So let us keep this festival
To which our Lord invites us;
The Savior who is joy of all,
the sun that warms and lights us;
by his grace he shall impart
eternal sunshine to the heart;
the night of sin is ended.
Alleluia.
Psalms
- 1
- Bless the LORD, O my soul; *
O LORD my God, how excellent is your greatness!
you are clothed with majesty and splendor.
- 2
- You wrap yourself with light as with a cloak *
and spread out the heavens like a curtain.
- 3
- You lay the beams of your chambers in the waters above; *
you make the clouds your chariot;
you ride on the wings of the wind.
- 4
- You make the winds your messengers *
and flames of fire your servants.
- 5
- You have set the earth upon its foundations, *
so that it never shall move at any time.
- 6
- You covered it with the Deep as with a mantle; *
the waters stood higher than the mountains.
- 7
- At your rebuke they fled; *
at the voice of your thunder they hastened away.
- 8
- They went up into the hills and down to the valleys beneath, *
to the places you had appointed for them.
- 9
- You set the limits that they should not pass; *
they shall not again cover the earth.
- 10
- You send the springs into the valleys; *
they flow between the mountains.
- 11
- All the beasts of the field drink their fill from them, *
and the wild asses quench their thirst.
- 12
- Beside them the birds of the air make their nests *
and sing among the branches.
- 13
- You water the mountains from your dwelling on high; *
the earth is fully satisfied by the fruit of your works.
- 14
- You make grass grow for flocks and herds *
and plants to serve mankind;
- 15
- That they may bring forth food from the earth, *
and wine to gladden our hearts,
- 16
- Oil to make a cheerful countenance, *
and bread to strengthen the heart.
- 17
- The trees of the LORD are full of sap, *
the cedars of Lebanon which he planted,
- 18
- In which the birds build their nests, *
and in whose tops the stork makes his dwelling.
- 19
- The high hills are a refuge for the mountain goats, *
and the stony cliffs for the rock badgers.
- 20
- You appointed the moon to mark the seasons, *
and the sun knows the time of its setting.
- 21
- You make darkness that it may be night, *
in which all the beasts of the forest prowl.
- 22
- The lions roar after their prey *
and seek their food from God.
- 23
- The sun rises, and they slip away *
and lay themselves down in their dens.
- 24
- Man goes forth to his work *
and to his labor until the evening.
- 25
- O LORD, how manifold are your works! *
in wisdom you have made them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.
- 26
- Yonder is the great and wide sea
with its living things too many to number, *
creatures both small and great.
- 27
- There move the ships,
and there is that Leviathan, *
which you have made for the sport of it.
- 28
- All of them look to you *
to give them their food in due season.
- 29
- You give it to them; they gather it; *
you open your hand, and they are filled with good things.
- 30
- You hide your face, and they are terrified; *
you take away their breath,
and they die and return to their dust.
- 31
- You send forth your Spirit, and they are created; *
and so you renew the face of the earth.
- 32
- May the glory of the LORD endure for ever; *
may the LORD rejoice in all his works.
- 33
- He looks at the earth and it trembles; *
he touches the mountains and they smoke.
- 34
- I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; *
I will praise my God while I have my being.
- 35
- May these words of mine please him; *
I will rejoice in the LORD.
- 36
- Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, *
and the wicked be no more.
- 37
- Bless the LORD, O my soul. *
Hallelujah!
First Reading
Exodus 13:17-14:4
When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, ‘If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people by the roundabout way of the wilderness towards the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt prepared for battle. And Moses took with him the bones of Joseph, who had required a solemn oath of the Israelites, saying, ‘God will surely take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones with you from here.’ They set out from Succoth, and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses: ‘Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.’ I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so.’
Canticle
Song of Moses Exodus 15.1b–3,6,10,13,17
I will sing to the Lord, who has triumphed gloriously, •
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song •
and has become my salvation.
This is my God whom I will praise, •
the God of my forebears whom I will exalt.
The Lord is a warrior, •
the Lord is his name.
Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in power: •
your right hand, O Lord, shatters the enemy.
At the blast of your nostrils, the sea covered them; •
they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
In your unfailing love, O Lord, •
you lead the people whom you have redeemed.
And by your invincible strength •
you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
You will bring them in and plant them, O Lord, •
in the sanctuary which your hands have established.
Second Reading
2 Corinthians 4:16-5:10
So we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal.
For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling— if indeed, when we have taken it off we will not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So we are always confident; even though we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord— for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For all of us must appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense for what has been done in the body, whether good or evil.
Jesus said to his disciples, Peace be with you. / As the Father has sent me, so send I you, alleluia.
Magnificat
Jesus said to his disciples, Peace be with you. / As the Father has sent me, so send I you, alleluia.
Collect
We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the kingdom of you Son; and we pray that, as by his death he has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to eternal joys; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Personal Prayers and Thanksgivings
Intercessions
Christ, by rising from the dead, destroyed death and renewed life itself. Let us cry out to him:
- Ever-living Christ, listen to us.
You, the stone the builders rejected, have become the cornerstone:
- use us, as living stones, to build your Church. (R.)
You, the first-born from the dead, are a true and faithful witness:
- make your Church bear witness to you always. (R.)
Like Eve from Adam’s rib, the Church, your bride, grew from your wounded side.
- Let us be witnesses at the solemnisation of your marriage. (R.)
You, the first and the last, were dead and now live:
- make the baptized be faithful until death, make them win the crown of victory. (R.)
You are the true light, the lamp of God’s holy city:
- shine on our dead, let them be part of your kingdom forever. (R.)
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 that trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
O God, your mercy to us never ends.
As Easter comes round once more,
you rekindle the faith of your consecrated people.
Increase your gift of grace so that we all understand rightly
what baptism has washed us clean,
what Spirit has renewed us,
and whose blood has redeemed us.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May God Almighty, who has redeemed us and made us his children through the resurrection of his Son our Lord, bestow upon us the riches of his blessing. Amen
