Month: February 2023

25Feb

Ceremony of Readings and Music for the First Sunday of Lent

Lent 1st Sunday 2023
  1. Hymn: “Holy God, Holy Almighty, Holy Immortal One, Have Mercy” (Trisagion), From OrthodoxMusicOnline, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  2. First Reading: Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7, King James Bible.
  3. Psalm Psalm 32, King James Version.
  4. Anthem: Henry Purcell (1659-1695) “Remember Not O Lord Our Offenses”, unknown choir, available in public domain at Archive.org.
  5. Second Reading: Romans 5:12-19, World English Bible.
  6. Hymn: “40 Days and 40 Nights”, by Stour Valley Benefice, United Kingdom, 2021, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  7. Gospel: Matthew 4:1-11, World English Bible.
  8. The Lord’s Prayer: Chanted by unknown congregation, uploaded to YouTube by “LabourerFaith”, and used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
  9. Blessing: From Romans.
  10. Organ Postlude:  Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi (1583 – 1643) “Canzona Post Il Comune”, performed by Joshua Sobel, uploaded to YouTube by him, and used in accordance with Creative Commons License.

The Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary. All audio files are given with attribution where known.

22Feb

An Invitation to a Holy Lent

Dear People of God: The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. This season of Lent provided a time in which converts to the faith were prepared tor Holy Baptism. It was also a time when those who, because of notorious sıns, had been separated from the body of the faithful were reconciled by penitence and forgiveness, and restored to the fellowship of the Church. Thereby, the whole congregation was put in mind of the message of pardon and absolution set forth in the Gospel of our Saviour, and of the need which all Christians continually have to renew their repentance and faith.

I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance, by prayer, fasting and alms-giving and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word. And, to make a right beginning of repentance, and as a mark of our mortal nature, let us now kneel before the Lord, our maker and redeemer.

(Book of Common Prayer, 1979)

18Feb

Celebration of the Word for Transfiguration Sunday 2023

Transfiguration Sunday 2022
  1. Opening acclamation: Psalm 27:1.
  2. Hymn: “O Worship the King”, Uploaded to YouTube by “bhepure isidoro”; Used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  3. First Reading: Exodus 24:12-18, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm 2, King James Version.
  5. Music interlude: Claude Goudimel (c. 1520-1572) “Psalm 2” for organ and cello, performed on the Reformed Municipality of Hardinxveld-Giessendam – Bätz-Witte organ (1875), and uploaded to YouTube by “Cees en Sander”, 2021; used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  6. Second Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21, World English Bible.
  7. Hymn: “Dear Lord and Father of Mankind”, Stanza 5. From a 2012 recording by Immanuel UCC Hartford, available in the public domain at Archive.org.
  8. Gospel: Matthew 17:1-9, World English Bible.
  9. The Lord’s Prayer: From Luke.
  10. Blessing:  The Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6.
  11. Organ Postlude: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” BWV 739, performed by Thorston Ahlrichs on Christian Vater Orgel (1722) in Bockhorn, St. Cosmas und Damian, uploaded to YouTube by NOMINEeV, and used in accordance with Creative Commons License.

The Bible passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary. All audio files are given with attribution where known.

12Feb

Celebration of the Word for the 6th Sunday of Epiphany 2023

Epiphany 6th Sunday 2023
  1. Opening Sentence: From the Book of Common Prayer 1662.
  2. Hymn: “Guide me O Thou Great Redeemer,” in the public domain.
  3. First Reading: Deuteronomy 30:15-20, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm 119:1-8, King James Bible.
  5. Gloria Patri: Excerpted from “Magnificat” by Tomas Luis de Victoria (1548-1611), performed by Ars Mvsica, in the public domain at Archive.org.
  6. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, World English Bible.  
  7. Hymn: “Blessed Assurance” verse 1, performed by Sung Sook Lee, Soprano, and Diane Bish, organ; from “Joy of Music” episode 9601: “Hymns from Sweden”. 
  8. Gospel: Matthew 5:21-37, World English Bible.
  9. The Lord’s Prayer: From the Book of Common Prayer 1662.
  10. Blessing: From the Book of Common Prayer 1662.
  11. Organ postlude: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) “Fantasia and Fugue in G minor,” BWV 542. played on Hauptwerk Marcussen/Rotterdam, uploaded to YouTube by “Shortfinger’s Organ 숏핑거 오르간 연주”, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.

The Bible and Book of Common Prayer passages were recorded by Librivox, and are in the public domain. Readings correspond to the Revised Common Lectionary. All audio files are given with attribution where known.

04Feb

Celebration of the Word for the 5th Sunday after Epiphany 2023

Epiphany 5th Sunday 2023
  1. Opening acclamation: from Phillippians.
  2. Anthem: William Byrd (1543-1623) “Exultate Deo” sung by Drake University Chamber Choir, available in the public domain on Archive.org. Translation: Rejoice unto God our helper, sing aloud unto the God of Jacob. Take a psalm and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant psaltery with the harp. Blow the trumpet in the new moon, on the noted day of your solemnity. 
  3. First Reading: Isaiah 58:1-12, King James Bible.
  4. Psalm 112:1-10, King James Version.
  5. Hymn: “O God Beyond All Praising” by Stour Valley Benefice, United Kingdom, 2021, used in accordance with Creative Commons license.
  6. Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 2:1-16 World English Bible.
  7. “Alleluia” from “OrthodoxMusicOnline”, with David Dillock, conductor, uploaded to YouTube in 2012 and used in accordance with the Creative Commons license.
  8. Gospel: Mathew 5:13-20, World English Bible.
  9. The Lord’s Prayer: From Matthew 6.
  10. Blessing:  2 Corinthians.
  11. Organ Postlude: Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) “Vivace”-from Trio Sonata No. 2 in C Minor, BWV 526, performed in 2018 on the organ of Minoritenkirche Linz/Donau, by Magdalena Hasibeder, used in accordance with Creative Commons License.
02Feb

A Motet by Thomas Tallis In Honor of Candlemas

“Videte Miraculum” by Thomas Tallis

This piece was published in 1575 by the English composer Thomas Tallis, as choral polyphony alternating with a solo, based on a Gregorian chant. The piece is intended as a matins responsory for the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary, known also as “Candlemas” in England.

Latin Text: Videte miraculum matris Domini:
concepit virgo virilis ignara consortii,
stans onerata nobili onere Maria;
et matrem se laetam cognoscit,
quae se nescit uxorem.
Haec speciosum forma prae filiis hominum
castis concepit visceribus,
et benedicta in aeternum
Deum nobis protulit et hominem.
Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto.

English Translation: “Behold the miracle of the mother of the Lord:
a virgin has conceived though she knows not a man,
Mary, who stands laden with her noble burden;
knowing not that she is a wife,
she rejoices to be a mother.
She has conceived in her chaste womb
one who is beautiful beyond the sons of men,
and blessed for ever,
she has brought forth God and man for us.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost.”