Hélder Câmara
Hélder Pessoa Câmara OFS was a Brazilian Catholic archbishop. A self-identified socialist, he was the Archbishop of Olinda and Recife, serving from 1964 to 1985, during the military dictatorship in Brazil. Câmara was an advocate of liberation theology. He did social and political work for the poor and for human rights and democracy during the military regime. Câmara preached for a church closer to the disfavoured people. He is quoted as having said, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist.” He died on this day in 1999 at the age of 90. Wikipedia
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/7exhewcj
The Lord became my protector.
He brought me out to a place of freedom;
he saved me because he delighted in me. Psalm 18
God of earthquake, wind, and fire,
may we know you also in the voice of silence.
Teach us the way of quiet,
that we may find our peace in your presence,
in the pattern of our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. BAS
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: Richard Gillard ©
Tune: The Servant Song https://tinyurl.com/2p8cft9j
1, 6 Will you let me be your servant—
let me be as Christ to you?
Pray that I may have the grace to
let you be my servant too.
2 We are pilgrims on a journey;
we are trav’lers on the road.
We are here to help each other
walk the mile and bear the load.
3 I will hold the Christlight for you
in the nighttime of your fear.
I will hold my hand out to you,
speak the peace you long to hear.
4 I will weep when you are weeping;
when you laugh I’ll laugh with you.
I will share your joy and sorrow
till we’ve seen this journey through.
5 When we sing to God in heaven,
we shall find such harmony,
born of all we’ve known together
of Christ’s love and agony.
PSALMS
Psalm 126 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y8tuft59)
1 When the Lord turned again the captivity of Sion *
then were we like unto them that dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter *
and our tongue with joy.
3 Then said they among the heathen *
The Lord hath done great things for them.
4 Yea, the Lord hath done great things for us already *
whereof we rejoice.
5 Turn our captivity, O Lord *
as the rivers in the south.
6 They that sow in tears *
shall reap in joy.
7 He that now goeth on his way weeping, and beareth forth good seed *
shall doubtless come again with joy, and bring his sheaves with him.
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 127 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y8tuft59)
1 Except the Lord build the house *
their labour is but lost that build it.
2 Except the Lord keep the city *
the watchman waketh but in vain.
3 It is but lost labour that ye haste to rise up early,
and so late take rest, and eat the bread of carefulness *
for so he giveth his beloved sleep.
4 Lo, children and the fruit of the womb *
are an heritage and gift that cometh of the Lord.
5 Like as the arrows in the hand of the giant *
even so are the young children.
6 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them *
they shall not be ashamed when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
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 128 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y8ckoca7)
1 Blessed are all they that fear the Lord *
and walk in his ways.
2 For thou shalt eat the labours of thine hands *
O well is thee, and happy shalt thou be.
3 Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine *
upon the walls of thine house.
4 Thy children like the olive-branches *
round about thy table.
5 Lo, thus shall the man be blessed *
that feareth the Lord.
6 The Lord from out of Sion shall so bless thee *
that thou shalt see Jerusalem in prosperity all thy life long.
7 Yea, that thou shalt see thy children’s children *
and peace upon Israel.
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 129 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y7qelqeh)
1 Many a time have they fought against me from my youth up *
may Israel now say.
2 Yea, many a time have they vexed me from my youth up *
but they have not prevailed against me.
3 The plowers plowed upon my back *
and made long furrows.
4 But the righteous Lord *
hath hewn the snares of the ungodly in pieces.
5 Let them be confounded and turned backward *
as many as have evil will at Sion.
6 Let them be even as the grass growing upon the house-tops *
which withereth afore it be plucked up;
7 Whereof the mower filleth not his hand *
neither he that bindeth up the sheaves his bosom.
8 So that they who go by say not so much as, The Lord prosper you *
we wish you good luck in the Name of the Lord.
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 130 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9lymrb2)
1 Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord *
Lord, hear my voice.
2 O let thine ears consider well *
the voice of my complaint.
3 If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss *
O Lord, who may abide it?
4 For there is mercy with thee *
therefore shalt thou be feared.
5 I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him *
in his word is my trust.
6 My soul fleeth unto the Lord *
before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch.
7 O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy *
and with him is plenteous redemption.
8 And he shall redeem Israel *
from all his sins.
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 131 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yaxt75nj)
1 Lord, I am not high-minded *
I have no proud looks.
2 I do not exercise myself in great matters *
which are too high for me.
3 But I refrain my soul, and keep it low,
like as a child that is weaned from his mother *
yea, my soul is even as a weaned child.
4 O Israel, trust in the Lord *
from this time forth for evermore.
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 126 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-126-1.mp3)
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, *
then were we like those who dream.
2 Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
and our tongue with shouts of joy.
3 Then they said among the nations, *
“The LORD has done great things for them.”
4 The LORD has done great things for us, *
and we are glad indeed.
5 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, *
like the watercourses of the Negev.
