John Donne, Priest
Tuesday of Holy Week

Holy Sonnet XIV.
Batter my heart, three-person'd God ; for youAs yet but knock ; breathe, shine, and seek to mend ;That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bendYour force, to break, blow, burn, and make me new.I, like an usurp'd town, to another due,Labor to admit you, but O, to no end.Reason, your viceroy in me, me should defend,But is captived, and proves weak or untrue.Yet dearly I love you, and would be loved fain,But am betroth'd unto your enemy ;Divorce me, untie, or break that knot again,Take me to you, imprison me, for I,Except you enthrall me, never shall be free,Nor ever chaste, except you ravish me. - John Donne

1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from the dread enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the scheming of evildoers,
3 who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
6 Who can search out our crimes?*
We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.’
For the human heart and mind are deep.
7 But God will shoot his arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
9 Then everyone will fear;
they will tell what God has brought about,
and ponder what he has done.
Psalm 64 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Lamentations 2:1-9 - 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:11 - Mark 12:1-11

Tuesday of Holy Week

Father,
I am now crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live; yet it is not I who lives, but Christ who lives within me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. By faith in Christ Jesus, Father, I have become your child. Thank you for adopting me into your family. Amen.
(From "Bible Prayers for All Your Needs")

1 In my distress I cry to the Lord,
that he may answer me:
2 ‘Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips,
from a deceitful tongue.’
3 What shall be given to you?
And what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue?
4 A warrior’s sharp arrows,
with glowing coals of the broom tree!
5 Woe is me, that I am an alien in Meshech,
that I must live among the tents of Kedar.
6 Too long have I had my dwelling
among those who hate peace.
7 I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war.
Psalm 51 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Lamentations 1:17-22 - 2 Corinthians 1:8-22 - Mark 11:27-33

Hans Nielsen Hauge, Renewer of the Church
Monday of Holy Week

Gracious Father, we praise you because, when the zeal and love Of your Church has grown cold, you stir up the hearts of your people, by sending to them men and women of faith, as you sent your servant Hans Nielsen Hauge, to preach repentance and renewal; and we pray that your Church may never be destitute of such preaching, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right* spirit within me.
11Do not cast me away from your presence,
and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and sustain in me a willing* spirit.
Psalm 51 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Lamentations 1:1-12 - 2 Corinthians 1:1-7 - Mark 11:12-25

Father,
You are my hiding place.
When I am afraid, I come to You. When I must be courageous for others, You give me Your strength. You protect and surround me with angels. When I feel weak, I find shelter in Your mighty arms. Though I may not be able to express my fears outwardly to others, You know all my thoughts completely. Thank You for surrounding me with Your love and giving me a safe place in the midst of trouble. Amen.
(From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares")

27 All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down;
before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him;
future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
saying that he has done it.
Psalm 22 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Exodus 9:13-35 - 2 Corinthians 4:1-12 - Mark 10:32-45

The Annunciation

Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord; that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought unto the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever
(Gregorian Sacramentary, BCP, LBW, ELW)

1 I waited patiently for the Lord;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
2 He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.
4 Happy are those who make the Lord their trust,
who do not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after false gods.
5 You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them, they would be more than can be counted.
6 Sacrifice and offering you do not desire, but you have given me an open ear.*
Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required.
Psalm 40 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Exodus 7:25-8:19 - 2 Corinthians 3:7-18 - Mark 10:17-31

Oscar Romero

Eternal God of justice and love, you hold in your mind a vision of creation as you intend it to be: by the example of your servant Oscar Romero, give us a view of your work that we may commit the future to you,, confident that what we do in your Name will, in your good time, grow and flourish to your glory, through you Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
(Philip H Pfatteicher)

1Give ear to my words, O Lord;
give heed to my sighing.
2Listen to the sound of my cry,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
3O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
evil will not sojourn with you.
5The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
you hate all evildoers.
6You destroy those who speak lies;
the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
Psalm 5 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Exodus 7:8-24 - 2 Corinthians 2:14-3:6 - Mark 10:1-16

Gregory the Illuminator

Almighty God, whose will it is to be glorified in your saints, and who raised up your servant Gregory the Illuminator to be a light in the world, and to preach the Gospel to the people of Armenia: Shine, we pray, in our hearts, that we also in our generation may show forth your praise, who called us out of darkness into your marvelous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
(Lesser Feasts and Fasts)

153 Look on my misery and rescue me,
for I do not forget your law.
154 Plead my cause and redeem me;
give me life according to your promise.
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
for they do not seek your statutes.
156 Great is your mercy, O Lord;
give me life according to your justice.
159 Consider how I love your precepts;
preserve my life according to your steadfast love.
160 The sum of your word is truth;
and every one of your righteous ordinances endures for ever.
Psalm 119 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Exodus 5:1-6:1 - 1 Corinthians 14:20-33, 39-40 - Mark 9:42-50

Joseph, Guardian of our Lord

O God, who from the family of your servant David raised up Joseph to be the guardian of your incarnate Son and the spouse of his virgin mother: Give us grace to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to your commands; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
(Book of Common Prayer)

