Antiphon1
Ant. Lord, I will be mindful of your justice alone; *
you have taught me, O God, from my youth; and so,
unto old age and gray hairs, O God, forsake me not.
V. In you, O Lord, I take refuge; *
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice, rescue me, free me; *
incline your ear to me and save me. Psalm 71
Loving God,
you are faithful in your promises
and tender in your compassion.
Listen to our hymn of joy,
and continue to satisfy the needs of every living thing,
that all your creatures may bless your name,
O God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, both now and forever. Amen. BCW2018
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: Thomas Shepherd
Tune: Maitland https://tinyurl.com/4tsnp7nt
1 Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
and all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for ev’ryone,
and there’s a cross for me.
2 How happy are the saints above,
Who once went sorr’wing here!
But now they taste unmingled love,
and joy without a tear.
3 The consecrated cross I’ll bear
till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
for there’s a crown for me.
4 Upon the crystal pavement,
down at Jesus’ pierced feet,
joyful I’ll cast my golden crown
and His dear Name repeat.
5 O precious cross! O glorious crown!
O resurrection day
when Christ the Lord, from heav’n comes down
and bears my soul away.
PSALMS
Psalm 144 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/tb977vw)
1 Blessed be the Lord my strength *
who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight;
2 My hope and my fortress, my castle and deliverer,
my defender in whom I trust *
who subdueth my people that is under me.
3 Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect unto him *
or the son of man, that thou so regardest him?
4 Man is like a thing of nought *
his time passeth away like a shadow.
5 Bow thy heavens, O Lord, and come down *
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth thy lightning, and tear them *
shoot out thine arrows, and consume them.
7 Send down thine hand from above *
deliver me, and take me out of the great waters,
from the hand of strange children;
8 Whose mouth talketh of vanity *
and their right hand is a right hand of wickedness.
9 I will sing a new song unto thee, O God *
and sing praises unto thee upon a ten-stringed lute.
10 Thou hast given victory unto kings *
and hast delivered David thy servant from the peril of the sword.
11 Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strange children *
whose mouth talketh of vanity,
and their right hand is a right hand of iniquity.
12 That our sons may grow up as the young plants *
and that our daughters may be as the polished corners of the temple.
13 That our garners may be full and plenteous
with all manner of store *
that our sheep may bring forth
thousands and ten thousands in our streets.
14 That our oxen may be strong to labour, that there be no decay *
no leading into captivity, and no complaining in our streets.
15 Happy are the people that are in such a case *
yea, blessed are the people who have the Lord for their God.
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 145 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/ub6xy86)
1 I will magnify thee, O God, my King *
and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee *
and praise thy Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and marvellous worthy to be praised *
there is no end of his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another *
and declare thy power.
5 As for me, I will be talking of thy worship *
thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts *
and I will also tell of thy greatness.
7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be shewed *
and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious, and merciful *
long-suffering, and of great goodness.
9 The Lord is loving unto every man *
and his mercy is over all his works.
10 All thy works praise thee, O Lord *
and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
11 They shew the glory of thy kingdom *
and talk of thy power;
12 That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom *
might be known unto men.
13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom *
and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall *
and lifteth up all those that are down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord *
and thou givest them their meat in due season.
16 Thou openest thine hand *
and fillest all things living with plenteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and holy in all his works.
18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him *
yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him *
he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
20 The Lord preserveth all them that love him *
but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord *
and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.
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 146 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/rwxra4q)
1 Praise the Lord, O my soul; while I live will I praise the Lord *
yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.
2 O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man *
for there is no help in them.
3 For when the breath of man goeth forth he shall turn again to his earth *
and then all his thoughts perish.
4 Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help *
and whose hope is in the Lord his God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that therein is *
who keepeth his promise for ever.
6 Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong *
who feedeth the hungry.
7 The Lord looseth men out of prison *
the Lord giveth sight to the blind.
8 The Lord helpeth them that are fallen *
the Lord careth for the righteous.
9 The Lord careth for the strangers; he defendeth the fatherless and widow *
as for the way of the ungodly, he turneth it upside down.
