Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:57
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.
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for
us; *
therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,
*
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.
Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
*
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all;
*
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *
and alive
to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.
Christ has been raised from the dead, *
the first
fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death, *
by a man has come
also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die, *
so also in Christ shall all
be made alive. Alleluia.
Happy are they who consider the poor and needy! *
the
LORD will deliver them in the time of trouble.
The LORD preserves them and keeps them alive,
so that
they may be happy in the land; *
he does not hand them over to the
will of their enemies.
The LORD sustains them on their sickbed *
and
ministers to them in their illness.
I said, “LORD, be merciful to me; *
heal me,
for I have sinned against you.”
My enemies are saying wicked things about me: *
“When
will he die, and his name perish?”
Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words;
*
their heart collects false rumors;
they go outside and
spread them.
All my enemies whisper together about me *
and devise
evil against me.
“A deadly thing,” they say, “has
fastened on him; *
he has taken to his bed and will never get up
again.”
Even my best friend, whom I trusted,
who broke bread
with me, *
has lifted up his heel and turned against me.
But you, O LORD, be merciful to me and raise me up,
*
and I shall repay them.
By this I know you are pleased with me, *
that my
enemy does not triumph over me.
In my integrity you hold me fast, *
and shall set me
before your face for ever.
Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, *
from age to age.
Amen. Amen.
You tyrant, why do you boast of wickedness *
against
the godly all day long?
You plot ruin;
your tongue is like a sharpened razor,
*
O worker of deception.
You love evil more than good *
and lying more than
speaking the truth.
You love all words that hurt, *
O you deceitful
tongue.
Oh, that God would demolish you utterly, *
topple
you, and snatch you from your dwelling,
and root you out of the
land of the living!
The righteous shall see and tremble, *
and they shall
laugh at him, saying,
“This is the one who did not take God for a
refuge, *
but trusted in great wealth
and relied upon
wickedness.”
But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
*
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
I will give you thanks for what you have done *
and
declare the goodness of your Name in the presence of the godly.
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 Wisdom of Solomon.
But the ungodly by their
words and deeds summoned death;
considering him a friend, they
pined away
and made a covenant with him,
because they are fit
to belong to his company.
For they reasoned
unsoundly, saying to themselves,
‘Short and sorrowful is our
life,
and there is no remedy when a life comes to its end,
and
no one has been known to return from Hades.
For we were born by
mere chance,
and hereafter we shall be as though we had never
been,
for the breath in our nostrils is smoke,
and reason is a
spark kindled by the beating of our hearts;
when it is
extinguished, the body will turn to ashes,
and the spirit will
dissolve like empty air.
Our name will be forgotten in time,
and
no one will remember our works;
our life will pass away like the
traces of a cloud,
and be scattered like mist
that is chased by
the rays of the sun
and overcome by its heat.
For our
allotted time is the passing of a shadow,
and there is no return
from our death,
because it is sealed up and no one turns back.
‘Come, therefore,
let us enjoy the good things that exist,
and make use of the
creation to the full as in youth.
Let us take our fill of costly
wine and perfumes,
and let no flower of spring pass us by.
Let us crown ourselves with rosebuds before they wither.
Let
none of us fail to share in our revelry;
everywhere let us leave
signs of enjoyment,
because this is our portion, and this our lot.
Let us oppress the righteous poor man;
let us not spare the
widow
or regard the grey hairs of the aged.
But let our might
be our law of right,
for what is weak proves itself to be useless.
Thus they reasoned, but
they were led astray,
for their wickedness blinded them,
and
they did not know the secret purposes of God,
nor hoped for the
wages of holiness,
nor discerned the prize for blameless souls;
for God created us for incorruption,
and made us in the image of
his own eternity,
but through the devil’s envy death
entered the world,
and those who belong to his company experience
it.
The Word of the
Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Surely, it is God who saves me; *
I will trust in him
and not be afraid.
For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *
and
he will be my Savior.
Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *
from
the springs of salvation.
And on that day you shall say, *
Give thanks to the
Lord and call upon his Name;
Make his deeds known among the peoples; *
see that
they remember that his Name is exalted.
Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great
things, *
and this is known in all the world.
Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *
for
the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel.
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 Letter to the Colossians.
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the saints and faithful brothers and sisters in Christ in Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.
In our prayers for you we always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. You have heard of this hope before in the word of the truth, the gospel that has come to you. Just as it is bearing fruit and growing in the whole world, so it has been bearing fruit among yourselves from the day you heard it and truly comprehended the grace of God. This you learned from Epaphras, our beloved fellow servant. He is a faithful minister of Christ on your behalf, and he has made known to us your love in the Spirit.
For this reason, since the day we heard it, we have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of God’s will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you may lead lives worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, as you bear fruit in every good work and as you grow in the knowledge of God. May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully
giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
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. Show
us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And
grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe
your ministers with righteousness;
R. Let
your people sing with joy.
V. Give
peace, O Lord, in all the world;
R. For
only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord,
keep this nation under your care;
R. And
guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let
your way be known upon earth;
R. Your
saving health among all nations.
V. Let
not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor
the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create
in us clean hearts, O God;
R. And
sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people; Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
O God, the King eternal, whose light divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness during the day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 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.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Romans 15:13