24 My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea
and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, “You are my Father,
my God, and the Rock of my salvation!”
27 I will make him the firstborn,
the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 For-ever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
and my covenant with him will stand firm.
29 I will establish his line for ever,
and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
Psalm 89 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Exodus 2:1-22 - 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3 - Mark 9:2-13

Cyril of Jerusalem

O Lord, our God, through your servant Cyril of Jerusalem you led your church to a deeper understanding of the mysteries of salvation: Strengthen the bishops of your Church in their special calling to be teachers and ministers of the Sacraments, so that they may effectively instruct your people in Christian faith and practice; and that we, taught by them, may enter more fully into celebration of the Paschal mystery; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
(Lesser Feasts and Fasts)

1I was glad when they said to me,
‘Let us go to the house of the Lord!’
2Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3Jerusalem—built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
4To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
8For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’
9For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
I will seek your good
Psalm 122 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Exodus 1:6-22 - 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 - Mark 8:27-9:1

Patrick of Ireland

Almighty God, who in your providence chose your servant Patrick to be the apostle of the Irish people, to bring those who were wandering in darkness and error to the true light and knowledge of you: Grant us so to walk in that light, that we may bring others to the peace and joy of your gospel and come at last to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.
(Lesser Feasts and Fasts)

1The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coastlands be glad!
2Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
7All worshippers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols;
all gods bow down before him.
8Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice,
because of your judgments, O God.
9For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
you are exalted far above all gods.
10The Lord loves those who hate* evil; he guards the lives of his faithful;
he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11Light dawns* for the righteous,
and joy for the upright in heart.
12Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
and give thanks to his holy name!
Psalm 97 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 50:15-26 - 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 - Mark 8:11-26

Father,
You are the Source of real strength.
I know that I cannot place my security in the strength of armies and navies. They may seem invincible, able to conquer the world, and yet, they are nothing compared to You. Though they wield great power, they have no sway over the human heart. Their fortunes change day to day and are subject to changing circumstances and the whims of man. I will place my trust in You, Lord, and look to You for my strength and security. Amen.
(From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares")

1Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;*
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations
Psalm 100 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 49:29-50:14 - 1 Corinthians 11:17-34 - Mark 8:1-10

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for all the good things You have given us. Lord, we want to be like You, so help us do those things that bless You. May our thoughts and deeds be pleasing to You. Deliver us from the evil temptations that would cause us to fall from Your grace. Lord, set us free from all pride, greed and fear. Let us be like You and treat all men around us, fairly and justly. Keep us from manipulation, so that we obey You, no matter what the cost to us personally. Help me to always do the right thing and may the meditations of my heart be pleasing to You. I ask this in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

1I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord,* for ever;
with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
2I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever;
your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
3You said, ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to my servant David:
4“I will establish your descendants for ever,
and build your throne for all generations.” ’
5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.
6For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
Psalm 89 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 49:1-28 - 1 Corinthians 9:16-27 - Mark 7:24-37

Gregory the Great, Bishop of Rome

Almighty and merciful God, guiding your people with kindness and governing us with love, you raised up Gregory of Rome to be a servant of the servants of God: Give the spirit of wisdom to those whom you call to be shepherds of your church and that your people, growing in holiness and fruitful in every good work, may receive the crown of glory that never fades away; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

6They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
7My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
8 Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.
9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the clouds.
Psalm 57 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 47:1-26 - 1 Corinthians 9:16-27 - Mark 6:30-46

Father,
You comfort me in my suffering.
I realize that the mystery of suffering, Lord, cannot always be understood. It must be embraced by faith. I also know that You understand my suffering because You have suffered on my behalf. Father, I thank You for comfort in times of sorrow. Though I do not understand with my mind, my heart knows You are with me and You will work all things for good according to Your will. Amen.
(From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares")

1 O God, do not keep silence;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!
2 Even now your enemies are in tumult;
those who hate you have raised their heads.
3 They lay crafty plans against your people;
they consult together against those you protect.
4 They say, ‘Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
let the name of Israel be remembered no more.’
5 They conspire with one accord;
against you they make a covenant—
13 O my God, make them like whirling dust,*
like chaff before the wind.
Psalm 119 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 46:1-7, 28-34 - 1 Corinthians 9:1-15 - Mark 6:30-46

Give us, O Lord, a steadfast heart, which no unworthy affection may drag downwards; give us an unconquered heart, which no tribulation can wear out; give us an upright heart, which no unworthy purpose may tempt aside. Bestow upon us also, O Lord our God, understanding to know you, diligence to seek you, wisdom to find you, and a faithfulness that may finally embrace you; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Thomas Aquinas

97 Oh, how I love your law!
It is my meditation all day long.
98 Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is always with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your decrees are my meditation.
100 I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through your precepts I get understanding;
therefore I hate every false way.
Psalm 119 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 46:16-28 - 1 Corinthians 8:1-13 - Mark 6:13-29

