Antiphon 1
Ant. I will relate all your wondrous deeds.
I will be glad and rejoice in you;
I will sing to the honor of your name, O Most High.
Ps. But the Lord sits enthroned forever; *
he has set up his throne for judgment.
He will judge the world with justice; *
he will govern the peoples with equity. Psalm 9
Almighty God,
you love us, but we have not loved you.
You call, but we have not listened.
We walk away from neighbors in need,
wrapped in our own concerns.
We condone evil, prejudice, warfare, and greed.
God of grace, help us to admit our sin,
so that as you come to us in mercy,
we may repent, turn to you, and receive forgiveness;
through Jesus Christ our Redeemer. Amen. BCW
Music: https://tinyurl.com/ufxekitx
God, come to my assistance.
Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory 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.
HYMN: Ruth C Duck ©
Tune: Angels of Healing
1 When we are tested and wrestle alone,
Famished for bread when the world offers stone,
Nourish us, God, by Your word and Your way,
Food that sustains us by night and by day.
2 When in the desert we cry for relief,
Pleading for paths marked by certain belief,
Lift us to love You beyond sign and test,
Trusting Your presence, our only true rest.
3 When we are tempted to barter our souls,
Trading the truth for the pow’r to control,
Teach us to worship and praise only You,
Seeking Your will in the work that we do.
4 When we have struggled and searched through the night,
Sorting and sifting the wrong from the right,
Savior, surround us with circles of care,
Angels of healing, of hope, and of prayer.
PSALMS
Psalm 108 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9us7zs5)
1 O God, my heart is ready, my heart is ready *
I will sing and give praise with the best member that I have.
2 Awake, thou lute, and harp *
I myself will awake right early.
3 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the people *
I will sing praises unto thee among the nations.
4 For thy mercy is greater than the heavens *
and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.
5 Set up thyself, O God, above the heavens *
and thy glory above all the earth.
6 That thy beloved may be delivered *
let thy right hand save them, and hear thou me.
7 God hath spoken in his holiness *
I will rejoice therefore, and divide Sichem,
and mete out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine, and Manasses is mine *
Ephraim also is the strength of my head.
9 Judah is my law-giver, Moab is my wash-pot *
over Edom will I cast out my shoe; upon Philistia will I triumph.
10 Who will lead me into the strong city *
and who will bring me into Edom?
11 Hast not thou forsaken us, O God *
and wilt not thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12 O help us against the enemy *
for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do great acts *
and it is he that shall tread down our enemies.
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 109 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y9dslk3v)
1 Hold not thy tongue, O God of my praise *
for the mouth of the ungodly, yea,
the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me.
2 And they have spoken against me with false tongues *
they compassed me about also with words of hatred,
and fought against me without a cause.
3 For the love that I had unto them, lo, they take now my contrary part *
but I give myself unto prayer.
4 Thus have they rewarded me evil for good *
and hatred for my good will.
5 Set thou an ungodly man to be ruler over him *
and let Satan stand at his right hand.
6 When sentence is given upon him, let him be condemned *
and let his prayer be turned into sin.
7 Let his days be few *
and let another take his office.
8 Let his children be fatherless *
and his wife a widow.
9 Let his children be vagabonds, and beg their bread *
let them seek it also out of desolate places.
10 Let the extortioner consume all that he hath *
and let the stranger spoil his labour.
11 Let there be no man to pity him *
nor to have compassion upon his fatherless children.
12 Let his posterity be destroyed *
and in the next generation let his name be clean put out.
13 Let the wickedness of his fathers be had
in remembrance in the sight of the Lord *
and let not the sin of his mother be done away.
14 Let them alway be before the Lord *
that he may root out the memorial of them from off the earth;
15 And that, because his mind was not to do good *
but persecuted the poor helpless man,
that he might slay him that was vexed at the heart.
16 His delight was in cursing, and it shall happen unto him *
he loved not blessing, therefore shall it be far from him.
17 He clothed himself with cursing, like as with a raiment *
and it shall come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.
