The Daily Offices

The Daily Offices from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer, (Canada 1962), including daily Bible readings and occasional sermons from the Cathedral of the Annunication of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ottawa

My Photo
Name: Deborah Gyapong
Location: Canada

Deborah Waters Gyapong’s journalism career spans more than 20 years in television, print and radio, including 12 years as a producer for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s television news and current affairs programming. Deborah now covers religion and politics primarily for Roman Catholic and Evangelical newspapers. In 2005, the manuscript for her suspense novel The Defilers won the Best New Canadian Christian Fiction Award. The prize included publication. The Defilers was released in May 2006.

Friday, March 31, 2006

Friday Evening Prayer

Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Psalms 148,149,150

First lesson: Leviticus 6: 8-end

Second Lesson: I Timothy 5

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant John Donne, Poet (1631, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 147

First lesson: Exodus 40: 17-end

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

John 9

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant John Donne, Poet (1631), and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Thursday Evening Prayer

Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Psalms 144, 146

First lesson: Exodus 35:20- Exodus 36:-7

Second Lesson: I Timothy 4

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 145

First lesson: Exodus 34

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

John 8: 31-end

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Wednesday Evening Prayer

Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer (Scroll down if you are looking for Monday)

Psalms 140

First lesson: Exodus 33

Second Lesson: I Timothy 3

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant John Keble of Oxford, Scholar and Poet (1866), and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 139

First lesson: Exodus 32

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

John 8: 1-30

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant John Keble of Oxford, Scholar and Poet (1866), and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Tuesday Evening Prayer

Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer (Scroll down if you are looking for Monday)

Psalms 134, 135

First lesson: Exodus 29:38- Exodus 30:-16

Second Lesson: I Timothy 1: 18-I Timothy 2:-end

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 132, 133

First lesson: Exodus 28: 1-4, 29-41

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

John 7: 25-end

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday Evening Prayer

Evening Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Psalms 123, 124, 125

First lesson: Exodus 25: 1-22

Second Lesson: I Timothy 1: 1-27

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer according to the Book of Common Prayer

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 120, 121, 122

First lesson: Exodus 24

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

John 7: 1-24

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday, March 26, 2006

Mothering Sunday


Today in our little cathedral we celebrated "Mothering Sunday." Just as the 10:00 a.m. service started, the dean blessed yellow daffodils and a simnal cake on the altar. Then he passed out the daffodils to all the mothers in the congregation.

After Mass, we had a sumptuous spread of sandwiches, and pieces of the marzipan-frosted simnal cake.

Sunday Evening Prayer

Lent IV


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 75,76

First Lesson: Genesis 45:16-
Genesis 46 -7

Second Lesson: Luke 23: 1-25

Collects of the Day.

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Fourth Sunday in Lent

THE COLLECT.

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

THE EPISTLE. Galatians 4. 26.

JERUSALEM which is above is free; which is the mother of us all. For it is written,

Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not;
Break forth and cry, thou that travailest not:
For the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit; even so it is now. Nevertheless, what saith the Scripture? Cast out the bond-woman and her son; for the son of the bond-woman shall not be heir with the son of the free-woman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.


THE GOSPEL. St John 6. 5.


WHEN Jesus then lift up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? (And this he said to prove him; for he himself knew what he would do.) Philip answered him, Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley-loaves, and two small fishes; but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes, as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley-loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.

Sunday Morning Prayer

Lent IV

Invitatory: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 86, 87

First lesson: Genesis 35: 1-15

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Hebrews 13: 1-21

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday, March 25, 2006

Saturday Evening Prayer

Eve of the Lent IV


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 46,98

First Lesson: I Samuel 2: 1-10

Second Lesson: Matthew 1: 12-end

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary

THE COLLECT.

WE beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE LESSON. Isaiah 7. 10.

MOREOVER, the LORD spake again unto Ahaz, saying, Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth, or in the height above. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD. And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David; Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a Virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good.

THE GOSPEL. St Luke 1. 26.

AND in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a Virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee. And she was troubled at this saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God. And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest;
And the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever;
And of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her,

The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee,
And the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:
Therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee
Shall be called the Son of God.

And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren: for with God nothing shall be impossible. And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.

Saturday Morning Prayer

Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory: The Word was made flesh: O come, let us worship.

Psalms 48

First Lesson: Isaiah 52: 7-12

Te Deum (go to Order for Morning Prayer link above and scroll down)

Second Lesson: Hebrews 2: 5-end

Athanasian Creed

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

My Lenten journey got derailed

I hit a bad patch in my Lenten observances, falling into self-indulgence and over-eating, one of my besetting sins. I've also come down with a slight cold and that makes me want to feel a little sorry for myself and drop some of the prayer I'd hoped to do over Lent. I've been less reliable in doing evening prayer and in posting it over at The Daily Offices.

This morning, I debated about whether to go to church as today is the Feast of the Annuniciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, commemorating that moment in time when Jesus was conceived by the Holy Ghost in her immaculate womb. Since the little cathedral I attend bears the name Cathedral of the Annunication of the Blessed Virgin Mary, there was additional incentive to attend.

Confessing my manifold sins and wickednesses in the car on the way there, I realized that one of the benefits of having tried many, many times to be disciplined in prayer, is that I have discovered that without God I am helpless to be good. I cannot even stay awake to pray without His help. That's why I love the fact that we open our Morning and Evening Prayer with: O Lord open thou our lips. . .

I don't need to whip myself for failing, or try extra hard to be better, just believe that He who has begun a work in me will complete it, believe that He will open my lips to praise Him if I ask Him to, that He knows I have no power to be good in and of myself but He's willing to supply me with rivers of living water if I'll let Him.

