Feb 25 2025 19 mins 9
Daily Office - Wednesday in the Seventh Week After Epiphany
Opening Words:
I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6b
Confession:
Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.
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 you, forgive you all your sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.
The Invitatory
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.
Psalm 95:1–7
The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.
Come, let us sing to the Lord; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, * and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, * and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
The Lord has shown forth his glory: Come let us adore him.
The Psalter
Psalm 119:145-176
Qoph
Icall with my whole heart; *
answer me, O Lord, that I may keep your statutes.
I call to you;
oh, that you would save me! *
I will keep your decrees.
Early in the morning I cry out to you, *
for in your word is my trust.
My eyes are open in the night watches, *
that I may meditate upon your promise.
Hear my voice, O Lord, according to your loving-kindness; *
according to your judgments, give me life.
They draw near who in malice persecute me; *
they are very far from your law.
You, O Lord, are near at hand, *
and all your commandments are true.
Long have I known from your decrees *
that you have established them for ever.
Psalm 119: Resh
Behold my affliction and deliver me, *
for I do not forget your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me; *
according to your promise, give me life.
Deliverance is far from the wicked, *
for they do not study your statutes.
Great is your compassion, O Lord; *
preserve my life, according to your judgments.
There are many who persecute and oppress me, *
yet I have not swerved from your decrees.
I look with loathing at the faithless, *
for they have not kept your word.
See how I love your commandments! *
O Lord, in your mercy, preserve me.
The heart of your word is truth; *
all your righteous judgments endure for evermore.
Psalm 119: Shin
Rulers have persecuted me without a cause, *
but my heart stands in awe of your word.
I am as glad because of your promise *
as one who finds great spoils.
As for lies, I hate and abhor them, *
but your law is my love.
Seven times a day do I praise you, *
because of your righteous judgments.
Great peace have they who love your law; *
for them there is no stumbling block.
I have hoped for your salvation, O Lord, *
and have fulfilled your commandments.
I have kept your decrees *
and I have loved them deeply.
I have kept your commandments and decrees, *
for all my ways are before you.
Psalm 119: Taw
Let my cry come before you, O Lord; *
give me understanding, according to your word.
Let my supplication come before you; *
deliver me, according to your promise.
My lips shall pour forth your praise, *
when you teach me your statutes.
My tongue shall sing of your promise, *
for all your commandments are righteous.
Let your hand be ready to help me, *
for I have chosen your commandments.
I long for your salvation, O Lord, *
and your law is my delight.
Let me live, and I will praise you, *
and let your judgments help me.
I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost; *
search for your servant,
for I do not forget your commandments.
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.
Lessons
Ruth 2:1-13
Now Naomi had a kinsman on her husband's side, a prominent rich man, of the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz. And Ruth the Moabite said to Naomi, "Let me go to the field and glean among the ears of grain, behind someone in whose sight I may find favor." She said to her, "Go, my daughter." So she went. She came and gleaned in the field behind the reapers. As it happened, she came to the part of the field belonging to Boaz, who was of the family of Elimelech. Just then Boaz came from Bethlehem. He said to the reapers, "The Lord be with you." They answered, "The Lord bless you." Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, "To whom does this young woman belong?" The servant who was in charge of the reapers answered, "She is the Moabite who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. She said, 'Please, let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the reapers.' So she came, and she has been on her feet from early this morning until now, without resting even for a moment." Then Boaz said to Ruth, "Now listen, my daughter, do not go to glean in another field or leave this one, but keep close to my young women. Keep your eyes on the field that is being reaped, and follow behind them. I have ordered the young men not to bother you. If you get thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn." Then she fell prostrate, with her face to the ground, and said to him, "Why have I found favor in your sight, that you should take notice of me, when I am a foreigner?" But Boaz answered her, "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband has been fully told me, and how you left your father and mother and your native land and came to a people that you did not know before. May the Lord reward you for your deeds, and may you have a full reward from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge!" Then she said, "May I continue to find favor in your sight, my lord, for you have comforted me and spoken kindly to your servant, even though I am not one of your servants."
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks Be To God.
Te Deum laudamus
You are God: we praise you;You are the Lord; we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin’s womb.You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting.
2 Cor. 1:23-2:17
But I call on God as witness against me: it was to spare you that I did not come again to Corinth. I do not mean to imply that we lord it over your faith; rather, we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in the faith. So I made up my mind not to make you another painful visit. For if I cause you pain, who is there to make me glad but the one whom I have pained? And I wrote as I did, so that when I came, I might not suffer pain from those who should have made me rejoice; for I am confident about all of you, that my joy would be the joy of all of you. For I wrote you out of much distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to cause you pain, but to let you know the abundant love that I have for you. But if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but to some extent-- not to exaggerate it-- to all of you. This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person; so now instead you should forgive and console him, so that he may not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. So I urge you to reaffirm your love for him. I wrote for this reason: to test you and to know whether you are obedient in everything. Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. What I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ. And we do this so that we may not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. When I came to Troas to proclaim the good news of Christ, a door was opened for me in the Lord; but my mind could not rest because I did not find my brother Titus there. So I said farewell to them and went on to Macedonia. But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads in every place the fragrance that comes from knowing him. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not peddlers of God's word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons of sincerity, as persons sent from God and standing in his presence.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks Be To God.
Matt. 5:21-26
“You have heard that it was said to those of ancient times, 'You shall not murder' and 'whoever murders shall be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that if you are angry with a brother or sister, you will be liable to judgment; and if you insult a brother or sister, you will be liable to the council; and if you say, 'You fool,' you will be liable to the hell of fire. So when you are offering your gift at the altar, if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother or sister, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are on the way to court with him, or your accuser may hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you will be thrown into prison. Truly I tell you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks Be To God.
Benedictus Dominus Deus
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,that he would save us from our enemies, *from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *holy and righteous in his sightall the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
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 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 be with you.
And also with you.
Let us pray.
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, forever and ever. Amen.
Suffrages B
V. Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;
R. Govern and uphold them, now and always.
V. Day by day we bless you;
R. We praise your name for ever.
V. Lord, keep us from all sin today;
R. Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
V. Lord, show us your love and mercy;
R. For we put our trust in you.
V. In you, Lord, is our hope;
R. And we shall never hope in vain.
The Collects
Collect of the Day
O Lord, you have taught us that without love whatever we do is worth nothing: Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts your greatest gift, which is love, the true bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whoever lives is accounted dead before you. Grant this for the sake of your only Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Daily Collects:
A Collect for Peace
O God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Collect for Grace
O Lord, our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, you have brought us safely to the beginning of this day: Defend us by your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin nor run into any danger; and that, guided by your Spirit, we may do what is righteous in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Take a moment of silence at this time to reflect and pray for others.
Collect of Saint Basil
O Christ God, Who art worshipped and glorified at every place and time; Who art long-suffering, most merciful and compassionate; Who lovest the righteous and art merciful to sinners; Who callest all to salvation with the promise of good things to come: receive, Lord, the prayers we now offer, and direct our lives in the way of Thy commandments. Sanctify our souls, cleanse our bodies, correct our thoughts, purify our minds and deliver us from all affliction, evil and illness. Surround us with Thy holy angels, that guarded and instructed by their forces, we may reach unity of faith and the understanding of Thine unapproachable glory: for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.
A Prayer of St. John Chrysostom
Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time, with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will grant their requests: 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.
Dismissal
Let us bless the Lord
Thanks be to God!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen
