Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas was the greatest thinker and teacher of the medieval church. He was born in 1225 and became a Dominican. He offered the church a deep theological understanding of the physical world as conveying divine truth, even though faith is needed for other aspects of God’s truth. His profound thought and gentle spirit earned him the title “the angelic doctor”. Some of his eucharistic hymns are still sung. He died in 1274. FATS
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/4s87yty8
Remember your word to your servant, O Lord,
by which you have given me hope.
This is my comfort when I am brought low. Psalm 119
Give me, O Lord, a steadfast heart,
which no unworthy affection may drag downward;
give me an unconquered heart,
which no tribulation can wear out;
give me an upright heart,
which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside.
Bestow on me also, O Lord my God,
understanding to know you,
diligence to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thomas Aquinas
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: Thomas Aquinas; trans. John Athelstan Laurie Riley
Tune: Lauda Sion https://tinyurl.com/mr2nnwu4
1. Zion, praise thy Savior, singing
hymns with exultation ringing,
praise thy King and Shepherd true.
Honor Christ, thy voice upraising,
who surpasseth all thy praising;
never canst thou reach his due.
2. Let the Bread, life-giving, living,
be our theme of glad thanksgiving,
now in truth before thee set;
as of old the Lord provided
when the twelve, divinely guided,
at the holy table met.
3. What he did, at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
his memorial ne’er to cease;
his command for guidance taking,
bread and wine we hallow,
making thus our sacrifice of peace.
4. Full and clear sing out thy praising,
gracious hymns of joy upraising
in thy hearts and soul today;
for today the new oblation
of the new King’s revelation
bids us feast in glad array.
5. Very Bread, good Shepherd, tend us,
Jesus, of thy love befriend us,
Lord, refresh us and defend us,
thine eternal goodness send us
in the land of life to see:
6. Thou, who all things canst and knowest,
who on earth such food bestowest,
grant us, with thy saints, though lowest,
where the heavenly feast thou showest,
fellow-heirs and guests to be.
PSALMS
Psalm 132 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tv4ygfu)
1 Lord, remember David *
and all his trouble;
2 How he sware unto the Lord *
and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob;
3 I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house *
nor climb up into my bed;
4 I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eye-lids to slumber *
neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
5 Until I find out a place for the temple of the Lord *
an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.
6 Lo, we heard of the same at Ephrata *
and found it in the wood.
7 We will go into his tabernacle *
and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
8 Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place *
thou, and the ark of thy strength.
9 Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness *
and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
10 For thy servant David’s sake *
turn not away the presence of thine Anointed.
11 The Lord hath made a faithful oath unto David *
and he shall not shrink from it;
12 Of the fruit of thy body *
shall I set upon thy seat.
13 If thy children will keep my covenant,
and my testimonies that I shall learn them *
their children also shall sit upon thy seat for evermore.
14 For the Lord hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself *
he hath longed for her.
15 This shall be my rest for ever *
here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
16 I will bless her victuals with increase *
and will satisfy her poor with bread.
17 I will deck her priests with health *
and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
18 There shall I make the horn of David to flourish *
I have ordained a lantern for mine Anointed.
19 As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame *
but upon himself shall his crown flourish.
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 133 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tlrm8lu)
1 Behold, how good and joyful a thing it is *
brethren, to dwell together in unity !
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
that ran down unto the beard *
even unto Aaron’s beard, and went down to the skirts of his clothing.
3 Like as the dew of Hermon *
which fell upon the hill of Sion.
4 For there the Lord promised his blessing *
and life 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 134 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/v5kga57)
1 Behold now, praise the Lord *
all ye servants of the Lord;
2 Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord *
even in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary *
and praise the Lord.
4 The Lord that made heaven and earth *
give thee blessing out of Sion.
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 135 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/w3blm5w)
1 O praise the Lord, laud ye the Name of the Lord *
praise it, O ye servants of the Lord;
2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord *
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 O praise the Lord, for the Lord is gracious *
O sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4 For why? the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself *
and Israel for his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great *
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth *
and in the sea, and in all deep places.
7 He bringeth forth the clouds from the ends of the world *
and sendeth forth lightnings with the rain,
bringing the winds out of his treasures.
8 He smote the first-born of Egypt *
both of man and beast.
9 He hath sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee,
O thou land of Egypt *
upon Pharaoh, and all his servants.
10 He smote divers nations *
and slew mighty kings;
11 Sehon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Basan *
and all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And gave their land to be an heritage *
even an heritage unto Israel his people.
13 Thy Name, O Lord, endureth for ever *
so doth thy memorial, O Lord, from one generation to another.
14 For the Lord will avenge his people *
and be gracious unto his servants.