18 Let it be unto him as the cloke that he hath upon him *
and as the girdle that he is alway girded withal.
19 Let it thus happen from the Lord unto mine enemies *
and to those that speak evil against my soul.
20 But deal thou with me, O Lord God, according unto thy Name *
for sweet is thy mercy.
21 O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor *
and my heart is wounded within me.
22 I go hence like the shadow that departeth *
and am driven away as the grasshopper.
23 My knees are weak through fasting *
my flesh is dried up for want of fatness.
24 I became also a reproach unto them *
they that looked upon me shaked their heads.
25 Help me, O Lord my God *
O save me according to thy mercy;
26 And they shall know, how that this is thy hand *
and that thou, Lord, hast done it.
27 Though they curse, yet bless thou *
and let them be confounded that rise up against me;
but let thy servant rejoice.
28 Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame *
and let them cover themselves with their own confusion,
as with a cloke.
29 As for me, I will give great thanks unto the Lord with my mouth *
and praise him among the multitude;
30 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor *
to save his soul from unrighteous judges.
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 108 (Gregorian Tone IV.4)
1 O God, my heart is fixed, my heart is firmly fixed; *
I will sing and give praise with the best that I have.
2 Awake, my soul; awake, lute and harp; *
I myself will awaken the dawn.
3 I will give thanks unto you, O Lord, among the peoples, *
and I will sing praises unto you among the nations,
4 For the greatness of your mercy reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
5 Exalt yourself, O God, above the heavens; *
let your glory be over all the earth.
6 That your beloved may be delivered, *
save me by your right hand, and answer me.
7 God has spoken in his holiness: *
“I will rejoice and divide Shechem,
and parcel out the valley of Succoth.
8 Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; *
Ephraim also is the helmet for my head;
Judah is my scepter.
9 Moab is my wash-pot; over Edom will I cast my shoe; *
over Philistia will I triumph.”
10 Who will lead me into the strong city, *
and who will bring me into Edom?
11 Have you not forsaken us, O God? *
And will you not, O God, go forth with our hosts?
12 O help us against the enemy, *
for vain is the help of man.
13 Through God we shall do great acts, *
for it is he who shall tread down our enemies.
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 109 (Gregorian Tone IV.4)
1 Hold not your tongue, O God of my praise, *
for the mouth of the ungodly,
the mouth of the deceitful is opened upon me.
2 They have spoken against me with false tongues; *
they encompassed me with words of hatred,
and fought against me without a cause.
3 In return for the love that I had for them,
they have become my adversaries; *
but I give myself to prayer.
4 Thus have they rewarded me evil for good, *
and hatred for my love.
5 Set an ungodly man to be ruler over him, *
and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
6 When judgment is given, let him be condemned, *
and let sentence be passed on him for guilt.
7 Let his days be few, *
and let another take his office.
8 Let his children be fatherless *
and his wife a widow.
9 Let his children be vagabonds and beg their bread; *
let them be driven out, even from desolate places.
10 Let the creditor consume all that he has, *
and let strangers take his labor for spoil.
11 Let there be no one to pity him, *
nor to have compassion upon his fatherless children.
12 Let his posterity be destroyed, *
and in the next generation let his name be blotted out.
13 Let the wickedness of his fathers be held in remembrance
in the sight of the Lord, *
and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.
14 Let them be always before the Lord, *
that he may root out the memorial of them from the earth,
15 Because he was not minded to do good, *
but persecuted to death the poor and needy,
and those who were brokenhearted.
16 His delight was in cursing;
let curses come upon him; *
he loved not blessing;
therefore let it be far from him.
17 He clothed himself with cursing as with a garment, *
so let it soak into his body like water,
and like oil into his bones.
18 Let it be to him as the cloak that he has on *
and as the belt that he always wears.
19 Let this be the recompense from the Lord to my enemies, *
and to those who speak evil against my soul.
20 But deal with me, O Lord God, according to your Name; *
for sweet is your mercy.
21 O deliver me, for I am helpless and poor, *
and my heart is wounded within me.
22 I disappear like the shadow that lengthens, *
and am shaken off like a grasshopper.
