Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa (1910–1997) was a Roman Catholic nun who devoted her life to serving the poor and destitute around the world. She spent many years in Calcutta, India where she founded the Missionaries of Charity, a religious congregation devoted to helping those in great need. In 1979, Mother Teresa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and became a symbol of charitable, selfless work.
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/5kz2zshn
Everyone who lives and believes in me
will not die for ever, says the Lord. John 11
God of all creation,
open our hearts
that Christ, the King of glory,
may enter and rule our lives.
Give us clean hands and pure hearts,
that we may stand in your presence
and receive your blessing
through the same Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
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: Mother Teresa
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/3c9pmupd
Refrain:
We can do no great things,
we can do no great things,
we can do no great things;
only small things with great love.
1 Use us as instruments, simple vessels of your peace.
Inspire in us pure hearts of understanding,
to know that, in your warm embrace,
our beings will find rest. [Refrain]
2 Lord, make us instruments, quiet vessels of your love.
Create in us clean hearts of contemplation
to see your face in those we serve,
in all who search for you. [Refrain]
3 Choose us as instruments, sacred vessels of your will.
Transform in us new hearts of God’s compassion
to live true lives of readiness:
We listen for your call. [Refrain]
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 (Joseph Barnby; https://tinyurl.com/45m649j3)
1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it,
the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.
2 For he has founded it upon the seas
and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.
3 ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord,
or who can rise up in his holy place?’
4 ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart,
who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,
nor sworn an oath to a lie;
5 ‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord,
a just reward from the God of their salvation.’
6 Such is the company of those who seek him,
of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
8 ‘Who is the King of glory?’
‘The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord who is mighty in battle.’
9 Lift up your heads, O gates;
be lifted up, you everlasting doors;
and the King of glory shall come in.
10 ‘Who is this King of glory?’
‘The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.’
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 25 (Gregorian Tone V.1)
1 Unto you, O Lord, will I lift up my soul;
my God, I have put my trust in you; *
O let me not be ashamed,
neither let my enemies triumph over me.
2 For all those who hope in you shall not be ashamed, *
but those who deal untruly shall be put to confusion.
3 Show me your ways, O Lord, *
and teach me your paths.
4 Lead me forth in your truth and teach me, *
for you are the God of my salvation;
in you has been my hope all the day long.
5 Call to remembrance, O Lord, your tender mercies, *
and your loving-kindnesses, which have been from of old.
6 O remember not the sins and offenses of my youth, *
but according to your mercy
think on me, O Lord, in your goodness.
7 Gracious and righteous is the Lord; *
therefore will he teach sinners in the way.
8 Those who are meek shall he guide in judgment, *
and those who are gentle shall he teach his way.
9 All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth *
to those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
10 For your Name’s sake, O Lord, *
forgive my sin, for it is great.
11 Who is the one who fears the Lord? *
He shall teach him in the way that he shall choose.
12 He shall dwell at ease, *
and his seed shall inherit the land.
13 The Lord reveals his secret counsel to those who fear him, *
and he will show them his covenant.
14 My eyes are ever looking to the Lord, *
for he shall pluck my feet out of the net.
15 Turn to me, and have mercy on me, *
for I am desolate and in misery.
16 The sorrows of my heart are enlarged; *
O bring me out of my troubles.
17 Look upon my adversity and misery *
and forgive me all my sin.
18 Consider my enemies, how many they are, *
and how they bear a tyrannous hate against me.
19 O keep my soul and deliver me; *
let me not be ashamed, for I have put my trust in you.
20 Let integrity and righteous dealing preserve me, *
for my hope has been in you.
21 Deliver 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 beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen.
Psalm 26 (Gregorian Tone V.1)
1 Be my judge, O Lord, for I have walked innocently; *
my trust has been in the Lord; therefore I shall not fall.
2 Test me, O Lord, and prove me; *
examine my heart and my mind.
3 For your loving-kindness is ever before my eyes, *
and I will walk in your truth.
4 I have not dwelt with evildoers, *
neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.