6 Those who sowed with tears *
will reap with songs of joy.
7 Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *
will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.
Psalm 127 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-127.mp3)
1 Unless the LORD builds the house, *
their labor is in vain who build it.
2 Unless the LORD watches over the city, *
in vain the watchman keeps his vigil.
3 It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late; *
vain, too, to eat the bread of toil,
for he gives to his beloved sleep.
4 Children are a heritage from the LORD, *
and the fruit of the womb is a gift.
5 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior *
are the children of one’s youth.
6 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them! *
he shall not be put to shame
when he contends with his enemies in the gate.
Psalm 128 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-127.mp3)
1 Happy are they all who fear the LORD, *
and who follow in his ways!
2 You shall eat the fruit of your labor; *
happiness and prosperity shall be yours.
3 Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, *
your children like olive shoots round about your table.
4 The man who fears the LORD *
shall thus indeed be blessed.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion, *
and may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days
of your life.
6 May you live to see your children’s children; *
may peace be upon Israel.
Psalm 129 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-129.mp3)1 “Greatly have they oppressed me since my youth,” *
let Israel now say;
2 “Greatly have they oppressed me since my youth, *
but they have not prevailed against me.”
3 The plowmen plowed upon my back *
and made their furrows long.
4 The LORD, the Righteous One, *
has cut the cords of the wicked.
5 Let them be put to shame and thrown back, *
all those who are enemies of Zion.
6 Let them be like grass upon the housetops, *
which withers before it can be plucked;
7 Which does not fill the hand of the reaper, *
nor the bosom of him who binds the sheaves;
8 So that those who go by say not so much as,
“The LORD prosper you. *
We wish you well in the Name of the LORD.”
Psalm 130 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-130.mp3)
1 Out of the depths have I called to you, O LORD;
LORD, hear my voice; *
let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.
2 If you, LORD, were to note what is done amiss, *
O LORD, who could stand?
3 For there is forgiveness with you; *
therefore you shall be feared.
4 I wait for the LORD; my soul waits for him; *
in his word is my hope.
5 My soul waits for the LORD,
more than watchmen for the morning, *
more than watchmen for the morning.
6 O Israel, wait for the LORD, *
for with the LORD there is mercy;
7 With him there is plenteous redemption, *
and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.
Psalm 131 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-131.mp3)
1 O LORD, I am not proud; *
I have no haughty looks.
2 I do not occupy myself with great matters, *
or with things that are too hard for me.
3 But I still my soul and make it quiet,
like a child upon its mother’s breast; *
my soul is quieted within me.
4 O Israel, wait upon the LORD, *
from this time forth for evermore.
PRAYER
Gracious Father,
watch over the Church,
built on the foundation of your love.
Help us so to live and proclaim the gospel
that all may find life in your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BAS, alt.
Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
Joshua took down the camp early in the morning. He and all the Israelites marched out of Shittim and came to the Jordan, where they stayed overnight before crossing. At the end of three days the officers went through the middle of the camp. They commanded the people, “As soon as you see the Lord your God’s chest containing the covenant and the levitical priests carrying it, you are to march out from your places and follow it. But let there be some distance between you and it, about three thousand feet. Don’t come near it! You will know the way you should go, even though you’ve never traveled this way before.”
Joshua said to the people, “Make yourselves holy! Tomorrow the Lord will do wonderful things among you.” Then Joshua said to the priests, “Lift up the covenant chest. Go along in front of the people.” So they lifted up the covenant chest and went in front of the people.
The Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to make you great in the opinion of all Israel. Then they will know that I will be with you in the same way that I was with Moses. You are to command the priests who carry the covenant chest, ‘As soon as you come to the bank of the Jordan, stand still in the Jordan.’”
Joshua said to the Israelites, “Come close. Listen to the words of the Lord your God.” Then Joshua said, “This is how you will know that the living God is among you and will completely remove the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites before you. Look! The covenant chest of the ruler of the entire earth is going to cross over in front of you in the Jordan. Now pick twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one per tribe. The soles of the priests’ feet, who are carrying the chest of the Lord, ruler of the whole earth, will come to rest in the water of the Jordan. At that moment, the water of the Jordan will be cut off. The water flowing downstream will stand still in a single heap.”
HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: Beulah https://tinyurl.com/u2mf8bkt
1 There is a land of pure delight,
where saints immortal reign;
infinite day excludes the night,
and pleasures banish pain.
2 There everlasting spring abides,
and never-withering flowers;
death, like a narrow sea, divides
that heavenly land from ours.
3 Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
stand dressed in living green;
so to the Jews old Canaan stood,
while Jordan rolled between.
4 But timorous mortals start and shrink
to cross the narrow sea,
and linger shivering on the brink,
and fear to launch away.
5 O could we make our doubts remove,
those gloomy doubts that rise,
and see the Canaan that we love
with unbeclouded eyes;
6 Could we but climb where Moses stood,
and view the landscape o’er,
not Jordan’s stream, nor death’s cold flood,
should fright us from the shore!
