Opening Sentence

I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son." Luke 15:18, 19

Confession

Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor.

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 Lent

Lord, open our lips.

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.

Jubilate

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness
and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his;
we are his people and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting;
and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

Antiphon

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy: Come let us adore him.

Psalm 121 Levavi oculos

1

I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
from where is my help to come?

2

My help comes from the LORD, *
the maker of heaven and earth.

3

He will not let your foot be moved *
and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

4

Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
shall neither slumber nor sleep;

5

The LORD himself watches over you; *
the LORD is your shade at your right hand,

6

So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
nor the moon by night.

7

The LORD shall preserve you from all evil; *
it is he who shall keep you safe.

8

The LORD shall watch over your going out and your coming in, *
from this time forth for evermore.

Psalm 122 Laetatus sum

1

I was glad when they said to me, *
"Let us go to the house of the LORD."

2

Now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

3

Jerusalem is built as a city *
that is at unity with itself;

4

To which the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD, *
the assembly of Israel,
to praise the Name of the LORD.

5

For there are the thrones of judgment, *
the thrones of the house of David.

6

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: *
"May they prosper who love you.

7

Peace be within your walls *
and quietness within your towers.

8

For my brethren and companions' sake, *
I pray for your prosperity.

9

Because of the house of the LORD our God, *
I will seek to do you good."

Psalm 123 Ad te levavi oculos meos

1

To you I lift up my eyes, *
to you enthroned in the heavens.

2

As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their masters, *
and the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress,

3

So our eyes look to the LORD our God, *
until he show us his mercy.

4

Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy, *
for we have had more than enough of contempt,

5

Too much of the scorn of the indolent rich, *
and of the derision of the proud.

Gloria Patri

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.

Exodus 5:1-6:1

Exodus 5

¹ Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.' "

² But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go."

³ Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us; let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or he will fall upon us with pestilence or sword."

⁴ But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get to your labors!"

⁵ Pharaoh continued, "Now they are more numerous than the people of the land and yet you want them to stop working!"

⁶ That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors,

⁷ "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

⁸ But you shall require of them the same quantity of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it, for they are lazy; that is why they cry, 'Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.'

⁹ Let heavier work be laid on them; then they will labor at it and pay no attention to deceptive words."

¹⁰ So the taskmasters and the supervisors of the people went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh, 'I will not give you straw.

¹¹ Go and get straw yourselves, wherever you can find it; but your work will not be lessened in the least.' "

¹² So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw.

¹³ The taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Complete your work, the same daily assignment as when you were given straw."

¹⁴ And the supervisors of the Israelites, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, "Why did you not finish the required quantity of bricks yesterday and today, as you did before?"

¹⁵ Then the Israelite supervisors came to Pharaoh and cried, "Why do you treat your servants like this?

¹⁶ No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, 'Make bricks!' Look how your servants are beaten! You are unjust to your own people."

¹⁷ He said, "You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'

¹⁸ Go now, and work; for no straw shall be given you, but you shall still deliver the same number of bricks."

¹⁹ The Israelite supervisors saw that they were in trouble when they were told, "You shall not lessen your daily number of bricks."

²⁰ As they left Pharaoh, they came upon Moses and Aaron who were waiting to meet them.

²¹ They said to them, "The LORD look upon you and judge! You have brought us into bad odor with Pharaoh and his officials, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us."

²² Then Moses turned again to the LORD and said, "O LORD, why have you mistreated this people? Why did you ever send me?

²³ Since I first came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has mistreated this people, and you have done nothing at all to deliver your people."

Exodus 6

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: Indeed, by a mighty hand he will let them go; by a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land."

Canticle 13 Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34
Benedictus es, Domine

Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; *
you are worthy of praise; glory to you.

Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; *
on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.

Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

Glory to you, beholding the depths; *
in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.

Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; *
we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.

1 Corinthians 14:20-33,39-40

²⁰ Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be adults.

²¹ In the law it is written, "By people of strange tongues and by the lips of foreigners I will speak to this people; yet even then they will not listen to me," says the Lord.

²² Tongues, then, are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers, while prophecy is not for unbelievers but for believers.

²³ If, therefore, the whole church comes together and all speak in tongues, and outsiders or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are out of your mind?

²⁴ But if all prophesy, an unbeliever or outsider who enters is reproved by all and called to account by all.

²⁵ After the secrets of the unbeliever's heart are disclosed, that person will bow down before God and worship him, declaring, "God is really among you."

²⁶ What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

²⁷ If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be only two or at most three, and each in turn; and let one interpret.

²⁸ But if there is no one to interpret, let them be silent in church and speak to themselves and to God.

²⁹ Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said.

³⁰ If a revelation is made to someone else sitting nearby, let the first person be silent.

³¹ For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged.

