Opening Sentence

To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, because we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by following the laws which he has set before us. Daniel 9:9, 10

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 131 Domine, non est

1

O LORD, I am not proud; *
I have no haughty looks.

2

I do not occupy myself with great matters, *
or with things that are too hard for me.

3

But I still my soul and make it quiet,
like a child upon its mother's breast; *
my soul is quieted within me.

4

O Israel, wait upon the LORD, *
from this time forth for evermore.

Psalm 132 Memento, Domine

1

LORD, remember David, *
and all the hardships he endured;

2

How he swore an oath to the LORD *
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

3

"I will not come under the roof of my house, *
nor climb up into my bed;

4

I will not allow my eyes to sleep, *
nor let my eyelids slumber;

5

Until I find a place for the LORD, *
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."

6

"The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; *
we found it in the fields of Jearim.

7

Let us go to God's dwelling place; *
let us fall upon our knees before his footstool."

8

Arise, O LORD, into your resting-place, *
you and the ark of your strength.

9

Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; *
let your faithful people sing with joy.

10

For your servant David's sake, *
do not turn away the face of your Anointed.

11

The LORD has sworn an oath to David; *
in truth, he will not break it:

12

"A son, the fruit of your body *
will I set upon your throne.

13

If your children keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore."

14

For the LORD has chosen Zion; *
he has desired her for his habitation:

15

"This shall be my resting-place for ever; *
here will I dwell, for I delight in her.

16

I will surely bless her provisions, *
and satisfy her poor with bread.

17

I will clothe her priests with salvation, *
and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.

18

There will I make the horn of David flourish; *
I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.

19

As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; *
but as for him, his crown will shine."

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 7:25-8:19

Exodus 7

²⁵ Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

Exodus 8

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the LORD: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

² If you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.

³ The river shall swarm with frogs; they shall come up into your palace, into your bedchamber and your bed, and into the houses of your officials and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.

⁴ The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your officials.' "

⁵ And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.' "

⁶ So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

⁷ But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought frogs up on the land of Egypt.

⁸ Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, "Pray to the LORD to take away the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."

⁹ Moses said to Pharaoh, "Kindly tell me when I am to pray for you and for your officials and for your people, that the frogs may be removed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile."

¹⁰ And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "As you say! So that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God,

¹¹ the frogs shall leave you and your houses and your officials and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile."

¹² Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs that he had brought upon Pharaoh.

¹³ And the LORD did as Moses requested: the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.

¹⁴ And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.

¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

¹⁶ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.' "

¹⁷ And they did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came on humans and animals alike; all the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the whole land of Egypt.

¹⁸ The magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, but they could not. There were gnats on both humans and animals.

¹⁹And the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God!" But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Canticle 8 The Song of Moses
Cantemus Domino Exodus 15:1-6, 11-13, 17-18

I will sing to the Lord, for he is lofty and uplifted; *
the horse and its rider has he hurled into the sea.

The Lord is my strength and my refuge; *
the Lord has become my Savior.

This is my God and I will praise him, *
the God of my people and I will exalt him.

The Lord is a mighty warrior; *
Yahweh is his Name.

The chariots of Pharoah and his army has he hurled into the sea
the finest of those who bear armor have been drowned in the Red Sea.

The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them; *
they sank into the depths like a stone.

Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in might; *
your right hand, O Lord, has overthrown the enemy.

Who can be compared with you, O Lord, among the gods? *
who is like you, glorious in holiness,
awesome in renown, and worker of wonders?

You stretched forth your right hand; *
the earth swallowed them up.

With your constant love you led the people you redeemed; *
with your might you brought them in safety to your holy dwelling.

You will bring them in and plant them *
on the mount of your possession,

The resting-place you have made for yourself, O Lord, *
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hand has established.

The Lord shall reign *
for ever and for ever.

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.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

⁷ Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses' face because of the glory of his face, a glory now set aside,

⁸ how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory?

⁹ For if there was glory in the ministry of condemnation, much more does the ministry of justification abound in glory!

¹⁰ Indeed, what once had glory has lost its glory because of the greater glory;

¹¹ for if what was set aside came through glory, much more has the permanent come in glory!

¹² Since, then, we have such a hope, we act with great boldness,

¹³ not like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set aside.

¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside.

¹⁵ Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds;

¹⁶ but when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

¹⁸And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.

Mark 10:17-31

¹⁷ As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"

¹⁸ Jesus said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone.

¹⁹ You know the commandments: 'You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.' "

²⁰ He said to him, "Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth."

²¹ Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me."

²² When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

²³ Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!"

²⁴ And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!

²⁵ It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."

²⁶ They were greatly astounded and said to one another, "Then who can be saved?"

²⁷ Jesus looked at them and said, "For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible."

²⁸ Peter began to say to him, "Look, we have left everything and followed you."

²⁹ Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news,

³⁰ who will not receive a hundredfold now in this agehouses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutionsand in the age to come eternal life.

³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first."

Canticle 19 The Song of the Redeemed
Magna et mirabilia Revelation 15:3-4

O ruler of the universe, Lord God,
great deeds are they that you have done, *
surpassing human understanding.
Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, *

O King of all the ages
Who can fail to do you homage, Lord
and sing the praises of your Name
for you only are the Holy One.

All nations will draw near and fall down before you
because your just and holy works have been revealed.

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.

Nicephoros, Patriarch of Constantinople

When Mantiarch John the illegal, the pseudopatriarch, was deposed from the throne of Constantinople, most holy Patriarch Methodios ascended the throne in 843. Among other things he also accomplished the following.

He talked to king Michael and his mother Theodora saying that it would have been unfair not to bring back to Constantinople the holy relics of venerable and most holy father Nicephoros, who was banished from the Patriarchal throne due to his orthodox and unblemished faith and ended his life in exile. The aforementioned royals were convinced at these words and immediately sent men to bring the saint's relics. Patriarch Methodios went with them together with priests and monks.

When they found that the holy body had been preserved completely incorruptible and whole, although nineteen years had passed since the saint's death, they took it on the royal ship and brought it to Constantinople with candles and spiritual hymns. When the ship passed from the stronghold (acropolis) ford, the king and the whole Senate met the holy relics holding candles in their hands and they kissed the precious body. Then they carried it on their shoulders and left it in the great church. There they sang an all-night vigil and in the morning they carried it on their shoulders again and brought it to the church of the great and holy Apostles on the thirteenth day of this month. This same day is the day when St. Nicephoros departed to the exile.

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 the Renewal of Life

O God, the King eternal, who divides the day from the night and turns the shadow of death into the morning: Drive far from us all wrong desires, incline our hearts to keep your law, and guide our feet into the way of peace; that, having done your will with cheerfulness while it was day, we may, when night comes, rejoice to give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Mission

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.

World Cycle of Prayer

We pray for the people of Guyana.

Caribbean Daylight news site

Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer

We pray for our sisters and brothers, members of the United Church.

The United Church

For Peace Among Nations

For Those in the Armed Forces of Our Country

For the Conservation of Natural Resources

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.