If you'd like to join me over at the Daily Offices to do the readings associated with this important event in the life of the Church, nine months before Christmas, come on over to the Daily Offices.

BTW, as I was entering the cathedral this morning, I saw my first robin. It flew away before I could take a picture.

Friday, March 24, 2006

Friday Evening Prayer

Eve of the Annunciation


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 84,85

First Lesson: Genesis 3: 1-15

Second Lesson: Romans 5: 12-end

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that, as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

Friday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 118

First Lesson: Exodus 19

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 6: 22-40

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 112, 113

First Lesson: Exodus 18

Second Lesson: Ephesians 4: 31-Ephesians 5:-21

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Thursday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 110, 111

First Lesson: Exodus 17

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 6: 1-21

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday Evening Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Psalms 107 : 33-end

First Lesson: Exodus 15:27-Exodus 16: -35

Magnificat (Go to link for Order for Evening Prayer and scroll down)

Second Lesson: Ephesians 4: 17-30

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O GOD, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant Thmas Ken, Bishop of Bath & Wells, to be a Bishop in thy Church and to feed thy flock: We beseech thee to send down upon all thy Bishops, the Pastors of thy Church, the abundant gift of thy Holy Spirit, that they, being endued with power from on high, and ever walking in the footsteps of thy holy Apostles, may minister before thee in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 107 : 1-32

First Lesson: Exodus 15:1-26
Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 5: 24-end

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O GOD, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant Thmas Ken, Bishop of Bath & Wells, to be a Bishop in thy Church and to feed thy flock: We beseech thee to send down upon all thy Bishops, the Pastors of thy Church, the abundant gift of thy Holy Spirit, that they, being endued with power from on high, and ever walking in the footsteps of thy holy Apostles, may minister before thee in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, March 21, 2006

Tuesday Evening Prayer

St. Joseph of Nazareth, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 113, 116

First Lesson: Genesis 49:22-26

Magnificat (see link for the Order for Evening Prayer above and scroll down)

Second Lesson: Luke 2: 41-52

Collects of the Day.

O GOD Most High, who from the family of thy servant David didst raise up Joseph the carpenter to be protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: Grant that we may so labour in our earthly vocations, that they may become labours of love and service offered unto thee, our Father; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday, March 20, 2006

St. Joseph of Nazareth

O GOD Most High, who from the family of thy servant David didst raise up Joseph the carpenter to be protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: Grant that we may so labour in our earthly vocations, that they may become labours of love and service offered unto thee, our Father; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE LESSON. Isaiah 9. 2.

THE people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined. Thou hast multiplied the nation, thou hast increased their joy: they joy before thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil. For thou hast broken the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian. For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise, and garments rolled in blood; but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgement and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

THE GOSPEL. St Luke 2. 15.

AND it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Tuesday Morning Prayer

St. Joseph of Nazareth, Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary


The Order for Morning Prayer


Psalms 96, 97, 98

First Lesson: Genesis 41:38-43

Te Deum (see link for the Order for Morning Prayer above and scroll down)

Second Lesson: Matthew 2: 13-23

Collects of the Day.

O GOD Most High, who from the family of thy servant David didst raise up Joseph the carpenter to be protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: Grant that we may so labour in our earthly vocations, that they may become labours of love and service offered unto thee, our Father; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday Evening Prayer

Eve of St. Joseph


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 110, 111, 112

First Lesson: Genesis 39:1-5

Second Lesson: Matthew 1: 18-25

Collects of the Day.

O GOD Most High, who from the family of thy servant David didst raise up Joseph the carpenter to be protector of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of our Lord: Grant that we may so labour in our earthly vocations, that they may become labours of love and service offered unto thee, our Father; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 102

First Lesson: Exodus 12:37-end
Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 4: 27-end

Collects of the Day.

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty to be our defence against all our enemies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O GOD, our heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thy blessed Apostles and send them forth to preach thy Gospel of salvation unto all the nations: We bless thy holy Name for thy servant N., whose labours we commemorate this day, and we pray thee, according to thy holy Word, to send forth many labourers into thy harvest; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Saturday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 90

First Lesson: Exodus 12:1-20

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 4: 1-26

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant N., and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Friday Morning Prayer

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 11: The Lord is glorious in His saints. O come let us worship.

Psalms 86, 87

First Lesson: Exodus 10:1-20

Te Deum (see Order for Morning Prayer above, and scroll down)

Second Lesson: John 3: 22-end

Collects of the Day.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thy blessed Apostles and send them forth to preach thy Gospel of salvation unto all the nations: We bless thy holy Name for thy servant St. Patrick, whose labours we commemorate this day, and we pray thee, according to thy holy Word, to send forth many labourers into thy harvest; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday Morning Prayer

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


The Order for Evening Prayer


Invitatory 11: The Lord is glorious in His saints. O come let us worship.

Psalms 88

First Lesson: Exodus 10:21-Exodus 11:-end

Second Lesson: Ephesians 1

Collects of the Day.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thy blessed Apostles and send them forth to preach thy Gospel of salvation unto all the nations: We bless thy holy Name for thy servant St. Patrick, whose labours we commemorate this day, and we pray thee, according to thy holy Word, to send forth many labourers into thy harvest; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Thursday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 81

First Lesson: Exodus 9:13-end

Second Lesson: Philemon


Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 79, 80

First Lesson: Exodus 8:20-Exodus 9: -12

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 3: 1-21


Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 77

First Lesson: Exodus 8:1-19

Second Lesson: Colossians 4: 2-end


Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, March 14, 2006

Wednesday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 75, 76

First Lesson: Exodus 7:8-end

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 2


Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 72

First Lesson: Exodus 6:2-13 & Exodus 7: 1-7

Second Lesson: Colossians 3:12-Colossians 4:-end


Collects of the Day.