5 I have hated the company of the wicked, *
and will not sit among the ungodly.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence, O Lord, *
and so will I go to your altar,
7 That I may lift up the voice of thanksgiving *
and tell of all your wondrous works.
8 Lord, I have loved the habitation of your house *
and the place where your honor dwells.
9 O take not away my soul with the sinners, *
nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10 Whose hands are full of wickedness, *
and their right hand full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk innocently; *
O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.
12 My foot stands firm; *
I will praise the Lord in the congregations.
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
Merciful God,
you continually show us your ways
of forgiveness and steadfast love.
Remember not our sins,
but recall your compassion to your children,
satisfy the longing of your people,
and fulfill all our hopes for eternal peace
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I seek security for you, so that things might go well for you? Now isn’t Boaz, whose young women you were with, our relative? Tonight he will be winnowing barley at the threshing floor. You should bathe, put on some perfume, wear nice clothes, and then go down to the threshing floor. Don’t make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, notice the place where he is lying. Then go, uncover his feet, and lie down. And he will tell you what to do.” Ruth replied to her, “I’ll do everything you are telling me.” So she went down to the threshing floor, and she did everything just as her mother-in-law had ordered.
Boaz ate and drank, and he was in a good mood. He went over to lie down by the edge of the grain pile. Then she quietly approached, uncovered his legs, and lay down. During the middle of the night, the man shuddered and turned over—and there was a woman lying at his feet. “Who are you?” he asked.
She replied, “I’m Ruth your servant. Spread out your robe over your servant, because you are a redeemer.”
He said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter! You have acted even more faithfully than you did at first. You haven’t gone after rich or poor young men. And now, my daughter, don’t be afraid. I’ll do for you everything you are asking. Indeed, my people—all who are at the gate—know that you are a woman of worth. Now, although it’s certainly true that I’m a redeemer, there’s a redeemer who is a closer relative than I am. Stay the night. And in the morning, if he’ll redeem you—good, let him redeem. But if he doesn’t want to redeem you, then—as the Lord lives—I myself will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.”
So she lay at his feet until morning. Then she got up before one person could recognize another, for he had said, “No one should know that the woman came to the threshing floor.” He said, “Bring the cloak that you have on and hold it out.” She held it out, and he measured out six measures of barley and placed it upon her. Then she went into town.
She came to her mother-in-law, who said, “How are you, my daughter?” So Ruth told her everything the man had done for her. She said, “He gave me these six measures of barley, for he said to me, ‘Don’t go away empty-handed to your mother-in-law.’” “Sit tight, my daughter,” Naomi replied, “until you know how it turns out. The man won’t rest until he resolves the matter today.”
HYMN: Ruth C Duck ©
Tune: Walden
1 Come, people of the living God,
who is your life, your song;
hope always, trust your Mother’s love,
renewed through ages long.
2 No longer do I strain to grasp
perfection or control.
My work is love and joy and peace,
through Grace who makes me whole.
3 For I have stilled my striving, God;
safe in your arms I rest,
a child who’s weaned and fully fed,
secure on mother’s breast.
4 Well-satisfied, I trust in you;
you love enough for me!
My God, remaining near your heart,
I live serene and free.
5 Come, people of the living God,
who is your life, your song;
hope always, trust your Mother’s love,
renewed through ages long.
Concerning the collection of money for God’s people: You should do what I have directed the churches in Galatia to do. On the first day of the week, each of you should set aside whatever you can afford from what you earn so that the collection won’t be delayed until I come. Then when I get there, I’ll send whomever you approve to Jerusalem with letters of recommendation to bring your gift. If it seems right for me to go too, they’ll travel with me.
I’ll come to you after I go through Macedonia, and because I’m going through Macedonia, I may stay with you or even spend the winter there in Corinth so that you can send me on my way to wherever I’m off to next. I don’t want to make a quick visit to you, since I hope to spend some time with you if the Lord lets it happen. I’ll stay here in Ephesus until the Festival of Pentecost. In spite of the fact that there are many opponents, a big and productive opportunity has opened up for my mission here.
