Francis
Francis was born in Assisi in central Italy either in 1181 or the following year. He was baptised Giovanni but given the name Francesco by his father, a cloth merchant who traded in France and had married a French wife. There was an expectation that he would eventually take over his father’s business but Francis had a rebellious youth and a difficult relationship with his father. After suffering the ignominy of imprisonment following capture whilst at war with the local city of Perugia, he returned a changed man. He took to caring for disused churches and for the poor, particularly those suffering from leprosy. Whilst praying in the semi-derelict church of St Damian, he distinctly heard the words: “Go and repair my church, which you see is falling down.” Others joined him and he prepared a simple, gospel-based Rule for them all to live by. As the Order grew, it witnessed to Christ through preaching the gospel of repentance, emphasising the poverty of Christ as an example for his followers. Two years before his death, his life being so closely linked with that of his crucified Saviour, he received the Stigmata, the marks of the wounds of Christ, on his body. At his death, on the evening of 3 October 1226, his Order had spread throughout western Christendom. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/589h5dmw
With the Lord there is mercy;
in him is plentiful redemption. Psalm 130
God,
all powerful, most holy
sublime ruler of all, you alone are good –
supremely, fully, completely good,
may we render to you all praise,
all honour and all blessing:
may we always ascribe to you alone
everything that is good! Amen. Francis
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: Francis of Assisi, para. William H Draper
Tune: Lasst uns erfreuen https://tinyurl.com/4n686jmw
1 All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam:
[Refrain:]
O praise him, O praise him,
Alleluia, alleluia, allelluia! [Refrain]
2 Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heaven along,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou rising morn, in praise rejoice;
ye lights of evening, find a voice: [Refrain]
3 Thou flowing water, pure and clear,
make music for thy Lord to hear,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Thou fire, so masterful and bright,
that givest us both warmth and light: [Refrain]
4 Dear mother earth, who day by day
unfoldest blessings on our way,
O praise him, alleluia!
The flowers and fruits that in thee grow,
let them his glory also show: [Refrain]
5 All ye that are of tender heart,
forgiving others, take your part,
O sing ye, alleluia!
Ye who long pain and sorrow bear,
praise God, and on him cast your care: [Refrain]
6 And thou, most kind and gentle death,
waiting to hush our latest breath,
O praise him, alleluia!
Thou leadest home the child of God,
and Christ our Lord the way has trod: [Refrain]
7 Let all things their creator bless,
and worship him in humbleness;
O praise him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son,
and praise the Spirit, Three in One: [Refrain]
PSALMS
Psalm 22 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tcvjnwc)
1 My God, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me *
and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint?
2 O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not *
and in the night-season also I take no rest.
3 And thou continuest holy *
O thou worship of Israel.
4 Our fathers hoped in thee *
they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them.
5 They called upon thee, and were holpen *
they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded.
6 But as for me, I am a worm, and no man *
a very scorn of men, and the out-cast of the people.
7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn *
they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying,
8 He trusted in God, that he would deliver him *
let him deliver him, if he will have him.
9 But thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb *
thou wast my hope, when I hanged yet upon my mother’s breasts.
10 I have been left unto thee ever since I was born *
thou art my God even from my mother’s womb.
11 O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand *
and there is none to help me.
12 Many oxen are come about me *
fat bulls of Basan close me in on every side.
13 They gape upon me with their mouths *
as it were a ramping and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint *
my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue cleaveth to my gums *
and thou shalt bring me into the dust of death.
16 For many dogs are come about me *
and the council of the wicked layeth siege against me.
17 They pierced my hands and my feet; I may tell all my bones *
they stand staring and looking upon me.
18 They part my garments among them *
and cast lots upon my vesture.
19 But be not thou far from me, O Lord *
thou art my succour, haste thee to help me.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword *
my darling from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth *
thou hast heard me also from among the horns of the unicorns.
22 I will declare thy Name unto my brethren *
in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
23 O praise the Lord, ye that fear him *
magnify him, all ye of the seed of Jacob,
and fear him, all ye seed of Israel;
24 For he hath not despised, nor abhorred,
the low estate of the poor *
he hath not hid his face from him,
but when he called unto him he heard him.
25 My praise is of thee in the great congregation *
my vows will I perform in the sight of them that fear him.
26 The poor shall eat, and be satisfied *
they that seek after the Lord shall praise him;
your heart shall live for ever.
27 All the ends of the world shall remember themselves,
and be turned unto the Lord *
and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s *
and he is the Governor among the people.
29 All such as be fat upon earth *
have eaten, and worshipped.
30 All they that go down into the dust shall kneel before him *
and no man hath quickened his own soul.
31 My seed shall serve him *
they shall be counted unto the Lord for a generation.
32 They shall come, and the heavens shall declare his righteousness *
unto a people that shall be born, whom the Lord hath made.
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 23 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/swfdhyk)
1 The Lord is my shepherd *
therefore can I lack nothing.
2 He shall feed me in a green pasture *
and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort.