Now I don’t praise you as I give the following instruction because when you meet together, it does more harm than good. First of all, when you meet together as a church, I hear that there are divisions among you, and I partly believe it. It’s necessary that there are groups among you, to make it clear who is genuine. So when you get together in one place, it isn’t to eat the Lord’s meal. Each of you goes ahead and eats a private meal. One person goes hungry while another is drunk. Don’t you have houses to eat and drink in? Or do you look down on God’s churches and humiliate those who have nothing? What can I say to you? Will I praise you? No, I don’t praise you in this.
I received a tradition from the Lord, which I also handed on to you: on the night on which he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took bread. After giving thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this to remember me.” He did the same thing with the cup, after they had eaten, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Every time you drink it, do this to remember me.” Every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, you broadcast the death of the Lord until he comes.
This is why those who eat the bread or drink the cup of the Lord inappropriately will be guilty of the Lord’s body and blood. Each individual should test himself or herself, and eat from the bread and drink from the cup in that way. Those who eat and drink without correctly understanding the body are eating and drinking their own judgment. Because of this, many of you are weak and sick, and quite a few have died. But if we had judged ourselves, we wouldn’t be judged. However, we are disciplined by the Lord when we are judged so that we won’t be judged and condemned along with the whole world. For these reasons, my brothers and sisters, when you get together to eat, wait for each other. If some of you are hungry, they should eat at home so that getting together doesn’t lead to judgment. I will give directions about the other things when I come.
HYMN: Fred Kaan ©
Tune: St Columba https://tinyurl.com/42k3c4f8
1 Put peace into each other’s hands
and like a treasure hold it,
protect it like a candle flame,
with tenderness enfold it.
2 Put peace into each other’s hands
with loving expectation;
be gentle in your words and ways,
in touch with God’s creation.
3 Put peace into each other’s hands
like bread we break for sharing;
look people warmly in the eye:
our life is meant for caring.
4 Put Christ into each other’s hands
to share love’s deepest measure;
in love make peace, give peace a chance,
and share it like a treasure.
For communion:
As at communion, shape your hands
into a waiting cradle;
the gift of Christ receive, revere,
united round the table.
Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave— just as the Human One didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”
CANTICLE Isaiah 42:10-16
Sing to the Lord a new song,
his praise from the end of the earth:
Let the sea and what fills it resound,
the coastlands, and those who dwell in them.
Let the steppe and its cities cry out,
the villages where Kedar dwells;
Let the inhabitants of Sela exult,
and shout from the top of the mountains.
Let them give glory to the Lord,
and utter his praise in the coastlands.
The Lord goes forth like a hero,
like a warrior he stirs up his ardor;
he shouts out his battle cry,
against his enemies he shows his might:
I have looked away, and kept silence,
I have said nothing, holding myself in;
but now, I cry out as a woman in labor,
gasping and panting.
I will lay waste mountains and hills,
all their herbage I will dry up;
I will turn the rivers into marshes,
and the marshes I will dry up.
I will lead the blind on their journey;
by paths unknown I will guide them.
I will turn darkness into light before them,
and make crooked ways straight.
THE PRAYERS COS, alt.
Loving God,
you care for all your children;
you know each one and hear each prayer,
you know each house and see each need.
Give peace and love to those who call upon you,
and receive us into the kingdom of your light.
Bless your Church, here and everywhere.
Confirm your people in the faith of the Gospel,
inspire them with love for your house,
zeal in your service,
and joy in the well-being of your kingdom.
Bless the whole world with peace.
Kindle in the hearts of all people
the true love of peace,
and guide with your wisdom
the leaders of the nations,
that your kingdom may advance
until the earth be filled
with the knowledge of your love.
Bless with your comfort
all who are in trouble or pain.
Heal those who are sick;
support those who are dying;
console those who mourn;
supply the wants of those who are in need.
Bless our homes,
that love and joy may dwell there;
and keep those who are absent from us
within the protection of your love.
Bless those who have kept the faith on earth
and have entered into the joy
of your heavenly presence.
Inspire us by their example,
encourage us by their fellowship,
and bring us with them at the last
to glory everlasting.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Karin Simmons: https://tinyurl.com/y7vwp7dd)
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.
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.
O God of unsearchable wisdom and infinite mercy, you chose your servant Hélder Câmara to exercise the office of bishop among your people: Liberate us, who commemorate him today, from bondage to self, and empower us for service to you and to the neighbors you have given us; through Jesus Christ, who stood up for the poor and marginalized; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. HWHM, alt.
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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BAS Book of Alternative Services © 1985, Anglican Church of Canada.
COS Common Order, © 1994 Church of Scotland
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © 2010 The Church Pension Fund.
The main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and are chanted by Ryland Angel. The canticle is from Liturgy of the Hours as recorded for the Sing the Hours YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SingtheHours
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.
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