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Today (Wednesday, January 28, 2026): vigils lauds prime terce sext none vespers compline

Friday, February 28, 2025
Anna Julia Haywood Cooper, Educator
Vespers

Introduction
O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.

Antiphon 1 Be my portion, O Lord, in the land of the living.

Psalm 141 (142)    Voce mea ad Dominum
I cry to the Lord with my voice;
to the Lord I make loud supplication.
I pour out my complaint before him
and tell him all my trouble.

When my spirit languishes within me, you know my path;
in the way wherein I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
I look to my right hand and find no one who knows me;
I have no place to flee to, and no one cares for me.

I cry out to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my refuge,
my portion in the land of the living.”

Listen to my cry for help, for I have been brought very low;
save me from those who pursue me,
for they are too strong for me.

Bring me out of prison, that I may give thanks to your Name;
when you have dealt bountifully with me,
the righteous will gather around me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon Be my portion, O Lord, in the land of the living.

Antiphon 2 Blessed be the Lord my God.

Psalm 143 (144)    Benedictus Dominus
Blessed be the Lord my rock!
who trains my hands to fight and my fingers to battle;

My help and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield in whom I trust,
who subdues the peoples under me.

O Lord, what are we that you should care for us?
mere mortals that you should think of us?
We are like a puff of wind;
our days are like a passing shadow.

Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.
Hurl the lightning and scatter them;
shoot out your arrows and rout them.

Stretch out your hand from on high;
rescue me and deliver me from the great waters,
from the hand of foreign peoples,
Whose mouths speak deceitfully
and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Division    
O God, I will sing to you a new song;
I will play to you on a ten-stringed lyre.
You give victory to kings
and have rescued David your servant.

Rescue me from the hurtful sword
and deliver me from the hand of foreign peoples,
Whose mouths speak deceitfully
and whose right hand is raised in falsehood.

May our sons be like plants well nurtured from their youth,
and our daughters like sculptured corners of a palace.

May our barns be filled to overflowing with all manner of crops;
may the flocks in our pastures increase by thousands and tens of thousands;
may our cattle be fat and sleek.

May there be no breaching of the walls, no going into exile,
no wailing in the public squares.
Happy are the people of whom this is so!
happy are the people whose God is the Lord!

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon Blessed be the Lord my God.

Antiphon 3 Every day will I bless you, O Lord.

Psalm 144 (145)    Exaltabo te, Deus
I will exalt you, O God my King,
and bless your Name for ever and ever.

Every day will I bless you
and praise your Name for ever and ever.
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
there is no end to his greatness.

One generation shall praise your works to another
and shall declare your power.
I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty
and all your marvelous works.

They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts,
and I will tell of your greatness.
They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness;
they shall sing of your righteous deeds.

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is loving to everyone
and his compassion is over all his works.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon Every day will I bless you, O Lord.

Short Lesson: Romans 8:28-30
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Responsory
The Lord chose her, and chose her in advance.
The Lord chose her, and chose her in advance.
He made her to stay in his dwelling, and chose her in advance.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
The Lord chose her, and chose her in advance.

Hymn     Fortem virili pectore
Let us together praise in song
this woman of a valiant heart,
who shines in splendor, far and wide,
with glory born of holiness.

When wounded by a holy love,
she spurned this world’s illusive joys
and trod the steep ascending path,
to make her way through heaven’s gates.

By fasting she subdued the flesh,
yet by the sweet repast of prayer
that gently fed her mind and heart,
she gained a share in heaven’s joys.

O King, true strength of all the strong,
O Christ, sole source of mighty deeds,
at her petition, we implore:
with loving kindness hear our prayer.

To you, Lord Jesus, glory be,
who grant that we may place our hope
both in this blessed servant’s prayers
and in rewards that never end. Amen.

Verse
My heart and my flesh.
Rejoice in the living God.

Antiphon Let the little children come to me, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.

Canticle: Luke 1:46-55    Magnificat anima mea
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel,
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and will be for ever. Amen.

Antiphon Let the little children come to me, for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.

Litany
Kyrie eleison.
Christe eleison.
Kyrie eleison.

Lord’s Prayer
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 us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial,
and deliver us from evil.

Collect
Almighty God, who inspired your servant Anna Julia Haywood Cooper with the love of learning and the skill of teaching: Enlighten us more and more through the discipline of learning, and deepen our commitment to the education of all your children; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Conclusion
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.