Prayer During the Day
from All Saints’ Day until
the day before the First Sunday of Advent
    Thursday, 7 November 2024
Willibrord of York, Bishop, Apostle of Frisia, 739 [Lesser Festival]
     
     
      Preparation  
     
    O God, make speed to save us.
All
  O Lord, make haste to help us.
     
    You have been my helper
All
  and under the shadow of your wings will I rejoice.
   
Psalm 63.8
     
   
Praise
 
     
    A hymn, song, canticle or extempore praise or
     
    For the gift of his Spirit:
blessed be Christ.
     
    For the catholic Church:
blessed be Christ.
     
    For the means of grace:
blessed be Christ.
     
    For the hope of glory:
blessed be Christ.
     
    For the triumphs of his gospel:
blessed be Christ.
     
    For the lives of his saints:
blessed be Christ.
     
    In joy and in sorrow:
blessed be Christ.
     
    In life and in death:
blessed be Christ.
     
    Now and to the end of the ages:
blessed be Christ.
   
from A Litany of the Resurrection
     
   
The Word of God
 
     
   
Psalmody
     
    Either, Thursday Psalm 121
     
    (or)
     
    Or, on any day Psalm 24.1-6
     
    Alternatively, when Morning and Evening Prayer are also celebrated, one of these cycles may be followed.
     
   

Psalm 121

Refrain: The Lord shall keep you from all evil.

1  I lift up my eyes to the hills; 
   from where is my help to come?

2  My help comes from the Lord, 
   the maker of heaven and earth.

3  He will not suffer your foot to stumble; 
   he who watches over you will not sleep.

4  Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel 
   shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5  The Lord himself watches over you; 
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand,

6  So that the sun shall not strike you by day, 
   neither the moon by night.

7  The Lord shall keep you from all evil; 
   it is he who shall keep your soul.

8  The Lord shall keep watch over your going out
      and your coming in, 
   from this time forth for evermore.

Refrain: The Lord shall keep you from all evil.

Lord, ever watchful and faithful,
we look to you to be our defence
and we lift our hearts to know your help;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

     
    (or)
     
   

Psalm 24.1-6

Refrain: The Lord of hosts: he is the King of glory.

1  The earth is the Lord’s and all that fills it, 
   the compass of the world and all who dwell therein.

2  For he has founded it upon the seas 
   and set it firm upon the rivers of the deep.

3  ‘Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord, 
   or who can rise up in his holy place?’

4  ‘Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, 
   who have not lifted up their soul to an idol,
      nor sworn an oath to a lie;

5  ‘They shall receive a blessing from the Lord, 
   a just reward from the God of their salvation.’

6  Such is the company of those who seek him, 
   of those who seek your face, O God of Jacob.

Refrain: The Lord of hosts: he is the King of glory.

O Lord of hosts,
purify our hearts
that the King of glory may come in,
your Son, Jesus our redeemer.

    Each psalm or group of psalms may end with
     
All
  Glory to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now
and shall be for ever. Amen.
     
   
Short readings
 
     
    Either, Thursday
    The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.
   
Ephesians 4.11-13
     
    Or, on any day from All Saints to Advent
    Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.
   
Philippians 3.20
     
   
Response
 
     
    Silence, study, song, or words from Scripture, such as
     
    Blessed are the poor in spirit,
All
  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
   
Matthew 5.3
     
   
Prayers
 
     
    Prayers may include these concerns:
     
    The saints on earth, that they may live as citizens of heaven
    All people, that they may hear and believe the word of God
    All who fear the winter months
    All sovereigns and political leaders, that they may imitate the righteous rule of Christ
    All who grieve or wait with the dying
     
    A form of intercession found here may be used.
     
    Either, the following prayer is said
     
    Bring us, O Lord God, at our last awakening
into the house and gate of heaven,
to enter that gate and dwell in that house,
where there shall be no darkness nor dazzling,
      but one equal light;
no noise nor silence, but one equal music;
no fears nor hopes, but one equal possession;
no ends or beginnings, but one equal eternity;
in the habitations of your glory and dominion,
world without end.
All
  Amen.
   
Eric Milner-White (1963)
after John Donne (1631)
     
     
    Or, the Collect of the day is said
     
    God, the Saviour of all,
you sent your bishop Willibrord from this land
to proclaim the good news to many peoples
and confirm them in their faith:
help us also to witness to your steadfast love
      by word and deed
so that your Church may increase
      and grow strong in holiness;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
AllAmen.
     
    The Lord’s Prayer is said.
     
    (Either)
     
    As our Saviour taught us, so we pray
     
All
  Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom 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.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
     
    (or)
     
    Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us
     
All
  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,
the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Amen.
     
   
The Conclusion
 
     
    May God give us grace to follow the saints in glory.
All
  Amen.