Martyrs of Rwanda
In a time span of one hundred days, between April and July 1994, Rwanda’s political arena imploded. The country collapsed into chaos, and violence escalated into the genocide of one million people among members of the Tutsi ethnic group and moderate components of the Hutu ethnic majority in the country. The genocide occurred in one of Africa’s most Christian regions, with ninety per cent of the population identifying itself as part of a Catholic, Protestant, or Seventh-day Adventist Church as of 1991. Inevitably, in the aftershock of the genocide, many questioned the role, and attempted to fathom the association of Rwanda’s Churches with the genocide. As a consequence, the Church has faced numerous criticisms from diverse fronts, and has been repeatedly blamed of culpability in the violence that occurred during those obscure months. However, it was only in 2017 that Pope Francis, upon meeting the Rwandan President Paul Kagame, officially asked for forgiveness for the Catholic Church’s role in the 1994 genocide, stating that, in Rwanda, the “sins and failings of the Church and its members had ultimately disfigured the face of Catholicism”. 1
Antiphon (https://tinyurl.com/2ve2ux5a)
I am the Good Shepherd,
and I lay down my life for my sheep, says the Lord. John 10
Living God, by your Holy Spirit,
open our eyes to see the new light of this day;
open our lips to tell of the empty tomb;
open our hearts to believe the good news;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. FOW
Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
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.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: Rae F Whitney ©
Tune: Song 22 https://tinyurl.com/47ct773k
1 Myrrh-bearing Mary from Magdala came
seeking her Jesus, with spirit aflame.
He had commanded her sickness depart;
she now would thank him for newness of heart.
2 Myrrh-bearing Mary to Bethany came
seeking her Jesus who’d called her by name;
there she anointed his feet and his head
with precious oils that were meant for the dead.
3 Myrrh-bearing Mary to Calvary came
seeking her Jesus who hung there in shame;
and, as the careless and heedless passed by,
hopeless and helpless she watched her Lord die.
4 Myrrh-bearing Mary to death’s garden came
seeking her Jesus who’d borne the world’s blame;
heart-sick, she stood, till she head the Lord’s voice:
‘Mary!’ he said, ‘I am risen; rejoice!’
PSALMS
Psalm 37 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tujglrg)
1 Fret not thyself because of the ungodly *
neither be thou envious against the evil doers.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass *
and be withered even as the green herb.
3 Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good *
dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thou in the Lord *
and he shall give thee thy heart’s desire.
5 Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him *
and he shall bring it to pass.
6 He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light *
and thy just dealing as the noon-day.
7 Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him *
but grieve not thyself at him, whose way doth prosper,
against the man that doeth after evil counsels.
8 Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure *
fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.
9 Wicked doers shall be rooted out *
and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone *
thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.
11 But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth *
and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
12 The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just *
and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh him to scorn *
for he hath seen that his day is coming.
14 The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow *
to cast down the poor and needy,
and to slay such as are of a right conversation.
15 Their sword shall go through their own heart *
and their bow shall be broken.
16 A small thing that the righteous hath *
is better than great riches of the ungodly.
17 For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken *
and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18 The Lord knoweth the days of the godly *
and their inheritance shall endure for ever.
19 They shall not be confounded in the perilous time *
and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.
20 As for the ungodly, they shall perish;
and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs *
yea, even as the smoke, shall they consume away.
21 The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again *
but the righteous is merciful, and liberal.
22 Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land *
and they that are cursed of him shall be rooted out.
23 The Lord ordereth a good man’s going *
and maketh his way acceptable to himself.
24 Though he fall, he shall not be cast away *
for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old *
and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
26 The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth *
and his seed is blessed.
27 Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good *
and dwell for evermore.
28 For the Lord loveth the thing that is right *
he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.
29 The unrighteous shall be punished *
as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30 The righteous shall inherit the land *
and dwell therein for ever.
31 The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom *
and his tongue will be talking of judgement.
32 The law of his God is in his heart *
and his goings shall not slide.
33 The ungodly seeth the righteous *
and seeketh occasion to slay him.
34 The Lord will not leave him in his hand *
nor condemn him when he is judged.
35 Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way,
and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land *
when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.
36 I myself have seen the ungodly in great power *
and flourishing like a green bay tree.
37 I went by, and lo, he was gone *
I sought him, but his place could no where be found.