O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Gregory the Great, doctor and Bishop of Rome, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Monday, March 13, 2006

Tuesday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 11: The Lord is glorious in His saints: O come let us worship

Psalms 71

First Lesson: Exodus 4:27-Exodus 5, -Exodus 6:-1

Te Deum (see order for Morning Prayer)

Second Lesson: John 1: 29-end


Collects of the Day.


O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Gregory the Great, doctor and Bishop of Rome, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

LENT II 2006

Sermon for Lent II 1006 by Fr. Carl Reid, dean of the Cathedral of the Annunication of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ottawa.

In last Sunday’s Gospel reading we heard read the historical events of our Lord’s temptation in the wilderness, an episode of spiritual testing. Insofar as our Lenten Gospel passages are concerned, now from this Second Sunday in Lent and right through to Holy Week, we pass to contemplation of our own spiritual needs.
The Epistle readings, actually beginning with last week’s reading from St. Paul’s second letter to the Church at Corinth and running through the first three Sundays in Lent, put before us the kind of life that God requires of us – additional contemplation of our spiritual needs.
There is one other common thread in these first three weeks of Lent, from the Gospel readings – a word that appears either in singular or plural in all three readings – devil or devils. Last Sunday, we heard of our Lord’s being “led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil,” and His associated resistances against the wiles of the devil. Today and next Sunday, we hear about Jesus casting out devils from mere mortals such as you and me.
We might tend to gloss over the issue of the Canaanite woman’s daughter being “grievously vexed with a devil” when we come to that apparently awkward phrase from our Lord, “It is not right to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to dogs.” But before we consider the profound symbolism of that surprising comment from Jesus, let us spend a moment or two thinking about devils.
What do you think of devils? There is no denying that, for much of western history, starting with the Bible, and in literature and art ever since, devils have occupied a fairly prominent place. But beginning with some rather unfortunate post-Enlightenment thinking, the very idea of the existence of the devil, or devils, began to be pushed out of our minds. After all, was not the devil defeated for all time through the Crucifixion and Resurrection of our Lord? Well, he and his minions, sure enough were defeated there, but that doesn’t mean that they are going to stop trying – the Book of Revelation makes that clear enough.
Still, aided by cloudy thinking coming even out of the Church, the idea of the devil or devils has become very suspect in the minds of most western people, and I daresay, even many believers. After all, we have grown out of such childish beliefs; we sensible, modern, enlightened people are just not going to take them seriously.
But to our own detriment might we look at them as fairy tale or superstition; and, not least through the lessons in the Gospels, we should take to heart the reality and power of devils. What is a word from the pages of the New Testament as it applies to how the devil can make his way into our lives and even our hearts? - subtilty. And indeed he and his are subtle – they have succeeded in disguising their activities so effectively that even many churchgoers are blissfully unaware of said activities. That is one of the primary messages contained in C. S. Lewis’ book, The Screwtape Letters, in which the target of the influence of Wormwood, a normal churchgoing person was simply unaware of that influence.
Perhaps our terminology has changed very much over the course of history, but the realities of our spiritual lives, our spiritual struggles are very much the same as they always have been. Certainly, we might think of obvious things such as carnal lusts, dishonesty and the like as being under the influence of the devil or devils; however, any spiritual perversion, many quite subtle, some not so subtle, are their work as well. Shall we hear some that John Baillie puts in front of us in his Diary of Private Prayer?
• self-deception or rationalization in the face of temptation;
• applying different standards of conduct to ourselves than that which we demand or expect of others;
• choosing the worse when we know the better;
• blindness to the sufferings of others and slowness to be taught by our own;
• complacence towards wrongs that do not touch my own life, and over-sensitiveness to those that do;
• slowness to see the good in others and to see the evil in ourselves;
• hardness of heart towards my neighbour’s faults and readiness to make allowance for my own;
• unwillingness to believe that God has called me to a small work and my brother to a great one;
• praying that all those with whom we have to do may receive God’s blessing, yet harbouring in our hearts wrongful feelings of jealousy, bitterness or anger towards any of them;
• holding to any undertaking on which we dare not ask God’s blessing;
• seeking opportunities of revenge against those whom we perceive to be our enemies or have done us wrong rather than seeking God’s blessing on them; and so on.
To be “vexed by a devil” can be any one of these things, having our wills and our focus bent on such things; to be absorbed in worldly things, especially those that do not edify, do not further the kingdom of God. Now, to be sure, there are very many things that we do wrong, the Church used to call them “sins,” springing in an instant from our faulty human natures and free will that may not be under the influence of a devil. But, simply to chalk up all such behaviour or thoughts always to an insufficient amount of guidance by the Holy Spirit, or to the faults of human nature (my sinfulness as inherited from Adam), or to day-by-day distractions is exactly what the devil wishes. He is never so successful, nor so happy, as when he accomplishes all of this in us, and we deny his very existence, let alone his influence.
Now, to be sure, the Canaanite woman’s daughter, in being vexed by a devil, might have been exhibiting some much more unseemly, physical behaviour that made her condition more obvious than for the general population, for any of us. Yet I daresay that those of us who do not manifest physically being vexed by a devil in some sort of obvious way are in the graver danger, especially if we persist in the fantasy that we are not under any such evil influences.
