Cicely Saunders
Cicely Saunders founded the first modern hospice and, more than anybody else, was responsible for establishing the discipline and the culture of palliative care. She introduced effective pain management and insisted that dying people needed dignity, compassion, and respect, as well as rigorous scientific methodology in the testing of treatments. She abolished the prevailing ethic that patients should be cured, that those who could not be cured were a sign of failure, and that it was acceptable and even desirable to lie to them about their prognosis. She put paid to the notion that dying people should wait until their painkillers had worn off before they received another dose, and scotched the notion that the risk of opiate addiction was an issue in their pain management. She died on this day in 2005. 1
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/3wcmx574
Receive the joy of your glory, giving thanks to God,
who has called you into the heavenly kingdom, alleluia. 2 Ezra
Almighty God,
you sent your son Jesus
to proclaim the kingdom of justice and peace.
May the poor may receive justice
and all people of the earth dwell in peace;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018, alt.
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: Henry Francis Lyte
Tune: Eventide https://tinyurl.com/d3wra58s
1 Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide!
when other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me.
2 Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.
3 I need thy presence every passing hour;
what but thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
4 I fear no foe with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.
5 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies:
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!
PSALMS
Psalm 71 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ybx8s3ew)
1 In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust,
let me never be put to confusion *
but rid me, and deliver me, in thy righteousness;
incline thine ear unto me, and save me.
2 Be thou my strong hold, whereunto I may alway resort *
thou hast promised to help me,
for thou art my house of defence, and my castle.
3 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly *
out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.
4 For thou, O Lord God, art the thing that I long for *
thou art my hope, even from my youth.
5 Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born *
thou art he that took me out of my mother’s womb;
my praise shall be always of thee.
6 I am become as it were a monster unto many *
but my sure trust is in thee.
7 O let my mouth be filled with thy praise *
that I may sing of thy glory and honour all the day long.
8 Cast me not away in the time of age *
forsake me not when my strength faileth me.
9 For mine enemies speak against me,
and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together, saying *
God hath forsaken him; persecute him, and take him,
for there is none to deliver him.
10 Go not far from me, O God *
my God, haste thee to help me.
11 Let them be confounded and perish that are against my soul *
let them be covered with shame and dishonour that seek to do me evil.
12 As for me, I will patiently abide alway *
and will praise thee more and more.
13 My mouth shall daily speak of thy righteousness and salvation *
for I know no end thereof.
14 I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God *
and will make mention of thy righteousness only.
15 Thou, O God, hast taught me from my youth up until now *
therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.
16 Forsake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am gray-headed *
until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation,
and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.
17 Thy righteousness, O God, is very high *
and great things are they that thou hast done;
O God, who is like unto thee?
18 O what great troubles and adversities hast thou shewed me!
and yet didst thou turn and refresh me *
yea, and broughtest me from the deep of the earth again.
19 Thou hast brought me to great honour *
and comforted me on every side.
20 Therefore will I praise thee and thy faithfulness, O God,
playing upon an instrument of musick *
unto thee will I sing upon the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.
21 My lips will be fain when I sing unto thee *
and so will my soul whom thou hast delivered.
22 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long *
for they are confounded and brought unto shame
that seek to do me evil.
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 72 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ya9qaxre)
1 Give the King thy judgements, O God *
and thy righteousness unto the King’s son.
2 Then shall he judge thy people according unto right *
and defend the poor.
3 The mountains also shall bring peace *
and the little hills righteousness unto the people.
4 He shall keep the simple folk by their right *
defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrong doer.
5 They shall fear thee, as long as the sun and moon endureth *
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like the rain into a fleece of wool *
even as the drops that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish *
yea, and abundance of peace, so long as the moon endureth.
8 His dominion shall be also from the one sea to the other *
and from the flood unto the world’s end.
9 They that dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him *
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tharsis and of the isles shall give presents *
the kings of Arabia and Saba shall bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down before him *
all nations shall do him service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor when he crieth *
the needy also, and him that hath no helper.
13 He shall be favourable to the simple and needy *
and shall preserve the souls of the poor.
14 He shall deliver their souls from falsehood and wrong *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15 He shall live, and unto him shall be given of the gold of Arabia *
prayer shall be made ever unto him, and daily shall he be praised.
16 There shall be an heap of corn in the earth, high upon the hills *
his fruit shall shake like Libanus,
and shall be green in the city like grass upon the earth.
17 His Name shall endure for ever;
his Name shall remain under the sun among the posterities *
which shall be blessed through him; and all the heathen shall praise him.
