John Bunyan
God of peace, you called John Bunyan to be valiant for truth: Grant that as strangers and pilgrims we may at the last rejoice with all the faithful in your heavenly city; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

1 How lovely is your dwelling place,
   O LORD of hosts!
2 My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD;
   my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God.
3 Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
   where she may lay her young, at your altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house,
   ever singing your praise!
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you,
   in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
6 As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs;
   the early rain also covers it with pools.
7 They go from strength to strength;
   each one appears before God in Zion.
8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer;
   give ear, O God of Jacob!
Psalm 84 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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1 Kings 9:24-10:13 - James 3:1-12 - Mark 15:1-11

Louis IX
O God, who called your servant Louis of France to an earthly throne that he might advance your heavenly kingdom, and gave him zeal for your Church and love for your people: Mercifully grant that we who commemorate him this day may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious crown of your saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

1 In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord,
   and in your help how greatly he exults!
2 You have given him his heart’s desire,
   and have not withheld the request of his lips.
3 For you meet him with rich blessings;
   you set a crown of fine gold on his head.
4 He asked you for life; you gave it to him—
   length of days forever and ever.
5 His glory is great through your help;
   splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
6 You bestow on him blessings for ever;
   you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
7 For the king trusts in the Lord,
   and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Psalm 21 – New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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1 Kings 3:16-28 - Acts 27:27-44 - Mark 14:12-26

Bartholomew the Apostle
Almighty and everlasting God, who gave to your apostle Bartholomew grace truly to believe and to preach your Word: Grant that your Church may love what he believed and preach what he taught; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.

1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,*
2 will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.’
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
   and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
   or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
   or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
Psalm 73 – New Revised Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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1 Kings 3:1-15 - Acts 27:9-26 - Mark 14:1-11

Look with mercy, O God our Father, on all whose increasing years bring them weakness, distress, or isolation. Provide for them homes of dignity and peace; give them understanding helpers, and the willingness to accept help; and, as their strength diminishes, increase their faith and their assurance of your love. This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

1 Save, O LORD, for the godly one is gone;
   for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man.
2 Everyone utters lies to his neighbor;
   with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,
   the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, "With our tongue we will prevail,
   our lips are with us; who is master over us?"
5 "Because the poor are plundered, because the needy groan,
    I will now arise," says the LORD;
    "I will place him in the safety for which he longs."
6 The words of the LORD are pure words,
    like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
    purified seven times.
Psalm 73 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
1 Kings 1:38-2:4 - Acts 26:24-27:8 - Mark 13:14-27

Grant, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

11 And they say, "How can God know?
      Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
     always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
     and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
     and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will speak thus,"
     I would have betrayed the generation of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this,
     it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
     then I discerned their end.
Psalm 73 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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1 Kings 1:5-31 - Acts 26:1-23 - Mark 13:14-27

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 your Son our Lord. Amen.


7 O LORD, my Lord, the strength of my salvation,
   you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;
   do not further their evil plot, or they will be exalted!
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
   let the mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10 Let burning coals fall upon them!
     Let them be cast into fire, into miry pits, no more to rise!
11 Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
     let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
     and will execute justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to your name;
     the upright shall dwell in your presence.
Psalm 140 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 19:24-43 - Acts 24:24-25:12 - Mark 12:35-44

Father,
You care about my suffering.
You do not dismiss or despise my suffering. You care about the hardship and sorrow found in the world. I believe that, Lord, even though I don't see it now. The Psalms say that You keep all my tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8), that every hair on my head is numbered. In this time of sorrow, it is not answers that count but Your compassionate presence that heals me. Amen.
(From "Everyday Prayers for Everyday Cares")

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
   to you, O LORD, I will make music.
2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.
   Oh when will you come to me?
   I will walk with integrity of heart
   within my house;
3 I will not set before my eyes
   anything that is worthless.
   I hate the work of those who fall away;
   it shall not cling to me.
4 A perverse heart shall be far from me;
   I will know nothing of evil.
Psalm 101 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 19:1-23 - Acts 24:1-23 - Mark 12:28-34

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 for ever. Amen.


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
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2 Samuel 18:19-23 - Acts 23:23-35 - Mark 12:13-27

Stephen, King of Hungary
Almighty Father, heavenly king, your servant. Stephen of Hungary, fostered the growth of your Church on earth: Grant that we, following his example, may by our prayer and labors support the growth of your church in our time and land; through your Son our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

1 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart;
   I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you;
   I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turn back,
   they stumble and perish before your presence.
4 For you have maintained my just cause;
   you have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment.
9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed,
   a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you,
Psalm 9 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 18:9-18 - Acts 23:12-24 - Mark 11:27-12:12

The Virgin Mary, Mother of Our Lord

O God, who have taken to yourself the blessed Virgin Mary, mother of your incarnate Son: Grant that we, who have been redeemed by his blood, may share with her the glory of your eternal kingdom; through your Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, Lutheran Book of Worship)

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me
   and delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant,
   and their faces shall never be ashamed.
6 This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him
   and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the LORD encamps
   around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
   Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9 Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
Psalm 34 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 17:24-18:8 - Acts 22:30-23:11 - Mark 11:12-26

Florence Nightingale
Life-giving God, who alone have power over life and death, over health and sickness: Give power, wisdom, and gentleness to those who follow the lead of your servant Florence Nightingale, that they, bearing with them your presence, may not only heal but bless, and shine as lanterns of hope in the darkest hours of pain and fear; through Jesus Christ, the healer of body and soul, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
     you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
     and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
     And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
     but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
     you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
     I have made the Lord GOD my refuge,
     that I may tell of all your works.
Psalm 73 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 15:19-37 - Acts 21:37-22:16  - Mark 10:46-52

