Oremus for March 7, 2026

Perpetua and Felicitas, 6th-century mosaic detail, Sant’Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna

Perpetua and Her Companions
Perpetua, a young woman of twenty-two, her slave Felicity, and three men, all recently baptised, were thrown to the beasts in the arena in Carthage in 203. A contemporary diary details the events of their sufferings and witnesses to their willingness to die in order to fulfil their following of Jesus. The totalitarian empire, loyalty to which was more and more symbolised by worship of the emperor, tried to suppress Christianity, but the courage of Perpetua and her companions and others like them bore witness to the power of the gospel. ^FATS

Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/4yxn6jvw

I am the light of the world, says the Lord;
whoever follows me will not walk in the darkness,
but will have the light of life. John 8

Gracious God,
our sins are too heavy to carry,
too real to hide,
and too deep to undo.
Forgive what our lips tremble to name,
what our hearts can no longer bear,
and what has become for us
a consuming fire of judgment.
Set us free from a past that we cannot change;
open to us a future in which we can be changed;
and grant us grace
to grow more and more in your likeness and image;
through Jesus Christ, the light of the world. 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: Christopher Smart
Tune: Laus Deo https://tinyurl.com/225v7sdb

1. Hearken to the anthem glorious
of the martyrs robed in white;
they, like Christ, in death victorious
dwell for ever in the light.

2. Living, they proclaimed salvation,
heaven endowed with grace and power;
and they died in imitation
of their Savior’s final hour.

3. Christ, for cruel traitors pleading,
triumphed in his parting breath
o’er all miracles preceding
his inestimable death.

4. Take from him what ye will give him,
of his fullness grace for grace;
strive to think him, speak him, live him,
till you find him face to face.

PSALMS

Psalm 35 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y8onefhr)
1  Plead thou my cause, O Lord, with them that strive with me *
and fight thou against them that fight against me.
2  Lay hand upon the shield and buckler *
and stand up to help me.
3  Bring forth the spear, and stop the way
against them that persecute me *
say unto my soul, I am thy salvation.
4  Let them be confounded, and put to shame, that seek after my soul *
let them be turned back, and brought to confusion,
that imagine mischief for me.
5  Let them be as the dust before the wind *
and the angel of the Lord scattering them.
6  Let their way be dark and slippery *
and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.
7  For they have privily laid their net to destroy me without a cause *
yea, even without a cause have they made a pit for my soul.
8  Let a sudden destruction come upon him unawares,
and his net, that he hath laid privily, catch himself *
that he may fall into his own mischief.
9  And, my soul, be joyful in the Lord *
it shall rejoice in his salvation.
10  All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee,
who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him *
yea, the poor, and him that is in misery, from him that spoileth him?
11  False witnesses did rise up *
they laid to my charge things that I knew not.
12  They rewarded me evil for good *
to the great discomfort of my soul.
13  Nevertheless, when they were sick, I put on sackcloth,
and humbled my soul with fasting *
and my prayer shall turn into mine own bosom.
14  I behaved myself as though it had been my friend, or my brother *
I went heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.
15  But in mine adversity they rejoiced,
and gathered themselves together *
yea, the very abjects came together against me unawares,
making mouths at me, and ceased not.
16  With the flatterers were busy mockers *
who gnashed upon me with their teeth.
17  Lord, how long wilt thou look upon this *
O deliver my soul from the calamities which they bring on me,
and my darling from the lions.
18  So will I give thee thanks in the great congregation *
I will praise thee among much people.
19  O let not them that are mine enemies triumph over me ungodly *
neither let them wink with their eyes that hate me without a cause.
20  And why? their communing is not for peace *
but they imagine deceitful words against them that are quiet in the land.
21  They gaped upon me with their mouths, and said *
Fie on thee, fie on thee, we saw it with our eyes.
22  This thou hast seen, O Lord *
hold not thy tongue then, go not far from me, O Lord.
23  Awake, and stand up to judge my quarrel *
avenge thou my cause, my God, and my Lord.
24  Judge me, O Lord my God, according to thy righteousness *
and let them not triumph over me.
25  Let them not say in their hearts, There, there, so would we have it *
neither let them say, We have devoured him.
26  Let them be put to confusion and shame together,
that rejoice at my trouble *
let them be clothed with rebuke and dishonour,
that boast themselves against me.
27  Let them be glad and rejoice, that favour my righteous dealing *
yea, let them say alway, Blessed be the Lord,
who hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.
28  And as for my tongue, it shall be talking of thy righteousness *
and of thy praise all the day long.
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 36 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/y82f3wv5)
1  My heart sheweth me the wickedness of the ungodly *
that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2  For he flattereth himself in his own sight *
until his abominable sin be found out.
3  The words of his mouth are unrighteous, and full of deceit *
he hath left off to behave himself wisely, and to do good.
4  He imagineth mischief upon his bed,
and hath set himself in no good way *
neither doth he abhor any thing that is evil.
5  Thy mercy, O Lord, reacheth unto the heavens *
and thy faithfulness unto the clouds.
6  Thy righteousness standeth like the strong mountains *
thy judgements are like the great deep.
7  Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast;
How excellent is thy mercy, O God *
and the children of men shall put their trust
under the shadow of thy wings.
8  They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house *
and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures, as out of the river.
9  For with thee is the well of life *
and in thy light shall we see light.
10  O continue forth thy loving-kindness unto them that know thee *
and thy righteousness unto them that are true of heart.
11  O let not the foot of pride come against me *
and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down.
12  There are they fallen, all that work wickedness *
they are cast down, and shall not be able to stand.
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 35 (Gregorian Tone VII.7)

