Morning Prayer, Rite Two for Saturday, September 20, 2025

September 20, 2025

Saturday In The Week Of Proper 19

Isaiah 57:15

Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, “I dwell in the high and holy place and also with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

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.

Alleluia.

The mercy of the Lord is everlasting: 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 75

We give you thanks, O God, we give you thanks, *

calling upon your Name and declaring all your wonderful deeds.

"I will appoint a time," says God; *

"I will judge with equity.

Though the earth and all its inhabitants are quaking, *

I will make its pillars fast.

I will say to the boasters, 'Boast no more,' *

and to the wicked, 'Do not toss your horns;

Do not toss your horns so high, *

nor speak with a proud neck.'"

For judgment is neither from the east nor from the west, *

nor yet from the wilderness or the mountains.

It is God who judges; *

he puts down one and lifts up another.

For in the LORD'S hand there is a cup,

full of spiced and foaming wine, which he pours out, *

and all the wicked of the earth shall drink and drain the dregs.

But I will rejoice for ever; *

I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

He shall break off all the horns of the wicked; *

but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

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.

Psalm 76

In Judah is God known; *

his Name is great in Israel.

At Salem is his tabernacle, *

and his dwelling is in Zion.

There he broke the flashing arrows, *

the shield, the sword, and the weapons of battle.

How glorious you are! *

more splendid than the everlasting mountains!

The strong of heart have been despoiled;

they sink into sleep; *

none of the warriors can lift a hand.

At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, *

both horse and rider lie stunned.

What terror you inspire! *

who can stand before you when you are angry?

From heaven you pronounced judgment; *

the earth was afraid and was still;

When God rose up to judgment *

and to save all the oppressed of the earth.

Truly, wrathful Edom will give you thanks, *

and the remnant of Hamath will keep your feasts.

Make a vow to the LORD your God and keep it; *

let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared.

He breaks the spirit of princes, *

and strikes terror in the kings of the earth.

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

2 Kgs 2:1-18

Elijah Ascends to Heaven

Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. The company of prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent.”

Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”

Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” He responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. Elisha kept watching and crying out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

When the company of prophets who were at Jericho saw him at a distance, they declared, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” They came to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. They said to him, “See now, we have fifty strong men among your servants; please let them go and seek your master; it may be that the spirit of the Lord has caught him up and thrown him down on some mountain or into some valley.” He responded, “No, do not send them.” But when they urged him until he was ashamed, he said, “Send them.” So they sent fifty men who searched for three days but did not find him. When they came back to him (he had remained at Jericho), he said to them, “Did I not say to you, Do not go?”

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.