Evening Prayer 1.14.21, Richard Meux Benson & Charles Gore, Vowed Religious, 1915, 1932

Posted on January 14, 2021 by Josh Thomas under Daily Office

Tonight’s Evening Prayer podcast.

Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them.

Unique in American history. (Delcia Lopez/The Monitor)

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymn: Light of the World

Light of the world in grace and beauty,
Mirror of God’s eternal face,
Transparent flame of love’s free duty,
You bring salvation to our race.
Now, as we see the lights of evening,
We raise our voice in hymns of praise;
Worthy are you of endless blessing,
Sun of our night, lamp of our days.

Psalm 18:21-50

21 The LORD rewarded me because of my righteous dealing; *
because my hands were clean God rewarded me;
22 For I have kept the ways of the LORD *
and have not offended against my God;
23 For all God’s judgments are before my eyes, *
and the decrees of the LORD I have not put away from me;
24 For I have been blameless with the LORD *
and have kept myself from iniquity;
25 Therefore the LORD rewarded me according to my righteous dealing, *
seeing the cleanness of my hands.
26 With the faithful you show yourself faithful, O God; *
with the forthright you show yourself forthright.
27 With the pure you show yourself pure, *
but with the crooked you are wily.
28 You will save a lowly people, *
but you will humble the haughty eyes.
29 You, O LORD, are my lamp; *
my God, you make my darkness bright.
30 With you I will break down an enclosure; *
with the help of my God I will scale any wall.
31 As for you, O God, your ways are perfect;
the words of the LORD are tried in the fire; *
you are a shield to all who trust in you.
32 For who is God, but the LORD? *
who is the Rock, except our God?
33 It is God who girds me about with strength *
and makes my way secure.
34 You make me sure-footed like a deer *
and let me stand firm on the heights.
35 You train my hands for battle *
and my arms for bending even a bow of bronze.
36 You have given me your shield of victory; *
your right hand also sustains me;
your loving care makes me great.
37 You lengthen my stride beneath me, *
and my ankles do not give way.
38 I pursue my enemies and overtake them; *
I will not turn back till I have destroyed them.
39 I strike them down, and they cannot rise; *
they fall defeated at my feet.
40 You have girded me with strength for the battle; *
you have cast down my adversaries beneath me;
you have put my enemies to flight.
41 I destroy those who hate me;
they cry out, but there is none to help them; *
they cry to the LORD, who does not answer.
42 I beat them small like dust before the wind; *
I trample them like mud in the streets.
43 You deliver me from the strife of the peoples; *
you put me at the head of the nations.
44 A people I have not known shall serve me;
no sooner shall they hear than they shall obey me; *
strangers will cringe before me.
45 The foreign peoples will lose heart; *
they shall come trembling out of their strongholds.
46 The LORD lives! Blessed is my Rock! *
Exalted is the God of my salvation!
47 The LORD is the God who gave me victory *
and cast down the peoples beneath me.
48 You rescued me from the fury of my enemies;
you exalted me above those who rose against me; *
you saved me from my deadly foe.
49 Therefore will I extol you among the nations, O LORD, *
and sing praises to your Name.
50 You multiply the victories of your king; *
you show loving-kindness to your anointed,
to David and his descendants for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Take up your mat and walk. (Ignatian Spirituality)

THE LESSON
Mark 2:1-12 (NRSV)

When Jesus returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” At once Jesus perceived in his spirit that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said to them, “Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and take your mat and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic—“I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.” And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

Canticle: The Song of Mary
Luke 1:46-55

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in you, O God my Savior, *
for you have looked with favor on your lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
you, the Almighty, have done great things for me,
and holy is your Name.
You have mercy on those who fear you *
from generation to generation.
You have shown strength with your arm, *
and scattered the proud in their conceit,
Casting down the mighty from their thrones, *
and lifting up the lowly.
You have filled the hungry with good things, *
and sent the rich away empty.
You have come to the help of your servant Israel, *
for you have remembered your promise of mercy,
The promise made to our forebears, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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 PRAYERS

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.

Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.

Today’s saints are honored because of their roles in reviving monastic life in Anglicanism. Charles Gore was a theologian at Pusey House, Oxford, home of the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, which sought to restore pre-Reformation theology and practice of the Church of England while maintaining its independence from Rome. It was a very conservative movement with a longing for medievalism, but no effective response to German Biblical criticism, which emerged in the same era. Gore broadened the movement to answer the intellectual threat that scientific scholarship posed, and responded to the appalling poverty and displacement of the Industrial Revolution. He made social justice prominent in Anglo-Catholic theology, ministry and mission, and founded the Community of the Resurrection, a monastic order for priests, emphasizing Mass and Mission. (Life magazine)

Collect of the Day: Richard Meux Benson, Priest and Vowed Religious, 1915, and Charles Gore, Bishop and Vowed Religious, 1932

Gracious God, who kindled in your servants Richard Meux Benson and Charles Gore the grace to lead a revival of monastic life: grant us also the resolve to serve you faithfully in contemplation and prayer, ministering to the world that you have made, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

In Time of Calamity

O most mighty and merciful God, in this time of fires, protests and viruses, we flee to you for succor. Deliver the people, we beseech you, from their peril; give strength and skill to all those who minister to the needy; prosper the means of their safety; and grant that, perceiving how frail and uncertain our life is, we all may apply our hearts unto your heavenly wisdom which leads to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Daily Office Prayer
By Josh Thomas

Lord, people come here from all over the world at all hours of the day and night, looking for solace and strength, holiness and transcendence, and a chance meeting with their Creator and your selfless loving Son: Bless those of us who pray here, that held in your embrace, we may comfort and nurture others who are cold, hungry, sick, imprisoned, oppressed or addicted, welcoming them into the joy of your community. Arm and equip us as your ministers, O Lord, and teach us to love our neighbors as ourselves, judging not lest we also be judged; through Jesus Christ, our Messiah, High Priest and Deliverer. Amen.

