Oremus for January 6, 2026

The Epiphany
The subtitle in the Book of Common Prayer of this, one of the principal feasts of the Church, is ‘The Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles’. This emphasises that, from the moment of the Incarnation, the good news of Jesus Christ is for all: Jew and Gentile, the wise and the simple, male and female. Nothing in the Greek text of the gospels indicates that the Magi were all male and even the number three and making them Kings is a much later, non-scriptural tradition. ^EH

Antiphon¹

Ant. We have seen his star in the East,
and we have come with our gifts, to worship the Lord.
V. O God, give your judgment to the king, *
to a king’s son your justice,
that he may judge your people in justice, *
an d your poor in right judgment. Matthew 2; Psalm 72

O Christ, light made manifest as the true light of God,
gladden our hearts on the joyful morning of your glory;
call us by our name on the great Day of your coming;
and give us grace to offer,
with all the hosts of heaven,
unending praise to God
in whom all things find their ending,
now and ever. Amen. ^BCW

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: R Fisher Boyce ©
Tune: https://tinyurl.com/2p88kskc

1 O beautiful star of Bethlehem,
shining afar through shadows dim,
giving a light for those who long have gone,
and guiding the wise men on their way
unto the place where Jesus lay;
O beautiul star of Bethlehem, shine on.

2 Oh, beautiful star, the hope of light,
guiding the pilgrim through the night,
over the mountain till the break of dawn;
and into the light of perfect day
it will give out a lovely ray;
O beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on. [Refrain]

Refrain:
O beautiful star of Bethlehem,
shine upon us until the glory dawn;
oh, give us your light to light the way
into the land of perfect day;
O beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on.

3 Oh, beautiful star, the hope of rest
for the redeemed, the good and blest,
yonder in glory when the crown is won;
for Jesus is now that Star divine;
brighter and brighter he will shine;
beautiful star of Bethlehem, shine on. [Refrain]

PSALMS

Psalm 30 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/yce59yvo)
1  I will magnify thee, O Lord, for thou hast set me up *
 and not made my foes to triumph over me.
2  O Lord my God, I cried unto thee *
 and thou hast healed me.
3  Thou, Lord, hast brought my soul out of hell *
 thou hast kept my life from them that go down to the pit.
4  Sing praises unto the Lord, O ye saints of his *
 and give thanks unto him for a remembrance of his holiness.
5  For his wrath endureth but the twinkling of an eye,
and in his pleasure is life *
 heaviness may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
6  And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be removed *
 thou, Lord, of thy goodness hast made my hill so strong.
7  Thou didst turn thy face from me *
 and I was troubled.
8  Then cried I unto thee, O Lord *
 and gat me to my Lord right humbly.
9  What profit is there in my blood *
 when I go down to the pit?
10  Shall the dust give thanks unto thee *
 or shall it declare thy truth?
11  Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me *
 Lord, be thou my helper.
12  Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy *
 thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness.
13  Therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing *
 O my God, I will give thanks unto thee 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 31 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y869qwtz)
1  In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust *
 let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness.
2  Bow down thine ear to me *
 make haste to deliver me.
3  And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence *
 that thou mayest save me.
4  For thou art my strong rock, and my castle *
 be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name’s sake.
5  Draw me out of the net, that they have laid privily for me *
 for thou art my strength.
6  Into thy hands I commend my spirit *
 for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.
7  I have hated them that hold of superstitious vanities *
 and my trust hath been in the Lord.
8  I will be glad, and rejoice in thy mercy *
 for thou hast considered my trouble,
and hast known my soul in adversities.
9  Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy *
 but hast set my feet in a large room.
10  Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble *
 and mine eye is consumed for very heaviness;
yea, my soul and my body.
11  For my life is waxen old with heaviness *
 and my years with mourning.
12  My strength faileth me, because of mine iniquity *
 and my bones are consumed.
13  I became a reproof among all mine enemies,
but especially among my neighbours *
 and they of mine acquaintance were afraid of me;
and they that did see me without conveyed themselves from me.
14  I am clean forgotten, as a dead man out of mind *
 I am become like a broken vessel.
15  For I have heard the blasphemy of the multitude *
 and fear is on every side, while they conspire together against me,
and take their counsel to take away my life.
16  But my hope hath been in thee, O Lord *
 I have said, Thou art my God.
17  My time is in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies *
 and from them that persecute me.
18  Shew thy servant the light of thy countenance *
 and save me for thy mercy’s sake.
19  Let me not be confounded, O Lord, for I have called upon thee *
 let the ungodly be put to confusion, and be put to silence in the grave.
20  Let the lying lips be put to silence *
 which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully, speak against the righteous.
21  O how plentiful is thy goodness,
which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee *
 and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee,
even before the sons of men!
22  Thou shalt hide them privily by thine own presence
from the provoking of all men *
 thou shalt keep them secretly in thy tabernacle
from the strife of tongues.
23  Thanks be to the Lord *
 for he hath shewed me marvellous great kindness in a strong city.
24  And when I made haste, I said *
 I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes.
25  Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my prayer *
 when I cried unto thee.
26  O love the Lord, all ye his saints *
 for the Lord preserveth them that are faithful,
and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.
27  Be strong, and he shall establish your heart *
 all ye that put your trust in 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 30 (Gregorian Tone VI)

