Whit-Sunday and Pentecost Week (Monday, Tuesday, Embers) - 2023

 

Whit-Sunday.

Veni, Creator Spiritus 

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire, * And lighten with celestial fire.

Thou the anointing Spirit art, * Who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.

Thy blessed unction from above, * Is comfort, life, and fire of love.

Enable with perpetual light  * The dulness of our blinded sight.

Anoint and cheer our soiled face  * With the abundance of thy grace.

Keep far our foes, give peace at home; * Where thou art guide, no ill can come.

Teach us to know the Father, Son, * And thee, of both, to be but One;

That, through the ages all along, * This may be our endless song:

Praise to thy eternal merit, * Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 

The Collect.

GOD, who as at this time didst teach the hearts of thy faithful people, by the sending to them the light of thy Holy Spirit; Grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Christ Jesus our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Joel 2.28-31

Psalter: Psalm 48, 68 | 104, 145

Epistle Reading: Acts 2.1-11

Gospel Reading: St. John 14.15-31 

Homily 

Monday in Whitsun-Week. 

Same Collect for Sunday along with this one added in the 1928 BCP:

Send, we beseech thee, Almighty God, thy Holy Spirit into our hearts, that he may direct and rule us according to thy will, comfort us in all our afflictions, defend us from all error, and lead us into all truth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the same Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 31.31-34

Psalter: Psalm 139

Epistle Reading: Acts 10.34-48

Gospel Reading: St. John 3.16-21 

Homily 

Tuesday in Whitsun-Week. 

Same Collect for Sunday along with this one added in the 1928 BCP:

GRANT, we beseech thee, merciful God, that thy Church, being gathered together in unity by thy Holy Spirit, may manifest thy power among all peoples, to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Psalter: Psalm 148

Epistle Reading: Acts 8.14-17

Gospel Reading: St. John 10.1-10 

Homily

Pentecost Ember Days 

Readings for Pentecost Ember Days (Wednesday, Friday and Saturday)

 ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who hast purchased to thyself an universal Church by the precious blood of thy dear Son; Mercifully look upon the same, and at this time so guide and govern the minds of thy servants the Bishops and Pastors of thy flock, that they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but faithfully and wisely make choice of fit persons, to serve in the sacred Ministry of thy Church. And to those which shall be ordained to any holy function, give thy grace and heavenly benediction; that both by their life and doctrine they may show forth thy glory, and set forward the salvation of all men; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Or this.

ALMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church; Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Sunday after Ascension - 2023

 

Sunday after Ascension-Day.

Psalm 15. Domine, quis habitabit?

LORD, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle? * or who shall rest upon thy holy hill?

2 Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, * and doeth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart.

3 He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, * and hath not slandered his neighbour.

4 He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, * and maketh much of them that fear the Lord.

5 He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, * though it were to his own hindrance.

6 He that hath not given his money upon usury, * nor taken reward against the innocent.

7 Whoso doeth these things * shall never fall.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

O GOD the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us unto the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 65.17-25

Psalter: Psalm 108, 110 | 46, 47

Epistle Reading: 1 Peter 4.7-11

Gospel Reading: St. John 15.26-16.4 

Homily

Fifth Sunday after Easter, Rogation Days and Ascension - 2023

 

Jean-François Millet, ‘The Angelus,’ 1730 (photo: Public Domain)

The Fifth Sunday after Easter (or Rogation Sunday).

Psalm 114. In exitu Israel.

WHEN Israel came out of Egypt, * and the house of Jacob from among the strange people,

2 Judah was his sanctuary, * and Israel his dominion.

3 The sea saw that, and fled; * Jordan was driven back.

4 The mountains skipped like rams, * and the little hills like young sheep.

5 What aileth thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? * and thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

6 Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams? * and ye little hills, like young sheep?

7 Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the Lord: * at the presence of the God of Jacob;

8 Who turned the hard rock into a standing water, * and the flint-stone into a springing well.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

O LORD, from whom all good things do come; Grant to us thy humble servants, that by thy holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by thy merciful guiding may perform the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 1.10-20

Psalter: Psalm 146, 147 | 132, 133, 134

Epistle Reading: James 1.22-27

Gospel Reading: St. John 16.23-33 

Homily 

The Rogation Days 
Being the Three Days before Ascension Day 

ALMIGHTY God, Lord of heaven and earth; We beseech thee to pour forth thy blessing upon this land, and to give us a fruitful season; that we, constantly receiving thy bounty, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Monday AM: Psalm 104. 1^st Lesson – Deuteronomy 8.1-11, 17-20. 2^nd Lesson – Matthew 5.5-15.

Monday PM: Psalm 34. 1^st Lesson – Deuteronomy 28.1-14. 2^nd Lesson – James 1.1-17

 

Tuesday AM: Psalm 80. 1^st Lesson – Deuteronomy 11.10-17. 2^nd Lesson – Matthew 6.24-34

Tuesday PM: Psalm 65, 67. 1^st Lesson – 1 Kings 8.22-30. 2^nd Lesson – James 4.8-17

 

Wednesday AM: Psalm 144. 1^st Lesson – Jeremiah 14.1-9. 2^nd Lesson – 1 John 5.5-15

Wednesday PM: Psalm 93, 99. 1^st Lesson – Isaiah 11.1-5. 2^nd Lesson – Luke 24.44-48

 

A modern custom for Rogation Days has been to focus prayers and actions toward charity to help feed poor folk. On this page we have provided three ways to do that: http://orderofcenturions.org/documents/rogation.html 

The Ascension-Day.

Psalm 8

Domine, Dominus noster

O LORD our Governor, how excellent is thy Name in all the world; * thou that hast set thy glory above the heavens!

2 Out of the mouth of very babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength, because of thine enemies, * that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

3 When I consider thy heavens, even the work of thy fingers; * the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained;

4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? * and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

5 Thou madest him lower than the angels, * to crown him with glory and worship.

6 Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands; * and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet:

7 All sheep and oxen; * yea, and the beasts of the field;

8 The fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea; * and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the seas.

9 O Lord our Governor, * how excellent is thy Name in all the world!

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Daniel 7.9-14

Psalter: Psalm 96

Epistle Reading: Acts 1.1-11

Gospel Reading: St. Luke 24.49-53

 

Homily

Fourth Sunday after Easter - 2023

 

The Fourth Sunday after Easter.

Psalm 113. Laudate, pueri.

PRAISE the Lord, ye servants; * O praise the Name of the Lord.

2 Blessed be the Name of the Lord * from this time forth for evermore.

3 The Lord’s Name is praised * from the rising up of the sun unto the going down of the same.

4 The Lord is high above all nations, * and his glory above the heavens.

5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling so high, * and yet humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth!

6 He taketh up the simple out of the dust, * and lifteth the poor out of the mire;

7 That he may set him with the princes, * even with the princes of his people.

8 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, * and to be a joyful mother of children.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 

The Collect.

O ALMIGHTY God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men; Grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 39.21-29

Psalter: Psalm 126, 127, 128 | 129, 130, 131

Epistle Reading: James 1.17-21

Gospel Reading: St. John 16.5-15 

Homily