18 Blessed be the Lord God, even the God of Israel *
which only doeth wondrous things ;
19 And blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever *
and all the earth shall be filled with his Majesty. Amen, Amen.
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 71 (Gregorian Tone V.1)
1 In you, O Lord, have I put my trust; *
let me never be put to shame.
2 Rescue me and deliver me in your righteousness; *
incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be my rock and my refuge, where I may always return; *
you have promised to help me,
for you are my stronghold and my fortress.
4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly, *
out of the hand of the unrighteous and the cruel.
5 For you, O Lord God, are the one I long for; *
you are my hope, even from my youth.
6 Through you have I been upheld ever since I was born; *
you took me out of my mother’s womb;
my praise shall be always of you.
7 I have become a portent to many; *
but you are my refuge and my strength.
8 O let my mouth be filled with your praise, *
that I may sing of your glory all the day long.
9 Cast me not away in the time of old age; *
forsake me not when my strength fails me.
10 For my enemies speak against me,
and those who lie in wait for my life take counsel together. *
They say, “God has forsaken him;
pursue him and take him, for there is none to deliver him.”
11 Go not far from me, O God; *
my God, make haste to help me.
12 Let those who are my adversaries be confounded and perish; *
let those who seek to do me evil be covered with
shame and dishonor.
13 As for me, I will always patiently abide, *
and will praise you more and more.
14 My mouth shall speak daily
of your righteousness and salvation, *
for I know not the end of them.
15 I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God, *
and will make mention of your righteousness, yours alone.
16 You, O God, have taught me from my youth; *
even to this day I am telling of your wondrous works.
17 Forsake me not, O God,
in my old age, when I am gray-headed, *
until I have proclaimed your strength to this generation,
and your power to all those who are yet to come.
18 Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens; *
you have done great things. Who is like you, O God?
19 Oh, what great troubles and adversities you have shown me!
And yet you have turned and refreshed me; *
indeed, you have brought me again
from the depths of the earth.
20 You have brought me to great honor *
and comforted me on every side;
21 Therefore will I praise you and your faithfulness, O God,
playing on a stringed instrument; *
to you will I sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel.
22 My lips will rejoice when I sing to you, *
and so will my soul, which you have delivered.
23 My tongue also shall speak of your righteousness all the day long, *
for they are confounded and brought to shame
who seek to do me evil.
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 72 (Gregorian Tone V.1)
1 Give the King your judgments, O God, *
and your righteousness to the King’s son.
2 Then shall he judge your people with righteousness *
and defend the poor with justice.
3 The mountains also shall bring peace, *
and the little hills righteousness to the people.
4 He shall vindicate the poor among the people, *
defend the children of the poor, and punish the wrongdoer.
5 They shall fear you as long as the sun and moon endure, *
from one generation to another.
6 He shall come down like the rain upon the mown grass, *
even as showers that water the earth.
7 In his time shall the righteous flourish, *
even an abundance of peace, so long as the moon endures.
8 His dominion shall be also from one sea to the other, *
and from the river unto the world’s end.
9 Those who dwell in the wilderness shall kneel before him; *
his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall give presents; *
the kings of Arabia and Seba shall bring gifts.
11 All kings shall fall down before him; *
all nations shall do him service.
12 For he shall deliver the poor when he cries, *
the needy also, and the one that has no helper.
13 He shall be favorable to the lowly and needy, *
and shall preserve the lives of the poor.
14 He shall deliver them from falsehood and wrong, *
and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15 Long may he live! And unto him shall be given the gold of Arabia; *
prayer shall ever be made unto him,
and daily shall he be blessed.
16 There shall be an abundance of grain on the earth,
thick upon the hilltops; *
its fruit shall flourish like Lebanon,
its grain like the grass upon the earth.
17 His Name shall endure for ever;
his Name shall remain as long as the sun. *
All the nations shall be blessed through him
and shall call him blessèd.
18 Blessèd be the Lord God, even the God of Israel, *
who alone does wondrous things;
19 And blessèd be the Name of his majesty for ever; *
and all the earth shall be filled with his majesty. Amen, Amen.
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 strong fortress,
do not forsake us in youth or old age.
Help us to follow your will
through all our years and under all circumstances,
that forever we may praise your faithfulness;
through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen. BCW2018
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Exodus 13:11-22
Moses continued, “When the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your ancestors, and has given it to you, you shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn offspring of your livestock that are males shall be the Lord’s. But every firstborn donkey you shall redeem with a sheep; if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. Every firstborn male among your children you shall redeem. When in the future your child asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall answer, ‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborn to the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord every male that first opens the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ It shall serve as a sign on your hand and as an emblem on your forehead that by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer, for God thought, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness bordering the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, “God will surely come to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.” They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
HYMN: Ruth C Duck ©
Tune: Lancashire https://tinyurl.com/yjdajvua
1 Lead on, O cloud of Presence,
the exodus is come.
