Saturday –
Year 1 Proper 36
Morning Prayer
The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for such the Father seeks to worship him. John 4:23
Versicle and Response
Lord, open our lips.
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.
Jubilate
Be joyful in the
Lord, all you lands; *
serve the Lord with
gladness
and come before his presence with a
song.
Know this: The
Lord himself is God; *
he himself has made us,
and we are his;
we are his people and the
sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates
with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; *
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
For the Lord is
good;
his mercy is everlasting; *
and his
faithfulness endures from age to age.
75
1 We give you
thanks, O God, we give you thanks, *
calling upon your Name and
declaring all your wonderful deeds.
2 "I will
appoint a time," says God; *
"I will judge with equity.
3 Though the
earth and all its inhabitants are quaking, *
I will make its
pillars fast.
4 I will say to
the boasters, 'Boast no more,' *
and to the wicked, 'Do not toss
your horns;
5 Do not toss
your horns so high, *
nor speak with a proud neck.'"
6 For judgment is
neither from the east nor from the west, *
nor yet from the
wilderness or the mountains.
7 It is God who
judges; *
he puts down one and lifts up another.
8 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.
9 But I will
rejoice for ever; *
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10
He shall break off all the horns of the wicked; *
but the horns of
the righteous shall be exalted.
76
1
In Judah is God known; *
his Name is great in Israel.
2 At
Salem is his tabernacle, *
and his dwelling is in Zion.
3
There he broke the flashing arrows, *
the shield, the sword, and
the weapons of battle.
4 How glorious you are! *
more
splendid than the everlasting mountains!
5 The strong of heart
have been despoiled;
they sink into sleep; *
none of the
warriors can lift a hand.
6 At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
*
both horse and rider lie stunned.
7 What terror you
inspire! *
who can stand before you when you are angry?
8
From heaven you pronounced judgment; *
the earth was afraid and
was still;
9 When God rose up to judgment *
and to save all
the oppressed of the earth.
10 Truly, wrathful Edom will give
you thanks, *
and the remnant of Hamath will keep your feasts.
11
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.
12 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.
After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, ‘The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites. For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons. Thus the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands, and in this faithlessness the officials and leaders have led the way.’ When I heard this, I tore my garment and my mantle, and pulled hair from my head and beard, and sat appalled. Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.
At the evening sacrifice I got up from my fasting, with my garments and my mantle torn, and fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the Lord my God, and said,
‘O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors to this day we have been deep in guilt, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as is now the case. But now for a brief moment favour has been shown by the Lord our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that he* may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery. For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.
‘And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, “The land that you are entering to possess is a land unclean with the pollutions of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations. They have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.” After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practise these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you destroy us without remnant or survivor? O Lord, God of Israel, you are just, but we have escaped as a remnant, as is now the case. Here we are before you in our guilt, though no one can face you because of this.’
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Canticle 12 A Song of Creation
Invocation
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.
I The Cosmic Order
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.
II The Earth and its Creatures
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.
III The People of God
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.
Doxology
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.
Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, ‘Come, I will show you the judgement of the great whore who is seated on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and with the wine of whose fornication the inhabitants of the earth have become drunk.’ So he carried me away in the spirit* into a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was full of blasphemous names, and it had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her fornication; and on her forehead was written a name, a mystery: ‘Babylon the great, mother of whores and of earth’s abominations.’ And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.
When I saw her, I was greatly amazed. But the angel said to me, ‘Why are you so amazed? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the inhabitants of the earth, whose names have not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be amazed when they see the beast, because it was and is not and is to come.
‘This calls for a mind that has wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; also, they are seven kings, of whom five have fallen, one is living, and the other has not yet come; and when he comes, he must remain for only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. These are united in yielding their power and authority to the beast; they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.’
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.
The Lord be with
you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
Our Father in
heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will
be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our
daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those
who sin
against us.
Save us from the
time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom,
the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
Govern and uphold them, now and always.
Day by day we bless you;
We praise your name for ever.
Lord, keep us from all sin today;
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy;
For we put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope;
And we shall never hope in vain.
Collect of the Day: Pentecost, proper 26
Almighty and merciful God, it is only by your gift that your faithful people offer you true and laudable service: Grant that we may run without stumbling to obtain your heavenly promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
A Collect for Saturdays
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.
For Mission
O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.
General Thanksgiving
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.
The grace of our
Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the
Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.
2 Corinthians 13:14