Blessed Jesus, you who loved those outside the law, who sat down to eat with tax collectors, who kept company with sinners, who cured the alien Samaritan, help us go beyond the law into an intimate relationship with you. Transform us from literal-minded legalists into your grace-filled children. Take us by the hand and guide us home. Amen.
(Thomas Merton)

35 They remembered that God was their rock,
the Most High God their redeemer.
36 But they flattered him with their mouths;
they lied to him with their tongues.
37 Their heart was not steadfast towards him;
they were not true to his covenant.
38 Yet he, being compassionate,
forgave their iniquity,
and did not destroy them;
often he restrained his anger,
and did not stir up all his wrath.
39 He remembered that they were but flesh,
a wind that passes and does not come again.
Psalm 78 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 45:1-15 - 1 Corinthians 7:32-40 - Mark 6:1-13

Father,
Your Kingdom come, Your will be done.
Today I find no comfort in this life; I find comfort in Your promises only. In the midst of the darkness that has come into my life, give me a glimpse of future glory. Give me the strength and the courage to seek Your will even now and to allow You to find some good in my present circumstances. I have no faith, no strength, no will of my own. I am completely dependent on You for my very breath. Lift me up, Lord, I pray. Amen.
(From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares")

14 Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, 15 the stock that your right hand planted.* 16 They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down;* may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. 17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. 18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Psalm 80 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 44:18-34 - 1 Corinthians 7:25-31 - Mark 5:21-43

Father,
You teach me to believe for the best in others.
It is too easy to let my tongue slip. A little gossip here, a snide comment there -- suddenly I find myself in the quicksand of self-righteousness. Lord, teach me to close my mouth, open my eyes, and see Your work in the people I have been belittling. Teach me to keep faith with Your children and believe for the best in them. Thank You for Your patience and forgiveness in my own life. Amen.
(From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares")

13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord.
At an acceptable time, O God,
in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me.
With your faithful help 14rescue me
from sinking in the mire;
let me be delivered from my enemies
and from the deep waters.
15 Do not let the flood sweep over me,
or the deep swallow me up,
or the Pit close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good;
according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
17 Do not hide your face from your servant,
for I am in distress—make haste to answer me.
18 Draw near to me, redeem me,
set me free because of my enemies.
Psalm 69 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 43:1-15 - 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 - Mark 4:35-41

Father,
You forgive me so I can forgive others.
When others hurt and abuse me, I want to strike out at them. But You urge me to forgive. I find that difficult to do until You remind me that I have also been found guilty. Others have suffered at my hands, often without my even knowing it. It is then that I see and understand. I must forgive as freely as I myself have been forgiven. Thank You for covering my transgressions with Your love and the blood of Your precious Son. Amen.
From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares"

7 I have been like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise,
and with your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me,
and those who watch for my life consult together.
11 They say, ‘Pursue and seize that person
whom God has forsaken,
for there is no one to deliver.’
12 O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!
Psalm 71 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 42:29-38 - 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 - Mark 4:21-34

John & Charles Wesley (click on link for more information)

Lord God, who inspired your servants John and Charles Wesley with burning zeal for the sanctification of souls, and endowed them with eloquence in speech and song: Kindle in your Church, we entreat you, such fervor, that those whose faith has cooled may be warmed, and those who have not known Christ may turn to him and be saved; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever
Lesser Feasts and Fasts

13As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14For he knows how we were made;
he remembers that we are dust.
15As for mortals, their days are like grass;
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
17But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
18to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
Psalm 103 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 42:18-28 - 1 Corinthians 5:9-6:8 - Mark 4:1-20

Chad of Lichfield (click on link for more information)

Almighty God, whose servant Chad, for the peace of the Church, relinquished cheerfully the honors that had been thrust upon him, only to be rewarded with equal responsibility: Keep us, we pray, from thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and ready at all times to step aside for others, that the cause of Christ may be advanced; in the name of him who washed his disciples' feet, your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Lesser Feasts and Fasts

7 They go from strength to strength;
the God of gods will be seen in Zion.
8 O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;
give ear, O God of Jacob!
9 Behold our shield, O God;
look on the face of your anointed.
10 For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than live in the tents of wickedness.
11For the Lord God is a sun and shield; he bestows favor and honor.
No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly.
12O Lord of hosts,
happy is everyone who trusts in you.
Psalm 84 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 42:1-17 - 1 Corinthians 5:1-8 - Mark 3:19b-35

David of Wales

Almighty God, who called your servant David to be a faithful and wise steward of your mysteries for the people of Wales: Mercifully grant that, following his purity of life and zeal for the gospel of Christ, we may with him receive the crown of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.
Lesser Feasts and Fasts

5The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
6The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
I have a goodly heritage.
7I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
8I keep the Lord always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
my body also rests secure.
10For you do not give me up to Sheol,
or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11You show me the path of life.
In your presence there is fullness of joy;
in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.
Psalm 16 New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
Genesis 41:46-57 - 1 Corinthians 4:8-21 - Mark 3:7-19