1 I will magnify you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up, *
and have not let my foes triumph over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried unto you, *
and you have made me whole.
3 You, Lord, have brought my soul out of the Grave; *
you have saved my life from among those
who go down to the Pit.
4 Sing praises unto the Lord, O you saints of his, *
and give thanks unto him for the remembrance of his holiness.
5 For his wrath endures but the twinkling of an eye,
his pleasure for a lifetime; *
heaviness may endure for a night,
but joy comes in the morning.
6 In my prosperity I said, “I shall never be moved; *
you, Lord, of your goodness, have made my hill so strong.”
7 You turned your face from me, *
and I was distressed.
8 Then I cried unto you, O Lord, *
and came to my Lord most humbly.
9 What profit is there in my bloodshed, *
if I go down into the Pit?
10 Shall the dust give thanks unto you? *
Or shall it declare your faithfulness?
11 Hear, O Lord, and have mercy upon me. *
O Lord, be my helper.
12 You have turned my lamentation into dancing; *
you have put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.
13 Therefore shall my heart sing of your praise without ceasing. *
O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto you for ever.
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 31 (Gregorian Tone VI)

1 In you, O Lord, have I put my trust; *
let me never be put to confusion;
deliver me in your righteousness.
2 Bow down your ear to me, *
make haste to deliver me,
3 And be my strong rock and house of defense, *
that you may save me.
4 For you are my strong rock and my castle; *
be also my guide, and lead me for your Name’s sake.
5 Draw me out of the net that they have laid secretly for me, *
for you are my strength.
6 Into your hands I commend my spirit, *
for you have redeemed me, O Lord, O God of truth.
7 I have hated those who hold to worthless vanities, *
and my trust has been in the Lord.
8 I will be glad and rejoice in your mercy, *
for you have considered my trouble,
and have known my soul in adversities.
9 You have not shut me up in the hand of the enemy, *
but have set my feet where they may walk at liberty.
10 Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; *
my eye is consumed with heaviness,
and also my soul and my body.
11 For my life has grown old with heaviness, *
and my years with mourning.
12 My strength fails me because of my iniquity, *
and my bones are consumed.
13 I have become a reproof among all my enemies,
but especially among my neighbors; *
my acquaintances are afraid of me, and those who see
me in the street shrink from me.
14 I am utterly forgotten, as a dead man, out of mind; *
I have become like a broken vessel.
15 For I have heard the whispering of the multitude,
and fear is on every side, *
while they conspire together against me and take their
counsel to take away my life.
16 But my hope has been in you, O Lord; *
I have said, “You are my God.”
17 My time is in your hand; *
deliver me from the hand of my enemies,
and from those who persecute me.
18 Show your servant the light of your countenance, *
and save me for your mercy’s sake.
19 Let me not be confounded, O Lord,
for I have called upon you; *
let the ungodly be put to confusion,
and be put to silence in the grave.
20 Let the lying lips be put to silence, *
which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully
speak against the righteous.
21 Oh, how plentiful is your goodness,
which you have laid up for those who fear you, *
and which you have prepared
for those who put their trust in you,
even before the children of men!
22 You hide them in the secret place of your presence
from those who conspire against them; *
you keep them in your refuge from the strife of tongues.
23 Thanks be to the Lord, *
for he has shown me marvellously great kindness in a strong city.
24 But when I was afraid, I said in my haste, *
“I am cast out of the sight of your eyes.”
25 Nevertheless, you heard the voice of my prayer *
when I cried unto you.
26 O love the Lord, all you his saints, *
for the Lord preserves those who are faithful,
and plenteously repays the proud.
27 Be strong, and he shall establish your heart, *
all you that put your trust in the Lord.
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

