Thursday

Morning Prayer

Ascension Day

The Opening

Opening Sentence

Alleluia! Christ is risen.

The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia!

Hymn: Eye has not seen

Eye has not seen,

ear has not heard

what God has ready

for those who love him;

Spirit of love, come,

give us the mind of Jesus,

teach us the wisdom of God.

When pain and sorrow weigh us down,

be near to us, O Lord,

forgive the weakness of our faith,

and bear us up within your peaceful word.

Eye has not seen,

ear has not heard

what God has ready

for those who love him;

Spirit of love, come,

give us the mind of Jesus,

teach us the wisdom of God.

Our lives are but a single breath,

we flower and we fade,

yet all our days are in your hands,

so we return in love what love has made.

Eye has not seen,

ear has not heard

what God has ready

for those who love him;

Spirit of love, come,

give us the mind of Jesus,

teach us the wisdom of God.

To those who see with eyes of faith,

the Lord is ever near,

reflected in the faces

of all the poor and lowly of the world.

Eye has not seen,

ear has not heard

what God has ready

for those who love him;

Spirit of love, come,

give us the mind of Jesus,

teach us the wisdom of God.

We sing a mystery from the past

in halls where saints have trod,

yet ever new the music rings

to Jesus, Living Song of God.

Eye has not seen,

ear has not heard

what God has ready

for those who love him;

Words and Music: Marty Haugen

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.

Versicle and Response

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.

Alleluia. Christ the Lord has ascended into heaven:

Come let us adore him. Alleluia.

Christ our Passover

Pascha nostrum

I Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; I Corinthians 15:20-22

Alleluia.

Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *

therefore let us keep the feast,

Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *

but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *

death no longer has dominion over him.

The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *

but the life he lives, he lives to God.

So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *

and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.

Christ has been raised from the dead, *

the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since by a man came death, *

by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die, *

so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

Antiphon

Alleluia. Christ the Lord has ascended into heaven:

Come let us adore him. Alleluia.

The Psalms

8 Domine, Dominus noster or

Coverdale

¹ O Lord our Governor, *

how exalted is your Name in all the world!

² Out of the mouths of infants and children *

your majesty is praised above the heavens.

³ You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *

to quell the enemy and the avenger.

⁴ When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *

the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,

⁵ What is man that you should be mindful of him? *

the son of man that you should seek him out?

⁶ You have made him but little lower than the angels; *

you adorn him with glory and honor;

⁷ You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *

you put all things under his feet:

⁸ All sheep and oxen, *

even the wild beasts of the field,

⁹ The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *

and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.

¹⁰ O Lord our Governor, *

how exalted is your Name in all the world!

47 Omnes gentes, plaudite or

Coverdale

¹ Clap your hands, all you peoples; *

shout to God with a cry of joy.

² For the Lord Most High is to be feared; *

he is the great King over all the earth.

³ He subdues the peoples under us, *

and the nations under our feet.

⁴ He chooses our inheritance for us, *

the pride of Jacob whom he loves.

⁵ God has gone up with a shout, *

the Lord with the sound of the ram's-horn.

⁶ Sing praises to God, sing praises; *

sing praises to our King, sing praises.

⁷ For God is King of all the earth; *

sing praises with all your skill.

⁸ God reigns over the nations; *

God sits upon his holy throne.

⁹ The nobles of the peoples have gathered together *

with the people of the God of Abraham.

¹⁰ The rulers of the earth belong to God, *

and he is highly exalted.

Gloria Patri

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. Amen.

The Lessons

The Old Testament Lesson

Ezekiel 1:1-14,24-28

¹In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the river Chebar, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

²On the fifth day of the month (it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin),

³the word of the Lord came to the priest Ezekiel son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was on him there.

⁴As I looked, a stormy wind came out of the north: a great cloud with brightness around it and fire flashing forth continually, and in the middle of the fire, something like gleaming amber.

⁵In the middle of it was something like four living creatures. This was their appearance: they were of human form.

⁶Each had four faces, and each of them had four wings.

⁷Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like burnished bronze.

⁸Under their wings on their four sides they had human hands. And the four had their faces and their wings thus:

⁹their wings touched one another; each of them moved straight ahead, without turning as they moved.

¹⁰As for the appearance of their faces: the four had the face of a human being, the face of a lion on the right side, the face of an ox on the left side, and the face of an eagle;

¹¹such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each creature had two wings, each of which touched the wing of another, while two covered their bodies.

¹²Each moved straight ahead; wherever the spirit would go, they went, without turning as they went.

¹³In the middle of the living creatures there was something that looked like burning coals of fire, like torches moving to and fro among the living creatures; the fire was bright, and lightning issued from the fire.

¹⁴The living creatures darted to and fro, like a flash of lightning.

²⁴When they moved, I heard the sound of their wings like the sound of mighty waters, like the thunder of the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the sound of an army; when they stopped, they let down their wings.

²⁵And there came a voice from above the dome over their heads; when they stopped, they let down their wings.

²⁶And above the dome over their heads there was something like a throne, in appearance like sapphire; and seated above the likeness of a throne was something that seemed like a human form.

²⁷Upward from what appeared like the loins I saw something like gleaming amber, something that looked like fire enclosed all around; and downward from what looked like the loins I saw something that looked like fire, and there was a splendor all around.