A Collect for the Presence of Christ

Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know you as you are revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of your love. Amen.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of Agra, North India

Thursday Evening Prayer List

For Sobriety & Recovery
Everyone missing their 12-step groups
Men of Reconciliation House
Jon
Stacey
Ian
Talmadge
Martin
Perry
Blake
Beth
Phoebe

For Those with Addictions

O blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion on all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love. Amen.

For Mental Health & Family Harmony
Solly
Samantha
Scotty
Adam
Lyle
Beth

For those with mental illness
by Josh Thomas

O heavenly Father, look with your love on all your children who are living with mental illness; bless them with kindness and patience. Give them true friends who understand them and knowledgable therapists with competence and compassion. Soothe their worries, lift their spirits, help them to trust others, quiet their negative thinking, help them care for themselves and give them peace; through the infinite mercy of your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Please add your own prayers here.

For the Mission of the Church

Almighty God, you sent your Son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself: We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your servants call upon your Name; for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours for ever. Amen.

The 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.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine; Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21++

VIDEO: Sacred Spaces and Good Works: Society of St. John the Evangelist – Harvard Square, 2020

Morning Prayer 1.14.21, Richard Meux Benson & Charles Gore, Vowed Religious, 1915, 1932

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Josh Thomas under Daily Office

Every one of us kept it together when the cuckoo clock started chanting:

For our 7 a.m. service, click here and use password 6g&Udw22
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Now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Climate activist Greta Thunberg, 18, is featured on a Swedish postage stamp being issued today as part of a series on the environment. She started boycotting school on Fridays and standing as a lone protester outside the Swedish parliament in August 2018, from which has grown a worldwide youth movement to stop environmental destruction. The stamps were designed by Swedish artist Henning Trollback. (David Keyton/AP)

From the rising of the sun to its setting my Name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to my Name, and a pure offering; for my Name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of hosts. Malachi 1:11

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

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.

Psalm 95:1-7

Come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving;
and raise to the Lord a shout with psalms.
For you are a great God;
you are great above all gods.
In your hand are the caverns of the earth;
and the heights of the hills are yours also.
The sea is yours, for you made it,
and your hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For you are our God,
and we are the people of your pasture, and the sheep of your hand.
Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Psalm 18:1-20

1 I love you, O LORD my strength, *
O LORD my stronghold, my crag, and my haven.
2 My God, my rock in whom I put my trust, *
my shield, the horn of my salvation, and my refuge;
you are worthy of praise.
3 I will call upon the LORD, *
and so shall I be saved from my enemies.
4 The breakers of death rolled over me, *
and the torrents of oblivion made me afraid.
5 The cords of hell entangled me, *
and the snares of death were set for me.
6 I called upon the LORD in my distress *
and cried out to my God for help.
7 You heard my voice from your heavenly dwelling; *
my cry of anguish came to your ears.
8 The earth reeled and rocked; *
the roots of the mountains shook;
they reeled because of your anger.
9 Smoke rose from your nostrils
and a consuming fire out of your mouth; *
hot burning coals blazed forth from you.
10 You parted the heavens and came down *
with a storm cloud under your feet.
11 You mounted on cherubim and flew; *
you swooped on the wings of the wind.
12 You wrapped darkness about you; *
you made dark waters and thick clouds your pavilion.
13 From the brightness of your presence, through the clouds, *
burst hailstones and coals of fire.
14 O LORD, you thundered out of heaven; *
O Most High, you uttered your voice.
15 You loosed your arrows and scattered them; *
you hurled thunderbolts and routed them.
16 The beds of the seas were uncovered,
and the foundations of the world laid bare, *
at your battle cry, O LORD,
at the blast of the breath of your nostrils.
17 You reached down from on high and grasped me; *
you drew me out of great waters.
18 You delivered me from my strong enemies
and from those who hated me; *
for they were too mighty for me.
19 They confronted me in the day of my disaster; *
but the LORD was my support.
20 You brought me out into an open place; *
you rescued me because you delighted in me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE LESSONS
Isaiah 41:17-29 (NRSV)

When the poor and needy seek water,
and there is none,
and their tongue is parched with thirst,
I the LORD will answer them,
I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the bare heights,
and fountains in the midst of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness a pool of water,
and the dry land springs of water.
I will put in the wilderness the cedar,
the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive;
I will set in the desert the cypress,
the plane and the pine together,
so that all may see and know,
all may consider and understand,
that the hand of the LORD has done this,
the Holy One of Israel has created it.

Set forth your case, says the LORD;
bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
Let them bring them, and tell us
what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
so that we may consider them,
and that we may know their outcome;
or declare to us the things to come.
Tell us what is to come hereafter,
that we may know that you are gods;
do good, or do harm,
that we may be afraid and terrified.
You, indeed, are nothing
and your work is nothing at all;
whoever chooses you is an abomination.