1 Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me, *
and fight against those who fight against me.
2 Take up the shield and buckler, *
and stand up to help me.
3 Bring forth the spear
and bar the way against those who pursue me; *
say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let them be confounded
and put to shame who seek after my life; *
let them be turned back and brought to confusion
who imagine evil against me.
5 Let them be as the chaff before the wind, *
and let the angel of the Lord scatter them.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, *
and let the angel of the Lord pursue them.
7 For they have secretly laid their net
to destroy me without a cause; *
indeed, without a cause have they made
a pit to take away my life.
8 Let sudden destruction come upon them unawares,
and the net, which they have laid secretly, catch themselves, *
that they may fall into their own trouble.
9 Then shall my soul be joyful in the Lord; *
I shall rejoice in his salvation.
10 All my bones shall say, “Lord, who is like you?
You deliver the poor from those who are too strong for them; *
indeed, the poor and those who are in misery
from those who rob them.”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; *
they charge me with matters I know nothing about.
12 They repay me evil for good, *
to the great sorrow of my soul.
13 Nevertheless, when they were sick,
I put on sackcloth and humbled myself with fasting; *
I prayed with my whole heart,
as if it had been my friend or my brother.
14 I behaved myself as one who mourns for his mother; *
I was bowed down with heaviness of heart.
15 But in my adversity, they rejoiced
and gathered themselves together; *
indeed, those who struck me came together against me,
and I had no rest; they tore at me, and would not cease.
16 When I stumbled they mocked me exceedingly, *
and gnashed at me with their teeth.
17 Lord, how long will you look on this? *
O deliver me from the calamities they bring upon me,
and my life from the lions.
18 So will I give you thanks in the great congregation; *
I will praise you among many people.
19 O let not those who are my enemies
triumph over me deceitfully; *
neither let them wink with their eyes,
those who hate me without a cause.
20 For their talking is not for peace, *
but they imagine deceitful words against
those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open their mouths at me, and say, *
“Aha! Aha! We saw it with our own eyes!”
22 This you have seen, O Lord. *
Hold not your tongue then;
be not far from me, O Lord.
23 Awake, and stand up to judge my case; *
avenge my cause, my God and my Lord.
24 Judge me, O Lord my God,
according to your righteousness, *
and let them not triumph over me.
25 Let them not say in their hearts,
“Aha! We have what we want!” *
Neither let them say, “We have devoured him.”
26 Let them be put to confusion
and shame who rejoice at my trouble; *
let them be clothed with shame and dishonor
who boast against me.
27 Let them be glad and rejoice who favor my righteous cause; *
indeed, let them say always, “Great is the Lord,
who takes pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.”
28 And as for my tongue,
it shall be talking of your righteousness *
and of your praise all the day long.
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 36 (Gregorian Tone VII.7)

1 My heart shows me the wickedness of the ungodly; *
there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flatters himself in his own sight, *
until his abominable sin is found out.
3 The words of his mouth are unrighteous and full of deceit; *
he has left off behaving wisely and doing good.
4 He imagines mischief upon his bed,
and has set himself in no good way; *
neither does he abhor anything that is evil.
5 Your mercy, O Lord, reaches to the heavens, *
and your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness stands like the strong mountains;
your judgments are like the great deep; *
you, Lord, shall save both man and beast.
7 How excellent is your mercy, O God! *
The children of men shall take refuge
under the shadow of your wings.
8 They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of your house, *
and you shall give them drink from your pleasures
as out of a river.
9 For with you is the well of life, *
and in your light shall we see light.
10 O continue your loving-kindness to those who know you, *
and your righteousness to those who are true of heart.
11 O let not the foot of the proud come against me, *
and let not the hand of the ungodly cast me down.
12 There have they fallen, all those who work wickedness; *
they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
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 our Maker,
you crown the humble with honor
and exalt the faithful who gather in your name.
Because you have favored us with life,
we dance before you in our joy
and praise you with unending song
for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ^BCW

THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Jeremiah 11:1-8, 14-20
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Hear the words of this covenant, and speak to the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Cursed be anyone who does not heed the words of this covenant, which I commanded your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the iron smelter, saying, ‘Listen to my voice, and do all that I command you. So shall you be my people, and I will be your God, that I may perform the oath that I swore to your ancestors, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as at this day.’ ” Then I answered, “So be it, Lord.”

And the Lord said to me: Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem: Hear the words of this covenant and do them. For I solemnly warned your ancestors when I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, warning them persistently, even to this day, saying, “Obey my voice.” Yet they did not obey or incline their ear, but everyone walked in the stubbornness of an evil will. So I brought upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did not.

As for you, do not pray for this people or lift up a cry or prayer on their behalf, for I will not listen when they call to me in the time of their trouble. What right has my beloved in my house, when she has done vile deeds? Can vows and sacrificial flesh avert your doom? Can you then exult? The Lord once called you, “A green olive tree, fair with goodly fruit,” but with the roar of a great tempest he will set fire to it, and its branches will be consumed. The Lord of hosts, who planted you, has pronounced evil against you because of the evil that the house of Israel and the house of Judah have done, provoking me to anger by making offerings to Baal.

It was the Lord who made it known to me, and I knew;
then you showed me their deeds.
But I was like a gentle lamb
led to the slaughter.
And I did not know it was against me
that they devised schemes, saying,
“Let us destroy the tree with its fruit;
let us cut him off from the land of the living,
so that his name will no longer be remembered!”
But you, O Lord of hosts, who judge righteously,
who try the heart and the mind,
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have committed my cause.

HYMN: Psalm 98; para. Psalter, 1912
Tune: Hermon https://tinyurl.com/38ac6327

1 Sing a new song to Jehovah
For the wonders He hath wrought;
His right hand and arm most holy
Triumph in His cause have brought.
In His love and tender mercy
he hath made salvation known,
In the sight of ev’ry nation
He His righteousness hath shown.

2 Truth and mercy tow’rd His people
He hath ever kept in mind,
And His full and free salvation
He hath shown to all mankind.
Sing, O earth, sing to Jehovah,
Praises to Jehovah sing;
With the swelling notes of music
Shout before the Lord, the King.

3 Seas with all your fullness thunder,
All earth’s peoples now rejoice;
Floods and hills in praise uniting
To the Lord lift up your voice.
For, behold, Jehovah cometh,
Robed in justice and in might;
He alone will judge the nations,
And His judgment shall be right.

READING: Hebrews 3
Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, partners in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, who was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also “was faithful in all God’s house.” Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.) Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later. Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the boldness and the pride inspired by hope.

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
as on the day of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors put me to the test,
though they had seen my works for forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and I said, ‘They always go astray in their hearts,
and they have not known my ways.’
As in my anger I swore,
‘They will not enter my rest.’ ”

Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

Now who were they who heard and rebelled? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? And with whom was he angry forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

HYMN: Jaci Maraschin ©
Tune: Llansanna https://tinyurl.com/y9svt3sc

1 Come to be our hope, O Jesus,
come to set your people free.
From oppression come, release us,
grant us your true liberty.
Come, release from every prison
those who suffer in our land.
In your love we find the reason
still to live and understand.

2 Come to build your new creation
through the road of love and truth.
Give new life to every nation,
changing evil into good.
Come and open our tomorrow
for a joyful reign so near.
Take away all human sorrow,
give us hope against our fear.

READING: Mark 10:46-52
They came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples and a large crowd were leaving Jericho, Bartimaeus son of Timaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the roadside. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many sternly ordered him to be quiet, but he cried out even more loudly, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stood still and said, “Call him here.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.” So throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “My teacher, let me see again.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your faith has made you well.” Immediately he regained his sight and followed him on the way.

CANTICLE Isaiah 12:2-6

Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
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.

LITANY OF CONFESSION ^CW:TS

We pray to the Lord for courage to give up other things
and to give ourselves to him this Lent.

Give your Church the courage
to give up her preoccupation with herself
and to give more time to your mission in the world.