WEEK C
O 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 shall be forever. Amen.
PSALMODY
Antiphon: Be joyful in God, all you lands;*
Sing the glory of his name!
Opening – From Psalms 66 and 92
All the earth bows down before you,*
sings to you, sings out your name.
Bless our God, you peoples;*
make the voice of his praise to be heard.
It is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord,*
and to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to tell of your loving-kindness early in the morning*
and of your faithfulness in the night season.
Glory to the Father…
Psalm 107:1-32
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,*
and his mercy endures for ever.
Let all those whom the Lord has redeemed proclaim*
that he redeemed them from the hand of the foe.
He gathered them out of the lands;*
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
Some wandered in desert wastes;*
they found no way to a city where they might dwell.
They were hungry and thirsty;*
their spirits languished within them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,*
and he delivered them from their distress.
He put their feet on a straight path*
to go to a city where they might dwell.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy*
and the wonders he does for his children.
For he satisfies the thirsty*
and fills the hungry with good things.
Some sat in darkness and deep gloom,*
bound fast in misery and iron;
Because they rebelled against the words of God*
and despised the counsel of the Most High.
So he humbled their spirits with hard labour;*
they stumbled, and there was none to help.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,*
and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them out of darkness and deep gloom*
and broke their bonds asunder.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy*
and the wonders he does for his children.
For he shatters the doors of bronze*
and breaks in two the iron bars.
Some were fools and took to rebellious ways;*
they were afflicted because of their sins.
They abhorred all manner of food*
and drew near to death’s door.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,*
and he delivered them from their distress.
He sent forth his word and healed them*
and saved them from the grave.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy*
and the wonders he does for his children.
Let them offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving*
and tell of his acts with shouts of joy.
Some went down to the sea in ships*
and plied their trade in deep waters;
They beheld the works of the Lord*
and his wonders in the deep.
Then he spoke, and a stormy wind arose,*
which tossed high the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to the heavens and fell back to the depths;*
their hearts melted because of their peril.
They reeled and staggered like drunkards*
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,*
and he delivered them from their distress.
He stilled the storm to a whisper*
and quieted the waves of the sea.
Then were they glad because of the calm,*
and he brought them to the harbour they were bound for.
Let them give thanks to the Lord for his mercy*
and the wonders he does for his children.
Let them exalt him in the congregation of the people*
and praise him in the council of the elders.
Glory to the Father . . .
Conclusion (from Isaiah 12)
Behold God is my salvation;*
I will trust and not be afraid;
the Lord God is my strength and my song;
he has become my salvation.
With joy you will draw water*
from the wells of salvation.
Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name;*
make known his deeds among the nations.
Sing to the Lord for he has done gloriously;*
let this be known in all the earth.
Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Sion,*
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.
Glory to the Father…
Antiphon: Be joyful in God, all you lands;*
Sing the glory of his name!
READINGS
Ecclesiastes 11.1-8
Send out your bread upon the waters,
for after many days you will get it back.
Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.
When clouds are full,
they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
Whoever observes the wind will not sow;
and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.
Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything.
In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.
Light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.
Even those who live for many years should rejoice in them all; yet let them remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity.
Galatians 5.16-24
Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh. For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent you from doing what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
Silence
Response (Ps. 63:4)
V. I will bless you Lord as long as I live.
R. I will bless you Lord as long as I live.
V. And lift up my hands in your name.
R. As long as I live.
V. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
R. I will bless you Lord as long as I live.
BENEDICTUS
Benedictus Antiphon: God has come to us * and set us free
Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel,*
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty saviour,*
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old*
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our forebears,*
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:*
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,*
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You my child shall be called the prophet of the Most High,*
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation*
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God*
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of
death,*
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father.
Benedictus Antiphon: God has come to us * and set us free
PRAYERS
Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
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.
Do not bring us to the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours,
now and forever. Amen.
Collects
O God, you have assured the human family of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Deliver us from the death of sin and raise us to new life in him, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
God most holy, we give you thanks for bringing us out of the shadow of night into the light of morning; and we ask you for the joy of spending this day in your service, so that when evening comes, we may once more give you thanks, through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord:
Thanks be to God!
The Lord bless us and preserve us from all evil;
and bring us to life eternal. Amen.
