Morning Prayer, Rite Two for Wednesday, April 09, 2025

April 09, 2025

Wednesday In The Week Of 5 Lent

Mark 8:34
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

Confession of Sin

Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of Almighty God our heavenly Father, to set forth his praise, to hear his holy Word, and to ask, for ourselves and on behalf of others, those things that are necessary for our life and our salvation. And so that we may prepare ourselves in heart and mind to worship him, let us kneel in silence, and with penitent and obedient hearts confess our sins, that we may obtain forgiveness by his infinite goodness and mercy.

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 neighbors 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.

Invitatory and Psalter

Officiant
Lord, open our lips.
People
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.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him.
Psalm 95:1-7

Venite

Come, let us sing to the Lord; *

let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *

and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God, *

and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *

and the heights of the hills are his also.

The sea is his, for he made it, *

and his hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *

and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is our God,

and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. *

Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!

The Psalm or Psalms Appointed

Psalm 119:145-176

Qoph    Clamavi in toto corde meo

I call with my whole heart; *

answer me, O LORD, that I may keep your statutes.

I call to you;

oh, that you would save me! *

I will keep your decrees.

Early in the morning I cry out to you, *

for in your word is my trust.

My eyes are open in the night watches, *

that I may meditate upon your promise.

Hear my voice, O LORD, according to your loving-kindness; *

according to your judgments, give me life.

They draw near who in malice persecute me; *

they are very far from your law.

You, O LORD, are near at hand, *

and all your commandments are true.

Long have I known from your decrees *

that you have established them for ever.

Resh    Vide humilitatem

Behold my affliction and deliver me, *

for I do not forget your law.

Plead my cause and redeem me; *

according to your promise, give me life.

Deliverance is far from the wicked, *

for they do not study your statutes.

Great is your compassion, O LORD; *

preserve my life, according to your judgments.

There are many who persecute and oppress me, *

yet I have not swerved from your decrees.

I look with loathing at the faithless, *

for they have not kept your word.

See how I love your commandments! *

O LORD, in your mercy, preserve me.

The heart of your word is truth; *

all your righteous judgments endure for evermore.

Shin    Principes persecuti sunt

Rulers have persecuted me without a cause, *

but my heart stands in awe of your word.

I am as glad because of your promise *

as one who finds great spoils.

As for lies, I hate and abhor them, *

but your law is my love.

Seven times a day do I praise you, *

because of your righteous judgments.

Great peace have they who love your law; *

for them there is no stumbling block.

I have hoped for your salvation, O LORD, *

and have fulfilled your commandments.

I have kept your decrees *

and I have loved them deeply.

I have kept your commandments and decrees, *

for all my ways are before you.

Taw    Appropinquet deprecatio

Let my cry come before you, O LORD; *

give me understanding, according to your word.

Let my supplication come before you; *

deliver me, according to your promise.

My lips shall pour forth your praise, *

when you teach me your statutes.

My tongue shall sing of your promise, *

for all your commandments are righteous.

Let your hand be ready to help me, *

for I have chosen your commandments.

I long for your salvation, O LORD, *

and your law is my delight.

Let me live, and I will praise you, *

and let your judgments help me.

I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; *

search for your servant,

for I do not forget your commandments.

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

Jer 25:30-38

Jer 25:30-38

You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them:

The Lord will roar from on high,
    and from his holy habitation utter his voice;
he will roar mightily against his fold,
    and shout, like those who tread grapes,
    against all the inhabitants of the earth.
The clamor will resound to the ends of the earth,
    for the Lord has an indictment against the nations;
he is entering into judgment with all flesh,
    and the guilty he will put to the sword,
says the Lord.

Thus says the Lord of hosts:
See, disaster is spreading
    from nation to nation,
and a great tempest is stirring
    from the farthest parts of the earth!

Those slain by the Lord on that day shall extend from one end of the earth to the other. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become dung on the surface of the ground.

Wail, you shepherds, and cry out;
    roll in ashes, you lords of the flock,
for the days of your slaughter have come—and your dispersions,
    and you shall fall like a choice vessel.
Flight shall fail the shepherds,
    and there shall be no escape for the lords of the flock.
Hark! the cry of the shepherds,
    and the wail of the lords of the flock!
For the Lord is despoiling their pasture,
    and the peaceful folds are devastated,
    because of the fierce anger of the Lord.
Like a lion he has left his covert;
    for their land has become a waste
because of the cruel sword,
    and because of his fierce anger.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

14. A Song of Pentitence Kyrie Pantokrator

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven, *

God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,

and of all their righteous offspring:

You made the heavens and the earth, *

with all their vast array.

All things quake with fear at your presence; *

they tremble because of your power.

But your merciful promise is beyond all measure; *

it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.

O Lord, you are full of compassion, *

long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.

You hold back your hand; *

you do not punish as we deserve.

In your great goodness, Lord,

you have promised forgiveness to sinners, *

that they may repent of their sin and be saved.

And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart, *

and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.

I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned, *

and I know my wickedness only too well.

Therefore I make this prayer to you: *

Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.

Do not let me perish in my sin, *

nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.

For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent, *

and in me you will show forth your goodness.

Unworthy as I am, you will save me,

in accordance with your great mercy, *

and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.

For all the powers of heaven sing your praises, *

and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.

John 10:1-18

John 10:1-18

Jesus the Good Shepherd

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

16. The Song of Zecheriah Benedictus Dominus Deus

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *

he has come to his people and set them free.

He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *

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 who hate us.

He promised to show mercy to our fathers *

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 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 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, his only son, our Lord.

He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit

and born of the Virgin Mary.

He suffered under Pontius Pilate,

was crucified, died, and was buried.

He descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again.

He ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father.

He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,

the holy catholic Church,

the communion of saints,

the forgiveness of sins,

the resurrection of the body,

and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

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

The Lord's Prayer

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

who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom,

and the power, and the glory,

for ever and ever. Amen.

Suffrages A

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 Sprit.

The Collect of the Day

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly
wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to
love what you command and desire what you promise; that,
among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts
may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found;
through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

A Collect for 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.

A Prayer for Mission

O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.

Romans 15:16
May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.