38 Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right *
for that shall bring a man peace at the last.
39 As for the transgressors, they shall perish together *
and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.
40 But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord *
who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41 And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them *
he shall deliver them from the ungodly,
and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.
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 37 (Gregorian Tone 6)
1 Do not fret because of the wicked;
do not envy those who do evil,
2 for they wither quickly like grass
and fade like the green of the fields.
3 Trust in the LoRD and do good;
then you will dwell in the land and find safe pasture.
4 Find your delight in the LORD,
who grants your heart’s desire.
5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him, and he will act,
6 and make your uprightness shine like the light,
the justice of your cause like the noon-day sun.
7 Be still before the Lo RD and wait in patience;
do not fret at the one who prospers,
the one who makes evil plots.
8 Calm your anger and forget your rage;
do not fret, it only leads to evil.
9 For those who do evil shall perish.
But those who hope in the LORD,
they shall inherit the land.
10 A little longer-and the wicked one is gone.
Look at his place: he is not there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight in fullness of peace.
12 The wicked one plots against the just one
and gnashes his teeth against him;
13 but the LORD will laugh at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is at hand.
14 The wicked draw the sword, bend their bows,
to slaughter the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 Their sword shall pierce their own hearts,
and their bows shall be broken to pieces.
16 Better the few possessions of the upright,
than the abundant wealth of the wicked;
17 for the arms of the wicked shall be.broken,
and the LORD will support the upright.
18 The LoRo takes note of the days of the blameless;
their heritage will last forever.
19 They shall not be put to shame in evil days;
in time of famine they shall have their fill.
20 But all the wicked shall perish;
the enemies of the LORD shall be consumed.
They are like the beauty of the meadows;
they shall vanish, they shall vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrows and does not repay,
but the upright one is generous and gives.
22 Those blessed by him shall inherit the land,
but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 By the LORD are the steps made firm
of one in whose path he delights.
24 Though he stumble he shall never fall,
for the LORD will hold him by the hand.
25 I was young and now I am old,
but I have never seen the upright one forsaken
nor his children begging for bread.
26 All the day he is generous and lends,
and his children become a blessing.
27 Then turn away from evil and do good,
and you may abide forever;
28 for indeed, the LORD loves justice,
and will never forsake his faithful.
The unjust shall be wiped out forever,
and the descendants of the wicked cut off.
29 The upright shall inherit the land;
there they shall abide forever.
30 The mouth of the upright utters wisdom,
and his tongue tells forth what is just.
31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his steps shall be saved from stumbling.
32 The wicked keeps watch for the upright,
and seeks an occasion to destroy him.
33 The LORD will not leave him in his power,
nor let him be condemned when he is judged.
34 Then wait for the LORD, keep to his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land,
and you will see the wicked cut off.
35 I have seen the wicked one triumphant,
towering like a cedar of Lebanon.
36 I passed by again; he was gone.
I searched; he was nowhere to be found.
37 Mark the blameless, observe the upright;
for the peaceful man a future lies in store,
38 but sinners shall all be destroyed,
the future of the wicked cut off.
39 But from the LORD comes the salvation of the upright,
their stronghold in time of distress.
40 The LORD helps them and rescues them,
rescues and saves them from the wicked:
because they take refuge in him.
PRAYER
God our strength,
give us the humility to trust in your loving care,
and the patience to be faithful in seeking your kingdom,
that we may come to share in the inheritance of your saints;
through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Song of Songs 2:8-3:5
The voice of my beloved!
Look, he comes,
leaping upon the mountains,
bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Look, there he stands
behind our wall,
gazing in at the windows,
looking through the lattice.
My beloved speaks and says to me:
“Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away,
for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtledove
is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.
Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.
O my dove, in the clefts of the rock,
in the covert of the cliff,
let me see your face;
let me hear your voice,
for your voice is sweet,
and your face is lovely.
Catch us the foxes,
the little foxes,
that ruin the vineyards—
for our vineyards are in blossom.”
My beloved is mine, and I am his;
he pastures his flock among the lilies.
Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
turn, my beloved, be like a gazelle
or a young stag on the cleft mountains.
Upon my bed at night
I sought him whom my soul loves;
I sought him but found him not;
I called him, but he gave no answer.
“I will rise now and go about the city,
in the streets and in the squares;
I will seek him whom my soul loves.”