Let us now come to the episode as recorded in today’s Gospel. This is one of those historically recorded incidents in the pages of Holy Scripture that, quite aside from the face-value lesson, has profound dimensions far beyond the characters involved.
At face value, we can certainly see another miracle of healing as performed by our Lord, thus further manifesting His divinity. We also see that, in this episode, the words spoken by Simeon when he took up the infant Jesus in his arms some 30 years earlier, “a light to lighten the Gentiles,” begin to be fulfilled. And this, even after Jesus had commented that His mandate was primarily to call back to God “the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
But what of that even more awkward statement of Jesus, “It is not right to take the children’s bread, and cast it to dogs?” If here we might be thinking of the rather derogatory practice that the Jews had of referring to Gentiles as “dogs” then surely, based not least on the woman’s almost cheerful response to such a slight, we might guess that Jesus must have said that to her with a twinkle in His eye, or a smile on His face. But the episode is less confrontational than that. The word that Jesus used was the diminutive, referring to a family pet as opposed to some unclean beast, which might better have been translated “puppy.” Recognizing that, the woman’s response makes more sense.
Yet, there is a much deeper symbolic significance to the whole episode, and not just the woman’s response. Matthew tells us that she was a Canaanite. Now we might recall from the Old Testament that, upon entering the Promised Land, the Jews attempted to drive out the pagan population – the Canaanites. Those Canaanites who remained, stayed as despised outcasts.
So, in the eyes of a Jew, the Canaanite woman, one quite outside of the covenant between God and His chosen people, is as far as possible from having any claim upon the “children’s bread.” Yet, nevertheless, she comes in humility and trust: “The little dogs,” she says, those who have no claim neither by covenant nor by simple basic rights of any sort, “The little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s table.” She came to our Lord as an outsider, not trusting that whatever faith she might have had was worth anything, but rather placing all of her faith in Him. She could not plead any merit, let alone any right; and the grace of God is not withheld: “O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee as thou wilt.” This Canaanite woman is the symbol of all of us, who have no natural claims upon God’s favour. Jesus’ gift to her stands for the free, unmerited grace of God.
It has been observed that, aside from earlier medieval Collects, this episode, along with the healing of the centurion’s servant, were the source for the first half of Thomas Cranmer’s Prayer of Humble Access which we pray just before we receive the precious Body and Blood, before we partake of that heavenly Food from the Lord’s Table. “We do not presume to come to this thy table … we are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy table.”
How many of us, perhaps indignantly, would reply quite differently than the woman if someone, even our Lord, were to call us a dog, or even a puppy? Rather than saying that she is not, as any of us might in the same situation, she agrees, “Yes I am a dog; I have no rights, I am not worthy, but might I, like a dog, at least eat some of the crumbs from your Table?”
There is a closely related part of the episode for which we must also acknowledge levels of symbolism, and that is the healing granted to the daughter of the woman. Quite clearly, God’s grace of healing was granted in relation to the woman’s faith. Insofar as the healing was from being vexed by a devil, we see that it is only in recognition of, and with complete faith in, the true and living God that we are delivered from false gods, from the distractions of the world, the flesh and the devil. And in a close connection with next week’s Gospel reading, we must always be aware that, while we can, with God’s help, cast out one devil, we must always be on guard against seven other devils, worse than the first, rushing in to take his place.
I also mentioned earlier that, at face value, we witness another one of Jesus’ miracles of healing. The circumstances of this particular healing – that the woman recognized that she had no merit or right to insist that God do anything for her – is also very symbolic, as it relates to our Lord’s healing miracles.
There is a tendency to misunderstand His miracles by viewing them in an earthbound literalistic sense. People sometimes think that this episode, along with others where faith is a component, suggest that, so long as we possess a true and lively faith, we should never get sick, that faith should be able to overcome all earthly ills – to heal the sick and even raise the dead. A complete reading of the New Testament will reveal that this is not the point at all. We must always acknowledge, in humility, that God indeed makes miracles, when He wills, with whom He wills, and as He wills, but there is nothing in His teaching or promises that indicate that His will is that we should live forever in perfect health in some sort of earthly paradise. Like the Canaanite woman, we must acknowledge that God owes us no miracles. She did not presume to come to His table trusting in her own righteousness, but in His manifold and great mercy.
As real as they were, and as they continue to be today, God’s miracles of healing are, most importantly, symbolic acts – signs that He can heal grave physical ills, that He can cast out the devils that vex us, that truly humble acceptance of His will can make our spirits whole. And that is after all the most important point, as it is our spirits, our souls, not our bodies, that exist through all eternity.
And so we come to His Table as did the Canaanite woman, without presuming to be rewarded based on our own merits, without any claim or rights to God’s grace. And yet come we must, as He told us to, burying all pride in whatever faith that we think we have developed through our own efforts and rather acknowledging that faith is a gift from Him; seeking, if we might somehow, be able to partake of even one small crumb; but that is enough. As He did for the Canaanite woman, He need speak the word only…
THE ANNUNCIATION, OTTAWA 2006 CLRK