10 The Lord thy God, O Sion, shall be King for evermore *
and throughout all generations.
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 144 (Gregorian Tone IV.2)
1 Blessèd be the Lord my strength, *
who teaches my hands to war and my fingers to fight,
2 My hope and my fortress, my stronghold and deliverer,
my defender in whom I trust, *
who subdues the peoples under me.
3 O Lord, what is man, that you have shown such respect to him, *
or the son of man, that you so regard him?
4 Man is like a thing of nought; *
his time passes away like a shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; *
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
6 Cast forth your lightning and scatter them; *
shoot out your arrows and consume them.
7 Send down your hand from above; *
deliver me, and take me out of the great waters,
from the hand of strangers,
8 Whose mouth talks of vain things, *
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing a new song unto you, O God, *
and sing praises unto you upon a ten-stringed lute.
10 You have given victory to kings, *
and have delivered David your servant
from the peril of the sword.
11 Save me, and deliver me from the hand of strangers, *
whose mouth talks of vain things,
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood;
12 That our sons may grow up as young plants, *
and that our daughters may be as the
polished corners of the temple,
13 That our storehouses may be full and plenteous with
all manner of grain, *
that our sheep may bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields,
14 That our oxen may be strong to labor, that there be no decay, *
no leading into captivity, and no outcry in our streets.
15 Happy are the people of whom this is so; *
indeed, blessèd are the people
who have the Lord for their God.
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 145 (Gregorian Tone IV.2)
1 I will magnify you, O God my King, *
and I will praise your Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I give thanks to you, *
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord, and most worthy to be praised; *
there is no end of his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise your works to another, *
and shall declare your power.
5 As for me, I will be talking of the glorious
splendor of your majesty, *
and of all your wondrous works.
6 They shall speak of the might of your marvelous acts, *
and I also will tell of your greatness.
7 The remembrance of your abundant
goodness shall they proclaim, *
and they shall sing of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, *
long-suffering, and of great kindness.
9 The Lord is loving to everyone, *
and his mercy is over all his works.
10 All your works praise you, O Lord, *
and your faithful servants give thanks to you.
11 They speak of the glory of your kingdom *
and talk of your power,
12 That your power may be known to the children of men, *
even the glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, *
and your dominion endures throughout all ages.
14 The Lord upholds all those who fall *
and lifts up all those who are bowed down.
15 The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, *
and you give them their food in due season.
16 You open wide your hand, *
and fill all things living with plenteousness.
17 The Lord is righteous in all his ways *
and merciful in all his works.
18 The Lord is near to all those who call upon him, *
to all who call upon him faithfully.
19 He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him; *
he also will hear their cry and will help them.
20 The Lord preserves all those who love him, *
but he will destroy all the ungodly.
21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; *
and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name
for ever and ever.
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 146 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-146.mp3)
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD, O my soul! *
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
for there is no help in them.
3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
and in that day their thoughts perish.
4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
whose hope is in the LORD their God;
5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
who keeps his promise for ever;
6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
and food to those who hunger.
7 The LORD sets the prisoners free;
the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; *
the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
8 The LORD loves the righteous;
the LORD cares for the stranger; *
he sustains the orphan and widow,
but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9 The LORD shall reign for ever, *
your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
Hallelujah!
PRAYER
Blessed are those who put their trust in you, O God,
our sure rock and refuge.
Guard us from giving to any other
the allegiance which belongs only to you.
Shine upon us with the brightness of your light,
that we may love you with a pure heart
and praise you forever;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Jeremiah 15:15-21
O Lord, you know;
remember me and visit me,
and bring down retribution for me on my persecutors.
In your forbearance do not take me away;
know that on your account I suffer insult.
Your words were found, and I ate them,
and your words became to me a joy
and the delight of my heart,
for I am called by your name,
O Lord, God of hosts.
I did not sit in the company of merrymakers,
nor did I rejoice;
under the weight of your hand I sat alone,
for you had filled me with indignation.
Why is my pain unceasing,
my wound incurable,
refusing to be healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
like waters that fail.
