We will take a break from midweek prayer through the holiday season and resume sometime in January.

Welcome, friends! Join us on Wednesdays at 12:00 noon on Zoom for a short Noonday Prayer service. For the season of Advent, we will be praying with a noonday order of service from the Saint Helena Breviary and using The Message Bible for our gospel readings. Everything that you need to participate is found in the order of service below.

Each week we invite someone to lead our Psalm and to be the response leader, the voice that you will hear with yours reading the bold text. We ask that when you are not speaking that you keep your microphone muted during the service. After our time of prayer is complete, you are invited to stick around for a bit of fellowship.

If you cannot join us, we hope that you find this page a useful resource for taking a moment during the day to center yourself in prayer. Be well and blessings on your day!

The Saint Helena Breviary reflects years of work by the sisters of the Order in revising the language of our traditional breviary, or book used specifically for praying the daily offices, for inclusive and expansive language. And The Message uses modern language to give a different experience and depth to our encounter with scripture. You can find more information on the breviary and the Order of Saint Helena here and Eugene Patterson and The Message Bible here.

Quick Daily Office Resources
*PDF Version of the Book of Common Prayer.
*Lectionary for Daily Office.

Join Zoom Meeting by clicking the button at noon on Wednesday!

 

An Order of Service for Noonday from the Saint Helena Breviary

Officiant: O God, make speed to save us.
People: O God, make haste to help us.
All: Glory to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen. Alleluia.

Wednesday Noonday Hymn.

Officiant: O God, creation’s secret force,
yourself unmoved, all motion’s source,
you from the morn till evening’s ray
through all the changes guide the day.

Grant us, when this short life is past,
the glorious evening that shall last,
that, by a holy death attained,
eternal glory may be gained.

Creator, let our prayers be heard
through Jesus, your Eternal Word,
who, with the Spirit and with you,
shall live and reign all ages through. Amen.

Advent Psalm Antiphon

Officiant: Let us live in righteousness and godliness
People: as we look forward to the fulfilling of our hopes in the coming of our Savior.

Psalm 126

When God restored the fortunes of Zion, *
Then were we like those who dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
And out tongue with shouts of joy.

Then they said among the nations, *
“God has done great things for them.”

God has done great things for us, *
And we are glad indeed.

Restore our fortunes, O God, *
Like the watercourses of the Negev.

Those who sowed with tears, *
Will reap with songs of joy.

Those who go out weeping, carrying the seed, *
Will come again with joy, shouldering their sheaves.

 

 

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

 

Officiant: Let us live in righteousness and godliness
People: as we look forward to the fulfilling of our hopes in the coming of our Savior.

 

 

 

One of the following is read

 

December 1, 2021 – Daily Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:23-32

Then he was back in the Temple, teaching. The high priests and leaders of the people came up and demanded, “Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to teach here?” Jesus responded, “First let me ask you a question. You answer my question and I’ll answer yours. About the baptism of John – who authorized it: heaven or humans?” if we say ‘humans,’ we’re up against it with the people because they all hold John up as a prophet.” They decided to concede that round to Jesus. “We don’t know,” they answered. Jesus said, “Then neither will I answer your question. Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’ “The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on, he thought better of it and went.  “The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to.’ But he never went. “Which of the two sons did what the father asked?” They said, “The first.” John came to you showing you the right road. You turned up your noses at him, but the crooks and whores believed him. Even when you saw their changed lives, you didn’t care enough to change and believe him.
People: Thanks be to God.

December 8, 2021 – Daily Gospel Reading: Matthew 23:1-12

Now Jesus turned to address his disciples, along with the crowd that had gathered with them. “The religion scholars and Pharisees are competent teachers in God’s Law. You won’t go wrong in following their teachings on Moses. But be careful about following them. They talk a good line, but they don’t live it. They don’t take it into their hearts and live it out in their behavior. It’s all spit-and-polish veneer. “Instead of giving you God’s Law as food and drink by which you can banquet on God, they package it in bundles of rules, loading you down like pack animals. They seem to take pleasure in watching you stagger under these loads, and wouldn’t think of lifting a finger to help Their lives are perpetual fashion shows, embroidered prayer shawls one day and flowery prayers the next. They love to sit at the head table at church dinners, basking in the most prominent positions, preening in the radiance of public flattery, receiving honorary degrees, and getting called ‘Doctor’ and ‘Reverend.’ “Don’t let people do that to you, put you on a pedestal like that. You all have a single Teacher, and you are all classmates. Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them – Christ. “Do you want to stand out? Then step down. Be a servant. If you puff yourself up, you’ll get the wind knocked out of you. But if you’re content to simply be yourself, your life will count for plenty.
People: Thanks be to God.

 

December 15, 2021 – Daily Gospel Reading: Matthew 24:45-51

“Who here qualifies for the job of overseeing the kitchen? A person the Master can depend on to feed the workers on time each day. Someone the Master can drop in on unannounced and always find him doing his job. A God-blessed man or woman, I tell you. It won’t be long before the Master will put this person in charge of the whole operation. “But if that person only looks out for himself, and the minute the Master is away does what he pleases – abusing the help and throwing drunken parties for his friends – the Master is going to show up when he least expects it and make hash of him. He’ll end up in the dump with the hypocrites, out in the cold shivering, teeth chattering.
People: Thanks be to God.

 

December 22, 2021 – Daily Gospel Reading: Matthew

Mary didn’t waste a minute. She got up and traveled to a town in Judah in the hill country, straight to Zachariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby in her womb leaped. She was filled with the Holy Spirit, and sang out exuberantly, you’re so blessed among women, and the babe in your womb, also blessed! And why am I so blessed that the mother of my Lord visits me? The moment the sound of your greeting entered my ears, The babe in my womb skipped like a lamb for sheer joy. Blessed woman, who believed what God said, believed every word would come true! And Mary said, I’m bursting with God-news; I’m dancing the song of my Savior God. God took one good look at me, and look what happened – I’m the most fortunate woman on earth! What God has done for me will never be forgotten, the God whose very name is holy, set apart from all others. His mercy flows in wave after wave on those who are in awe before him. He bared his arm and showed his strength, scattered the bluffing braggarts. He knocked tyrants off their high horses, pulled victims out of the mud. The starving poor sat down to a banquet; the callous rich were left out in the cold. He embraced his chosen child, Israel; he remembered and piled on the mercies, piled them high. It’s exactly what he promised, beginning with Abraham and right up to now. Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months and then went back to her own home.
People: Thanks be to God.

Advent Response.

Officiant: God will shine forth upon you, O Jerusalem.
People: Then God’s glory will be seen.

Free intercessions may be offered.

Officiant: O God, hear our prayer,
People: and let our cry come to you.

Officiant: Lord have mercy,
People: Christ, have mercy,
Officiant: Lord, have mercy

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 our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
       Save us from the time of trial,
       And deliver us from evil.

The Officiant then says one of the following Collects. If desired, the
Collect of the Day may be used.

Almighty God, send your Holy Spirit into our hearts, to direct and rule us according to your will, to comfort us in all our afflictions, to defend us from all error, and to lead us into truth; through our Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy Wisdom, in your loving kindness you created and restored us when we were lost. Inspire us with your truth, that we may love you with our whole minds and run to you with open hearts; through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

O God, our rock and refuge: keep us safe in your care and strengthen us with your grace, that we may pray faithfully to you and love one another boldly, following the example of Jesus; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

Officiant: Let us bless the Lord.
People: Thanks be to God.

Officiant: May the souls of the departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
People: Amen.

 

 

 

 

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