Morning Prayer for Maundy Thursday 4.2.26

Maundy Thursday morning prayer. Here is a link to our liturgy: Morning Prayer 4.2.26, Maundy Thursday | Daily Office Network

Transcript

SPEAKER_08 0:02

Good morning and welcome. I'm Father Tom Roy, the vicar of the Daily Office Network. The Daily Office Network is a community of Christians who gather together on a daily basis to pray morning prayer. Our liturgies come from the Episcopal Church's Book of Common Prayer. We mix in artwork. We usually have a news story. All are welcome here where we do our best to exercise tolerance and decency with one another. Let's begin morning prayer. Today is April the 2nd, 2026. In the life of the church, it is Monday, Thursday. If you're looking for our podcast, search Daily Office Network on Apple or Spotify. You'll find us there. My eyes are spent with weeping. My stomach turns. My bile is poured out on the ground because of the destruction of my people, because infants and babies faint in the streets of the city. Real relationships and real impact. We believe no one knows a community better than those who actually live there. That's why we rely on long-standing relationships with trusted faith leaders and other change agents who have strong community ties and deep understanding of local context. Together we can co-create programs that build upon existing strengths, knowledge, and resources to achieve sustainable solutions with tangible impact. Episcopal research and development is what we're talking about. Monday actually means alms giving. Above the Episcopal Relief and Development breaks down how their donations are used. Consider giving alms with your heart to what it calls for. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. I'll lead us in the general confession, after which I'll ask Mother Angel to pronounce absolution and Addy to lead us in the invitatory in this Psalter. First, the general confession. God of all mercy, we confess that we have sinned against you, opposing your will in our lives. We have denied your goodness in each other, in ourselves, and in the world that you have created. We repent of the evil that enslaves us, the evil that we have done, and the evil that is done on our behalf. Forgive, restore, and strengthen us through our Savior Jesus Christ, that we may abide in your love and serve only your will. Amen.

SPEAKER_05 3:03

Almighty God, have mercy on you. Forgive you all your sins through the grace of Jesus Christ, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life. Amen.

SPEAKER_14 3:17

Lord, open our lips.

SPEAKER_08 3:20

And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

SPEAKER_14 3:23

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now and will be forever. Amen. Come, let us sing to the Lord, let us shout for joy to the rock of our salvation. Let us come before God's presence with thanksgiving and raise to the Lord a shout with songs. For you are a great God, you are great above all gods. In your hands are the caverns of the earth, and the heights of the hills are yours also. The sea is yours, for you made it, and your hands have moved the dry land. Come, let us bow down and bend the knee and kneel before the Lord our Maker. For you are our God, and we are the people of your pasture and the sheep of your hand. Oh, that today we're hearken to your voice.

SPEAKER_08 4:35

Thank you, Eddie. Our psalm for this morning is Psalm number 102. I'm going to ask Martha and Jill to lead our psalm. Martha, would you start?

SPEAKER_06 4:55

Lord, hear my prayer and let my cry come before you. I nod your face from me in the day of my trouble.

SPEAKER_04 5:07

Incline your ear to me. When I call, make haste to help me.

SPEAKER_06 5:14

For my days drift away like smoke, and my bones are hard as spinning coals.

SPEAKER_04 5:22

My heart is smitten like grass and withered, so that I forget to eat my bread.

SPEAKER_06 5:32

Because of the voice of my groaning, I am a skin and bones.

SPEAKER_04 5:39

I have become like a vulture in the wilderness, like an owl among the ruins.

SPEAKER_06 5:50

I lie awake and groan. I'm like a sparrow lonely on a hosta.

SPEAKER_04 5:57

My enemies revile me all day long, and those who scoff at me have taken an oath against me.

SPEAKER_06 6:09

Well, I have eaten ashes or bread and mingled my drink with weeping.

SPEAKER_04 6:15

Because of your indignation and wrath, you have lifted me up and thrown me away. But you, O Lord, endure forever. And your name from age to age.

SPEAKER_06 6:42

You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to have mercy upon it. Indeed, the appointed time has come.

SPEAKER_04 6:54

For your servants love its very rubble and are moved to pity even for its dust.

SPEAKER_06 7:03

A nation shall fear your name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth your glory.

SPEAKER_04 7:11

For you, O Lord, will build up Zion, and your glory will appear.

SPEAKER_06 7:19

You will look with fear on the prayer of the homeless.

SPEAKER_04 7:23

You will not despise the plea. Let this be written for a future generation, so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord.

SPEAKER_06 7:41

And from the heavens behaved the eye. The Lord has brought down my strength before my time and shattened the number of my days.

SPEAKER_04 8:18

And I said, Oh my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years endure throughout all generation.

