Preparation

O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

One or more of the following is said or sung:
a prayer of thanksgiving (page 109),
a suitable hymn,
or the Venite – A Song of Triumph

Psalmody

The appointed psalmody is said.

Psalm 142

Refrain: Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.

1I cry aloud to the Lord; •
to the Lord I make my supplication.

2I pour out my complaint before him •
and tell him of my trouble.

3When my spirit faints within me, you know my path; •
in the way wherein I walk have they laid a snare for me.

4I look to my right hand, and find no one who knows me; •
I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for my soul. R

5I cry out to you, O Lord, and say: •
‘You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

6‘Listen to my cry, for I am brought very low; •
save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.

7‘Bring my soul out of prison,
   that I may give thanks to your name; •
when you have dealt bountifully with me,
   then shall the righteous gather around me.’ R

Refrain: Bring my soul out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name.

God of compassion,
you regard the forsaken
and give hope to the crushed in spirit;
hear those who cry to you in distress
and bring your ransomed people to sing your glorious praise,
now and for ever.

Psalm 144

Refrain: Happy are the people who have the Lord for their God.

1Blessed be the Lord my rock, •
who teaches my hands for war and my fingers for battle;

2My steadfast help and my fortress,
   my stronghold and my deliverer,
   my shield in whom I trust, •
who subdues the peoples under me.

3O Lord, what are mortals that you should consider them; •
mere human beings, that you should take thought for them?

4They are like a breath of wind; •
their days pass away like a shadow. R

5Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; •
touch the mountains and they shall smoke.

6Cast down your lightnings and scatter them; •
shoot out your arrows and let thunder roar.

7Reach down your hand from on high; •
deliver me and take me out of the great waters,
   from the hand of foreign enemies,

8Whose mouth speaks wickedness •
and their right hand is the hand of falsehood. R

9O God, I will sing to you a new song; •
I will play to you on a ten-stringed harp,

10You that give salvation to kings •
and have delivered David your servant.

11Save me from the peril of the sword •
and deliver me from the hand of foreign enemies,

12Whose mouth speaks wickedness •
and whose right hand is the hand of falsehood; R

13So that our sons in their youth
   may be like well-nurtured plants, •
and our daughters like pillars
   carved for the corners of the temple;

14Our barns be filled with all manner of store; •
our flocks bearing thousands,
   and ten thousands in our fields;

15Our cattle be heavy with young: •
may there be no miscarriage or untimely birth,
   no cry of distress in our streets.

16Happy are the people whose blessing this is. •
Happy are the people who have the Lord for their God. R

Refrain: Happy are the people who have the Lord for their God.

God our deliverer,
stir our weak wills,
revive our weary spirits,
and give us the courage
to strive for the freedom of all your children,
to the praise of your glorious name.

Each psalm or group of psalms may end with

If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.

Canticle

A Song of Humility, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 33 (page 584), may be said

Refrain:

AllRaise us up, O God,
that we may live in your presence.

1Come, let us return to the Lord •
who has torn us and will heal us.

2God has stricken us •
and will bind up our wounds.

3After two days, he will revive us, •
and on the third day will raise us up,
that we may live in his presence.

4Let us strive to know the Lord; •
his appearing is as sure as the sunrise.

5He will come to us like the showers, •
like the spring rains that water the earth.

6‘O Ephraim, how shall I deal with you? •
How shall I deal with you, O Judah?

7‘Your love for me is like the morning mist, •
like the dew that goes early away.

8‘Therefore, I have hewn them by the prophets, •
and my judgement goes forth as the light.

9‘For loyalty is my desire and not sacrifice, •
and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. ’

Hosea 6.1-6

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

AllRaise us up, O God,
that we may live in your presence.

Scripture Reading

One or more readings appointed for the day are read.

The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.

2 Samuel 23.1-7

Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
   the oracle of the man whom God exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
   the favourite of the Strong One of Israel:

The spirit of the Lord speaks through me,
   his word is upon my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken,
   the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
   ruling in the fear of God,
is like the light of morning,
   like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
   gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.

Is not my house like this with God?
   For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
   ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
   all my help and my desire?
But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away;
   for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
to touch them one uses an iron bar
   or the shaft of a spear.
   And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

Acts 12.18-end

When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. The people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!’ And immediately, because he had not given the glory to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.

But the word of God continued to advance and gain adherents. Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark.

A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow

Gospel Canticle

The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or A Song of Praise (page 627) may be said

Refrain:

All Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the heavens,
and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars
for all eternity.

1Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, •
who has come to his people and set them free.

2He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, •
born of the house of his servant David.

3Through his holy prophets God promised of old •
to save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all that hate us,

4To show mercy to our ancestors, •
and to remember his holy covenant.

5This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: •
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,

6Free to worship him without fear, •
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.

7And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, •
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,

8To give his people knowledge of salvation •
by the forgiveness of all their sins.

9In the tender compassion of our God •
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,

10To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, •
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Luke 1.68-79

AllGlory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.

Refrain:

All Those who are wise will shine as brightly as the heavens,
and those who have instructed many in virtue will shine like stars
for all eternity.

Prayers

Lord, in your mercy
hear our prayer

(or)

Lord, hear us.
Lord, graciously hear us.

Silence may be kept.

The Collect of the day is said

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray

AllOur 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.

(or)

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

AllOur 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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Conclusion

The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil,
and keep us in eternal life.
AllAmen.

Let us bless the Lord.
AllThanks be to God.