If Timothy comes to you, be sure that he has no reason to be afraid while he’s with you, because he does the work of the Lord just like I do. So don’t let anyone disrespect him, but send him on in peace so he can join me. I’m waiting for him along with the brothers and sisters. Concerning Apollos our brother: I strongly encouraged him to visit you with the brothers and sisters, but he didn’t want to go now. He’ll come when he has an opportunity.
HYMN: Somerset Corry Lowry
Tune: Everton https://shorturl.at/7wGvU
1 Son of God, eternal Saviour,
source of life and truth and grace,
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate
hallows all our human race,
thou, our Head, who, throned in glory,
for thine own dost ever plead,
fill us with thy love and pity;
heal our wrongs, and help our need.
2 As thou, Lord, hast lived for others,
so may we for others live;
freely have thy gifts been granted,
freely may thy servants give:
thine the gold and thine the silver,
thine the wealth of land and sea,
we but stewards of thy bounty,
held in solemn trust for thee.
3 Come, O Christ, and reign among us,
King of love, and Prince of peace;
hush the storm of strife and passion,
bid its cruel discords cease;
by thy patient years of toiling,
by thy silent hours of pain,
quench our fevered thirst of pleasure,
shame our selfish greed of gain.
4 Son of God, eternal Saviour,
source of life and truth and grace,
Son of Man, whose birth incarnate
hallows all our human race,
thou who prayedst, thou who willest,
that thy people should be one,
grant, O grant our hope’s fruition:
here on earth thy will be done.
One day when Jesus was teaching, Pharisees and legal experts were sitting nearby. They had come from every village in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem. Now the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal. Some men were bringing a man who was paralyzed, lying on a cot. They wanted to carry him in and place him before Jesus, but they couldn’t reach him because of the crowd. So they took him up on the roof and lowered him—cot and all—through the roof tiles into the crowded room in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
The legal experts and Pharisees began to mutter among themselves, “Who is this who insults God? Only God can forgive sins!” Jesus recognized what they were discussing and responded, “Why do you fill your minds with these questions? Which is easier—to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you will know that the Human One has authority on the earth to forgive sins” —Jesus now spoke to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, get up, take your cot, and go home.” Right away, the man stood before them, picked up his cot, and went home, praising God.
All the people were beside themselves with wonder. Filled with awe, they glorified God, saying, “We’ve seen unimaginable things today.”
CANTICLE Ezekiel 36.24-26,28b
(Nils Greenhow, https://tinyurl.com/mw4f7n7d)
All The Spirit of God fills the whole world.
1 I will take you from the nations,
and gather you from all the countries.
2 I will sprinkle clean water upon you,
and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses.
3 A new heart I will give you,
and put a new spirit within you,
4 And I will remove from your body the heart of stone
and give you a heart of flesh.
5 You shall be my people,
and I will be your God.
All Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
All The Spirit of God fills the whole world.
THE PRAYERS BCW
We praise you, God our creator,
for your handiwork in shaping
and sustaining your wondrous creation.
Especially we thank you for
the miracle of life and the wonder of living . . .
particular blessings coming to us in this day . . .
the resources of the earth . . .
gifts of creative vision and skillful craft . . .
the treasure stored in every human life. . . .
We dare to pray for others, God our Savior, claiming your love in Jesus Christ for the whole world, committing ourselves to care for those around us in his name. Especially we pray for
those who work for the benefit of others . . .
those who cannot work today . . .
those who teach and those who learn . . .
people who are poor . . .
the church in Europe. . . .
(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)ELW
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.
Almighty God, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints, and who raised up your servant Teresa of Calcutta to be a light in the world: Shine, we pray, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth your praise, who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. HWHM
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.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
HWHM Holy Women, Holy Men © 2010 The Church Pension Fund.
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible.
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). Psalm 24 is from Common Worship and comes from the RSCM album The Gift of This New Day. Psalms 25 and 26 are from Book of Common Prayer 2019 and come from the St. Bernard Breviary https://www.bernardbreviary.com/chant-helps.
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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