23 My knees are weak through fasting; *
my flesh is grown lean for want of nourishment.
24 I have become a reproach to them; *
when they look on me, they shake their heads.
25 Help me, O Lord my God; *
save me according to your mercy;
26 And they shall know that this is your hand, *
and that you, O Lord, have done it.
27 Though they curse, yet you bless; *
let them be confounded who rise up against me,
but let your servant rejoice.
28 Let my adversaries be clothed with shame, *
and let them cover themselves with their
own disgrace as with a cloak.
29 As for me,
I will give great thanks unto the Lord with my mouth, *
and praise him among the multitude,
30 For he shall stand at the right hand of the poor, *
to save their souls from the unrighteous judges.
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
God,
source of all truth and love,
the comfort and consolation
of the reproached and friendless,
in your great mercy draw
near to deliver the poor, the needy,
and the wounded of heart;
through the one who suffered rejection
and rebuke for us all,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BAS
THE WORD OF GOD
The snake was the most intelligent of all the wild animals that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say that you shouldn’t eat from any tree in the garden?”
The woman said to the snake, “We may eat the fruit of the garden’s trees but not the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden. God said, ‘Don’t eat from it, and don’t touch it, or you will die.’”
The snake said to the woman, “You won’t die! God knows that on the day you eat from it, you will see clearly and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” The woman saw that the tree was beautiful with delicious food and that the tree would provide wisdom, so she took some of its fruit and ate it, and also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then they both saw clearly and knew that they were naked. So they sewed fig leaves together and made garments for themselves.
During that day’s cool evening breeze, they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the Lord God in the middle of the garden’s trees. The Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”
The man replied, “I heard your sound in the garden; I was afraid because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree, which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate.”
The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?!” And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”
The Lord God said to the snake,
“Because you did this,
you are the one cursed
out of all the farm animals,
out of all the wild animals.
On your belly you will crawl,
and dust you will eat
every day of your life.
I will put contempt
between you and the woman,
between your offspring and hers.
They will strike your head,
but you will strike at their heels.”
To the woman he said,
“I will make your pregnancy very painful;
in pain you will bear children.
You will desire your husband,
but he will rule over you.”
To the man he said, “Because you listened to your wife’s voice and you ate from the tree that I commanded, ‘Don’t eat from it,’
cursed is the fertile land because of you;
in pain you will eat from it
every day of your life.
Weeds and thistles will grow for you,
even as you eat the field’s plants;
by the sweat of your face you will eat bread—
until you return to the fertile land,
since from it you were taken;
you are soil,
to the soil you will return.”
HYMN: Psalm 139:1-12; para. Sing Psalms, alt.
Tune: Genevan 49th https://tinyurl.com/ysatwnht
1 LORD, you have searched my life and know my heart;
you search me and you know me through and through.
2 You know me when I sit and when I rise,
and from afar my thoughts are known to you.
3 You see my going out and lying down,
and you have perfect knowledge of my ways.
4 Before I speak a word, you know it, O LORD,
for nothing can e’er be hidden from your gaze.
5 Behind, before, you hem me in, O LORD,
and you have laid on me your mighty hand.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too high to grasp, too great to understand.
7 Where from your Spirit can I go and hide?
and from your presence, LORD, where can I fly?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are still there;
and e’en if in the depths of Sheol I lie.
9 If I take flight upon the wings of dawn
and if I settle far beyond the sea,
10 There also you will guide me with your hand
and still your right hand will keep hold of me.
11 If I should say, “The dark will cover me
and light around me be as dark as night,”
12 Yet even the darkness is not dark to you—
the night is as bright as day, the darkness light.
READING: 2 Corinthians 6:1-10
Since we work together with him, we are also begging you not to receive the grace of God in vain. He says, I listened to you at the right time, and I helped you on the day of salvation. Look, now is the right time! Look, now is the day of salvation!
