Morning Prayer

Ordinary Time
Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Psalm 19:14

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I 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

The Invitatory and Psalter

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 forever. Amen   Alleluia

Venite
The Antiphon:

ⓘ   A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

The earth is the Lord's for he made it: Come let us adore him.

The Lessons

Psalm 140

⁽¹⁾ Deliver me, O LORD, from evil men; Preserve me from violent men, ⁽²⁾ Who plan evil things in their hearts; They continually gather together for war. ⁽³⁾ They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; The poison of asps is under their lips. Selah ⁽⁴⁾ Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; Preserve me from violent men, Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.

⁽⁵⁾ The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; They have spread a net by the wayside; They have set traps for me. Selah ⁽⁶⁾ I said to the LORD: 'You are my God; Hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD. ⁽⁷⁾ O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle. ⁽⁸⁾ Do not grant, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; Do not further his wicked scheme, Lest they be exalted. Selah

⁽⁹⁾ As for the head of those who surround me, Let the evil of their lips cover them; ⁽¹⁰⁾ Let burning coals fall upon them; Let them be cast into the fire, Into deep pits, that they rise not up again. ⁽¹¹⁾ Let not a slanderer be established in the earth; Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.' ⁽¹²⁾ I know that the LORD will maintain The cause of the afflicted, And justice for the poor.

⁽¹³⁾ Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; The upright shall dwell in Your presence.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 142

⁽¹⁾ I cry out to the LORD with my voice; With my voice to the LORD I make my supplication. ⁽²⁾ I pour out my complaint before Him; I declare before Him my trouble. ⁽³⁾ When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, Then You knew my path. In the way in which I walk They have secretly set a snare for me. ⁽⁴⁾ Look on my right hand and see, For there is no one who acknowledges me; Refuge has failed me; No one cares for my soul.

⁽⁵⁾ I cried out to You, O LORD: I said, 'You are my refuge, My portion in the land of the living. ⁽⁶⁾ Attend to my cry, For I am brought very low; Deliver me from my persecutors, For they are stronger than I. ⁽⁷⁾ Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.'

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

2 Samuel Chapter 19

⁽²⁴⁾ Now Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king. And he had not cared for his feet, nor trimmed his mustache, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he returned in peace. ⁽²⁵⁾ So it was, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said to him, 'Why did you not go with me, Mephibosheth?' ⁽²⁶⁾ And he answered, 'My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, 'I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go to the king,' because your servant is lame. ⁽²⁷⁾ And he has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is like the angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes.

⁽²⁸⁾ For all my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king. Yet you set your servant among those who eat at your own table. Therefore what right have I still to cry out anymore to the king?' ⁽²⁹⁾ So the king said to him, 'Why do you speak anymore of your matters? I have said, 'You and Ziba divide the land.' ' ⁽³⁰⁾ Then Mephibosheth said to the king, 'Rather, let him take it all, inasmuch as my lord the king has come back in peace to his own house.' ⁽³¹⁾ And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim and went across the Jordan with the king, to escort him across the Jordan.

⁽³²⁾ Now Barzillai was a very aged man, eighty years old. And he had provided the king with supplies while he stayed at Mahanaim, for he was a very rich man. ⁽³³⁾ And the king said to Barzillai, 'Come across with me, and I will provide for you while you are with me in Jerusalem.' ⁽³⁴⁾ But Barzillai said to the king, 'How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? ⁽³⁵⁾ I am today eighty years old. Can I discern between the good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any longer the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should your servant be a further burden to my lord the king?

⁽³⁶⁾ Your servant will go a little way across the Jordan with the king. And why should the king repay me with such a reward? ⁽³⁷⁾ Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, near the grave of my father and mother. But here is your servant Chimham; let him cross over with my lord the king, and do for him what seems good to you.' ⁽³⁸⁾ And the king answered, 'Chimham shall cross over with me, and I will do for him what seems good to you. Now whatever you request of me, I will do for you.' ⁽³⁹⁾ Then all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had crossed over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned to his own place.

⁽⁴⁰⁾ Now the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him. And all the people of Judah escorted the king, and also half the people of Israel. ⁽⁴¹⁾ Just then all the men of Israel came to the king, and said to the king, 'Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen you away and brought the king, his household, and all David's men with him across the Jordan?' ⁽⁴²⁾ So all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, 'Because the king is a close relative of ours. Why then are you angry over this matter? Have we ever eaten at the king's expense? Or has he given us any gift?' ⁽⁴³⁾ And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, 'We have ten shares in the king; therefore we also have more right to David than you. Why then do you despise us -- were we not the first to advise bringing back our king?' Yet the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Acts Chapter 24

⁽²⁴⁾ And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. ⁽²⁵⁾ Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, 'Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.' ⁽²⁶⁾ Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him. ⁽²⁷⁾ But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.

⁽¹⁾ Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. ⁽²⁾ Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, ⁽³⁾ asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem -- while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. ⁽⁴⁾ But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly.

⁽⁵⁾ Therefore,' he said, 'let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him.' ⁽⁶⁾ And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. ⁽⁷⁾ When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, ⁽⁸⁾ while he answered for himself, 'Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all.'

⁽⁹⁾ But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, 'Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?' ⁽¹⁰⁾ So Paul said, 'I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. ⁽¹¹⁾ For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar.' ⁽¹²⁾ Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, 'You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Mark Chapter 12

⁽³⁵⁾ Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, 'How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? ⁽³⁶⁾ For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 'The LORD said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.' ' ⁽³⁷⁾ Therefore David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?' And the common people heard Him gladly. ⁽³⁸⁾ Then He said to them in His teaching, 'Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,

⁽³⁹⁾ the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, ⁽⁴⁰⁾ who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.' ⁽⁴¹⁾ Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. ⁽⁴²⁾ Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans.

⁽⁴³⁾ So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; ⁽⁴⁴⁾ for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Second Song of Isaiah      Isaiah 55:6 to 11

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found;
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion,
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth,
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed,
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.


The 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 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   Traditional
Suffrages A

Seasonal Collect:  Proper 15 The Sunday closest to August 17
Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others. When you lack the words


Closing Prayers   Thanksgiving

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

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