3 He shall convert my soul *
and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness, for his Name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil *
for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff comfort me.
5 Thou shalt prepare a table before me against them that trouble me *
thou hast anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
6 But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
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 22 (Tonus peregrinus)
2 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? †
Why are you far from saving me,
so far from my words of anguish?
3 O my God, I call by day and you do not answer; *
I call by night and find no reprieve.
4 Yet you, O God, are holy, *
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
5 In you our ancestors put their trust; *
they trusted and you set them free.
6 When they cried to you, they escaped; *
in you they trusted and were not put to shame.
7 But I am a worm and no man, *
scorned by everyone, despised by the people.
8 All who see me deride me; *
they curl their lips, they toss their heads:
9 “He trusted in the LORD, let him save him; *
let him release him, for in him he delights.”
10 Yes, it was you who took me from the womb, *
entrusted me to my mother’s breast.
11 To you I was committed from birth; *
from my mother’s womb, you have been my God.
12 Stay not far from me; *
trouble is near, and there is no one to help.
13 Many bulls have surrounded me *
fierce bulls of Bashan close me in.
14 Against me they open wide their mouths, *
like a lion, rending and roaring.
15 Like water I am poured out, *
disjointed are all my bones.
My heart has become like wax, *
it is melted within my breast.
16 Parched as burnt clay is my throat, *
my tongue cleaves fast to my jaws.
You lay me in the dust of death. †
17 For dogs have surrounded me; *
a band of the wicked besets me.
They tear holes in my hands and my feet; *
18 I can count every one of my bones.
They stare at my and gloat. †
19 They divide my clothing among them, *
they cast lots for my robe.
20 But you, O LORD, do not stay afar off; *
my strength, make haste to help me!
21 Rescue my soul from the sword, *
my life from the grip of the dog.
22 Save my life from the jaws of the lion, *
my poor soul from the horns of wild bulls.
23 I will tell of your name to my kin, *
and praise you in the midst of the assembly.
24 “You who fear the LORD, give him praise; †
all descendants of Jacob give him glory; *
revere him, all you descendants of Israel.
25 For he has never despised *
nor scorned the poverty of the poor.
From him he has not hidden his face, *
but has heard him whenever he cried.”
26 You are my praise in the great assembly. †
My vows I will pay before those who fear him. *
27 The poor shall eat and shall have their fill.
They shall praise the LORD, those who seek him. *
May your hearts live on forever and ever!
28 All the earth shall remember and return to the LORD, †
all families of the nations worship before him, *
29 for the kingdom is the LORD’s, he is the ruler of the nations.
32 They have eaten and adore him, all who sleep in the earth; *
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust.
31 And my soul shall live for him, my descendants serve him. *
They shall tell of the Lord to generations yet to come.
32 declare his saving justice to the peoples yet unborn: *
“These are the things the LORD has done.”
Psalm 23 (Gregorian Tone 6)
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
there is nothing I shall want.
2 Fresh and green are the pastures *
where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me; *
3 he revives my soul.
He guides me along the right path, *
for the sake of his name.
4 Though I should walk in the valley of the shadow of death †
no evil would I fear, for you are with me. *
Your crook and your staff will give me comfort.
5 You have prepared a table before me *
in the sight of my foes.
6 My head you have anointed with oil; *
my cup is overflowing.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me *
all the days of my life.
In the LORD’s own house shall I dwell *
for length of days unending.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus Christ, our good shepherd,
in the waters of Baptism you give us birth,
and at your table you nourish us with heavenly food.
In your goodness and mercy,
lead us along safe paths,
beyond the terrors of evil and death,
to the house of the Lord
where we may rest securely in you forever. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: 1 Samuel 31
When the Philistines attacked the Israelites, the Israelites ran away from the Philistines, and many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua. The battle was fierce around Saul. When the archers located him, they wounded him badly.
Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me with it! Otherwise, these uncircumcised men will come and kill me or torture me.” But his armor-bearer refused because he was terrified. So Saul took the sword and impaled himself on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also impaled himself on his sword and died with Saul. So Saul, his three sons, his armor-bearer, and all his soldiers died together that day.
When the Israelites across the valley and across the Jordan learned that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines came and occupied the towns.
The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his three sons lying dead on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor, and then sent word throughout Philistine territory, carrying the good news to their gods’ temples and to their people. They put Saul’s armor in the temple of Astarte, and hung his body on the wall of Beth-shan.
But when all the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, the bravest of their men set out, traveled all night long, and took the bodies of Saul and his sons off the wall of Beth-shan. Then they went back to Jabesh, where they burned them. Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
HYMN: attr. Francis of Assisi; para. James Quinn ©
Tune: O Waly Waly https://tinyurl.com/mjnstkjj
1 Lord, make us servants of your peace:
where there is hate, may we sow love;
where there is hurt, may we forgive;
where there is strife, may we make one.
2 Where all is doubt, may we sow faith;
where all is gloom, may we sow hope;
where all is night, may we sow light;
where all is tears, may we sow joy.
