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January 17th — St. Antony of Egypt

Invitation to Worship

Come, let us sing to Adonai, let us praise the God of all Creation!

We make the Sign of the Cross over our  lips as we begin.

O Holy ONE + open my lips,

~And my mouth will proclaim your praise. 

 

Let all creation praise the greatness of God!

Let the universe extol the glory of Adonai!

 

MORNING HYMN Feasts of Monastics

All may sing or alternate the verses of any Morning Hymn .

Blest are the meek and poor

Who seek deep solitude;

In peace and patient poverty

They find God’s plenitude.

 

The treasure of their heart

Lies hidden deep in Christ,

Where neither moth nor rust destroy

The pearl beyond all price.

 

God blesses humankind

With children, homes and lands;

No portion on this earth have those

Whose heritage is God.

 

Good Shepherd, call this flock

To make your Kin-dom known,

Where, grazing on God’s holy mount,

We follow you alone.  Amen.

 Text: Gethsemani Abbey; Tune: AYLESBURY, SM

 

PSALMODY

REFRAIN

The just will flourish like the palm tree,

planted in the courts of the house of our God.

Psalm 91/92

It is good to give thanks to you, Adonai,

to make music to your name, O Most  High,

to proclaim your love in the morning

and your truth in the watches of the night,

on the ten-stringed lyre and the lute,

with the murmuring sound of the harp.

 

Your deeds, Adonai, have made me glad;

for  the work of your hands I shout with joy.

Adonai, how great are your works!

How deep are your designs!

The foolish cannot know this

and the ignorant cannot understand.

 

Though the wicked seem to spring up like grass

and those who do evil thrive:

their behavior will lead to destruction.

But you, Adonai, are eternal:

Those who oppose your love will perish;

those who do evil will be scattered.

 

To me you give the strength of an ox;

you anoint me with the purest oil.

My eyes saw the triumph of justice;

my ears heard gladly of the end of oppression.

The just can now flourish like the palm-tree

and grow like a Lebanon cedar.

 

Planted in the house of Adonai

they will flourish in the courts of our God,

still bearing fruit when they are old

still full of sap and green with life,

to proclaim that Adonai is just.

In God, my Rock, there is no wrong.

 

Glory to the One and to the Word,

and to the Breath of Love; 

as always before,

so now and evermore. Amen. 

The just will flourish like the palm tree,

planted in the courts of the house of our God.

READING    Life of St. Antony by St. Athanasius

When Anthony was about eighteen or twenty years old, his parents died, leaving him with an only sister. He cared for her as she was very young, and also looked after their home.

Not six months after his parents’ death, as he was on his way to church for his usual visit, he began to think of how the apostles had left everything and followed the Saviour, and also of those mentioned in the book of Acts who had sold their possessions and brought the apostles the money for distribution to the needy. He reflected too on the great hope stored up in heaven for such as these. This was all in his mind when, entering the church just as the Gospel was being read, he heard the Lord’s words to the rich man: If you want to be perfect, go and sell all you have and give the money to the poor – you will have riches in heaven. Then come and follow me.

It seemed to Anthony that it was God who had brought the saints to his mind and that the words of the Gospel had been spoken directly to him. Immediately he left the church and gave away to the villagers all the property he had inherited, about 200 acres of very beautiful and fertile land, so that it would cause no distraction to his sister and himself. He sold all his other possessions as well, giving to the poor the considerable sum of money he collected. However, to care for his sister he retained a few things.

 

Silent Prayer

 

Responsory

R. The mouth of the just utter wisdom *and their lips speak what is right.

V. The law of our God is in their hearts *and their lips speak what is right.

  V.  Glory to the Abba and the Word, and the Breath of Love.

 

Canticle of Zachary–  Luke 1:68-79

 Antiphon

If you would be perfect, go sell what you have,

give to the poor, and come and follow me.

Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,

Who visits this people to set us free

Raising for us a sign of salvation

In the house and family of David.

 

God promised throughout past ages

In words of holy prophets

To save us from our enemies,

And from the control of our oppressors.

 

Adonai favored our ancestors

And remembered the sacred covenant.

The pledge to Abraham and Sarah

Is now renewed for us;

 

That freed from the grip of our foes

We might worship without fear

And be both just and holy 

For the rest of our days.

 

And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”

Will go ahead to prepare the way,

By teaching this people of salvation

Through forgiveness of their sins.

 

For the loving compassion of the Holy One

As the Rising Sun will shine upon us

To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow

To guide our feet on the way of peace.

 

Glory to the ONE and to the WORD

and to the BREATH of Love!

As always before, 

so now and evermore.  Amen.

If you would be perfect, go sell what you have,

give to the poor, and come and follow me.

Intercessory Prayer

You created all things and found everything you made to be very good;

help us to live as your image, loving and caring for  all of creation.

 

Touched by your  gift of creation

may  we proclaim your praise through out the world.  

 

May the love for creation deep in our hearts

set others blazing with its flame.

 

You gave us the Sabbath Day to rehearse your reign:

may we cease from work and reverence all that you sustain.

 

Create new hearts in us, O God,

and fill us with your Holy Spirit.

 

Prayer of Jesus

Our Father …

 

 Closing Prayer & Blessing

O Holy One, your are the glory of creation and the praise of all your saints.
You called Saint Anthony to renounce his possessions and see You in the solitude of the desert and to share with others the wisdom and insight You provided in the silence.  May we learn to deny our selfish egos, seek to hear your voice in the silence,
and to love You in our brothers and sisters and all of creation. Amen.

 

 

May the God of the Sabbath who has called us to glory + bless us and all creation with freedom, flourishing and the fullness of life.   ~Amen.

 

Let us bless Adonai;.

~Thanks be to God.