O Lord, open our lips
Alland our mouth shall
proclaim your praise.
In your resurrection, O Christ,
Alllet heaven and earth
rejoice. Alleluia.
One or more of the following is said or sung:
this or another prayer of thanksgiving
Blessed are you, Lord God of our salvation,
to you be praise and glory for ever.
As once you ransomed your people from Egypt
and led them to freedom in the promised land,
so now you have delivered us from the dominion of darkness
and brought us into the kingdom of your risen Son.
May we, the first fruits of your new creation,
rejoice in this new day you have made,
and praise you for your mighty acts.
Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
AllBlessed be God for ever.
a suitable hymn, or the Easter Anthems
1Christ our passover
has been sacrificed for us: ♦
so let us celebrate the feast,
2not with the old leaven
of corruption and wickedness: ♦
but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 5.7b, 8
3Christ once raised from
the dead dies no more: ♦
death has no more dominion over him.
4In dying he died to
sin once for all: ♦
in living he lives to God.
5See yourselves therefore
as dead to sin: ♦
and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord.
Romans 6.9-11
6Christ has been raised
from the dead: ♦
the first fruits of those who sleep.
7For as by man came death:
♦
by man has come also the resurrection of the dead;
8for as in Adam all die:
♦
even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Corinthians 15.20-22
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.
This opening prayer may be said
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us;
let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day,
so may the light of your presence, O God,
set our hearts on fire with love for you;
now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The appointed psalmody is said.
Refrain: Rise up, O Lord, to help us.
16 My confusion is daily before me, ♦
and shame has covered my face,
17 At the taunts of the slanderer and reviler, ♦
at the sight of the enemy and avenger.
18 All this has come upon us,
though we have not forgotten you ♦
and have not played false to your covenant.
19 Our hearts have not turned back, ♦
nor our steps gone out of your way,
20 Yet you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, ♦
and covered us with the shadow of death.
21 If we have forgotten the name of our God, ♦
or stretched out our hands to any strange god,
22 Will not God search it out? ♦
For he knows the secrets of the heart.
23 But for your sake are we killed all the day long, ♦
and are counted as sheep for the slaughter. R
24 Rise up! Why sleep, O Lord? ♦
Awake, and do not reject us for ever.
25 Why do you hide your face ♦
and forget our grief and oppression?
26 Our soul is bowed down to the dust; ♦
our belly cleaves to the earth.
27 Rise up, O Lord, to help us ♦
and redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
Refrain: Rise up, O Lord, to help us.
In the darkness of unknowing,
when your love seems absent,
draw near to us, O God,
in Christ forsaken,
in Christ risen,
our Redeemer and our Lord.
Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
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.
If there are two Scripture readings, the first may be read here, or both may be read after the canticle.
After the first brother had died in this way, they brought forward the second for their sport. They tore off the skin of his head with the hair, and asked him, Will you eat rather than have your body punished limb by limb? He replied in the language of his ancestors and said to them, No. Therefore he in turn underwent tortures as the first brother had done. And when he was at his last breath, he said, You accursed wretch, you dismiss us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws.
After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands, and said nobly, I got these from Heaven, and because of his laws I disdain them, and from him I hope to get them back again. As a result the king himself and those with him were astonished at the young mans spirit, for he regarded his sufferings as nothing.
After he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the same way. When he was near death, he said, One cannot but choose to die at the hands of mortals and to cherish the hope God gives of being raised again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!
The Song of Moses and Miriam, or another suitable canticle, for example, number 23 (page 574) or number 32 (page 583), may be said
Refrain:
AllIn your unfailing love,
O Lord,
you lead the people whom you have redeemed. Alleluia.
1I will sing to the Lord,
who has triumphed gloriously, ♦
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
2The Lord is my strength
and my song ♦
and has become my salvation.
3This is my God whom
I will praise, ♦
the God of my forebears whom I will exalt.
4The Lord is a warrior,
♦
the Lord is his name.
5Your right hand, O Lord,
is glorious in power: ♦
your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
6At the blast of your
nostrils, the sea covered them; ♦
they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
7In your unfailing love,
O Lord, ♦
you lead the people whom you have redeemed.
8And by your invincible
strength ♦
you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
9You will bring them
in and plant them, O Lord, ♦
in the sanctuary which your hands have established.
Exodus 15.1b-3, 6, 10, 13, 17
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.
AllIn your unfailing love,
O Lord,
you lead the people whom you have redeemed. Alleluia.
One or more readings appointed for the day are read.
The reading(s) may be followed by a time of silence.
And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophetswho through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received their dead by resurrection. Others were tortured, refusing to accept release, in order to obtain a better resurrection. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned to death, they were sawn in two, they were killed by the sword; they went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, persecuted, tormentedof whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.
Yet all these, though they were commended for their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better so that they would not, without us, be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God.
A suitable song or chant, or a responsory in this or another form, may follow
Death is swallowed up in victory.
AllWhere, O death, is your
sting?
Christ is risen from the dead,
the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
AllDeath is swallowed up
in victory.
The trumpet will sound
and the dead shall be raised.
AllWhere, O death, is your
sting?
We shall not all sleep,
but we shall be changed.
AllDeath is swallowed up
in victory.
Where, O death, is your sting?
from 1 Corinthians 15
The Benedictus (The Song of Zechariah) is normally said,
or The Song of Christ’s Glory
(page 619) may be said
Refrain:
AllThe Lord is risen from the
tomb
who for our sakes hung upon the tree. Alleluia.
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:
AllThe Lord is risen from the
tomb
who for our sakes hung upon the tree. Alleluia.
Intercessions are offered
¶ for the day and its tasks
¶ for the world and its needs
¶ for the Church and her life
Prayers may include the following concerns from the cycle on pages 364–365
¶ The people of God, that they may proclaim
the risen Lord
¶ God’s creation, that the peoples of
the earth may meet their responsibility to care
¶ Those in despair and darkness, that they may
find the hope and light of Christ
¶ Those in fear of death, that they may find
faith through the resurrection
¶ Prisoners and captives
A form of prayer found on page 382 may be used.
These responses may be used
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
Almighty God,
who through your only-begotten Son Jesus Christ
have overcome death and opened to us the gate of everlasting life:
grant that, as by your grace going before us
you put into our minds good desires,
so by your continual help
we may bring them to good effect;
through Jesus Christ our risen Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in God’s new creation,
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)
Rejoicing in God’s new creation,
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.
May the risen Christ grant us the joys of eternal life.
AllAmen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
AllThanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
©
The Archbishops' Council of the Church of England, 2000-2005
Official Common Worship apps, books and eBooks are available from
Church House Publishing.
The Bible readings (other than the psalms) are from The New Revised Standard Version Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Implemented by Simon Kershaw at
Crucix.
Implementation copyright © Simon Kershaw, 2002-2021.