²⁸Like the bow in a cloud on a rainy day, such was the appearance of the splendor all round. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. When I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of someone speaking.

The Word of the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.

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 Pharaoh 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.

The New Testament Lesson

Hebrews 2:5-18

⁵Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels.

⁶But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them?

⁷You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor,

⁸subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,

⁹but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

¹⁰It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

¹¹For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,

¹²saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.”

¹³And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again, “Here am I and the children whom God has given me.”

¹⁴Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

¹⁵and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.

¹⁶For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham.

¹⁷Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.

¹⁸Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

The Word of the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.

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.

The Gospel

Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.

¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

¹⁸And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

¹⁹Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Word of the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Creed

The Apostle's 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 Prayers

The Lord's Prayer

or traditional

Our 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.

Save us from the time of trial,

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and for ever. Amen.

Suffrages

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: Ascension Day

Almighty God, whose blessed Son our Savior Jesus Christ ascended far above all heavens that he might fill all things: Mercifully give us faith to perceive that, according to his promise, he abides with his Church on earth, even to the end of the ages; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

For Mission

Almighty and everlasting God,

by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people

is governed and sanctified:

Receive our supplications and prayers

which we offer before you for

all members of your holy Church,

that in their vocation and ministry

they may truly and devoutly serve you;

through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

World Cycle of Prayer

We pray for the people of Mozambique.

Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer

We pray for our sisters and brothers, members of the

Hungarian Greek Catholic Church.

A Collect for the Renewal of Life

O God, the King eternal,

whose light 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.

Hymn: To my humble supplication

To my humble supplication

Lord, give ear and acceptation

Save thy servant, that hath none

Help nor hope but Thee alone. Amen.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.

Birthdays

Anniversaries

For Recovery from Sickness

For Travelers

For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement

For Those to be Baptized

For the Departed

Full list of prayers

For Peace Among Nations

Almighty God our heavenly Father,

guide the nations of the world

into the way of justice and truth,

and establish among them that peace

which is the fruit of righteousness,

that they may become the kingdom

of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

For Those in the Armed Forces of Our Country

Almighty God,

we commend to your gracious care and keeping

all the men and women of our armed forces

at home and abroad.

Defend them day by day with your heavenly grace;

strengthen them in their trials and temptations;

give them courage to face the perils which beset them;

and grant them a sense of your abiding presence

wherever they may be;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Conservation of Natural Resources

Almighty God, in giving us

dominion over things on earth,

you made us fellow workers in your creation:

Give us wisdom and reverence

so to use the resources of nature,

that no one may suffer from our abuse of them,

and that generations yet to come

may continue to praise you for your bounty;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Hymn: All creatures of our God and King

All creatures of our God and King

Lift up your voice and with us sing

Alleluia

Alleluia

Thou burning sun with golden beam

Thou silver moon with softer gleam

Oh, praise Him

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Alleluia

Thou rushing wind that art so strong

Ye clouds that sail in heav'n along

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Thou rising moon in praise rejoice

Ye lights of evening find a voice

Oh, praise Him

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Alleluia

Let all things their creator bless

And worship Him in humbleness

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son

And praise the Spirit three in one

Oh, praise Him

Oh, praise Him

Alleluia

Alleluia

Alleluia

Words: St. Francis of Assisi

Paraphrased by William H. Draper

Tune: Lasst Uns Erfreuen

A Prayer Attributed to St. Francis

Lord, make us instruments of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let us sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is discord, union;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

Grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

The General Thanksgiving

Almighty God, Father of all mercies,

we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks

for all your goodness and loving-kindness

to us and to all whom you have made.

We bless you for our creation, preservation,

and all the blessings of this life;

but above all for your immeasurable love

in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ;

for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.

And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies,

that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise,

not only with our lips, but in our lives,

by giving up our selves to your service,

and by walking before you

in holiness and righteousness all our days;

through Jesus Christ our Lord,

to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit,

be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.

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.

The Ending

Benediction

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13

Hymn: God Be With You

God be with you till we meet again;

By his counsels guide, uphold you;

With his sheep securely fold you.

God be with you till we meet again.

Till we meet, till we meet,

Till we meet at Jesus' feet,

Till we meet, till we meet,

God be with you till we meet again.

---

Noonday Prayer

The Opening

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

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 Psalm

Psalm 121 Levavi oculos

¹I lift up my eyes to the hills; *

from where is my help to come?

²My help comes from the LORD, *

the maker of heaven and earth.

³He will not let your foot be moved *

and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

⁴Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *

shall neither slumber nor sleep;

⁵The Lord himself watches over you; *

the Lord is your shade at your right hand,

⁶So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *

nor the moon by night.

⁷The 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.

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 Reading

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has passed

away, behold the new has come. All this is from God, who

through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry

of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17-18

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.

The Prayers

Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.

The Lord's Prayer

or

traditional

Our 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.

Save us from the time of trial,

and deliver us from evil.

For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours,

now and for ever. Amen.

Lord, hear our prayer;

And let our cry come to you.

Let us pray.

Blessed Savior, at this hour you hung upon the cross,

stretching out your loving arms: Grant that all the peoples of the earth may look to you and be saved; for your tender

mercies sake. Amen.

Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others.

Birthdays

Anniversaries

For Recovery from Sickness

For Travelers

For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement

For Those to be Baptized

For the Departed

Full list of prayers

The Ending

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Thanks be to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.