O Lord our God,
our times are in your hand.
You saved your chosen one, Jesus Christ,
when he commended himself to you.
Let your face shine on all who suffer persecution,
and give our hearts courage to confront evil.
Lead us and guide us through all our weary years,
that we may praise you for the wonders of your love;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. ^BCW2018

THE WORD OF GOD

HYMN: William Dix
Tune: Dix https://tinyurl.com/bde3ayer

1 As with gladness men of old
did the guiding star behold,
as with joy they hailed its light,
leading onward, beaming bright;
so, most gracious God, may we
evermore be led to thee.

2 As with joyful steps they sped,
Savior, to thy lowly bed,
there to bend the knee before
thee whom heav’n and earth adore;
so may we with willing feet
ever seek thy mercy seat.

3 As they offered gifts most rare
at thy cradle rude and bare,
so may we with holy joy,
pure and free from sin’s alloy,
all our costliest treasures bring,
Christ, to thee, our heav’nly king.

4 Holy Jesus, ev’ry day
keep us in the narrow way,
and, when earthly things are past,
bring our ransomed souls at last
where they need no star to guide,
where no clouds thy glory hide.

READING: Ephesians 3:14-21

HYMN: John Keble
Tune: Sebaste http://tinyurl.com/3bmtzj8a

1 Hail, gladdening Light, of his pure glory poured
who is the immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
holiest of holies, Jesus our Lord.

2 Now we are come to the sun’s hour of rest,
the lights of evening round us shine,
we hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.

3 Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung with undefilèd tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:
therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own.

READING: Matthew 2:1-12

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

CANTICLE: Te Deum
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/ybzyundx)

We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all Angels cry aloud,
the Heavens and all the Powers therein.
To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry:
    Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
    Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world
                              doth acknowledge thee,
    the Father, of an infinite majesty,
    thine adorable, true, and only Son,
    also the Holy Ghost the Comforter.

Thou art the King of glory, O Christ.
Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man,
thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death,
thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our judge.
    We therefore pray thee, help thy servants,
    whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
    Make them to be numbered with thy saints,
    in glory everlasting.

THE PRAYERS ^WS2

O Jesus, light of the world,
come into the dark places of this earth.
You bring a light from God that only you can shed.
Light eternal, your light shines in the darkness,
and the darkness does not overcome it.
We bring to you the darkness of our world
in war, starvation, cruelty, and exploitation.
We bring to you the darkness of our earth,
damaged and defaced by pollution.
We bring to you the darkness of our nation,
beset with conflict of race and class, religion and politics.
We bring to you the darkness of our relationships,
people not looking, not speaking, not listening, not forgiving.
We bring to you the darkness of our own souls,
hidden closets we have not visited or cleaned out for years.
O Jesus, light of the world, be a morning star above for us,
a radiance within, the shining all around that lets us live in love.
Only then shall we be reflectors of your brightness
and give glory to God in heaven. 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,
the radiance of faithful souls,
who brought the nations to your light
and kings to the brightness of your rising:
Fill the world with your glory,
and show yourself to all the nations;
through him who is the true light
and the bright morning star,
Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and forever. Amen. ^BCW

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.

^BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018

^EH Exciting Holiness, Ed. Brother Tristram SSF © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997

^WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources

¹ Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©

² Eric Wyse, Lord’s Prayer, ©; audio from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_a40ME7aVk

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 Psalms 30 and 31 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

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 ©2026 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.