Monday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 68

First Lesson: Exodus 4:1-23


Second Lesson: Colossians 2: 8-Colossians 3:-11


Collects of the Day.


ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Symeon and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday, March 12, 2006

Monday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 68

First Lesson: Exodus 2:23-Exodus 3:-end

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: John 1: 1-28


Collects of the Day.


ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Symeon and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer



Psalms 130:, 131:, 134:


First lesson: Genesis 43: 1-15, 27-end

Second Lesson: Luke 22:31-53

Collects of the Day.


ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN LENT

THE COLLECT.

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE EPISTLE. 1 Thessalonians 4. 1.

WE beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk, and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what charges we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication; that every one of you should know how to keep his own body in holiness and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God; that no man transgress, and wrong his brother in this matter; because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

THE GOSPEL. St Matthew 15. 21.

JESUS went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and knelt before him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not right to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord; yet the little dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Sunday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 51:

First lesson: Genesis 32: 1-30

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: Matthew 27: 57:-Matthew 28: -end


After the Creed, The Litany
Collects of the Day.


ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 119: 161-176

First lesson: Exodus 2: 11-22


Second Lesson: Colossians 1: 21-: -Colossians 2: :-7

Collects of the Day.

Almighty GOD, who sees that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and to the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 119: 145-160

First lesson: Exodus 1: 1-14, 22-Exodus 2:-10

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: Matthew 27: 57:-Matthew 28: -end


Collects of the Day.


ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and to the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, March 09, 2006

Friday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 119: 121-144

First lesson: Genesis 49: 33- Genesis 50-end.

Second Lesson: Colossians 1:1-20

Collects of the Day.

O GOD, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and didst send thy blessed Son Jesus Christ to preach peace to them that are afar off and to them that are nigh: Grant that all peoples of the world may feel after thee and find thee; and hasten, O Lord, the fulfilment of thy promise to pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and to the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 119: 105-120

First lesson: Genesis 49: 1-32

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: Matthew 27: 27-56

Collects of the Day.

O GOD, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and didst send thy blessed Son Jesus Christ to preach peace to them that are afar off and to them that are nigh: Grant that all peoples of the world may feel after thee and find thee; and hasten, O Lord, the fulfilment of thy promise to pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and to the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 45

First lesson: Genesis 48

Second Lesson: Philippians 4

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Gregory of Nyssa, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Thursday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 44

First lesson: Genesis 47: 13-end

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: Matthew 27: 1-26

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Gregory of Nyssa, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

Wednesday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 119: 41-64

First lesson: Genesis 46: 26- Genesis 47:12

Second Lesson: Philippians 3

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and to the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant N. to be a Bishop in thy Church and to feed thy flock: We beseech thee to send down upon all thy Bishops, the Pastors of thy Church, the abundant gift of thy Holy Spirit, that they, being endued with power from on high, and ever walking in the footsteps of thy holy Apostles, may minister before thee in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday, March 07, 2006

Wednesday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 119: 25-40

First lesson: Genesis 45: 16- Genesis 46:7

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.

Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.

Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.

Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.

And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.

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.

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Second Lesson: Matthew 26:57-end

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church: Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and to the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, who didst raise up thy faithful servant N. to be a Bishop in thy Church and to feed thy flock: We beseech thee to send down upon all thy Bishops, the Pastors of thy Church, the abundant gift of thy Holy Spirit, that they, being endued with power from on high, and ever walking in the footsteps of thy holy Apostles, may minister before thee in thy household as true servants of Christ and stewards of thy divine mysteries; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.


ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Tuesday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 36

First lesson: Genesis 45: 1-15


Second Lesson: Philippians 2

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Saint Thomas Aquinas, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Tuesday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 35: 1-3 & 11-28

First lesson: Genesis 44

Salvator Mundi

Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.
Thou didst save thy disciples when ready to perish: / hear us and save us we humbly beseech thee.
Let the pitifulness of they great mercy / loose us from our sins we humbly beseech thee.
Draw near according to thy promise from the throne of thy glory: / look down and hear our crying we humbly beseech the.
Come again and dwell with us, O Lord Christ Jesus: / abide with us for ever we humbly beseech thee.
And when thou shalt appear with power and great glory: / may we be made like unto thee, in thy glorious Kingdom.
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.
Ant. O Saviour of the world, who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us;/ save us and help us we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.



Second Lesson: Matthew 26:31-56

Collects of the Day.



ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O GOD, who by thy Holy Spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Saint Thomas Aquinas, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Monday, March 06, 2006

Monday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 31

First lesson: Genesis 43:15-end

Second Lesson: Philippians 1

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who didst bestow upon thy Saints such marvellous virtue, that they were able to stand fast, and have the victory against the world, the flesh, and the devil: Grant that we, who now commemorate thy Martyr Perpetua and her companions (Africa 203)may ever rejoice in their fellowship, and also be enabled by thy grace to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold upon eternal life; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Our Lenten Journey Begins



Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil.


Lent is a journey which we Christians undertake each year. It begins in ashes, ends in glory and passes through a vale of tears in between. We should view it as a pilgrimage of sorrow to a destination of joy.

On Ash Wednesday, the starting point of this journey, the ancient collect appointed to be prayed that day and every day during Lent, sets out for us so much of what Lent is, or should be.

Almighty and Everlasting God. God. God is. Lent is about God. He is real; He is almighty and He is eternal. If we forget that, the glory at the end of this journey will elude us. Indeed, we must acknowledge God for who and what He is in order even to make this journey.

…who hatest nothing that thou hast made. Love. Lent is about love, the Divine Love God has for His creatures. That knowledge gives us reason to make this journey. It gives us motive for attending to the details of this journey. If we do attend to those details, we are responding in the right way to God’s Love, returning it with our inadequate gestures of love for Him.

…and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent. Mercy. Lent is about God’s mercy. If in returning His Love we can show true sorrow for our sins, God forgives them. There is no more pressing reason for making this journey than to obtain God’s mercy and forgiveness. We all need it.

Create and make in us new and contrite hearts. Renewal. Lent is about renewal, and that fundamentally means renewal in the image of God. Isn’t it wonderful that God set things up so that the Church gives us this opportunity for renewal each and every year? If we embrace this opportunity then this Lenten journey can bring us year by year closer to that living image of God which He desires us to be. In reality, it can bring us, through the Grace of God, closer to God.

…that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness. Sincerity. Lent is about sincere contrition. Sins are not trivial matters. For one thing, as Psalm 51 says, Against thee, thee only have I sinned. Our sins are offences against God. At any time, but especially during this season, there can be nothing casual about our repentance. Lent is a time for mourning over our fallen nature and our acts of transgression.

…may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness. Closure. Lent is about slamming the door on those sins which we have brought with sincere, deep, sorrow to God. God alone slams that door. His forgiveness is perfect, His remission complete. He buries those sins and we must guard against digging them up again. To do so is to invite repetition.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jesus Christ. Lent is above all else about Jesus Christ.

