Antiphon1
Ant. Hosanna to the Son of David, the King of Israel.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
V. Give praise to the Lord, for he is good; *
his mercy endures forever. Matthew 21; Psalm 118
Merciful God,
as we enter Holy Week and gather at your house of prayer,
turn our hearts again to Jerusalem,
to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ,
that united with Christ and all the faithful
we may one day enter in triumph
the city not made by human hands,
the new Jerusalem, eternal in the heavens,
where with you and the Holy Spirit,
Christ lives in glory forever. 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: Jennette Threlfall
Tune: Ellacombe https://tinyurl.com/ms76dm87
1 Hosanna, loud hosanna
the little children sang;
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them,
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
2 From Olivet they followed
mid an exultant crowd,
the victory palm branch waving,
and chanting clear and loud.
The Lord of earth and heaven
rode on in lowly state,
nor scorned that little children
should on his bidding wait.
3 “Hosanna in the highest!”
That ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven, our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice.
PSALMS
Psalm 139 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/qk5mvmw)
1 O Lord, thou hast searched me out, and known me *
thou knowest my down-sitting, and mine up-rising;
thou understandest my thoughts long before.
2 Thou art about my path, and about my bed *
and spiest out all my ways.
3 For lo, there is not a word in my tongue *
but thou, O Lord, knowest it altogether.
4 Thou hast fashioned me behind and before *
and laid thine hand upon me.
5 Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for me *
I cannot attain unto it.
6 Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit *
or whither shall I go then from thy presence?
7 If I climb up into heaven, thou art there *
if I go down to hell, thou art there also.
8 If I take the wings of the morning *
and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea;
9 Even there also shall thy hand lead me *
and thy right hand shall hold me.
10 If I say, Peradventure the darkness shall cover me *
then shall my night be turned to day.
11 Yea, the darkness is no darkness with thee,
but the night is as clear as the day *
the darkness and light to thee are both alike.
12 For my reins are thine *
thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
13 I will give thanks unto thee,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made *
marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.
14 My bones are not hid from thee *
though I be made secretly, and fashioned beneath in the earth.
15 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect *
and in thy book were all my members written;
16 Which day by day were fashioned *
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How dear are thy counsels unto me, O God *
O how great is the sum of them!
18 If I tell them, they are more in number than the sand *
when I wake up I am present with thee.
19 Wilt thou not slay the wicked, O God *
depart from me, ye blood-thirsty men.
20 For they speak unrighteously against thee *
and thine enemies take thy Name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O Lord, that hate thee *
and am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 Yea, I hate them right sore *
even as though they were mine enemies.
23 Try me, O God, and seek the ground of my heart *
prove me, and examine my thoughts.
24 Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me *
and lead me in the way everlasting.
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 140 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/syzjs5r)
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man *
and preserve me from the wicked man.
2 Who imagine mischief in their hearts *
and stir up strife all the day long.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent *
adder’s poison is under their lips.
4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly *
preserve me from the wicked men,
who are purposed to overthrow my goings.
5 The proud have laid a snare for me,
and spread a net abroad with cords *
yea, and set traps in my way.
6 I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God *
hear the voice of my prayers, O Lord.
7 O Lord God, thou strength of my health *
thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Let not the ungodly have his desire, O Lord *
let not his mischievous imagination prosper, lest they be too proud.
9 Let the mischief of their own lips fall upon the head of them *
that compass me about.
10 Let hot burning coals fall upon them *
let them be cast into the fire, and into the pit,
that they never rise up again.
11 A man full of words shall not prosper upon the earth *
evil shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him.
12 Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor *
and maintain the cause of the helpless.
13 The righteous also shall give thanks unto thy Name *
and the just shall continue in thy sight.
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 141 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/wrx2qat)
1 Lord, I call upon thee, haste thee unto me *
and consider my voice when I cry unto thee.
2 Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense *
and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth *
and keep the door of my lips.
4 O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing *
let me not be occupied in ungodly works
with the men that work wickedness,
lest I eat of such things as please them.
5 Let the righteous rather smite me friendly *
and reprove me.
6 But let not their precious balms break my head *
yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.
7 Let their judges be overthrown in stony places *
that they may hear my words, for they are sweet.
8 Our bones lie scattered before the pit *
like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.
9 But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God *
in thee is my trust, O cast not out my soul.
10 Keep me from the snare that they have laid for me *
and from the traps of the wicked doers.
11 Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together *
and let me ever escape them.
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 139 (LSB Tone F: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-139-LSB.mp3)
1 O LORD, you have searched me and known me!*
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down*
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,*
behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
5 You hem me in, behind and before,*
and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;*
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 Where shall I go from your Spirit?*
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there!*
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning*
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me,*
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,*
and the light about me be night,”
12 even the darkness is not dark to you;*
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you formed my inward parts;*
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.*
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you,*
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,*
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there were none of them.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!*
How vast is the sum of them!
18 If I would count them,
they are more than the sand.*
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would slay the wicked, O God!*
O men of blood, depart from me!
20 They speak against you with malicious intent;*
your enemies take your name in vain!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?*
And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;*
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!*
Try me and know my thoughts!
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,*
and lead me in the way everlasting!
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 140 (Gregorian Tone I.1)
1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers, *
and preserve me from the violent,
2 Who imagine evil in their hearts *
and stir up strife all the day long.
3 They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; *
adders’ poison is under their lips.
4 Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly; *
preserve me from the violent,
who have purposed to overthrow my steps.