Therefore thus says the Lord:
If you turn back, I will take you back,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious and not what is worthless,
you shall serve as my mouth.
It is they who will turn to you,
not you who will turn to them.
And I will make you to this people
a fortified wall of bronze;
they will fight against you,
but they shall not prevail over you,
for I am with you
to save you and deliver you,
says the Lord.
I will deliver you out of the hand of the wicked
and redeem you from the grasp of the ruthless.
HYMN: Psalm 26; para. Sing Psalms ©
Tune: Kingsfold https://tinyurl.com/4mzu7vwp
1 Declare me innocent, O LORD;
I’ve walked in blameless ways,
and I have trusted in the LORD,
not wav’ring all my days.
2 Test me, O LORD, and try my heart;
my inmost thoughts survey.
3 Your love surrounds me; from your truth
my feet will never stray.
4 I do not sit with worthless folk;
I shun the hypocrite.
5 I hate the wicked’s gatherings;
with them I will not sit.
6 I wash my hands in innocence,
and blameless is my heart;
I go about your altar, LORD—
the place you set apart.
7 I’ll tell of all your awesome deeds,
proclaiming loud your praise.
8 Your glory fills your dwelling-place;
I love your house always.
9 Sweep not away my soul, O LORD,
with those who hate your way;
Nor take away my life with those
who love to wound and slay.
10 For their right hands are full of bribes;
they plot iniquity.
11 But I will lead a blameless life—
in mercy set me free.
12 My feet will stand with confidence
upon a level place,
and in the people’s gathering
I’ll praise the LORD of grace.
READING: Romans 8:18-25
I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
HYMN: John R MacDuff
Tune: Unser Herrscher https://tinyurl.com/2jfupr63
1 Christ is coming! let creation
from her groans and travail cease;
let the glorious proclamation
hope restore and faith increase:
Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
Come now, blessèd Prince of Peace.
2 Earth can now but tell the story
of your bitter cross and pain;
she shall yet behold your glory,
Lord, when you return to reign:
Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
‘Come, Lord Jesus, come again!’
3 Long your exiles have been pining,
far from you, and rest, and home:
but, in heavenly glory shining,
soon their loving Lord shall come:
Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
Haste the joyous jubilee.
4 With that blessèd hope before us,
harps be played and songs be sung;
let the mighty advent chorus
onward roll from tongue to tongue:
‘Christ is coming! Christ is coming!
Come, Lord Jesus, quickly come!’
READING: Matthew 16:21-26
From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you.” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me, for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any wish to come after me, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”
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.
THE PRAYERS COS, alt.
God of all kindness,
you gave your only Son,
because you loved the world so much.
We pray for the peace of the world.
Move among us by your Spirit,
break down barriers
of fear, suspicion, and hatred.
Heal the human family of its divisions
and unite it in the bonds of justice and peace.
We pray for our country.
Enrich our common life;
strengthen the forces of truth and goodness;
teach us to share prosperity,
that those whose lives are impoverished
may pass from need and despair
to dignity and joy.
We pray for those who suffer.
Surround them with your love,
support them with your strength,
console them with your comfort,
and give them hope
and courage beyond themselves.
We pray for our families,
for those whom we love.
Protect them at home;
support them in times of difficulty and anxiety,
that they may grow together
in mutual love and understanding,
and rest content in one another.
We pray for the Church.
Keep us true to the Gospel
and responsive to the gifts and needs of all.
Make known your saving power in Jesus Christ,
by the witness of our faith,
our worship,
and our lives. Amen.
(Traditional chant: https://tinyurl.com/ydzx5jdp)
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
[For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.]
Through suffering and rejection, O God,
you bring forth our salvation,
for in Jesus you embrace our humanity
and transform our lives by the glory of his cross.
Grant that for the sake of the gospel
we may rebuke the lure of this world,
take up our cross,
and follow your Son Jesus Christ. 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.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
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). Psalms 144 and 145 are from Book of Common Prayer (2019) as recorded for the St Bernard Breviary https://www.bernardbreviary.com/chant-helps. Psalm 146 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 