Lent commemorates His forty days in the wilderness. The Holy Spirit led Him there to finish His preparation for His ministry in fasting and prayer.

As the Divine Son of God, Jesus needed no such preparation. But in His full humanity, He did. And in this act of submission to the command of the Divine Spirit within Him, God the Son made Himself perfect man. Perfect man is perfectly obedient to God.

That is why the Church encourages us to make, during Lent, quiet time, time to listen for the Holy Spirit because if we cannot hear we cannot obey. This is important at any time, of course, but especially so during this penitential season.

In His perfect manhood, Jesus also shows His great sympathy for our human condition. He was completely without sin, so no sinful urge could possibly arise within Him. But He allowed Himself to be subjected to the external temptations of the devil.

In this, we can see the loving arms of Jesus Christ reaching out to us. We can hear His gentle voice saying, I know what you are enduring. The writer of the Epistle to The Hebrews says, for in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. Heb.2:18.

We must expect the devil to attack us, perhaps more so during Lent than at other times. He hates it when we are trying to be good and if he was prepared to attack Jesus, he is certainly going to have a go at us. The disciple is not greater than his master.

But Jesus knows all this and He is with us. His arms are always extended to us. He understands our tribulation, not because of the Cross, but because He has been in that vale of tears through which we travel. For me, this lifts from Lent a great deal of the burden and lightens the remainder with hope.

Jesus asks only that we do come to Him, in fasting and in prayer as He, in His manhood went to The Father. Fasting is a requirement, for those who have no reason not to. In Mt. 6:16, which we read on Ash Wednesday, Jesus does not say, if ye fast. He says, when ye fast. It is one of those acts of penitence which is required of those who can do it. Those who cannot, usually for health reasons, must find other acts of contrition. The Church specifies only two obligatory fasting days, but for the contrite, more are most certainly in order.

Fasting is not just an act of contrition, of course. It is a means of subduing the flesh under the spirit. By such acts we focus our attention more on God. I certainly find that when I fast, there are times when I can only avoid food by calling upon God and reminding myself of that sacrifice of our Lord upon the Cross. A little hunger now and again pales into insignificance against that.

And what of prayer? Time and time again Jesus shows by example that we must pray. He tells us to pray and He even tells us how to pray.

Towards the end of this Lenten journey, we will hear Him tell us to pray, twice in a short space of time. On both occasions He gives us the reason. From the Gospel appointed for Wednesday in Holy Week, Luke 21, Pray, that ye enter not into temptation. Luke 21:40 and in v46, arise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

There, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus tells us that prayer is our protection against succumbing to temptation. What a message for Lent!

May God grant us a truly Holy Lent. May we, through His Grace acknowledge Him as Almighty God; thank Him for His boundless Love; throw ourselves upon His Mercy; be renewed by Him in His image; offer to Him broken and contrite hearts and receive His perfect forgiveness. We ask this in name of Jesus Christ, our perfect example, our hope and our Saviour. Amen.

Peter Jardine+
Lent 1, 2006

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Monday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 30, 32

First lesson: Genesis 43:1-14

Second Lesson: Matthew 26:1-30

Collects of the Day.



ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, who didst bestow upon thy Saints such marvellous virtue, that they were able to stand fast, and have the vitory against the world, the flesh, and the devil: Grant that we, who now commemorate thy Martyr Perpetua and her companions (Africa 203)may eer rejoice in their fellowship, and also be enabled by thy grace to fight the good fight of faith and lay hold upon eternal life; through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

Sunday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Psalms 32, 36

First lesson: Genesis 42

Second Lesson: Luke 22:11-30

Collects of the Day.



ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Saturday, March 04, 2006

First Sunday in Lent Epistle and Gospel

THE COLLECT.

O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

THE EPISTLE. 2 Corinthians 6. 1.

WE then, as workers together with him, beseech you also, that ye receive not the grace of God in vain; (for he saith,

I have heard thee in a time accepted,
And in the day of salvation have I succoured thee:

behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation;) giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed; but in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God; by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left; by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

THE GOSPEL. St Matthew 4. 1.

THEN was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted by the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an-hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written,

Man shall not live by bread alone,
But by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on the pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written,

He shall give his angels charge concerning thee,
And in their hands they shall bear thee up,
Lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus said unto him, It is written again,

Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written,

Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God,
And him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

Sunday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance. O come let us worship

Psalms 38

First lesson: Genesis 29:1-20

Second Lesson: Hebrews 4:14-15:10

Collects of the Day.



ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory; who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. Amen.

Saturday Evening Prayer


The Order for Evening Prayer


Invitatory 11: The Lord is glorious in his saints. O come let us worship

Psalms 19

First lesson: Genesis 41:1-40

Second Lesson: Matthew 25: 31-end

Collects of the Day.



ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O God, our heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thy blessed Apostles and send them forth to preach thy Gospel of salvation unto all the nations: We bless thy holy Name for thy servant St. David of Wales, Archbishop of Menevia ( C.544) whose labours we commemorate this day, and we pray thee, according to thy holy Word, to send forth many labourers into thy harvest; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Saturday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 11: The Lord is glorious in his saints. O come let us worship

Psalms 19

First lesson: Genesis 41:1-40

Second Lesson: Matthew 25: 31-end

Collects of the Day.



ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O God, our heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thy blessed Apostles and send them forth to preach thy Gospel of salvation unto all the nations: We bless thy holy Name for thy servant St. David of Wales, Archbishop of Menevia ( C.544) whose labours we commemorate this day, and we pray thee, according to thy holy Word, to send forth many labourers into thy harvest; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Friday, March 03, 2006

Friday Evening Prayer

The Order for Evening Prayer

Psalm 17

Genesis 40

Romans 15

Collects of the Day.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O Almighty God, who willest to be glorified in thy Saints, and didst raise up thy servant Aelred of Rievaultx, Abbot, to shine as a light in the world: Shine, we pray thee, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth they praises, who has called us out of darkness into thy marvellous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Friday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance

Psalms 15, 16

First lesson: Genesis 39

Second Lesson: Matthew 25: 1-30

Collects of the Day.



ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.


O Almighty God, who willest to be glorified in thy Saints, and didst raise up thy servant Aelred of Rievaultx, Abbot, to shine as a light in the world: Shine, we pray thee, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth they praises, who has called us out of darkness into thy marvellous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Thursday Evening Prayer

The Order for Evening Prayer

Psalm 10

Genesis 37

Matthew 24:29-end

Collects of the Day.


O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thy blessed Apostles and send them forth to preach thy Gospel of salvation unto all the nations: We bless thy holy Name for thy servant Chad, Missionary, first bishop of Lichfield (672), whose labours we commemorate this day, and we pray thee, according to thy holy Word, to send forth many labourers into thy harvest; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Thursday Morning Prayer


The Order for Morning Prayer


Invitatory 4: The goodness of God leadeth to repentance

Psalm: 9

First lesson: Genesis 35: 1-20

Second Lesson: Matthew 24: 29 end

Collects of the Day.


O LORD, who hast taught us that all our doings without charity are nothing worth: Send thy Holy Spirit, and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all virtues, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

O GOD, our heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst call thy blessed Apostles and send them forth to preach thy Gospel of salvation unto all the nations: We bless thy holy Name for thy servant Chad, Missionary, first bishop of Lichfield (672), whose labours we commemorate this day, and we pray thee, according to thy holy Word, to send forth many labourers into thy harvest; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, March 01, 2006

Evening Prayer Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing: the people still kneeling.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live, hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins.

He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.

Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here the Lord's Prayer may be said; the people repeating it with the Minister.

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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALM 102

PSALM 102. Domine, exaudi.

HEAR my prayer, O LORD, / and let my crying come unto thee.

2 Hide not thy face from me in the time of my trouble: / incline thine ear unto me; O hear me when I call, and that right soon.

3 For my days consume away like smoke, / and my bones are burnt up as it were a fire-brand.

4 My heart is smitten down, and withered like grass; / for I forget to eat my bread.

5 For the voice of my groaning, / my bones cleave to my flesh.

6 I am become like a pelican in the wilderness, / and like an owl that is in the desert.

7 I watch, and am even as it were a sparrow, / that sitteth alone upon the house-top.

8 Mine enemies revile me all the day long; / and they that are mad against me use my name as a curse.

9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, / and mingled my drink with weeping;

10 And that because of thine indignation and wrath; / for thou hast taken me up and cast me down.

11 My days are gone like a shadow; / and I am withered like grass.

12 BUT thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever, / and thy remembrance throughout all generations.

13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion; / for it is time that thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.

14 And why? thy servants think upon her stones, / and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.

15 The nations shall fear thy Name, O LORD, / and all the kings of the earth thy majesty;

16 When the LORD hath built up Sion, / and when he hath appeared in his glory;

17 When he hath turned him unto the prayer of the poor destitute, / and hath not despised their desire.

18 This shall be written for those that come after; / and a people which shall be born shall praise the LORD.

19 For he hath looked down from his sanctuary; / out of the heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

20 That he might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity, / and deliver them that are appointed unto death;

21 That they may declare the Name of the LORD in Sion, / and his worship in Jerusalem;

22 When the peoples are gathered together, / and the kingdoms also, to serve the LORD.

23 HE hath brought down my strength in my journey, / and shortened my days.

24 I will say, 'O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age; / as for thy years, they endure throughout all generations.'

25 Thou, LORD, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; / and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: / they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

27 And as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed; / but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

28 The children of thy servants shall continue, / and their seed shall stand fast in thy sight.


Then the FIRST LESSON as appointed.

Isaiah 58

1 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.
2 Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.
3 Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours.
4 Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?
6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?
7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?
8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity;
10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day:
11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
12 And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.




And after that shall be sung or said Magnificat (or the Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary).
MAGNIFICAT. St. Luke 1:46

MY soul doth magnify the Lord, / and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded / the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth / all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me; / and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him / throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm; / he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, / and hath exalted the humble and the meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; / and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy / hath holpen his servant Israel;

As he promised to our forefathers, / Abraham and his seed for 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.

Or Cantate Domino, Psalm 98, page 455.

Then THE SECOND LESSON as appointed.

HEBREWS 3:12-4:13

12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end;
15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.
16 For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses.
17 But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness?
18 And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not?
19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.




And after that shall be sung or said Nunc Dimittis (or the Son of Simeon).
NUNC DIMITTIS. St. Luke 2:29.

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, / according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, / which thou has prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, / and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

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.

Or else Deus Misereatur, Psalm 67, page 409.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY, together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

THE COLLECT.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or a Hymn.

Here may be said the prayers found at this point in Morning Prayer or selections from the Prayers and Thanksgivings or such other prayers as are contained in this Book or set forth by lawful authority, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

A Penitential Service and Readings for Ash Wednesday Eucharist

A Penitential Service for Ash Wednesday

THE FIRST DAY OF LENT COMMONLY CALLED ASH WEDNESDAY

(Readings for Mass)

THE COLLECT.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

This Collect is to be read every day in Lent after the Collect appointed for the day until Holy Week.

THE EPISTLE. St James 4. 6.

GOD bestoweth abundant grace; wherefore the Scripture saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double-minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Speak not evil one of another, brethren.

