Daily Office - Apr 4

Thursday of Easter Week

Psalm 114
When Israel came out of Egypt,
the house of Jacob from a people of a strange tongue,
Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

The sea saw that, and fled; Jordan was driven back.
The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like young sheep.
What ailed you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you were driven back?

You mountains, that you skipped like rams, you little hills like young sheep?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,
Who turns the hard rock into a pool of water, the flint-stone into a springing well.

Psalm 148
Alleluia.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all you his angels;
praise him, all his host.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you stars of light.
Praise him, heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord;
for he commanded and they were created.
He made them fast for ever and ever;
he gave them a law which shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps;
Fire and hail, snow and mist, tempestuous wind, fulfilling his word;
Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars;
Wild beasts and all cattle,
creeping things and birds on the wing;
Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the world;
Young men and women,
old and young together;
let them praise the name of the Lord.
For his name only is exalted,
his splendour above earth and heaven.

Song of Solomon 5.2-6.3
I slept, but my heart was awake.
Listen! my beloved is knocking.
‘Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one;
for my head is wet with dew, my locks with the drops of the night.’
I had put off my garment; how could I put it on again?
I had bathed my feet; how could I soil them?
My beloved thrust his hand into the opening,
   and my inmost being yearned for him.
I arose to open to my beloved,
   and my hands dripped with myrrh,
my fingers with liquid myrrh,
   upon the handles of the bolt.
I opened to my beloved,
   but my beloved had turned and was gone.
My soul failed me when he spoke.
I sought him, but did not find him;
   I called him, but he gave no answer.
Making their rounds in the city
   the sentinels found me;
they beat me, they wounded me,
   they took away my mantle,
   those sentinels of the walls.
I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem,
   if you find my beloved,
tell him this:
   I am faint with love.

What is your beloved more than another beloved,
   O fairest among women?
What is your beloved more than another beloved,
   that you thus adjure us?

My beloved is all radiant and ruddy,
   distinguished among ten thousand.
His head is the finest gold;
   his locks are wavy, black as a raven.
His eyes are like doves beside springs of water,
bathed in milk, fitly set.
His cheeks are like beds of spices,
   yielding fragrance.
His lips are lilies,
   distilling liquid myrrh.
His arms are rounded gold,
   set with jewels.
His body is ivory work,
   encrusted with sapphires.
His legs are alabaster columns,
   set upon bases of gold.
His appearance is like Lebanon,
   choice as the cedars.
His speech is most sweet,
   and he is altogether desirable.
This is my beloved and this is my friend,
   O daughters of Jerusalem.

Where has your beloved gone,
   O fairest among women?
Which way has your beloved turned,
   that we may seek him with you?

My beloved has gone down to his garden,
   to the beds of spices,
to pasture his flock in the gardens,
   and to gather lilies.
I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine;
   he pastures his flock among the lilies.

Luke 7.11-17
Soon afterwards he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her,
‘Do not weep.’

Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. And he said,
‘Young man, I say to you, rise!’

The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus gave him to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying,
‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has looked favourably on his people!’

This word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.

The Collect
Lord of all life and power,
who through the mighty resurrection of your Son
overcame the old order of sin and death
to make all things new in him:
grant that we, being dead to sin
and alive to you in Jesus Christ,
may reign with him in glory;
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit
be praise and honour, glory and might,
now and in all eternity. Amen.