bade the mountains rise,
Who spread the flowing seas abroad
And built the lofty skies.
2 We sing the wisdom that ordain’d
The sun to rule the day;
The moon shines full at his command,
And all the stars obey.
3 We sing the goodness of the Lord,
Who fills the earth with food;
Who form’d the creatures by a word
And then pronounc’d them good.
4 Lord, how your wonders are display’d,
Where’er we turn our eyes;
Whether we view the ground we tread
Or gaze upon the skies!
5 There’s not a plant nor flow’r below,
But makes your glories known;
And clouds arise and tempests blow,
By order from thy throne.
6 Creation, vast as it may be,
Is subject to thy will.
There’s not a place, where we can flee,
But God is with us still.
7 On him each moment we depend;
If he withdraw, we die.
Oh may we ne’er that God offend,
Who is forever nigh!
From Paul, an apostle who is not sent from human authority or commissioned through human agency, but sent through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead; and from all the brothers and sisters with me.
To the churches in Galatia. Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. He gave himself for our sins, so he could deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father. To God be the glory forever and always! Amen.
I’m amazed that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ to follow another gospel. It’s not really another gospel, but certain people are confusing you and they want to change the gospel of Christ. However, even if we ourselves or a heavenly angel should ever preach anything different from what we preached to you, they should be under a curse. I’m repeating what we’ve said before: if anyone preaches something different from what you received, they should be under a curse! Am I trying to win over human beings or God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I wouldn’t be Christ’s slave.
HYMN: George Matheson
Tune: St Margaret https://tinyurl.com/3cpc6ftv
1. O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
2. O Light that follows all my way,
I yield my flick’ring torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
3. O Joy that seekest me thru’ pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow thru’ the rain
And feel the promise is not vain
That morn shall tearless be.
4. O cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee announcing God’s good news, saying, “Now is the time! Here comes God’s kingdom! Change your hearts and lives, and trust this good news!”
As Jesus passed alongside the Galilee Sea, he saw two brothers, Simon and Andrew, throwing fishing nets into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” he said, “and I’ll show you how to fish for people.” Right away, they left their nets and followed him. After going a little farther, he saw James and John, Zebedee’s sons, in their boat repairing the fishing nets. At that very moment he called them. They followed him, leaving their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired workers.
CANTICLE Magnificat (Luke 1:46-55)
(Setting in Lutheran Service Book: https://tinyurl.com/ybb7ajjj)
Refrain:
My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior;
my soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God, my Savior.
1. For he has regarded
the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from this day
all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things to me,
and holy is his name;
And his mercy is on those who fear him
from generation to generation. Refrain
2. He has shown strength with his arm;
He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent empty away.
He has helped his servant Israel in remembrance of his mercy
as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed forever.
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. Refrain
THE PRAYERS AAPB
Almighty God,
maker of all things and Father of us all,
you have shown us in Christ the purpose of your creation
and called us to responsible service in the world:
We give thanks
for the order of created things
for the resources of the earth
for the gift of human life . . .
for your continuing work of creation
for man’s share in your creative purpose
for your gifts of creative vision and inventive skill
for your faithfulness to man in patience and love
for every human response of obedience and humble achievement . . .
We pray for your world
all nations . . .
our own country . . .
those in authority . . .
the peace of the world . . .
racial harmony . . .
and the reconciliation of all who are at enmity . . .
May we delight in your purpose,
and work to bring all things to their true end;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.
Everlasting God,
whose servant Hilary
steadfastly confessed your Son Jesus Christ
to be both human and divine:
grant us his gentle courtesy
to bring to all the message of redemption
in the incarnate Christ,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. 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
AAPB An Australian Prayer Book, © 1978 Anglican Church of Australia
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 68 is in the version used in Lutheran Service Book: Pew Edition Concordia Publishing House, and is from 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 © 2025 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 