SPEAKER_06 8:30

In the beginning, O Lord, you lay the foundations of the light, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

SPEAKER_04 8:39

They shall perish, but you will endure.

SPEAKER_06 9:20

Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_08 9:22

Thank you, Martha and Jill. That was a great reading. Above in Buka Ukraine, our liturgy from Lamentation talks about loss and weeping. Let's not forget that in addition to the war with Iran, the people of Ukraine and other parts of the world are suffering as well. Cry aloud to the Lord. Our first lesson is from Lamentations, chapter 2, verses 10 through 18. Patricia, would you lead this?

SPEAKER_10 10:01

The elders of Daughter Zion sit on the ground in silence. They have thrown dust on their heads and put on sackcloth. The young girls of Jerusalem have bowed their heads to the ground. My eyes are spent with weeping. My stomach churns. For vast as the sea is your ruin. Who can heal you? Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions. They have not exposed your iniquity to restore your fortunes, but have sent have seen oracles for you that are false and misleading. All who pass along the way clap their hands at you, they hiss and wag their heads at Daughter Jerusalem. Is this a city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth? All your enemies open their mouths against you. They hiss, they gnash their teeth, they cry. We have devoured her. This is the day we long for. At last we have seen it. The Lord has done what he purposed. He has carried out his threat as he ordained long ago. He has demolished without pity. He has made the enemy rejoice over you and exalted the might of your foes. Cry aloud to the Lord, O wall of daughters, Zion. Let tears stream down like a torrent, day and night. Give yourself no rest, your eyes no respite. The word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_08 12:19

Thanks be to God. Thank you, Patricia. Our first canticle is the song of Moses. Mother Angel, would you lead this?

SPEAKER_12 12:38

The horse of its rider has he hurled into the sea. The Lord is my strength and my refuge. The Lord has become my Savior. This is my God, and I will praise him. The God of my people and I will exalt him. Yahweh is his name. The chariots of anwandis army has he hurled into the sea. The finest of those who murmur have been drowned in the Red Sea. The fathomless deep has overwhelmed them. They sank into the depths like a storm. Your right hand of Lord is glorious in might. Your right hand of Lord has overthrown the enemy. Who can be compared with you, Lord among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, awesome and renowned, and worker of wonders? You stretch forth your right hand, the earth swallow them up. With your constant love, you let the people you retained. With your might you want them in safety to your holy twenty. You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your possession. The resting place you have made for yourself on. The sanctuary on the land, let your hands establish, the children, forever and forever. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, it is now and will be forever.

SPEAKER_08 15:10

Thank you, Mother and Joe. It's from Christ Church in Redondo Beach, California. There's the cup in those.

SPEAKER_02 15:40

Therefore, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. I speak as to sensible people. Judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Whoever therefore eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup, for all who eat and drink without discerning the body eat and drink judgment against themselves. For this reason many of you are weak and ill, and some have died. But if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.

SPEAKER_01 17:03

The word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_12 17:39

Great deeds are there that you have done, surpassing human understanding. Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, O King of all the ages, who can fail to do your homage, Lord, and sing the praises of your name, for you only are the holy one. All nations will draw near and fart down before you because your just and holy works have been revealed. Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen. All nations will draw near and fall down before you because your just and holy works have been revealed.

SPEAKER_08 18:52

Thank you, Mother Angel. This is by Tato Gaddy from thirteen sixty. It's called Last Supper. Deacon Elizabeth, would you lead this?

SPEAKER_11 19:27

Sure. On the first day of unleavened bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, Jesus' disciples said to him, Where do you want us to go and make the preparations for you to eat the Passover? So he went two of his, so he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, and whenever he enters, say to the owner of the house, the teacher asks, Where is my guest room where I may eat the Passover with my disciples? He will show you a large room upstairs, furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there. So the disciples set out and went to the city and found everything as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover meal. When it was evening, he came with the twelve, and when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, Truly, I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me. They began to be distressed and to say to him, one after another, Surely not I. He said to them, It's one of the twelve, one who is giving bread with them, brawl with me. For the Son of Man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that one by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would have been better for that one not to have been born. While they were eating, he took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it, he broke it, gave it to them, and said, Take, this is my body. That he took, then he took a cup, and after giving thanks, he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruits of the vine until that day when I drink. It new in the kingdom of God. The word of the Lord.

SPEAKER_08 22:07

Thanks be to God. Thank you, Deacon. And now the Apostles' Creed. Robert, would you lead us in the creed?

SPEAKER_07 22:19

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven. He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

SPEAKER_08 23:08

Amen. Thank you, Robert. And now the prayers begin with our Lord's Prayer. Michael Brown, would you lead us in the Lord's Prayer? And then we'll read the suffrages.