3 Jesus, our Lord, may we not seek
to be consoled, but to console,
nor look to understanding hearts,
but look for hearts to understand.
4 May we not look for love’s return,
but seek to love unselfishly,
for in our giving we receive,
and in forgiving are forgiven.
5 Dying, we live, and are reborn
through death’s dark night to endless day;
Lord, make us servants of your peace,
to wake at last in heaven’s light.
READING: 2 Corinthians 13
This is the third time that I’m coming to visit you. Every matter is settled on the evidence of two or three witnesses. When I was with you on my second visit, I already warned those who continued to sin. Now I’m repeating that warning to all the rest of you while I’m at a safe distance: if I come again, I won’t spare anyone. Since you are demanding proof that Christ speaks through me, Christ isn’t weak in dealing with you but shows his power among you. Certainly he was crucified because of weakness, but he lives by the power of God. Certainly we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God’s power that is directed toward you.
Examine yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Don’t you understand that Jesus Christ is in you? Unless, of course, you fail the test. But I hope that you will realize that we don’t fail the test. We pray to God that you don’t do anything wrong, not because we want to appear to pass the test but so that you might do the right thing, even if we appear to fail.
We can’t do anything against the truth but only to help the truth. We are happy when we are weak but you are strong. We pray for this: that you will be made complete. This is why I’m writing these things while I’m away. I’m writing so that I won’t need to act harshly when I’m with you by using the authority that the Lord gave me. He gave it to me so that I could build you up, not tear you down.
Finally, brothers and sisters, good-bye. Put things in order, respond to my encouragement, be in harmony with each other, and live in peace—and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Say hello to each other with a holy kiss. All of God’s people say hello to you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
HYMN: John Greenleaf Whittier
Tune: Bishopthorpe https://tinyurl.com/mwa9aexm
1 Immortal Love for ever full,
for ever flowing free,
for ever shared, for ever whole,
a never-ebbing sea.
2 Our outward lips confess the name
all other names above;
love only knoweth whence it came
and comprehendeth love.
3 We may not climb the heavenly steeps
to bring the Lord Christ down;
in vain we search the lowest deeps,
for him no depths can drown:
4 But warm, sweet, tender, even yet
a present help is he;
and faith has still its Olivet,
and love its Galilee.
5 The healing of his seamless dress
is by our beds of pain;
we touch him in life’s throng and press,
and we are whole again.
6 Through him the first fond prayers are said
our lips of childhood frame;
the last low whispers of our dead
are burdened with his name.
7 Alone, O Love ineffable,
thy saving name is given;
to turn aside from thee is hell,
to walk with thee is heaven.
READING: Luke 10:17-24
The seventy-two returned joyously, saying, “Lord, even the demons submit themselves to us in your name.” Jesus replied, “I saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning. Look, I have given you authority to crush snakes and scorpions underfoot. I have given you authority over all the power of the enemy. Nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, don’t rejoice because the spirits submit to you. Rejoice instead that your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment, Jesus overflowed with joy from the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you’ve hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and shown them to babies. Indeed, Father, this brings you happiness. My Father has handed all things over to me. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wants to reveal him.” Turning to the disciples, he said privately, “Happy are the eyes that see what you see. I assure you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see and hear what you hear, but they didn’t.”
CANTICLE Isaiah 55:6-11 (Chant by Henry Purcell, arr. James Turle)
Seek the Lord while he wills to be found; *
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways *
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion, *
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, *
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, *
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens *
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth, *
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth; *
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed, *
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
THE PRAYERS BCW
Mighty God of mercy,
we thank you for the resurrection dawn
bringing the glory of our risen Lord
who makes every day new.
Especially we thank you for
the beauty of your creation . . .
the new creation in Christ and all gifts of healing and forgiveness . . .
the sustaining love of family and friends . . .
the fellowship of faith in your church. . . .
Merciful God of might,
renew this weary world,
heal the hurts of all your children,
and bring about your peace for all
in Christ Jesus, the living Lord.
Especially we pray for
those who govern nations of the world . . .
the people in countries ravaged by strife or warfare . . .
all who work for peace and international harmony . . .
all who strive to save the earth from destruction . . .
the church of Jesus Christ in every land. . . .
Setting: Sanford Dole https://tinyurl.com/y7ldq7h5
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as 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.
Gracious and merciful God,
you kindled in the heart of Francis
such a flame of love
that he became wholly yours;
increase in us a wholehearted trust in you
and a humble love of all your creatures,
that we may know the joy the gospel brings;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. 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
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
FATS For All the Saints, © The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, 2014
CW:DP Common Worship: Daily Prayer, material from which is included here,
is copyright © The Archbishops’ Council 2005 and published by Church House Publishing
The three main scripture readings are © 2011 Common English Bible
The traditional version of the psalms is from The Book of Common Prayer (1662).
Psalms marked Gregorian are from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles ©2010, 2018 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. ©2020 as recorded for the Chants and Rants YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants
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 