I sought him but found him not.
The sentinels found me,
as they went about in the city.
“Have you seen him whom my soul loves?”
Scarcely had I passed them,
when I found him whom my soul loves.
I held him and would not let him go
until I brought him into my mother’s house
and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
by the gazelles or the wild does:
do not stir up or awaken love
until it is ready!
HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: Angels Song https://tinyurl.com/2s4kzrwv
Often I seek my Lord by night,
Jesus, my Love, my soul’s delight;
With warm desire and restless thought
I seek him oft, but find him not.
Then I arise and search the street,
Till I my Lord, my Savior meet:
I ask the watchmen of the night,
“Where did you see my soul’s delight?”
Sometimes I find him in my way,
Directed by a heav’nly ray;
I leap for joy to see his face,
And hold him fast in mine embrace.
READING: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ has not been raised, and if Christ has not been raised, then our proclamation is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised Christ—whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile, and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.
HYMN: Nicolás Martinez; trans. Fred Kaan ©
Tune: Central
1 Christ is risen, Christ is living.
Dry your tears, be unafraid!
Death and darkness could not hold Him,
Nor the tomb in which He lay.
Do not look among the dead for
One who lives forevermore;
Tell the world that Christ is risen,
Make it known He goes before.
2 If the Lord had never risen,
We’d have nothing to believe;
But His promise can be trusted:
“You will live, because I live.”
As we share the death of Adam,
So in Christ we live again;
Death has lost its sting and terror,
Christ the Lord has come to reign.
3 Death has lost its old dominion,
Let the world rejoice and shout!
Christ, the firstborn of the living,
Gives us life and leads us out.
Let us thank our God, who causes
Hope to spring up from the ground.
Christ is risen, Christ is giving
Life eternal, life profound.
READING: Mark 16:9-11
Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
CANTICLE Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13
(Chant by Joe Cox: https://tinyurl.com/y499lmmp)
Ant. Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,
For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;
And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,
From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.
And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,
Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for evermore. Ant.
PRAYERS CWC
O Christ of great compassion,
in the moments after your resurrection,
you demonstrated your faithful love to Mary,
calling her by name and comforting her fears.
We, too, live in the wake of your risen glory,
still trembling with fear and uncertainty,
even as we trust in your promises.
Hear us now as we call to you;
show us again your steadfast kindness.
O compassionate one,
we pray for those who are surviving the sword,
who face violence of all kinds—
spiritual, emotional, physical, social.
Comfort them,
even as you teach us the ways of wholeness and peace.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
O compassionate one,
we pray for those who seek your grace in the wilderness,
who live without a home,
who cry for refuge while in exile,
whose habitats have been destroyed.
Make us into a home for them,
even as you empower us
to address the root causes of rootlessness.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
O compassionate one,
we pray for those who long for rest—
rest from grief,
from unjust labor,
from chronic illness,
from anxiety, depression, loneliness, and stress,
from oppression and fear.
Bring them out of the muck and mire
into a broad, still place,
even as you instruct us in the practice of sabbath.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
O compassionate one,
we pray for those who only know you from far away,
who have been hurt by the actions
of those who say they love you,
who suffer the kind of doubt that burdens their spirits,
who long to experience your love.
Draw close to them,
even as you shape us into a living embodiment
of your radical welcome.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy.
O Christ of great compassion,
you have loved us with an everlasting love.
Along with all for whom we have already prayed,
we bring before you those prayers left unsaid.
Continue your faithfulness to us,
even as we become more faithful to you;
through the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
(Plainsong: https://tinyurl.com/ahnrtv59)ELW
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.
God of new beginnings
you call us from the darkness of denial:
give to your people
leaders who know their wounds
and find their pattern
in Jesus Christ, the Servant King;
we ask this in his name. Amen. PIC, alt.
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.
RCLP Revised Common Lectionary Prayers. © 2002 Consultation on Common Texts admin. Augsburg Fortress.
ELW The Lord’s Prayer is from Setting Five in Evangelical Lutheran Worship.
PIC Prayers for An Inclusive Church, Steven Shakespeare
CWC Connections Worship Companion, ed. David Gambrell © Westminster John Knox Press
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). The modern language psalm is from the Chants and Rants YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants per The Abbey Psalms and Canticles ©2010, 2018, 2020 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved.
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 