In wilderness and desert
our tribe shall make its home.
Our slav’ry left behind us,
new hopes within us grow.
We seek the land of promise
where milk and honey flow.
2 Lead on, O fiery Pillar,
we follow yet with fears,
but we shall come rejoicing
though joy be born of tears.
We are not lost, though wand’ring,
for by your light we come,
and we are still God’s people.
The journey is our home.
3 Lead on, O God of freedom,
and guide our pilgrim way,
that we may trust the promise
through struggle and delay.
We pray that those who follow
will live to share that land
where justice dwells with mercy
and love is law’s demand.
READING: Acts 21:27-36
When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, who had seen Paul in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd. They seized him, shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place; more than that, he has actually brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Then all the city was aroused, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. While they were trying to kill him, word came to the tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. When they saw the tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Then the tribune came, arrested him, and ordered him to be bound with two chains; he inquired who he was and what he had done. Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another, and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, he ordered him to be brought into the barracks. When Paul came to the steps, the violence of the mob was so great that he had to be carried by the soldiers. The crowd that followed kept shouting, “Away with him!”
HYMN: Charles Wesley
Tune: Lydia
1 Jesus, the Name high over all,
in hell or earth or sky;
angels and mortals prostrate fall,
and devils fear and fly.
2 Jesus, the Name to sinners dear,
the Name to sinners giv’n;
it scatters all their guilty fear,
it turns their hell to heav’n.
3 O that the world might taste and see
the riches of His grace!
The arms of love that compass me
would all the world embrace.
4 Thee I shall constantly proclaim,
tho’ earth and hell oppose;
bold to confess Thy glorious Name
before a world of foes.
5 His only righteousness I show,
His saving truth proclaim;
’tis all my business here below
to cry, “Behold the Lamb!”
6 Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp His Name,
preach Him to all, and cry in death,
“Behold, behold the Lamb!”
READING: Matthew 13:10-17
Then the disciples came and asked him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He answered, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance, but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that ‘seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.’ With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says:
‘You will indeed listen but never understand,
and you will indeed look but never perceive.
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes,
so that they might not look with their eyes,
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and turn—
and I would heal them.’
“But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”
CANTICLE Revelation 11:17-18; 12:10b-12a
(Chant by John Michael Talbot: https://tinyurl.com/ycrn2d4f)
Ant. The Father has given Christ all power, honor, and kingship,
All people will obey him.
We praise you, the Lord God Almighty,
who is and who was.
You have assumed your great power,
you have begun your reign.
the nations have raged in anger,
but then came your day of wrath
and the moment to judge the dead:
the time to reward your servants the prophets
and the holy ones who revere you,
the great and the small alike.
Now have salvation and power come,
the reign of our god and the authority
of his anointed one,
for the accuser of our brothers is cast out,
who night and day accused them before God.
They defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
love for life did not deter them from death.
So rejoice, you heavens,
and you that dwell therein!
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.
THE PRAYERS BCW2018
We lift our voices in prayer and praise, holy God,
for you have lifted us to new life in Jesus Christ,
and your blessings come in generous measure.
Especially we thank you for
the good news of Jesus Christ for all . . .
the wonder and beauty of creation . . .
the love of family and friends . . .
opportunities for faithful service . . .
particular blessings of this day . . .
We hold up before you human needs, God of compassion,
for you have come to us in Jesus Christ and shared our life
so that we may share his resurrection.
Especially we pray for
the one holy catholic and apostolic church . . .
peace and justice in the world . . .
those in whom we see Christ’s suffering . . .
those who offer Christ’s compassion . . .
particular concerns of this day . . .
Setting by Eric Wyse:2
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.
Life-giving God,
you alone have power over life and death,
over health and sickness.
Give power, wisdom, and gentleness
to those who follow the lead of Cicely Saunders,
that they, bearing with them your presence,
may not only heal but bless,
and shine as lanterns of hope
in the darkest hours of pain and fear;
through Jesus Christ, the healer of body and soul,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. FAS
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
1 https://www.bmj.com/content/suppl/2005/07/18/331.7509.DC1
FAS For All the Saints, Revised Ed. © Anglican Church of Canada
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 versions of Psalms 71 and 72 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 