I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,
from the rising of the sun he was summoned by name.
He shall trample on rulers as on mortar,
as the potter treads clay.
Who declared it from the beginning, so that we might know,
and beforehand, so that we might say, “He is right”?
There was no one who declared it, none who proclaimed,
none who heard your words.
I first have declared it to Zion,
and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good tidings.
But when I look there is no one;
among these there is no counselor
who, when I ask, gives an answer.
No, they are all a delusion;
their works are nothing;
their images are empty wind.

Canticle: A Song of Wisdom
Wisdom 10:15-19,20b-21

Wisdom freed from a nation of oppressors *
a holy people and a blameless race.
She entered the soul of a servant of the Lord, *
withstood dread rulers with wonders and signs.
To the saints she gave the reward of their labors, *
and led them by a marvelous way;
She was their shelter by day *
and a blaze of stars by night.
She brought them across the Red Sea, *
she led them through mighty waters;
But their enemies she swallowed in the waves *
and spewed them out from the depths of the abyss.
And then, Lord, the righteous sang hymns to your Name, *
and praised with one voice your protecting hand;
For Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute, *
and gave speech to the tongues of a new-born people.

Church of the Ascension, Rochester, New York (parish photo)

Ephesians 2:11-22 (NRSV)

So then, remember that at one time you Gentiles by birth, called “the uncircumcision” by those who are called “the circumcision”—a physical circumcision made in the flesh by human hands—remember that you were at that time without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

For he is our peace; in his flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us. He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace, and might reconcile both groups to God in one body through the cross, thus putting to death that hostility through it. So he came and proclaimed peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near; for through him both of us have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God.

Canticle: A Song of True Motherhood
by Julian of Norwich

God chose to be our mother in all things *
and so made the foundation of his work,
most humbly and most pure, in the Virgin’s womb.
God, the perfect wisdom of all, *
arrayed himself in this humble place.
Christ came in our poor flesh *
to share a mother’s care.
Our mothers bear us for pain and for death; *
our true mother, Jesus, bears us for joy and endless life.
Christ carried us within him in love and travail, *
until the full time of his passion.
And when all was completed and he had carried us so for joy, *
still all this could not satisfy the power of his wonderful love.
All that we owe is redeemed in truly loving God, *
for the love of Christ works in us;
Christ is the one whom we love.

Christ healing a paralyzed man. (Codex Egberti, German, c. 993)

Mark 2:1-12 (NRSV)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

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.

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.

Fr. Richard Benson was a disciple of Edward Bouverie Pusey and founded the Society of St. John the Evangelist, the first stable Anglican community for men since the Reformation. They’ve ministered in India, South Africa, England and the USA.

Collect of the Day: Richard Meux Benson, Priest and Vowed Religious, 1915, and Charles Gore, Bishop and Vowed Religious, 1932

A Collect for Guidance

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

U.S. Gun Violence Returns to Pre-Holiday Levels

Last Week’s Gun Toll as of 1.13.21

821 total gun deaths last week (vs. 634)
359 murders and unintentional deaths (vs. 238)
462 suicides (est. weekly average)

570 people injured (vs. 540)
7 mass shootings (vs. 12)
0 mass murders (vs. 0)

2 young children killed (vs. 5)
8 young children injured (vs. 6)
27 teenagers killed (vs. 9)
48 teenagers injured (vs. 45)

0 police officers killed (vs. 0)
1 officers injured (vs. 6)
0 police officers killed YTD

24 persons killed by police (vs. 16)
16 persons injured by police (vs. 13)
40 persons killed by police YTD

23 defensive use incidents (vs. 10)
42 unintentional shootings (vs. 37)
14 murder-suicides (vs. 9)

A Prayer to End Gun Violence
© Daily Office Network

O Lord our God, we pray for the victims of the other pandemic, as gun violence ravages our homes, our streets, our businesses, schools and houses of worship. We pray for the children killed and injured, for their families and classmates. We pray for teenagers gunned down before their lives have really started. We pray for police officers who keep fighting a never-ending battle, while trying to keep themselves and everyone else safe; and we pray for an end to racial profiling in law enforcement. We pray for all who are depressed or mentally ill, wanting to hurt themselves or others, in a nation where guns are everywhere. We pray for the victims of crime who are forced to defend themselves and their loved ones. We pray for anti-violence activists and community leaders, in a time when new methods of protest and reform must be created. Let your demands for justice and cries for peace be heard, O Lord, in our legislative chambers and in our hearts; may your healing grace overtake this land, through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

For the Mission of the Church

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

God’s blessing be with us,
Christ’s peace be with us,
the Spirit’s outpouring be with us,
now and always. Amen.++

VIDEO: Ave Maria (Franz Schubert; Luke 1:28 and 1:42) – Joshua Bell, violin, 2007

Evening Prayer 1.13.21, Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop, 367

Posted on January 13, 2021 by Josh Thomas under Daily Office

Here is tonight’s Evening Prayer podcast.

Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once.