SPEAKER_09 23:23

The Lord be with you.

SPEAKER_08 23:25

And also with you.

SPEAKER_09 23:26

Let us pray. Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is 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. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, Lord, now and forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_08 24:01

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.

SPEAKER_09 24:05

Govern and uphold them now and always.

SPEAKER_08 24:09

Day by day we bless you.

SPEAKER_09 24:12

We praise your name forever.

SPEAKER_08 24:15

Lord, keep us from all sin today.

SPEAKER_09 24:19

Have mercy on us, Lord. Have mercy.

SPEAKER_08 24:22

Lord, show us your love and mercy.

SPEAKER_09 24:26

For we put our trust in you.

SPEAKER_08 24:28

In you, Lord, is our hope.

SPEAKER_09 24:31

And we shall never hope in vain.

SPEAKER_08 24:34

Thank you, Michael. Another depiction of the Last Supper. Now two prayers, a collect of the day for Monday, Thursday, and a collect for guidance. Deacon Diana, would you lead these two?

SPEAKER_00 25:01

Almighty Father, whose dear son, on the night before he suffered, instituted the sacrament of his body and blood. Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord, who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life, and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. Heavenly Father, in you we live and move and have our being. We humbly pray you so to guide and govern us by your Holy Spirit, that in all the cares and occupations of our life, we may not forget you, but may remember that we are ever walking in your sight through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

SPEAKER_08 25:52

Amen. Thank you, Diana. And now it's time to look at America's gun toll and look at how many people get shot or killed each week in our country with all the guns that we have. Our spotlight takes us to a small city in Texas where once again it will sound extremely familiar and has become all too commonplace. A shooting at JT's Lounge in Dixon, Texas at 12.30 a.m. on a Sunday morning. Seems like more and more of these happen at the early morning hours of Sunday. A birthday party was just ending inside the lounge when partygoers heard shooting out in the street. Seven people suffered non-threatening life injuries and were hit by gunfire. Partygoers told the police that they were still inside when they heard the gunfire outside. There were no fatalities from the shootings, and the severity of the injuries remains unconfirmed. No one was in custody. They didn't alert anybody that they were looking for someone specific. But here again, you have to wonder. These always seem to happen in the early morning hours, and they always seem to happen when someone is celebrating or having a good time. And perhaps you wonder if maybe someone wasn't invited. We look at last week's gun totals. Excuse me, those killed by gunfire in the United States, 244. That went down by one. It brings our total year-to-date kill to 2969, 2,969 people. And those injured by gunfire in our country, 419. That also went down considerably. It was 462 the week before. It brings our total year-to-date killed in our country to 5,058 people. But there again, those are people. And so we pray a prayer to end gun violence. Jacqueline, would you lead us in the prayer to end gun violence?

SPEAKER_13 28:05

Oh Lord our God, we pray for the victims of the other pandemic, as gun violence ravages our homes, our streets, our businesses, schools and houses of worship. We pray for the children killed and injured, for their families, classmates, teachers, and school employees. We pray for teenagers gunned down before their lives have really started. We pray for police officers who keep fighting a never-ending battle while trying to keep themselves and everyone else safe. And we pray for an end to racial profiling in law enforcement. We pray for all who are depressed or mentally ill, wanting to hurt themselves or others in a nation where guns are everywhere. We pray for the victims of crime who are forced to defend themselves and their loved ones. We pray for anti-violence activists and community leaders. In a time when new methods of protest and reforms must be created. Let your demands for justice and cries for peace be heard, O Lord, in our legislative chambers and in our hearts. May your healing grace overtake this land through our Savior Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_08 30:04

Amen. Amen. Thank you, Jacqueline. We'll continue with the prayer for the mission of the church. I'm going to ask Carol to lead us in the prayer for the mission of the church, and then I'll bless the Lord and bless us.

SPEAKER_03 30:24

Almighty God, you sent your son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself. We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your servants call upon your name. For the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours forever. Amen.

SPEAKER_08 31:01

Let us bless the Lord.

SPEAKER_03 31:03

Thanks be to God.

SPEAKER_08 31:05

Now go in safety, for you cannot go where God is not. Go in love, for love alone endures, and go in peace, for that is God's gift to those whose hearts and minds are in his Son Jesus. And God's blessing be with you. Christ's peace be with you. The Spirit's outpouring be with you now and always. Amen. And that is morning prayer on this Monday, Thursday. Wherever you go today, take that love of Jesus, that life that lives inside of you. Share that with the world. Show that to the world. Hope to see you back with us tomorrow, safe and sound.