Antony
Born in about the year 251, Antony heard the gospel message, “If you would be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” He was twenty years old and rich, following the death of his parents, but he did as the gospel instructed and went to live in the desert, living an austere life of manual work, charity and prayer. His many spiritual struggles left him both wise and sensible and he became a spiritual guide for many who flocked to him. His simple rule of personal discipline and prayer was taken up and spread throughout Christendom. He died peacefully in the desert in the year 356, asking that he be buried secretly, so that his person might be hidden in death as in life. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3mmbr9nr
The Lord became my protector.
He brought me out to a place of freedom;
he saved me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18
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: Joseph Hart
Tune: Restoration https://tinyurl.com/3nwt65t2
1. Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore;
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love, and pow’r.
Refrain:
I will arise and go to Jesus,
He will embrace me in His arms;
In the arms of my dear Savior,
O there are ten thousand charms.
2. Come, ye thirsty, come, and welcome,
God’s free bounty glorify;
True belief and true repentance,
Ev’ry grace that brings you nigh. [Refrain]
3. Come, ye weary, heavy-laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all. [Refrain]
4. Let not conscience make you linger,
Nor of fitness fondly dream;
All the fitness He requireth
Is to feel your need of Him. [Refrain]
PSALMS
Psalm 86 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/vmvol2r)
1 Bow down thine ear, O Lord, and hear me *
for I am poor, and in misery.
2 Preserve thou my soul, for I am holy *
my God, save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee.
3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord *
for I will call daily upon thee.
4 Comfort the soul of thy servant *
for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For thou, Lord, art good and gracious *
and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee.
6 Give ear, Lord, unto my prayer *
and ponder the voice of my humble desires.
7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee *
for thou hearest me.
8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord *
there is not one that can do as thou doest.
9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee, O Lord *
and shall glorify thy Name.
10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things *
thou art God alone.
11 Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth *
O knit my heart unto thee, that I may fear thy Name.
12 I will thank thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart *
and will praise thy Name for evermore.
13 For great is thy mercy toward me *
and thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell.
14 O God, the proud are risen against me *
and the congregations of naughty men
have sought after my soul, and have not set thee before their eyes.
15 But thou, O Lord God, art full of compassion and mercy *
long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth.
16 O turn thee then unto me, and have mercy upon me *
give thy strength unto thy servant, and help the son of thine handmaid.
17 Shew some token upon me for good,
that they who hate me may see it, and be ashamed *
because thou, Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost,*
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 87 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/sjg229z)
1 Her foundations are upon the holy hills *
the Lord loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
2 Very excellent things are spoken of thee *
thou city of God.
3 I will think upon Rahab and Babylon *
with them that know me.
4 Behold ye the Philistines also *
and they of Tyre, with the Morians; lo, there was he born.
5 And of Sion it shall be reported that he was born in her *
and the most High shall stablish her.
6 The Lord shall rehearse it when he writeth up the people *
that he was born there.
7 The singers also and trumpeters shall he rehearse *
All my fresh springs shall be in 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 88 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tl4xkf)
1 O Lord God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before thee *
O let my prayer enter into thy presence, incline thine ear unto my calling.
2 For my soul is full of trouble *
and my life draweth nigh unto hell.
3 I am counted as one of them that go down into the pit *
and I have been even as a man that hath no strength.
4 Free among the dead, like unto them that are wounded, and lie in the grave *
who are out of remembrance, and are cut away from thy hand.
5 Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit *
in a place of darkness, and in the deep.
6 Thine indignation lieth hard upon me *
and thou hast vexed me with all thy storms.
7 Thou hast put away mine acquaintance far from me *
and made me to be abhorred of them.
8 I am so fast in prison *
that I cannot get forth.
9 My sight faileth for very trouble *
Lord, I have called daily upon thee, I have stretched forth my hands unto thee.
10 Dost thou shew wonders among the dead *
or shall the dead rise up again, and praise thee?
11 Shall thy loving-kindness be shewed in the grave *
or thy faithfulness in destruction?
12 Shall thy wondrous works be known in the dark *
and thy righteousness in the land where all things are forgotten?
13 Unto thee have I cried, O Lord *
and early shall my prayer come before thee.
14 Lord, why abhorrest thou my soul *
and hidest thou thy face from me?
15 I am in misery, and like unto him that is at the point to die *
even from my youth up thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled mind.
16 Thy wrathful displeasure goeth over me *
and the fear of thee hath undone me.
17 They came round about me daily like water *
and compassed me together on every side.
18 My lovers and friends hast thou put away from me *
and hid mine acquaintance out of my sight.
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 86 (LSB Tone B: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-86-LSB.mp3)
1 Incline your ear, O LORD, and answer me,*
for I am poor and needy.
2 Preserve my life, for I am godly;*
save your servant, who trusts in you— you are my God.
3 Be gracious to me, O Lord,*
for to you do I cry all the day.
4 Gladden the soul of your servant,*
for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.