5 The proud have laid a snare for me
and spread out a net with cords; *
they have set traps in my way.
6 I said unto the Lord, “You are my God; *
hear the voice of my prayers, O Lord.”
7 O Lord God, the strength of my salvation, *
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Let not the ungodly have their desire, O Lord; *
let not their evil imagination prosper, lest they be too proud.
9 Let not those who encompass me lift up their heads; *
let the evil of their own lips consume them.
10 Let hot burning coals fall upon them; *
let them be cast into the fire and into the pit,
that they may never rise up again.
11 A slanderer shall not prosper upon the earth; *
evil shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him.
12 I am sure that the Lord will avenge the poor *
and maintain the cause of the helpless.
13 Surely, the righteous shall give thanks unto your Name, *
and the just shall continue in your sight.
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 141 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-141.mp3)
1 O LORD, I call to you; come to me quickly; *
hear my voice when I cry to you.
2 Let my prayer be set forth in your sight as incense, *
the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a watch before my mouth, O LORD,
and guard the door of my lips; *
let not my heart incline to any evil thing.
4 Let me not be occupied in wickedness with evildoers, *
nor eat of their choice foods.
5 Let the righteous smite me in friendly rebuke;
let not the oil of the unrighteous anoint my head; *
for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
6 Let their rulers be overthrown in stony places, *
that they may know my words are true.
7 As when a plowman turns over the earth in furrows, *
let their bones be scattered at the mouth of the grave.
8 But my eyes are turned to you, Lord GOD; *
in you I take refuge;
do not strip me of my life.
9 Protect me from the snare which they have laid for me *
and from the traps of the evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, *
while I myself escape.
PRAYER
God of our salvation,
as the light of morning dawns
heaven and earth sing your praise.
Cause us to live and grow in faith
so that we may bear good fruit
for the glory of your holy realm;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Zechariah 9:9-12
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
HYMN: Charles Coffin; trans. John Chandler
Tune: St Thomas https://tinyurl.com/yyy36uay
1 The advent of our King
our prayers must now employ,
and we must hymns of welcome sing
in strains of holy joy.
2 The everlasting Son
incarnate deigns to be;
himself a servant’s form puts on,
to set his servants free.
3 Daughter of Sion, rise
to meet thy lowly King;
nor let thy faithless heart despise
the peace he comes to bring.
4 As judge, on clouds of light,
he soon will come again,
and his true members all unite
with him in heaven to reign.
5 All glory to the Son
who comes to set us free,
with Father, Spirit, ever One,
through all eternity.
READING: Philippians 2:5-11
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name,
so that at the name given to Jesus
every knee should bend,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
HYMN: Henry Hart Milman
Tune: Truro https://tinyurl.com/2p8tkmuu
1 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Hear all the tribes hosanna cry;
O Savior meek, pursue Your road
with palms and scattered garments strowed.
2 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die.
O Christ, Your triumphs now begin
o’er captive death and conquered sin.
3 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
The host of angels in the sky
look down with sad and wond’ring eyes
to see th’approaching Sacrifice.
4 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
Your last and fiercest strife is nigh.
The Father on His sapphire throne
awaits His own anointed Son.
5 Ride on, ride on in majesty!
In lowly pomp ride on to die,
bow Your meek head to mortal pain,
then take, O Christ, Your pow’r and reign.
READING: John 12:12-19
The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting,
“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord—
the King of Israel!”
Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written:
“Do not be afraid, daughter of Zion.
Look, your king is coming,
sitting on a donkey’s colt!”
His disciples did not understand these things at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of him and had been done to him. So the crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to testify. It was also because they heard that he had performed this sign that the crowd went to meet him. The Pharisees then said to one another, “You see, you can do nothing. Look, the world has gone after him!”
CANTICLE Luke 1:68-79
(John Harper, https://tinyurl.com/4wwy9fbs)
Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,
who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets God promised of old
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors,
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
THE PRAYERS WS2
Son of David,
you entered Jerusalem with a triumphal procession
that left you alone and in humiliation on the cross.
We thank and praise you
for your selfless sacrifice . . .
for the redemption of creation . . .
for those who offer their lives in Christlike service around the world . . .
for your work as it continues in our community . . .
for the sacrificial love of those who serve us in your name . . .
for our redemption . . .
The cries of “Hosanna!” soon turned into cries of “Crucify him!”
Today too there are those who refuse to recognize you as King.
The effects of sin continue to be felt in all of life. So we pray
for creation . . .
for the nations of the world . . .
for our nation and its leaders . . .
for this community and those who are in authority . . .
for the church universal as it works on your behalf . . .
for persons with particular needs . . .
With the angels and all of creation we look forward
to the day when we will join in declaring “Hosanna to the Son of David!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” 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.
Eternal God,
whose Word silences the shouts of the mighty:
Quiet within us every voice but your own.
Speak to us through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ,
that by the power of your Holy Spirit
we may receive grace to show Christ’s love
in lives given to your service. Amen. WS2
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
DL © Daniel Lawson; used with permission.
WS2 The Worship Sourcebook, 2nd edition, © 2013, Faith Alive Christian Resources
The main scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The traditional-language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). TPsalms 139 is from Lutheran Service Book and the Next to the Word of God YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkVRYL-MRebncw584Ql2xfg. Psalm 140 is from Book of Common Prayer (2019) as recorded for the St Bernard Breviary https://www.bernardbreviary.com/chant-helps. The modern version of Psalm 141 is from The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is chanted by Ryland Angel.
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 