Easily overlooked during the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol January 6 were several pipe bombs, placed near the entrances of the Republican National Committee, above, and the Democratic National Committee in Washington. Police discovered and neutralized them before anyone could be hurt. Two days later, members of the RNC met at a Florida resort, made no mention of the Capitol Riot, unanimously gave praise and honor to Donald Trump, and re-elected their officers – who work in this building and could have been killed. (Unnamed Staff Photographer/AP)

I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymn: O Gracious Light

O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Psalm 12

1 Help me, LORD, for there is no godly one left; *
the faithful have vanished from among us.
2 All speak falsely with their neighbor; *
with a smooth tongue they speak from a double heart.
3 Oh, that the LORD would cut off all smooth tongues, *
and close the lips that utter proud boasts!
4 Those who say, “With our tongue will we prevail; *
our lips are our own; who is lord over us?”
5 “Because the needy are oppressed,
and the poor cry out in misery, *
I will rise up,” says the LORD,
“and give them the help they long for.”
6 The words of the LORD are pure words, *
like silver refined from ore
and purified seven times in the fire.
7 O LORD, watch over us *
and save us from this generation for ever.
8 The wicked prowl on every side, *
and that which is worthless is highly prized by everyone.

Psalm 13

1 How long, O LORD?
will you forget me for ever? *
how long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long shall I have perplexity in my mind,
and grief in my heart, day after day? *
how long shall my enemy triumph over me?
3 Look upon me and answer me, O LORD my God; *
give light to my eyes, lest I sleep in death;
4 Lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed,” *
and my foes rejoice that I have fallen.
5 But I put my trust in your mercy; *
my heart is joyful because of your saving help.
6 I will sing to you, O LORD,
for you have dealt with me richly; *
I will praise the Name of the Lord Most High.

Psalm 14

1 Fools say in their heart, “There is no God.” *
All are corrupt and commit abominable acts;
there is none who does any good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven upon us all, *
to see if there is any who is wise,
if there is one who seeks after God.
3 Every one has proved faithless;
all alike have turned bad; *
there is none who does good; no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all those evildoers *
who eat up my people like bread
and do not call upon the LORD?
5 See how they tremble with fear, *
because God is in the company of the righteous.
6 Their aim is to confound the plans of the afflicted, *
but the LORD is their refuge.
7 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come out of Zion! *
when the LORD restores the fortunes of the chosen people,
Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad.

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.

John J. Tissot, c. 1895: Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-Law (Brooklyn Museum, New York)

THE LESSON
Mark 1:29-45 (NRSV)

As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told him about her at once. He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

That evening, at sundown, they brought to him all who were sick or possessed with demons. And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him. When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.” He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Canticle: A Song of Christ’s Humility
Philippians 2:6-11

Though in the form of God, *
Christ Jesus did not cling to equality with God,
But emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, *
and was born in human likeness.
Being found in human form, he humbled himself *
and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.
Therefore, God has highly exalted him *
and given him the name above every name,
That at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, *
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
And every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, *
to the glory of God the Father.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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 PRAYERS

V. That this evening may be holy, good, and peaceful,
R. We entreat you, O Lord.
V. That your holy angels may lead us in paths of peace and goodwill,
R. We entreat you, O Lord.
V. That we may be pardoned and forgiven for our sins and offenses,
R. We entreat you, O Lord.
V. That there may be peace to your Church and to the whole world,
R. We entreat you, O Lord.
V. That we may depart this life in your faith and fear,
and not be condemned before the great judgment seat of Christ,
R. We entreat you, O Lord.
V. That we may be bound together by your Holy Spirit
in the communion of all your saints,
entrusting one another and all our life to Christ,
R. We entreat you, O Lord.

A painting of St. Hilary at the Lateran Palace in Rome. He was a prolific writer on Scripture and doctrine, an orator and poet – and a married man when he was elected bishop. He’s a saint for upholding the doctrine of the Trinity against the heresy of Arius, who taught that the Son of God was a lesser being than the Father..

Collect of the Day: Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop, 367

Keep us steadfast, Lord God, in that true faith which we professed at our baptism; that, like your servant Hilary of Poitiers, we may rejoice in having you for our Father, and may abide in your Son, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit; for you live and reign for ever and ever as one God in Trinity of Persons. Amen.

A Collect for Protection

O God, the life of all who live, the light of the faithful, the strength of those who labor, and the repose of the dead: We thank you for the blessings of the day that is past, and humbly ask for your protection through the coming night. Bring us in safety to the morning hours; through him who died and rose again for us, your Son our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Steam fog over Lake Michigan in Chicago, 2016. (NOAA)

For the Beauty of the Earth

We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of the Horn of Africa

Wednesday Evening Prayer List

For Disaster & Terror Victims
91.3 million coronavirus cases worldwide; 1,956,000 deaths, 379,000 in USA
People confined to hospitals, nursing homes, dormitories, group homes and retirement homes, jails, religious communities and onboard ships
Millions forced into poverty and food insecurity by damaged economies

Hundreds of thousands in squalid refugee camps, including those on Lesbos and Rohingyas in Bangladesh

For Prisoners
David
Cleave Thomas, last years of a 20-year sentence
Matthew
Children and families of prisoners
Prison chaplains and ministries, especially Kairos
Sr. Helen Prejean and all prison reformers
All who are condemned to die

Please offer your own prayers here.

Prayer 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 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.++

VIDEO: There is a balm in Gilead (#676, Balm in Gilead, African-American Spiritual) – Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman at Carnegie Hall, cond. James Levine, 1990

Morning Prayer 1.13.21, Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop, 367

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Josh Thomas under Daily Office

We are blessed in each other’s presence today:

For our 7 a.m. service, click here and enter password jaROUR?7
To pray with us at 9 a.m., go here and use password &=*jS6X6

By grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast.

