Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.
Psalm 19:14
Officiant Lord,
open our lips.
People And
our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy
to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and
raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above
all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the
heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have
molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel
before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his
pasture and the sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would
hearken to his voice!
We give you thanks, O God, we give you thanks, *
calling
upon your Name and declaring all your wonderful deeds.
“I will appoint a time,” says God; *
“I
will judge with equity.
Though the earth and all its inhabitants are quaking,
*
I will make its pillars fast.
I will say to the boasters, ‘Boast no more,’
*
and to the wicked, ‘Do not toss your horns;
Do not toss your horns so high, *
nor speak with a
proud neck.’”
For judgment is neither from the east nor from the west,
*
nor yet from the wilderness or the mountains.
It is God who judges; *
he puts down one and lifts up
another.
For in the LORD’s hand there is a cup,
full of
spiced and foaming wine, which he pours out, *
and all the wicked
of the earth shall drink and drain the dregs.
But I will rejoice for ever; *
I will sing praises to
the God of Jacob.
He shall break off all the horns of the wicked; *
but
the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
In Judah is God known; *
his Name is great in Israel.
At Salem is his tabernacle, *
and his dwelling is in
Zion.
There he broke the flashing arrows, *
the shield, the
sword, and the weapons of battle.
How glorious you are! *
more splendid than the
everlasting mountains!
The strong of heart have been despoiled;
they sink
into sleep; *
none of the warriors can lift a hand.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, *
both horse and
rider lie stunned.
What terror you inspire! *
who can stand before you
when you are angry?
From heaven you pronounced judgment; *
the earth was
afraid and was still;
When God rose up to judgment *
and to save all the
oppressed of the earth.
Truly, wrathful Edom will give you thanks, *
and the
remnant of Hamath will keep your feasts.
Make a vow to the LORD your God and keep it; *
let
all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared.
He breaks the spirit of princes, *
and strikes terror
in the kings of the earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of Numbers.
This is the lineage of Aaron and Moses at the time when the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai. These are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar; these are the names of the sons of Aaron, the anointed priests, whom he ordained to minister as priests. Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered illicit fire before the LORD in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children. Eleazar and Ithamar served as priests in the lifetime of their father Aaron. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, so that they may assist him. They shall perform duties for him and for the whole congregation in front of the tent of meeting, doing service at the tabernacle; they shall be in charge of all the furnishings of the tent of meeting, and attend to the duties for the Israelites as they do service at the tabernacle. You shall give the Levites to Aaron and his descendants; they are unreservedly given to him from among the Israelites. But you shall make a register of Aaron and his descendants; it is they who shall attend to the priesthood, and any outsider who comes near shall be put to death. Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: I hereby accept the Levites from among the Israelites as substitutes for all the firstborn that open the womb among the Israelites. The Levites shall be mine, for all the firstborn are mine; when I killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, I consecrated for my own all the firstborn in Israel, both human and animal; they shall be mine. I am the LORD.
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Glorify the Lord, all you works of the Lord, *
praise
him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, you angels and all powers of the Lord,
*
O heavens and all waters above the heavens.
Sun and moon and stars of the sky, glorify the Lord,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, every shower of rain and fall of dew,
*
all winds and fire and heat.
Winter and Summer, glorify the Lord, *
praise him and
highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O chill and cold, *
drops of dew
and flakes of snow
Frost and cold, ice and sleet, glorify the Lord,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O nights and days, *
O shining
light and enfolding dark.
Storm clouds and thunderbolts, glorify the Lord,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Let the earth glorify the Lord, *
praise him and
highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O mountains and hills,
and all that
grows upon the earth, *
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O springs of water, seas, and streams,
*
O whales and all that move in the waters.
All birds of the air, glorify the Lord, *
praise him
and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O beasts of the wild, *
and all you
flocks and herds.
O men and women everywhere, glorify the Lord, *
praise
him and highly exalt him for ever.
Let the people of God glorify the Lord, *
praise him
and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O priests and servants of the Lord,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Glorify the Lord, O spirits and souls of the righteous,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
You that are holy and humble of heart, glorify the Lord,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
Let us glorify the Lord: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit;
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
In the firmament of his power, glorify the Lord,
*
praise him and highly exalt him for ever.
A Reading from the Gospel According to Matthew.
Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are
they that you have done, *
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *
O
King of all the ages.
Who can fail to do you homage, Lord,
and sing the
praises of your Name? *
for you only are the Holy One.
All nations will draw near and fall down before you,
*
because your just and holy works have been revealed.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
I believe in God, the Father
almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus
Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of
the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered
under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He
descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again.
He
ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of the
Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I
believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the
communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the
resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Officiant The
Lord be with you.
People And
also with you.
Officiant Let
us pray.
Our Father, who art in
heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will
be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our
daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive
those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into
temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the
kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
V. Save
your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R. Govern
and uphold them, now and always.
V. Day
by day we bless you;
R. We
praise your name for ever.
V. Lord,
keep us from all sin today;
R. Have
mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord,
show us your love and mercy;
R. For
we put our trust in you.
V. In
you, Lord, is our hope;
R. And
we shall never hope in vain.
O God, from whom all good proceeds: Grant that by your inspiration we may think those things that are right, and by your merciful guiding may do them; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all your works and sanctified a day of rest for all your creatures: Grant that we, putting away all earthly anxieties, may be duly prepared for the service of your sanctuary, and that our rest here upon earth may be a preparation for the eternal rest promised to your people in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.
Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.
Almighty God, Father of
all mercies,
we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks
for
all your goodness and loving-kindness
to us and to all whom you
have made.
We bless you for our creation, preservation,
and all
the blessings of this life;
but above all for your immeasurable
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 pray, give us such
an awareness of your mercies,
that with truly thankful hearts we
may show forth your praise,
not only with our lips, but in our
lives,
by giving up our selves to your service,
and by walking
before you
in holiness and righteousness all our days;
through
Jesus Christ our Lord,
to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,
be
honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Let us bless the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to God from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20,21