1 February Saturday Morning Prayer Epiphany Brigid (Bride), Abbess, 523 Opening Sentence Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:3 Confession Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbour. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbours as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen. Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. 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. The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. Alleluia. Invitatory Psalm 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. Antiphon Alleluia. The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him. Alleluia. Psalms Psalm 55 1 Hear my prayer, O God; *do not hide yourself from my petition. 2 Listen to me and answer me; *I have no peace, because of my cares. 3 I am shaken by the noise of the enemy *and by the pressure of the wicked; 4 For they have cast an evil spell upon me *and are set against me in fury. 5 My heart quakes within me, *and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 6 Fear and trembling have come over me, *and horror overwhelms me. 7 And I said, Oh, that I had wings like a dove! *I would fly away and be at rest. 8 I would flee to a far-off place *and make my lodging in the wilderness. 9 I would hasten to escape *from the stormy wind and tempest. 10 Swallow them up, O Lord; confound their speech; *for I have seen violence and strife in the city. 11 Day and night the watchmen make their rounds upon her walls, *but trouble and misery are in the midst of her. 12 There is corruption at her heart; *her streets are never free of oppression and deceit. 13 For had it been an adversary who taunted me, then I could have borne it; *or had it been an enemy who vaunted himself against me, then I could have hidden from him. 14 But it was you, a man after my own heart, *my companion, my own familiar friend. 15 We took sweet counsel together, *and walked with the throng in the house of God. 16 Let death come upon them suddenly; let them go down alive to the grave; *for wickedness is in their dwellings, in their very midst. 17 But I will call upon God, *and the LORD will deliver me. 18 In the evening, in the morning, and at noonday, I will complain and lament, *and he will hear my voice. 19 He will bring me safely back from the battle waged against me; *for there are many who fight me. 20 God, who is enthroned of old, will hear me and bring them down; *they never change; they do not fear God. 21 My companion stretched forth his hand against his comrade; *he has broken his covenant. 22 His speech is softer than butter, *but war is in his heart. 23 His words are smoother than oil, *but they are drawn swords. 24 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and he will sustain you; *he will never let the righteous stumble. 25 For you will bring the bloodthirsty and deceitful *down to the pit of destruction, O God. 26 They shall not live out half their days, *but I will put my trust in you. Gloria Patri Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Reading Genesis 18:1-16 1 The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. 2 He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground. 3 He said, My lord, if I find favour with you, do not pass by your servant. 4 Let a little water be brought, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree. 5 Let me bring a little bread, that you may refresh yourselves, and after that you may pass on-since you have come to your servant. So they said, Do as you have said. 6 And Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of choice flour, knead it, and make cakes. 7 Abraham ran to the herd, and took a calf, tender and good, and gave it to the servant, who hastened to prepare it. 8 Then he took curds and milk and the calf that he had prepared, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree while they ate. 9 They said to him, Where is your wife Sarah? And he said, There, in the tent. 10 Then one said, I will surely return to you in due season, and your wife Sarah shall have a son. And Sarah was listening at the tent entrance behind him. 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, advanced in age; it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. 12 So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure? 13 The LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh, and say, Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old? 14 Is anything too wonderful for the LORD? At the set time I will return to you, in due season, and Sarah shall have a son. 15 But Sarah denied, saying, I did not laugh; for she was afraid. He said, Oh yes, you did laugh. 16 Then the men set out from there, and they looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to set them on their way. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Reading Hebrews 10:26-39 26 For if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a fearful prospect of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 28 Anyone who has violated the law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much worse punishment do you think will be deserved by those who have spurned the Son of God, profaned the blood of the covenant by which they were sanctified, and outraged the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know the one who said, Vengeance is mine, I will repay. And again, The Lord will judge his people. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 32 But recall those earlier days when, after you had been enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being publicly exposed to abuse and persecution, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For you had compassion for those who were in prison, and you cheerfully accepted the plundering of your possessions, knowing that you yourselves possessed something better and more lasting. 35 Do not, therefore, abandon that confidence of yours; it brings a great reward. 36 For you need endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. 37 For yet in a very little while, the one who is coming will come and will not delay; 38 but my righteous one will live by faith. My soul takes no pleasure in anyone who shrinks back. 39 But we are not among those who shrink back and so are lost, but among those who have faith and so are saved. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Reading John 6:16-27 (NRSV) 16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, 17 got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. 18 The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. 20 But he said to them, It is I; do not be afraid. 21 Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. 22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. 23 Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, Rabbi, when did you come here? 26 Jesus answered them, Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. 27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal. The Lords Prayer Suffrages 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: Third Sunday after the Epiphany Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Saviour Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvellous works; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. 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. A Collect for Saturdays Almighty God, who after the creation of the world rested from all you 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 Joy in Gods Creation O heavenly Father, who has 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. For the Good Use of Leisure O God, in the course of this busy life, give us times of refreshment and peace; and grant that we may so use our leisure to rebuild our bodies and renew our minds, that our spirits may be opened to the goodness of your creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For the Unemployed Heavenly Father, we remember before you those who suffer want and anxiety from lack of work. Guide the people of this land so to use our public and private wealth that all may find suitable and fulfilling employment, and receive just payment for their labour; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer of Self-Dedication Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 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 honour and glory throughout all ages. Amen. A Prayer of St. Chrysostom Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfil now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. Please add your own prayers Benediction 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 Wayne E. Isaacs
Posted on: Sat, 01 Feb 2014 11:17:11 +0000