We are pleased to announce the selection of our longtime stalwart Jerry Fitzgerald, right, as our new Daily Office Chaplain and the Rev. Tom Roy, now a priest, as Associate Chaplain. They succeed the Rev. Gwen Hetler, our chaplain for the past eight years, who retired on January 1. Jerry is a full-time hospital chaplain in Regina, Saskatchewan, and Fr. Tom, a retired police officer, is a pastoral associate in the Episcopal Church of Minnesota. They will serve as consultants to the Vicar, and any member may approach them with questions or concerns, as one or both are usually present at our daily webcasts. (Other trained, experienced chaplains are also invited to join our Chaplains’ Corps, whom Jerry will represent on our board of directors.) Above: at the reception after Tom’s ordination to the diaconate in June 2019. We couldn’t replace Mother Gwen with just one man, so we picked two.

Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

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.

Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm 119:1-24

1 Happy are they whose way is blameless, *
who walk in the law of the LORD!
2 Happy are they who observe your decrees *
and seek you with all their hearts!
3 Who never do any wrong, *
but always walk in your ways.
4 You laid down your commandments, *
that we should fully keep them.
5 Oh, that my ways were made so direct *
that I might keep your statutes!
6 Then I should not be put to shame, *
when I regard all your commandments.
7 I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, *
when I have learned your righteous judgments.
8 I will keep your statutes; *
do not utterly forsake me.

9 How shall the young cleanse their way? *
By keeping to your words.
10 With my whole heart I seek you; *
let me not stray from your commandments.
11 I treasure your promise in my heart, *
that I may not sin against you.
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; *
instruct me in your statutes.
13 With my lips will I recite *
all the judgments of your mouth.
14 I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees *
than in all manner of riches.
15 I will meditate on your commandments *
and give attention to your ways.
16 My delight is in your statutes; *
I will not forget your word.

17 Deal bountifully with your servant, *
that I may live and keep your word.
18 Open my eyes, that I may see *
the wonders of your law.
19 I am a stranger here on earth; *
do not hide your commandments from me.
20 My soul is consumed at all times *
with longing for your judgments.
21 You have rebuked the insolent; *
cursed are they who stray from your commandments!
22 Turn from me shame and rebuke, *
for I have kept your decrees.
23 Even though rulers sit and plot against me, *
I will meditate on your statutes.
24 For your decrees are my delight, *
and they are my counselors.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE LESSONS
Isaiah 41:1-16 (NRSV)

Listen to me in silence, O coastlands;
let the peoples renew their strength;
let them approach, then let them speak;
let us together draw near for judgment.

Who has roused a victor from the east,
summoned him to his service?
He delivers up nations to him,
and tramples kings under foot;
he makes them like dust with his sword,
like driven stubble with his bow.
He pursues them and passes on safely,
scarcely touching the path with his feet.
Who has performed and done this,
calling the generations from the beginning?
I, the LORD, am first,
and will be with the last.
The coastlands have seen and are afraid,
the ends of the earth tremble;
they have drawn near and come.
Each one helps the other,
saying to one another, “Take courage!”
The artisan encourages the goldsmith,
and the one who smooths with the hammer encourages the one who strikes the anvil,
saying of the soldering, “It is good”;
and they fasten it with nails so that it cannot be moved.
But you, Israel, my servant,
Jacob, whom I have chosen,
the offspring of Abraham, my friend;
you whom I took from the ends of the earth,
and called from its farthest corners,
saying to you, “You are my servant,
I have chosen you and not cast you off”;
do not fear, for I am with you,
do not be afraid, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

Yes, all who are incensed against you
shall be ashamed and disgraced;
those who strive against you
shall be as nothing and shall perish.
You shall seek those who contend with you,
but you shall not find them;
those who war against you
shall be as nothing at all.
For I, the LORD your God,
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.”

Do not fear, you worm Jacob,
you insect Israel!
I will help you, says the LORD;
your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
Now, I will make of you a threshing sledge,
sharp, new, and having teeth;
you shall thresh the mountains and crush them,
and you shall make the hills like chaff.
You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them away,
and the tempest shall scatter them.
Then you shall rejoice in the LORD;
in the Holy One of Israel you shall glory.

Canticle: A Song of Ezekiel
Ezekiel 36:24-28

I will take you from among all nations; *
and gather you from all lands to bring you home.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you; *
and purify you from false gods and uncleanness.
A new heart I will give you *
and a new spirit put within you.
I will take the stone heart from your chest *
and give you a heart of flesh.
I will help you walk in my laws *
and cherish my commandments and do them.
You shall be my people, *
and I will be your God.

Ephesians 2:1-10 (NRSV)

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God—not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

Canticle: A Song of the Spirit
Revelation 22:12-17

“Behold, I am coming soon,” says the Lord,
“and bringing my reward with me, *
to give to everyone according to their deeds.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, *
the beginning and the end.”
Blessed are those who do God’s commandments,
that they may have the right to the tree of life, *
and may enter the city through the gates.
“I, Jesus, have sent my angel to you, *
with this testimony for all the churches.
“I am the root and the offspring of David, *
I am the bright morning star.”
“Come!” say the Spirit and the Bride; *
“Come!” let each hearer reply!
Come forward, you who are thirsty, *
let those who desire take the water of life as a gift.

Christ Healing the Leper (St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church, Euless, Texas)

Mark 1:29-45 (NRSV)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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 PRAYERS

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.

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.

