A Ministry and Community of Prayer of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont

A ministry and community of prayer of The Episcopal Diocese of Vermont

A few notes about today’s service. Please leave your microphone on mute during the responsory portions of the service. You are welcome to unmute yourself when you are invited to offer your prayers, then remember to mute it again when you have completed your prayer.

We will always read the Gospel appointed for the day so that we can read and meditate on Jesus' words and teaching.

MORNING PRAYER

March 13, 2021 Saturday, the Third Week of Lent James Theodore Holly, Bishop of Haiti, and of the Dominican Republic, 1911

Opening Sentence The Officiant says the following Jesus said: “If any of you would come after me, deny yourself and take up your cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34

Invitatory and Psalter Officiant O God, open our lips. People And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Officiant Hear our voice, O God, according to your faithful love, People according to your judgement give us life.

All Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Officiant Our God is full of compassion and mercy: People O come, let us worship.

Said in unison Venite Psalm 95:1-7 Come, let us sing to the Holy One; * let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before God’s presence with thanksgiving, * and raise a loud shout with psalms.

For you, O God, are a great God; * you are great above all gods. In your hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are yours also. The sea is yours, for you made it, * and your hands have molded the dry land.

Come, let us bow down and bend the knee, * and kneel before God, our Maker, For you are our God, and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand. * Oh, that today we would hearken to your voice!

Officiant Our God is full of compassion and mercy: People O come, let us worship.

Psalms Appointed read in unison Psalms 87 and 90 Psalm 87 Fundamenta ejus 1 On the holy mountain stands the city God has founded; * God loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

2 Glorious things are spoken of you, * O city of our God.

3 I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; * behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia: in Zion were they born.

4 Of Zion it shall be said, “Everyone was born there, * and the Most High God shall sustain it.”

5 God will record in the roll of the peoples, * “These also were born there.”

6 The singers and the dancers will say, * “All my fresh springs are in you.”

Psalm 90 Domine, refugium 1 O God, you have been our refuge * from one generation to another.

2 Before the mountains were brought forth, or the land and the earth were born, * from age to age you are God.

3 You turn us back to the dust and say, * “Go back, O child of earth.”

4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past * and like a watch in the night.

5 You sweep us away like a dream; * we fade away suddenly like the grass.

6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; * in the evening it is dried up and withered.

7 For we consume away in your displeasure; * we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.

8 Our iniquities you have set before you * and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

9 When you are angry, all our days are gone; * we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

10 The span of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength even eighty; * yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow, for they pass away quickly and we are gone.

11 Who regards the power of your wrath; * who rightly fears your indignation?

12 So teach us to number our days * that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

13 Return, O God; how long will you tarry? * Be gracious to your servants.

14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; * so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us * and the years in which we suffered adversity.

16 Show your servants your works * and your splendor to their children.

17 May the graciousness of our God be upon us; * prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.

Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

The Lessons First Reading Reader A reading from Jeremiah 13:1-11 Thus said the Lord to me, ‘Go and buy yourself a linen loincloth, and put it on your loins, but do not dip it in water.’ So I bought a loincloth according to the word of the Lord, and put it on my loins. And the word of the Lord came to me a second time, saying, ‘Take the loincloth that you bought and are wearing, and go now to the Euphrates, and hide it there in a cleft of the rock.’ So I went, and hid it by the Euphrates as the Lord commanded me. And after many days the Lord said to me, ‘Go now to the Eu- phrates, and take from there the loincloth that I commanded you to hide there.’ Then I went to the Euphrates, and dug, and I took the loincloth from the place where I had hidden it. But now the loincloth was ruined; it was good for nothing. Then the word of the Lord came to me: Thus says the Lord: Just so I will ruin the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusa- lem. This evil people, who refuse to hear my words, who stub- bornly follow their own will and have gone after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be like this loincloth, which is good for nothing. For as the loincloth clings to one’s loins, so I made the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah cling to me, says the Lord, in order that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory. But they would not listen.

Here ends the reading. read in unison A Canticle for Morning Prayer in Lent Refrain: If we confess our sins, God is just and may be trusted to forgive our sins * and cleanse us from every kind of wrong.

Zion says, God has forsaken me; * my God has forgotten me. Can a woman forget the infant at her breast, * or a loving mother the child of her womb? Even these forget, yet I will not forget you; * your walls are always before my eyes; I have engraved them on the palms of my hands. Those who are to rebuild you make better speed than those who pulled you down, * while those who laid you waste depart.

Refrain: If we confess our sins, God is just and may be trusted to forgive our sins * and cleanse us from every kind of wrong.