We don’t give anyone any reason to be offended about anything so that our ministry won’t be criticized. Instead, we commend ourselves as ministers of God in every way. We did this with our great endurance through problems, disasters, and stressful situations. We went through beatings, imprisonments, and riots. We experienced hard work, sleepless nights, and hunger. We displayed purity, knowledge, patience, and generosity. We served with the Holy Spirit, genuine love, telling the truth, and God’s power. We carried the weapons of righteousness in our right hand and our left hand. We were treated with honor and dishonor and with verbal abuse and good evaluation. We were seen as both fake and real, as unknown and well known, as dying—and look, we are alive! We were seen as punished but not killed, as going through pain but always happy, as poor but making many rich, and as having nothing but owning everything.
HYMN: George Hunt Smyttan
Tune: Heinlein https://tinyurl.com/5n8mcccu
1 Forty days and forty nights
thou wast fasting in the wild;
forty days and forty nights
tempted, and yet undefiled:
2 Sunbeams scorching all the day;
chilly dewdrops nightly shed;
prowling beasts about thy way;
stones thy pillow, earth thy bed.
3 Shall not we thy sorrows share,
and from earthly joys abstain,
fasting with unceasing prayer,
glad with thee to suffer pain?
4 And if Satan, vexing sore,
flesh or spirit should assail,
thou, his vanquisher before,
grant we may not faint nor fail.
5 So shall we have peace divine;
holier gladness ours shall be;
round us too shall angels shine,
such as ministered to thee.
6 Keep, O keep us, Saviour dear,
ever constant by thy side;
that with thee we may appear
at the eternal Eastertide.
READING: Matthew 4:1-11
Then the Spirit led Jesus up into the wilderness so that the devil might tempt him. After Jesus had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was starving. The tempter came to him and said, “Since you are God’s Son, command these stones to become bread.” Jesus replied, “It’s written, People won’t live only by bread, but by every word spoken by God.”
After that the devil brought him into the holy city and stood him at the highest point of the temple. He said to him, “Since you are God’s Son, throw yourself down; for it is written, I will command my angels concerning you, and they will take you up in their hands so that you won’t hit your foot on a stone.” Jesus replied, “Again it’s written, Don’t test the Lord your God.”
Then the devil brought him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. He said, “I’ll give you all these if you bow down and worship me.” Jesus responded, “Go away, Satan, because it’s written,You will worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” The devil left him, and angels came and took care of him.
CANTICLE Luke 1:46-55
(John Michael Talbot, https://tinyurl.com/mweccsj)
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
PRAYERS LCA
Jesus fasted forty days and forty nights in the desert. Let us pray for all who hunger in body or soul, that our Father in heaven would satisfy their needs.
Dear Father in Heaven: we pray for all those who are faced with temptations or trials that seem too great for them. Keep all your people strong in the face of temptation, teach us all to rely on you at dark times of attack, and let your Word be our only strength. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer
Bless those in positions of leadership so that they can lead wisely and with justice, and so that they may resist all temptation to abuse your power. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer
We pray for young Christians and those whose faith is fragile, that they may be strengthened against the temptation of unbelief. Help us to support each other at moments of weakness and give us the strength to stand strong for others. Support all believers, and don’t let them ever be put to shame for their beliefs. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer
We pray for all those who are preparing for baptism or confirmation currently and we ask that you use this time of preparation to strengthen and grow their faith in you. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer
Stand by all those who are hungry or homeless. Let us be your hands and feet and give us strength to help those in need. Keep those who are struggling with illness strong in their faith, so they can lean on you through the tough times ahead. Lord in your mercy: hear our prayer
Father in heaven, receive the prayers of your sons and daughters who seek your favour. Free us from all evil, so that we may serve you in peace and joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
(Plainsong Mode 2: https://tinyurl.com/yctqq8cf)DL
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is 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.
Fill us with your strength
to resist the seductions of our foolish desires
and the tempter’s vain delights,
that we may walk in obedience and righteousness,
rejoicing in you with an upright heart. Amen. RCLP
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.
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
1 Adam Bartlett, Simple English Propers; audio from https://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/sep-practice-videos/ ©
LCA Lutheran Church of Australia
The 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 108 and 109 are 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 