Unknown artist, 14th C.: Consecration of St. Hilary. The Arian heretics forced him into exile for four years, though he continued to write and administer his see. An epic battle over the doctrine of the Trinity arose in the 3rd Century, lasted for hundreds of years and has never entirely gone away; it rests on a single sentence in the Gospel of John where Jesus says, “The Father is greater than I.” Arius, a priest from Alexandria, took that to mean that Jesus was created and subordinate to the Father, not his equal – though John’s Gospel begins with the assertion that “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” St. Hilary was one of the foremost thinkers to put down the Arian heresy. (Wikipedia)

Collect of the Day: Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop, 367

On Racism and Injustice
© Daily Office Network

O God, call us into a deeper relationship to be your church for the sake of the world. Help us to see with new eyes the injustices within church and society. Call us to have a loving heart that respects and uplifts the humanity and dignity of every person; open our ears to listen and learn from the experiences of people whose skin is different from ours. Open our mouths to speak up about injustices. Join us with others to work for racial equity and inclusion for all people. Amen.

A Collect for Grace

Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power; that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Mount Rainier, about 60 miles south of Seattle, is the tallest peak in the Cascade Range and the most topographically distinct mountain in the U.S. It’s an active volcano, considered likely to erupt in the next ten years, one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. (Susan Yearout)

For Joy in God’s Creation

O heavenly Father, you have filled the world with beauty: Open our eyes to behold your gracious hand in all your works; that, rejoicing in your whole creation, we may learn to serve you with gladness; for the sake of him through whom all things were made, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday Morning Prayer List: Healing of Body, Mind & Soul

WEEK ONE

Each of the 91.3 million cases of coronavirus worldwide; especially Tucker, Zoe & Heather
All who put their lives on the line to serve and save others

Ann and Shevon, progress after transplants
Honorary Deacon Clint, safe passage
Martha, freedom of movement, less pain
Padre Mickey, chemotherapy’s on hold
Dan, nursing home
Lesley, car accident, longterm care
Jennifer’s MS
Nora, anxiety
J. Huertas, heart problems
Marilyn, Jan’s sister, major illness
Yvonne, chemotherapy
Jon, diabetic macular edema and glaucoma: surgery complete, residual pain
Jimmy, stroke
Marsi, cancer
Cheryl D., car accident
Joanne, physical & mental health
Katheryn and son Robert, mild cognitive impairment
Marcella, nerve damage & intractable pain

For Caregivers
Greg
Jena
Karen
Clare
Bill
Watt

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Prayer for Mission

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 bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

May the blessing of the God of Abraham and Sarah, and of Jesus Christ born of our sister Mary, and of the Holy Spirit, who broods over the world as a mother over her children, be upon us and remain with us always. Amen.++

VIDEO: God is love (#379, Abbot’s Leigh, Cyril Vincent Taylor; Timothy Rees) – BBC’s “Songs of Praise,” 2012

Evening Prayer 1.12.21, Aelred of Rievaulx, Abbot, 1167

Posted on January 12, 2021 by Josh Thomas under Daily Office

The Vicar reads Evening Prayer.

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught.

The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced that it will triple the number of daily hiking permits at Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in Arizona, including The Wave, a beautiful and delicate rock formation; critics worry that increasing the traffic will weaken and eventually destroy the landscape. For 20 years, the park allowed 20 hikers per day; now that will increase to 64 per day. Requests have doubled over the last seven years, with only a 4% acceptance rate and a backlog of 205,000. (Brian Witte/AP, 2013)

Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth tremble before the Holy One. Psalm 96:9

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Hymn: Light of the World

Psalm 10

1 Why do you stand so far off, O LORD, *
and hide yourself in time of trouble?
2 The wicked arrogantly persecute the poor, *
but they are trapped in the schemes they have devised.
3 The wicked boast of their heart’s desire; *
the covetous curse and revile the LORD.
4 The wicked are so proud that they care not for God; *
their only thought is, “God does not matter.”
5 Their ways are devious at all times;
your judgments are far above, out of their sight; *
they defy all their enemies.
6 They say in their heart, “I shall not be shaken; *
no harm shall happen to me ever.”
7 Their mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression; *
under their tongue are mischief and wrong.
8 They lurk in ambush in public squares
and in secret places they murder the innocent; *
they spy out the helpless.
9 They lie in wait, like a lion in a covert;
they lie in wait to seize upon the lowly; *
they seize the lowly and drag them away in their net.
10 The innocent are broken and humbled before them; *
the helpless fall before their power.
11 They say in their heart, “God has forgotten; *
God’s face is hidden; God will never notice.”
12 Rise up, O LORD;
lift up your hand, O God; *
do not forget the afflicted.
13 Why should the wicked revile God? *
why should they say in their heart that you do not care?
14 Surely, you behold trouble and misery; *
you see it and take it into your own hand.
15 The helpless commit themselves to you, *
for you are the helper of orphans.
16 Break the power of the wicked and evil; *
search out their wickedness until you find none.
17 The LORD is Sovereign for ever and ever; *
the ungodly shall perish from your land.
18 The LORD will hear the desire of the humble; *
you will strengthen their heart and your ears shall hear;
19 To give justice to the orphan and oppressed, *
so that mere mortals may strike terror no more.