5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,*
abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you.
6 Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer;*
listen to my plea for grace.
7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you,*
for you answer me.
8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,*
nor are there any works like yours.
9 All the nations you have made
shall come and worship before you, O Lord,*
and shall glorify your name.
10 For you are great and do wondrous things;*
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;*
unite my heart to fear your name.
12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,*
and I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your steadfast love toward me;*
you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol.
14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me;
a band of ruthless men seek my life,*
and they do not set you before them.
15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,*
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me;*
give your strength to your servant,
and save the son of your maidservant.
17 Show me a sign of your favor,*
that those who hate me may see
and be put to shame because you, LORD,
have helped me and comforted me.
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 87 (Coptic Chant: https://tinyurl.com/4afp2bpa)
His foundations are in the holy mountains.
The Lord loves the gates of Zion,
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Glorious things have been spoken of you, O city of God.
I shall make mention of Raab and Babylon,
those who know me: behold the foreigners,
and Tyre, and the people of Ethiopia:
these were there.
“My mother Zion,” a man will say;
and a man was living in her:
and the Most High himself has founded her forever.
The Lord shall tell it in the writings of peoples and princes,
these who were in her.
The dwelling of all who rejoice is within you. ALLELUIA.
Psalm 88 (Karl Kohlhase: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-88-KH.mp3)
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry to you day and night
O let my prayer come before you;
incline your ear to my cry
My soul’s had its fill of trouble,
my life has reached Sheol
Like those who sink in a pit;
like men without any strength
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Detached among the dead,
like slain ones lain in the grave
Like those remembered no more,
like those cut off from your hand
You placed me in the lowest pit,
in darkness down in the depths
Your anger rested upon me,
assailing me with all your waves.
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Those known to me you made far off;
made like a loathsome thing
Restrained, I cannot go out;
my eye wears out from affliction
I call out to you every day, O LORD;
I stretch out my hands to you
For the dead will you work your wonders?
Will they rise to praise you? Selah
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Will your love be told in the grave,
your faithfulness in Abaddon?
Will your wonders be known in the darkness?
Your right in the land of forgetfulness?
O LORD, to you I cry out for help,
in the morning my prayer comes to you
O LORD, why do you spurn my soul?
Why hide your face from me?
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
Impoverished and dying from childhood;
bearing dread, I am overwhelmed
Your anger has passed over me;
your terrors demolishing me
Surrounding like water all through the day;
completely encompassing me
Removing both loved one and friend,
until all I know is darkness
O LORD, God of salvation,
I cry out to you day and night
PRAYER
Eternal God,
in every time and place and circumstance your people call on you,
rejoicing in your love and cherishing your truth.
Hear the prayers of our hearts
that we may be protected from sin
and delivered from evil;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
The man Adam knew his wife Eve intimately. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have given life to a man with the Lord’s help.” She gave birth a second time to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel cared for the flocks, and Cain farmed the fertile land.
Some time later, Cain presented an offering to the Lord from the land’s crops while Abel presented his flock’s oldest offspring with their fat. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his sacrifice but didn’t look favorably on Cain and his sacrifice. Cain became very angry and looked resentful. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look so resentful? If you do the right thing, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do the right thing, sin will be waiting at the door ready to strike! It will entice you, but you must rule over it.”
Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
The Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” Cain said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s guardian?”
The Lord said, “What did you do? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. You are now cursed from the ground that opened its mouth to take your brother’s blood from your hand. When you farm the fertile land, it will no longer grow anything for you, and you will become a roving nomad on the earth.”
Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Now that you’ve driven me away from the fertile land and I am hidden from your presence, I’m about to become a roving nomad on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
The Lord said to him, “It won’t happen; anyone who kills Cain will be paid back seven times.” The Lord put a sign on Cain so that no one who found him would assault him. Cain left the Lord’s presence, and he settled down in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
HYMN: Patrick Appleford ©
Tune: Was lebet, was schwebet https://tinyurl.com/ywh9wt49
1 Father, all loving, who rulest in majesty,
judgment is thine, and condemneth our pride;
stir up our leaders and peoples to penitence,
sorrow for sins that for vengeance have cried.
2 Blessed Lord Jesus, who camest in poverty,
sharing a stable with beasts at thy birth,
stir us to work for thy justice and charity,
truly to care for the poor of the earth.
3 Come, Holy Spirit, create in us holiness,
lift up our lives to thy standard of right;
stir every will to new ventures of faithfulness,
flood the whole Church with thy glorious light.
4 Holiest Trinity, perfect in unity,
bind in thy love every nation and race;
may we adore thee for time and eternity,
Father, Redeemer, and Spirit of grace.
You irrational Galatians! Who put a spell on you? Jesus Christ was put on display as crucified before your eyes! I just want to know this from you: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the Law or by believing what you heard? Are you so irrational? After you started with the Spirit, are you now finishing up with your own human effort? Did you experience so much for nothing? I wonder if it really was for nothing. So does the one providing you with the Spirit and working miracles among you do this by you doing the works of the Law or by you believing what you heard?