³² And the spirits of prophets are subject to the prophets,

³³ for God is a God not of disorder but of peace.

³⁹ So, my friends, be eager to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues;

⁴⁰ but all things should be done decently and in order.

Mark 9:42-50

⁴² "If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.

⁴³ If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.

⁴⁵ And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell.

⁴⁷ And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell,

⁴⁸ where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched.

⁴⁹ "For everyone will be salted with fire.

⁵⁰ Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another."

Canticle 18 A Song to the Lamb
Dignus es Revelation 4:11, 5:9-10, 13

Splendor and honor and kingly power *
are yours by right, O Lord our God,

For you created everything that is, *
and by your will they were created and have their being;

And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, *
for with your blood you have redeemed for God,

From every family, language, people, and nation, *
a kingdom of priests to serve our God.

And so, to him who sits upon the throne, *
and to Christ the Lamb,

Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, *
for ever and for ever more.

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.

Sophronios, Archbishop of Jerusalem

Sophronios, archbishop of Jerusalem. was born in the province of Damascus, which is commonly called Siam, at a place of Phoenicia called Livanostephanou in 600. His parents were pious and prudent people and, because he was clever and studious, he acquired the strength and power of every science. Moreover, he used to practise the virtue and asceticism of the desert hermits towards the inhabitants of the city. Then, he went to St. Theodosios the Coenobiarch's monastery.

After he had departed from that place, he went to Egypt wishing to acquire more learning and wisdom. There he found a man called John who was full of every internal and external wisdom. So, having found what he wanted, he stayed with him and was instructed on what he knew better and vice versa. While he was there, he suffered from cataract (lit. pouring of liquid on his eyes) and was cured by Sts. Cyrus and John the Anargyri, who asked as their wages that he ought to write down the miracles which they performed each day. When he did this according to the saints' request, he returned to Jerusalem.

Then, because of his extreme virtue, he was consecrated Bishop of Jerusalem. When Jerusalem had been conquered by the Persians, he went to Alexandria, where great John the charitable was Bishop. When divine John departed to the Lord, venerable Sophronios composed a praising funeral oration, with which he made known the immeasurable treasure of charity and compassion which that thrice blessed man had in his soul, and also lamented his parting from him.

Who can relate with how much care and pains St. Sophronios ministered the flock which had been given to him, after he returned to Jerusalem? Not only had he to fight spiritually against demons but he also had to make a war of logic against the heretical Monothelites, whom he sometimes refuted with the Holy Scriptures and the Apostolic and Patristic traditions and sometimes he conquered with his own teaching.

This blessed father left a lot of writings to the Church of Christ which are worthy to be mentioned and remembered. One of these is the most marvellous life of Mary the Egyptian and equal to angels, who had fought in the desert surpassing human nature.

Having lived in this way, well and with love for God, having taught other men and having been a mouth of God, as Jeremiah says, he ministered the flock of Christ for three years, before departing peacefully to the Lord.

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 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

Show us your mercy, O Lord;

And grant us your salvation.

Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

Let your people sing with joy.

Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;

For only in you can we live in safety.

Lord, keep this nation under your care;

And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

Let your way be known upon earth;

Your saving health among all nations.

Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;

Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

Create in us clean hearts, O God;

And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

Collect of the Day: Fifth Sunday in Lent

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 Guidance

Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Mission

World Cycle of Prayer

We pray for the people of Guinea-Bissau.

Guinea-Bissau from the BBC World Facts site

Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer

We pray for our sisters and brothers, members of the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army

For the Human Family

O God, you made us in your own image and redeemed us through Jesus your Son: Look with compassion on the whole human family; take away the arrogance and hatred which infect our hearts; break down the walls that separate us; unite us in bonds of love; and work through our struggle and confusion to accomplish your purposes on earth; that, in your good time, all nations and races may serve you in harmony around your heavenly throne; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Prisons and Correctional Institutions

Lord Jesus, for our sake you were condemned as a criminal: Visit our jails and prisons with your pity and judgment. Remember all prisoners, and bring the guilty to repentance and amendment of life according to your will, and give them hope for their future. When any are held unjustly, bring them release; forgive us, and teach us to improve our justice. Remember those who work in these institutions; keep them humane and compassionate; and save them from becoming brutal or callous. And since what we do for those in prison, O Lord, we do for you, constrain us to improve their lot. All this we ask for your mercy's sake. Amen.

For the Victims of Addiction

Blessed Lord, you ministered to all who came to you: Look with compassion upon all who through addiction have lost their health and freedom. Restore to them the assurance of your unfailing mercy; remove from them the fears that beset them; strengthen them in the work of their recovery; and to those who care for them, give patient understanding and persevering love. Amen.

A Prayer of Self-Dedication

General Thanksgiving

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

Benediction

Let us bless the Lord.

Thanks be to God.