Psalm 11

1 In the LORD have I taken refuge; *
how then can you say to me,
“Fly away like a bird to the hilltop;
2 For see how the wicked bend the bow
and fit their arrows to the string, *
to shoot from ambush at the true of heart.
3 When the foundations are being destroyed, *
what can the righteous do?”
4 The LORD is in the holy temple; *
the LORD’s throne is in heaven.
5 The LORD’s eyes behold the inhabited world; *
the LORD’s piercing eye weighs our worth.
6 The LORD weighs the righteous as well as the wicked, *
but abhors those who delight in violence.
7 Upon the wicked the LORD shall rain coals of fire and burning sulphur; *
a scorching wind shall be their lot.
8 For the LORD is righteous;
delights in righteous deeds; *
and the just shall see the face of the LORD.

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.

Jesus Heals a Man with an Unclean Spirit (artist unknown)

THE LESSON
Mark 1:14-28 (NRSV)

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.

They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he entered the synagogue and taught. They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. Just then there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. They were all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, “What is this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” At once his fame began to spread throughout the surrounding region of Galilee.

Canticle: The Song of Mary
Luke 1:46-55

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

THE PRAYERS

Pilgrims at a Eucharist on the ruins of the altar at Rievaulx Abbey, Yorkshire, in 2015. (Jill Littlefield)

Collect of the Day: Aelred of Rievaulx, Abbot, 1167

Grant to your people, Almighty God, a spirit of mutual affection, that following the the example of your servant Aelred, we might know the love of Christ in loving one another, and might rejoice in the gift of your eternal goodness; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

For Our Country

Almighty God, you have given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom in your name we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to your law, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness; and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer in Time of Pandemic
by the Rev. Dr. Kate Sonderegger

This hour we turn to you, O Lord, in full knowledge of our frailty, our vulnerability, and our great need as your mortal creatures.

We cry to you, as one human family, unsure of the path ahead, unequal to the unseen forces around us, frightened by the sickness and death that are all too real to us now.

Stir up your strength and visit us, O Lord; be our shield and rock and hiding place!

Guide our leaders, our scientists, our nurses and doctors. Give them wisdom and fill their hearts with courage and determination.

Make even this hour, O Lord, a season of blessing for us, that in fear we find you mighty to save, and in illness or death, we find the cross to be none other than the way of life.

All this we ask in the name of the One who bore all our infirmities, Jesus Christ our Risen and Victorious Lord. Amen.

A Collect for Aid against Perils

Be our light in the darkness, O Lord, and in your great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of your only Son, our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Anglican Cycle of Prayer: Diocese of North Africa

Tuesday Evening Prayer List

For the Departed
1,944,000 dead worldwide from Covid-19; 376,000 in the United States

Our Own Departed
Rowena
Brad’s father
Guy
Terry Hunt
The Rev. Debbie Graham
Nancy Kirk
Jane Vickers
Ted Paget

Those Who Mourn
Martha
Brad, mother and brothers
Stephen
Our webcasters
The whole world

Please add your own prayers here.

Prayer for Mission

O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the Spirit of love, that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

May the Sun of Righteousness shine upon us and scatter the darkness from before our path; and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be among us, and remain with us always. Amen.++

VIDEO: I come, the great Redeemer cries (#116, This Endris Nyght, English melody, harm. Ralph Vaughan Williams; Christian Hymnbook, 1865) – Los Angeles First Congregational Church, 2012

Morning Prayer 1.12.21, Aelred of Rievaulx, Abbot, 1167

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Josh Thomas under Daily Office

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The Father has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Pope Francis announced a change in canon law Monday to allow women to be Lectors and Eucharistic Ministers, formalizing a change in practice long underway in many parts of the world. The Pope reiterated that women still may not be ordained as priests or deacons – but he also is appointing a second study commission on the ordination of women as deacons, after his first commission reported that women served as deacons in the Early Church. (Associated Press)

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

INVITATORY AND PSALTER

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.

Psalm 95:1-7

Psalm 5

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; *
consider my meditation.
2 Hearken to my cry for help, my Sovereign and my God, *
for I make my prayer to you.
3 In the morning, LORD, you hear my voice; *
early in the morning I make my appeal and watch for you.
4 For you are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness, *
and evil cannot dwell with you.
5 Braggarts cannot stand in your sight; *
you hate all those who work wickedness.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; *
the bloodthirsty and deceitful, O LORD, you abhor.
7 But as for me, through the greatness of your mercy I will go into your house; *
I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness,
because of those who lie in wait for me; *
make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouth; *
there is destruction in their heart;
10 Their throat is an open grave; *
they flatter with their tongue.
11 Declare them guilty, O God; *
let them fall, because of their schemes.
12 Because of their many transgressions cast them out, *
for they have rebelled against you.
13 But all who take refuge in you will be glad; *
they will sing out their joy for ever.
14 You will shelter them, *
so that those who love your Name may exult in you.
15 For you, O LORD, will bless the righteous; *
you will defend them with your favor as with a shield.

Psalm 6

1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; *
do not punish me in your wrath.
2 Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; *
heal me, LORD, for my bones are racked.
3 My spirit shakes with terror; *
how long, O LORD, how long?
4 Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; *
save me for your mercy’s sake.
5 For in death no one remembers you; *
and who will give you thanks in the grave?
6 I grow weary because of my groaning; *
every night I drench my bed
and flood my couch with tears.
7 My eyes are wasted with grief *
and worn away because of all my enemies.
8 Depart from me, all evildoers, *
for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.
9 The LORD has heard my supplication; *
the LORD accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies shall be confounded and quake with fear; *
they shall turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

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.