Clare of Assisi

O God, whose blessed Son became poor that we through his poverty might be rich: Deliver us from an inordinate love of this world, that we, inspired by the devotion of your servant Clare, may serve you with singleness of heart, and attain to the riches of the age to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

1 O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
   my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,
   as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love is better than life,
   my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
   in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
   and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
6 when I remember you upon my bed,
   and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
7 for you have been my help,
   and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
Psalm 63 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 15:1-18 - Acts 21:27-36 - Mark 10:32-45

Laurence, Deacon and Martyr


Almighty God, who called your deacon Laurence to serve you with deeds of love, and gave him the crown of martyrdom: Grant that we, following his example, may fulfill your commandments by defending and supporting the poor, and by loving you with all our hearts, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD,
   who greatly delights in his commandments!
2 His offspring will be mighty in the land;
   the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in his house,
   and his righteousness endures forever.
4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
   he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
   who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
   he will be remembered forever.
Psalm 112 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 14:21-33 - Acts 21:15-26 - Mark 10:17-31

Grant to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

1 In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;
   let me never be put to shame!
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
   incline your ear to me, and save me!
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
   to which I may continually come;
   you have given the command to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
   my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from before my birth;
   you are he who took me from my mother’s womb.
   My praise is continually of you.
Psalm 71 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 14:1-20 - Acts 21:1-14 - Mark 10:1-16

Dominic, Preacher, Friar 1221


O God of the prophets, who opened the eyes of your servant Dominic to perceive a famine of hearing the word of the Lord, and moved him, and those he drew about him, to satisfy that hunger with sound preaching and fervent devotion: Make your Church, dear Lord, in this and every age, attentive to the hungers of the world, and quick to respond in love to those who are perishing; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
(Lesser Feasts and Fasts)

4 Light dawns in the darkness for the upright;
   he is gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with the man who deals generously and lends;
   who conducts his affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
   he will be remembered forever.
7 He is not afraid of bad news;
   his heart is firm, trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is steady; he will not be afraid,
   until he looks in triumph on his adversaries.
9 He has distributed freely; he has given to the poor;
   his righteousness endures forever; his horn is exalted in honor.
Psalm 98 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 13:23-39 - Acts 20:17-38 - Mark 9:42-50

Albrecht Dürer, 1528; Matthias Grünewald, 1529; Lucas Cranach The Elder, 1553


We give thanks to you, O Lord, for the vision and skill of Albrecht Dürer, Matthias Grünewald and Lucas Cranach the Elder, whose artistic depictions helped the peoples of their age understand the full suffering and glory of your incarnate Son; and we pray that their work may strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ and the mystery of the Holy Trinity; for you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer)

7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!
    Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
     he will judge the peoples with equity."
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
     let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
    Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth.
     He will judge the world in righteousness, and the peoples in his faithfulness.
Psalm 96 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 12:1-14 - Acts 19:21-41 - Mark 9:14-29

Let your continual mercy, O Lord, cleanse and defend your Church; and, because it cannot continue in safety without your help, protect and govern it always by your goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer)

1 Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
   let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
   let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
3 For the LORD is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
   the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
   and his hands formed the dry land.
6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
   let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!
7 For he is our God,
   and we are the people of his pasture,
   and the sheep of his hand.
Psalm 95 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 11:1-27 - Acts 19:11-20 - Mark 9:2-13

We give you thanks, most gracious God, for the beauty of earth and sky and sea; for the richness of mountains, plains, and rivers; for the songs of birds and the loveliness of flowers. We praise you for these good gifts, and pray that we may safeguard them for our posterity. Grant that we may continue to grow in our grateful enjoyment of your abundant creation, to the honor and glory of your Name, now and for ever. Amen.


1 Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
   or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
   meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season.
   Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked!
   They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
   Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
   but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
Psalm 1 – New Living Translation

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 9:1-13 - Acts 19:1-10 - Mark 8:34-9:1

Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children, we praise you for all you have given us, for all you have done for us, for all that you are to us. In our weakness, you are our strength, in our darkness, you are light, in our sorrow you are comfort and peace We cannot number your blessings, we cannot declare your love: For all your blessings we bless you. May we live as in your presence, and love the things that you love, and serve you in our daily lives; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

St. Boniface
1 Praise the Lord!
    Let all that I am praise the Lord.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
   I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
   there is no help for you there.
4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
   and all their plans die with them.
5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
   whose hope is in the Lord their God.
6 He made heaven and earth,
   the sea, and everything in them.
   He keeps every promise forever.
 Psalm 146 – New Living Translation

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
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2 Samuel 7:18-29 - Acts 18:12-28 - Mark 8:22-33

Joseph of Arimathaea


Merciful God, whose servant Joseph of Arimathaea with reverence and godly fear prepared the body of our Lord and Savior for burial, and laid it in his own tomb: Grant to us, your faithful people, grace and courage to love and serve Jesus with sincere devotion all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen
(Lesser Feasts and Fasts)

5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
   you hold my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
   in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
   my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
     or let your holy one see corruption.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
     in your presence there is fullness of joy;
     at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16 – English Standard Version

Readings for today from the Daily Lectionary
(click on underlined link to go directly to the reading)
2 Samuel 7:1-17 - Acts 18:1-11 - Mark 8:11-21