The Gospel Reader: A reading from the Gospel of John 8:47-59 Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.’ The Jews answered him, ‘Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?’ Jesus answered, ‘I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.’ The Jews said to him, ‘Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, “Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.” Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?’ Jesus answered, ‘If I glorify my- self, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, “He is our God”, though you do not know him. But I know him; if I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.’ Then the Jews said to him, ‘You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.’ So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Here ends the reading.

A moment of silence is observed so that we may reflect on the teachings and ministry of Jesus.

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 Officiant Trusting in the compassion of God, as our Savior taught us, we pray

Officiant and People An alternative Lord’s Prayer Our loving God in heaven, holy is your Name, may your reign 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 all creation, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

Suffrages V. Save your people, O God, and bless your inheritance; R. govern and uphold us now and always. V. Day by day we bless you R. we praise your name forever. V. O God, keep us without sin today; R. have mercy on us, O God, have mercy. V. Show us your love and mercy; R. for we put our trust in you. V. In you, O God, is our hope; R. and we shall never hope in vain.

The Collects The Collect of the Day O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all tempta- tions; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Most gracious God, we thank you that your servant James Theo- dore Holly labored to build a Church in which all might be free: Grant that, inspired by his testimony, we may overcome our prejudice and honor those whom you call from every family, lan- guage, people, and nation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Together A Collect for Guidance O God, our Creator and Sustainer, in you we live and move and have our being: We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Together For People Facing Uncertainty God of the present moment, God who in Jesus stills the storm and soothes the frantic heart; bring hope and courage to us all as we wait in uncertainty. Bring hope that you will make us the equal of whatever lies ahead. Bring us courage to endure what cannot be avoided, for your will is health and wholeness; you are God, and we need you. Amen.

The Officiant says I invite your prayers of thanksgiving and intercession at this time.

(During the silence people may add their own prayers. Please unmute yourself to share your prayer aloud. When you have completed your prayer, return the microphone to mute.)

The Officiant concludes with the Collect for Mission

A Collect for Mission Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our sup- plications and prayers which we offer before you for all mem- bers of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The General Thanksgiving The Officiant and People say together 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.

Together A Collect of Dedication Beloved God: As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, once again we offer ourselves to you. May we always be mindful of your abundant mercy, O God, fill us with compassion, and set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever. Amen.

Dismissal Deacon Let us bless God. People To God be thanks forever.

The Officiant ends with a Concluding Sentences

The grace of our Savior Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.

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

Glory to God, whose power working in us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory to God from generation to generation in the church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.

Commemoration James Theodore Augustus Holly was born a free African Ameri- can in Washington, D.C., on October 3, 1829. Baptized and con- firmed in the Roman Catholic Church, he later became an Epis- copalian. Holly was ordained deacon at St. Matthew’s Church in Detroit on June 17, 1855, and ordained a priest by the bishop of Connecticut on January 2, 1856. He was appointed rector of St. Luke’s, New Haven. In the same year he founded the Protestant Episcopal Society for Promoting the Extension of the Church among Colored People, an antecedent of the Union of Black Epis- copalians. He became a friend of Frederick Douglass, and the two men worked together on many programs. In 1861, Holly re- signed as rector of St. Luke’s to lead a group of African Ameri- cans settling in Haiti. Although his wife, his mother, and two of his children died during the first year, along with other settlers, Holly stayed on with two small sons, proclaiming that just “as the last surviving apostle of Jesus was in tribulation … on the forlorn isle of Patmos, so, by His Divine Providence, [Christ] had brought this tribulation upon me for a similar end in this isle in the Caribbean Sea.” He welcomed the opportunity to speak of God’s love to a people who needed to hear it. Through an agree- ment between the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church and the Orthodox Apostolic Church of Haiti, Holly was conse- crated a missionary bishop to build the church in Haiti on No- vember 8, 1874, making him the first African American to be raised to the office of bishop in The Episcopal Church. In 1878, Bishop Holly attended the Lambeth Conference, the first African American to do so, and he preached at Westminster Abbey on St. James’ Day of that year. In the course of his ministry, he doubled the size of his diocese, and established medical clinics where none had been before. Bishop Holly served the Diocese of Haiti until his death in Haiti on March 13, 1911. He had charge of the Diocese of the Dominican Republic as well, from 1897 until he died. He is buried on the grounds of St. Vincent’s School for Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince.

—A Great Cloud of Witnesses, 2016, Church Publishing

Liturgy created with the following resources: Book of Common Prayer, Enriching Our Worship, Saint Helena Breviary and A New Zealand Prayer Book, Common Worship Times and Seasons