St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, Chicago (Angie Naron)

THE LESSONS
Isaiah 40:25-31 (NRSV)

To whom then will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God”? Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.

Canticle: A Song of Pilgrimage
Ecclesiasticus 51:13-16, 20b-22

Before I ventured forth,
even while I was very young, *
I sought wisdom openly in my prayer.
In the forecourts of the temple I asked for her, *
and I will seek her to the end.
From first blossom to early fruit, *
she has been the delight of my heart.
My foot has kept firmly to the true path, *
diligently from my youth have I pursued her.
I inclined my ear a little and received her; *
I found for myself much wisdom and became adept in her.
To the one who gives me wisdom will I give glory, *
for I have resolved to live according to her way.
From the beginning I gained courage from her, *
therefore I will not be forsaken.
In my inmost being I have been stirred to seek her, *
therefore have I gained a good possession.
As my reward the Almighty has given me the gift of language,*
and with it will I offer praise to God.

Ephesians 1:15-23 (NRSV)

I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Canticle: A Song of Faith
1 Peter 1:3-4, 18-21

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, *
by divine mercy we have a new birth into a living hope;
Through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, *
we have an inheritance that is imperishable in heaven.
The ransom that was paid to free us *
was not paid in silver or gold,
But in the precious blood of Christ, *
the Lamb without spot or stain.
God raised Jesus from the dead and gave him glory *
so that we might have faith and hope in God.

Marco Basaiti, 1510: The Call of the Sons of Zebedee

Mark 1:14-28 (NRSV)

THE APOSTLES’ CREED

I believe in God,
the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ,
God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
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,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and 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 PRAYERS

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.

V. Help us, O God our Savior;
R. Deliver us and forgive us our sins.
V. Look upon your congregation;
R. Give to your people the blessing of peace.
V. Declare your glory among the nations;
R. And your wonders among all peoples.
V. Do not let the oppressed be shamed and turned away;
R. Never forget the lives of your poor.
V. Continue your loving-kindness to those who know you;
R. And your favor to those who are true of heart.
V. Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning;
R. So shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

Aelred joined the Cistercians at Rievaulx in Yorkshire at age 24 and soon was carrying diplomatic papers from the Archbishop to Rome. On his way home he stopped at the Cistercians’ mother house in Clairvaux, where he impressed the founder, St. Bernard, who encouraged him to write his first book, Mirror of Charity. In time he established a new Cistercian house at Revesby, and four years later was elected abbot of Rievaulx, where he wrote his best-known work, Spiritual Friendship, which takes as its model the relationship between Christ and the disciple he loved. By Aelred’s death in 1167 the abbey numbered 600 monks. (source unknown)

Collect of the Day: Aelred of Rievaulx, Abbot, 1167

For Cities

Heavenly Father, in your Word you have given us a vision of that holy City to which the nations of the world bring their glory: Behold and visit, we pray, the cities of the earth. Renew the ties of mutual regard which form our civic life. Send us honest and able leaders. Enable us to eliminate poverty, prejudice and oppression, that peace may prevail with righteousness, and justice with order, and that men and women from different cultures and with differing talents may find with one another the fulfillment of their humanity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Nation

Lord God Almighty, you have made all the peoples of the earth for your glory, to serve you in freedom and in peace: Give to the people of our country a zeal for justice and the strength of forbearance, that we may use our liberty in accordance with your gracious will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Investigation Opened into Active-Duty Military Attendance at Capitol Riot

They Have Names, begun by Clint Gilliland in 2007
Week of January 5-11, 2021
source: iCasualties

Total War Deaths: 7,039

Iraq Total Deaths: 4,586
War Officially Ended: December 2011
Current Troop Level: 3,000 + 600 in Syria

-no casualties last week-

Afghanistan Total Deaths: 2,452
War Officially Ended: December 2014
Current Troop Level: 4,500

Officials at Fort Bragg, North Carolina are investigating Army Capt. Emily Rainey, assigned to the 4th Psychological Operations Group, for attending the Capitol Riot on January 6. Rainey, who resigned her commission in October and is awaiting discharge in April, said she informed her supervisors before the trip to Washington and after she got back and denies all wrongdoing. In civilian clothes, she led 100 members of the Moore County Citizens for Freedom to D.C. to “stand against election fraud” and support President Trump. She said they did not enter the Capitol, did not break the law, and left the city before the 6 p.m. emergency curfew that day. Active-duty military do have a right to participate in political activities out of uniform, but the Pentagon prohibits active-duty servicemembers from sponsoring partisan organizations. Last May, police in Southern Pines, N.C., charged her with damaging property after she kept pulling down police tape around a park that was closed in the early weeks of the pandemic; twice they warned her, and the third time she was charged. (WRAL)

For Those We Love on Active Duty
LeeLee Denton
Michael
Kali
Peter
Krystle + Jordan
Molly + Chris
Patrick
Logan

For Those in the Armed Forces of our Country

Almighty God, we commend to your gracious care and keeping all the men and women of our armed forces at home and abroad. Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace; strengthen them in their trials and temptations; give them courage to face the perils which beset them; and grant them a sense of your abiding presence wherever they may be; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Collect for Peace

O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Please add your own intercessions, supplications and thanksgivings here.

Collect for Mission

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 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++

VIDEO: Christ, when for us you were baptized (#121, Caithness, English, 1635; F. Bland Tucker, rev.) – Choir of Washington National Cathedral, 2010

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