15 As for the images of the heathen, they are but silver and gold *
the work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, and speak not *
eyes have they, but they see not.
17 They have ears, and yet they hear not *
neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them are like unto them *
and so are all they that put their trust in them.
19 Praise the Lord, ye house of Israel *
praise the Lord, ye house of Aaron.
20 Praise the Lord, ye house of Levi *
ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
21 Praised be the Lord out of Sion *
who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
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 132 (LSB Tone G: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-132-LSB.mp3)
1 Remember, O LORD, in David’s favor,*
all the hardships he endured,
2 how he swore to the LORD*
and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob,
3 “I will not enter my house*
or get into my bed,
4 I will not give sleep to my eyes*
or slumber to my eyelids,
5 until I find a place for the LORD,*
a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
6 Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah;*
we found it in the fields of Jaar.
7 “Let us go to his dwelling place;*
let us worship at his footstool!”
8 Arise, O LORD, and go to your resting place,*
you and the ark of your might.
9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,*
and let your saints shout for joy.
10 For the sake of your servant David,*
do not turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 The LORD swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:*
“One of the sons of your body I will set on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them,*
their sons also forever shall sit on your throne.”
13 For the LORD has chosen Zion;*
he has desired it for his dwelling place:
14 “This is my resting place forever;*
here I will dwell, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provisions;*
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests I will clothe with salvation,*
and her saints will shout for joy.
17 There I will make a horn to sprout for David;*
I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.
18 His enemies I will clothe with shame,*
but on him his crown will shine.”
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 133 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-133.mp3)
1 Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!
2 It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,
3 Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4 It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5 For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.
Psalm 134 (LSB Tone D: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-134-LSB.mp3)
1 Come, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD,*
who stand by night in the house of the LORD!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place*
and bless the LORD!
3 May the LORD bless you from Zion,*
he who made heaven and earth!
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 135 (Gregorian Tone VIII.1)
1 O praise the Lord. Praise the Name of the Lord; *
offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord, *
in the courts of the house of our God.
3 O praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; *
sing praises unto his Name, for it is lovely.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself *
and Israel for his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great, *
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, *
in the seas and in all the deep places.
7 He brings forth clouds from the ends of the earth *
and sends forth lightning with the rain,
bringing the wind out of his treasuries.
8 It was he who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, *
both of man and beast.
9 He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you,
O land of Egypt, *
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He smote many nations, *
and slew mighty kings:
11 Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og the king of Bashan, *
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12 And he gave their land to be an inheritance, *
an inheritance for Israel his people.
13 Your Name, O Lord, endures for ever; *
so does your renown, O Lord, from one generation to another.
14 For the Lord will avenge his people *
and have compassion upon his servants.
15 As for the idols of the nations, they are but silver and gold, *
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not; *
eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, and yet they hear not, *
neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them are like them, *
and so are all who put their trust in them.
19 Praise the Lord, O house of Israel; *
praise the Lord, O house of Aaron.
20 Praise the Lord, O house of Levi; *
you who fear the Lord, praise the Lord.
21 Praised be the Lord from Zion, *
who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise 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
Creator of the universe,
from whom all things come,
to whom all things return,
give your people such unity of heart and mind,
that all the world may grow in the life of your eternal kingdom;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Genesis 15:1-6
After these events, the Lord’s word came to Abram in a vision, “Don’t be afraid, Abram. I am your protector. Your reward will be very great.”
But Abram said, “Lord God, what can you possibly give me, since I still have no children? The head of my household is Eliezer, a man from Damascus.” He continued, “Since you haven’t given me any children, the head of my household will be my heir.”
The Lord’s word came immediately to him, “This man will not be your heir. Your heir will definitely be your very own biological child.” Then he brought Abram outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars if you think you can count them.” He continued, “This is how many children you will have.” Abram trusted the Lord, and the Lord recognized Abram’s high moral character.
HYMN: Thomas Aquinas; trans. Richard Crashaw
Tune: Jesu dulcis memoria https://tinyurl.com/bdf5skph
1 With all the powers my poor heart hath
Of humble love and loyal faith,
I come, dear Lord, to worship Thee,
Whom so much Love bowed low for me.
2 Come, glorious Lord! My hopes increase,
And mix my portion with Thy peace!
Come, and for ever dwell in me,
That I may only live to Thee.
3 Come, hidden Life, and that long day
For which I languish, come away!
When this faint soul Thy face shall see,
And drink the unsealed Source of Thee:
4 When glory’s sun faith’s shade shall chase,
And for Thy veil, give me Thy face,
Then shall my praise eternal be
To the Eternal Trinity!