THE GOSPEL. St Matthew 6. 16.

AND Jesus spake unto his disciples, saying, When ye fast, be not as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall recompense thee. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

Morning Prayer Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

The Absolution, or Remission of sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing: the people still kneeling.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live, hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins.

He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel.

Wherefore we beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The people shall answer here, and at the end of all other prayers:

Amen.

Here the Lord's Prayer may be said; the people repeating it with the Minister.

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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.



GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.


Invitatory 4:
The goodness of God leadeth to repentance: O come, let us worship.


Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95

O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

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.

The goodness of God leadeth to repentance: O come, let us worship.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.
PSALM 6. Domine, ne in furore.

O LORD, rebuke me not in thine indignation, / neither chasten me in thy displeasure.

2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak; / O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

3 My soul also is sore troubled: / but thou, O LORD, how long?

4 TURN thee, O LORD, and deliver my soul; / O save me for thy mercy's sake.

5 For in death no man remembereth thee; / and who will give thee thanks in the pit?

6 I AM weary of my groaning; / every night wash I my bed, and water my couch with my tears.

7 My beauty is gone for very trouble, / and worn away because of all mine enemies.

8 AWAY from me, all ye that work iniquity; / for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The LORD hath heard my petition; / the LORD will receive my prayer.

10 All mine enemies shall be confounded, and sore vexed; / they shall be turned back, and put to shame suddenly.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

PSALM 143. Domine, exaudi.

HEAR my prayer, O LORD, and consider my desire: / hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness' sake.

2 And enter not into judgement with thy servant; / for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground: / he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within me, / and my heart within me is desolate.

5 Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works: / yea, I meditate upon the works of thy hands.

6 I spread forth my hands unto thee: / my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.

7 HEAR me, O LORD, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint: / hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

8 O let me hear thy loving-kindness in the morning, for in thee is my trust: / show thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto thee.

9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies; / for I flee unto thee to hide me.

10 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee, for thou art my God: / let thy loving spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

11 Quicken me, O LORD, for thy Name's sake; / and in thy righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.

12 And of thy goodness cut off mine enemies, / and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.


Then shall be read THE FIRST LESSON as appointed, and before each Lesson the Minister shall say, The First [or Second] Lesson is written in such a book, in such a chapter, beginning at such a verse. And after the Lesson he shall say, Here endeth the First [or Second] Lesson.

FIRST LESSON: Isaiah 57.15-end

15 For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.
16 For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.
17 For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth, and smote him: I hid me, and was wroth, and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart.
18 I have seen his ways, and will heal him: I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.
19 I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the LORD; and I will heal him.
20 But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.
21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.


After the First Lesson shall be sung or said the Hymn Te Deum Laudamus. But the Canticle Benedicite, Omnia Opera, page 26, is suitable of use in Advent, in Lent, on Ember Days (except those in Whitsun Week), on Rogation Days, and when the third chapter of Daniel is read as the First Lesson.

At the discretion of the Minister, the third section of Te Deum may be omitted.
TE DEUM LAUDAMUS.

WE praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therin.

To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee;

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee;

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee;

The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,

The Father, of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true, and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

THOU art the King of Glory, O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.

O LORD, save thy people, and bless thine heritage;

Govern them, and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy Name, ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

Then shall be read in like manner THE SECOND LESSON as appointed; and after that the following Canticle, except when it forms part of the Gospel or Second Lesson appointed for the day.

SECOND LESSON MARK 2:13-22

13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them.
14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.
15 And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.
16 And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?
17 When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
18 And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast: and they come and say unto him, Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?
19 And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber fast, while the bridegroom is with them? as long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.
20 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.
21 No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment: else the new piece that filled it up taketh away from the old, and the rent is made worse.
22 And no man putteth new wine into old bottles: else the new wine doth burst the bottles, and the wine is spilled, and the bottles will be marred: but new wine must be put into new bottles.


Benedictus. St Luke 1:68

BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered our of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

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.

Or instead Jubilate Deo, the 100th Psalm, page 457.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

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 them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

Collect of the Day:

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou has made, and does forgive the sins of all them that are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Grace.

O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or an Hymn.

Then shall be read one of the Prayers for the Queen, and the Prayer for the Clergy and People.

A Prayer for the Queen's Majesty.

O LORD our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way: Endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies, and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or

A Prayer for the Queen and the Commonwealth.

ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, the Parliaments of the Commonwealth, and all who are set in authority under her; that they may order all things in wisdom, righteousness, and peace, to the honour of thy holy Name, and the good of thy Church and people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or

A Prayer for the Queen and all in Authority.

O LORD God Almighty, who rulest the nations of the earth, we humbly beseech thee with thy favour to behold our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, that in all things she may be led by thy guidance and protected by thy power. We pray thee also to bless [*........] and all the Royal Family. Endue with wisdom the Governor-General of this Dominion, the Lieutanant-Governors of the Provinces, the Legislators of the Commonwealth and Empire, and all who are set in authority; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

* Here shall be named, as determined by authority from time to time, the several members of the Royal Family.

Or there may be said the prayer For the Queen, For the Royal Family, or For the Commonwealth: Prayers and Thanksgivings, 21, 22, 23, pages 48 and 49.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then may be read any of the Occasional Prayers or Thanksgivings, or any prayers sanctioned by the Ordinary, always ending with the Prayer of St Chrysostom and the Grace; and before any of the prayers may be said Let us pray for —, and before any of the thanksgivings, Let us give thanks for —.

A Prayer for all Conditions of men.

* This to be said when any desire the Prayers of the Congregation.

O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue our of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the Minister alone, or by the Minister and people together.

* This to be said when any that have been prayed for desire to return thanks.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.