Understand that in the same way that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness, those who believe are the children of Abraham. But when it saw ahead of time that God would make the Gentiles righteous on the basis of faith, scripture preached the gospel in advance to Abraham: All the Gentiles will be blessed in you. Therefore, those who believe are blessed together with Abraham who believed.
All those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, because it is written, Everyone is cursed who does not keep on doing all the things that have been written in the Law scroll. But since no one is made righteous by the Law as far as God is concerned, it is clear that the righteous one will live on the basis of faith. The Law isn’t based on faith; rather, the one doing these things will live by them. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us—because it is written, Everyone who is hung on a tree is cursed. He redeemed us so that the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, and that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
HYMN: Augustus Toplady
Tune: Llyfnant https://tinyurl.com/44m9fwec
1. Surely Christ thy griefs has borne;
Weeping soul, no longer mourn:
View Him bleeding on the tree,
Pouring out His life for thee;
There thy every sin He bore;
Weeping soul, lament no more.
2. All thy crimes on Him were laid:
See, upon His blameless head
Wrath its utmost vengeance pours,
Due to my offence and yours;
Wounded in our stead He is,
Bruis’d for our iniquities.
3. Weary sinner, keep thine eyes
On th’ atoning sacrifice;
There th’ incarnate Deity,
Number’d with transgressors, see;
There, His Father’s absence mourns,
Nail’d and bruis’d, and crowned with thorns.
4. See thy God His head bow down,
Hear the Man of Sorrows groan!
For thy ransom there condemned,
Stripp’d, derided, and blasphem’d;
Bleed the guiltless for the unclean,
Made an off’ring for thy sin.
5. Cast thy guilty soul on Him,
Find Him mighty to redeem;
At His feet thy burden lay,
Look thy doubts and cares away;
Now by faith the Son embrace,
Plead His promise, trust His grace.
6. Lord, Thine arm must be reveal’d!
Ere I can by faith be heal’d!
Since I scarce can look to Thee,
Cast a gracious eye on me:
At Thy feet myself I lay;
Shine, O shine, my fears away!
After a few days, Jesus went back to Capernaum, and people heard that he was at home. So many gathered that there was no longer space, not even near the door. Jesus was speaking the word to them. Some people arrived, and four of them were bringing to him a man who was paralyzed. They couldn’t carry him through the crowd, so they tore off part of the roof above where Jesus was. When they had made an opening, they lowered the mat on which the paralyzed man was lying. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Child, your sins are forgiven!”
Some legal experts were sitting there, muttering among themselves, “Why does he speak this way? He’s insulting God. Only the one God can forgive sins.”
Jesus immediately recognized what they were discussing, and he said to them, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? Which is easier—to say to a paralyzed person, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk’? But so you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed, “Get up, take your mat, and go home.”
Jesus raised him up, and right away he picked up his mat and walked out in front of everybody. They were all amazed and praised God, saying, “We’ve never seen anything like this!”
CANTICLE Luke 1:68-79
(Steve Angrisano: https://tinyurl.com/y7w6y7qh)
Through his holy prophets,
he promised from of old
to save us from who would harm us.
His mercy he would show,
rememb’ring his holy word.
Refrain:
Blessed be the Lord,
for he has raised up for us a mighty savior.
Our God has set us free,
fulfilling the promise to save his people.
You, my child,
have been chosen a prophet of the Lord,
proclaiming his forgiveness,
salvation to make known,
preparing the way of God. Refrain
In his tender compassion,
the dawn now breaks on high
to shine on those in the darkness:
a light unto our feet
into the way of peace. Refrain
THE PRAYERS CGP
O God, lover of the world,
you hold all that you have created
within your compassionate embrace.
As you hold our lives
torn by pain, sorrow or hatred within your aching heart,
we cry out for wholeness—
for ourselves, for those we love,
and for our world.
May your healing presence gently transform
the places of our lives where we hold pain.
May your loving presence be a comforting reality
for all those who find themselves
in despair, lost or alone.
May your transforming presence
create generosity in place of greed,
harmony in place of hatred,
and everlasting justice where evil now reigns.
O God, lover of the world,
from the silence of our own hearts,
we bring before you
these people and places that need
your healing, loving, transforming presence:
O God, lover of the world,
this is your world,
and we claim your power and your presence
to make it whole. Amen.
(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is 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.
Merciful God,
the strength of all who commit themselves to you,
you called Antony to renounce the world
and to serve you in the solitude of the desert;
give us grace to follow the way of perfection,
that we may count all things as loss
in the joy of knowing Christ, our Lord and Saviour. 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
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BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
FATS For All the Saints, © The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, 2014
CGP Celebrating God’s Presence © United Church of Canada
The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional-language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern versions of Psalm 86 is the version in Lutheran Service Book and is from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 87 is the version sung in the Coptic Orthodox Church. Psalm 88 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 © 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 