READING: Romans 1:8-17
First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because the news about your faithfulness is being spread throughout the whole world. I serve God in my spirit by preaching the good news about God’s Son, and God is my witness that I continually mention you in all my prayers. I’m always asking that somehow, by God’s will, I might succeed in visiting you at last. I really want to see you to pass along some spiritual gift to you so that you can be strengthened. What I mean is that we can mutually encourage each other while I am with you. We can be encouraged by the faithfulness we find in each other, both your faithfulness and mine.
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that I planned to visit you many times, although I have been prevented from coming until now. I want to harvest some fruit among you, just as I have done among the other Gentiles. I have a responsibility both to Greeks and to those who don’t speak Greek, both to the wise and to the foolish.
That’s why I’m ready to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome. I’m not ashamed of the gospel: it is God’s own power for salvation to all who have faith in God, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. God’s righteousness is being revealed in the gospel, from faithfulness for faith, as it is written, The righteous person will live by faith.
HYMN: Thomas Aquinas; trans. Edward Caswall
Tune: Verbum supernum https://tinyurl.com/mvc4dujt
The Word, descending from above,
Though with the Father still on high,
Went forth upon his work of love,
And soon to life’s last eve drew nigh.
He shortly to a death accurs’d
By a disciple shall be given;
But, to his twelve disciples, first
He gives Himself, the Bread from Heaven.
Himself in either kind He gave;
He gave his Flesh, He gave his Blood;
Of flesh and blood all men are made;
And He of man would be the Food.
At birth, our brother He became;
At board, Himself as food He gives;
To ransom us He died in shame;
As our reward, in bliss He lives.
O saving Victim! opening wide
The gate of Heav’n to man below!
Our foes press on from every side; —
Thine aid supply, thy strength bestow.
To thy great Name be endless praise,
Immortal Godhead, One in Three!
Oh, grant us endless length of days,
In our true native land, with Thee!
READING: Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus continued, “Don’t even begin to think that I have come to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I haven’t come to do away with them but to fulfill them. I say to you very seriously that as long as heaven and earth exist, neither the smallest letter nor even the smallest stroke of a pen will be erased from the Law until everything there becomes a reality. Therefore, whoever ignores one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called the lowest in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever keeps these commands and teaches people to keep them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. I say to you that unless your righteousness is greater than the righteousness of the legal experts and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
CANTICLE Revelation 19:1-7
(Mount St. Mary’s Seminary https://tinyurl.com/57f9sztd)
Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him,
both great and small, alleluia.
Alleluia.
Salvation, glory, and power to our God: alleluia.
his judgments are honest and true.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
Sing praise to our God, all you his servants, alleluia.
all who worship him reverently, great and small.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
The Lord our all-powerful God is King; alleluia.
Let us rejoice, sing praise, and give him glory.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
The wedding feast of the Lamb has begun, alleluia.
and his bride is prepared to welcome him.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, alleluia.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him,
both great and small, alleluia.
THE PRAYERS COS
Gracious God,
rejoicing in your blessings,
trusting in your loving care for all,
we bring you our prayers for the world.
We pray for the created world:
for those who rebuild
where things have been destroyed;
for those who fight hunger, poverty, and disease;
for those who have power
to bring change for the better and to renew hope.
In the life of our world
your kingdom come, O Lord.
We pray for our country:
for those who frame our laws
and shape our common life;
for those who keep the peace
and administer justice;
for those who teach,
those who heal,
all who serve the community.
In the life of our land
your kingdom come, O Lord.
We pray for people in need:
those for whom life is a bitter struggle;
those whose lives are clouded
by death or loss,
by pain or disability,
by discouragement or fear,
by shame or rejection.
In the lives of those in need
your kingdom come, O Lord.
We pray for those
in the circle of friendship and love around us:
children and parents;
sisters and brothers;
friends and neighbours;
and for those especially in our thoughts today.
In the lives of those we love
your kingdom come, O Lord.
We pray for the Church
in its stand with the poor,
in its love for the outcast and the ashamed,
in its service to the sick and the neglected,
in its proclamation of the Gospel,
in this land, in this place.
In the life of your Church
your kingdom come, O Lord.
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.
God,
you give us all our wisdom, all our knowledge;
we thank you for Thomas,
for his supreme discovery
that everything he thought, everything he wrote was straw
compared with your inexpressible riches.
Enlighten us more and more
by the work of scholars and believers
and deepen our devotion by the example of saintly lives;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
COS Common Order, © 1994 Church of Scotland
FATS For All the Saints, © The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, 2014
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 versions of Psalms 132 and 134 are in the version used in Lutheran Service Book: Pew Edition Concordia Publishing House, and are from the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 133 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalm 135 is from Book of Common Prayer (2019) as recorded for 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 © 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.
Oremus 