O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
A suitable hymn may be inserted at this point.
Psalm 63 (64) |
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A prayer against enemies |
Listen, O God, to my voice; keep me safe from fear of the enemy. Protect me from the alliances of the wicked, from the crowd of those who do evil. They have sharpened their tongues like swords, aimed poisonous words like arrows, to shoot at the innocent in secret. They will attack without warning, without fear, for they are firm in their evil purpose. They have set out to hide their snares for they say, Who will see us? They have thought out plans to commit wicked deeds, and they carry out what they have planned. Truly the heart and soul of a man are bottomless depths. And God has shot them with his arrow: in a moment, they are wounded their own tongues have brought them low. All who see them will shake their heads; all will behold them with fear and proclaim the workings of God and understand what he has done. The just will rejoice and hope in the Lord: the upright in heart will give him glory. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
Canticle | Isaiah 38 |
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The psalm of Hezekiah on recovering from sickness | |
I said, in the middle of my days I am going to the gates of the underworld. Where shall I find the remainder of my years? I said, I will not see the Lord God in the land of the living, I will never see another of the inhabitants of the earth. My dwelling-place is taken away, taken far away from me, like the tent of a shepherd. Like a weaver, he has rolled up my life and cut it off from the loom. From morning to night, you have made an end of me. I cried for help till daybreak; like a lion, he has crushed all my bones. From morning to night, you have made an end of me. I twitter like a fledgling sparrow, make noises like a dove. My eyes are weak from looking upward. But you have pulled my soul out of the pit of destruction, you have put all my sins behind you. For after all, the underworld will not proclaim you, nor death praise you; those who go down there do not wait in hope for your faithfulness. It is the living, the living who will proclaim you, as I do today. Fathers will pass on to their children the truth of your faithfulness. Save me, Lord, and to the sound of the harp we will sing to you, all the days of our life, in the house of the Lord. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
Psalm 150 |
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Praise the Lord |
Praise the Lord in his sanctuary, praise him in his mighty firmament. Praise him for his mighty deeds, praise him for all his greatness. Praise him with trumpet-blasts, praise him with the harp and lyre, praise him with timbrel and dance, praise him with strings and pipes, praise him with cymbals resounding, praise him with cymbals of jubilation. All that breathes, praise the Lord! Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
A short Bible reading and responsory may follow here. |
Canticle | Benedictus |
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The Messiah and his forerunner | |
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption. He has raised up the sign of salvation in the house of his servant David, as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones, his prophets through the ages: to rescue us from our enemies and all who hate us, to take pity on our fathers, to remember his holy covenant and the oath he swore to Abraham our father, that he would give himself to us, that we could serve him without fear freed from the hands of our enemies in uprightness and holiness before him, for all of our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High: for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path, to let his people know their salvation, so that their sins may be forgiven. Through the bottomless mercy of our God, one born on high will visit us to give light to those who walk in darkness, who live in the shadow of death; to lead our feet in the path of peace. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. |
Some short prayers may follow here, to offer up the day's work to God. |
Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. |
A concluding prayer may follow here. |
May the Lord bless us and keep us from all harm; and may he lead us to eternal life. |
A M E N |
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He Has Truly Risen! |
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04/15/06 |
Jesus has risen from the dead with a glorified body. The barriers of time and space no longer apply to Him. The Lord appears and disappears with shocking suddenness. He continually demonstrates His physical reality. The Apostles and the disciples see Him, hear Him, and eat with Him. Thomas is told to touch His wounds. |