Ember Saturday Vigil in Lent

Ember Saturday Vigil in Lent

This service on the day before the second Sunday of Lent, is a traditional time for Ordinations and Admission of Lay Ministers.  

The Introit Psalm 87. Fundamenta ejus.

    HER foundations are upon the holy hills: * the LORD loveth the gates of Sion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
    2 Very excellent things are spoken of thee, * thou city of God.
    3 I will make mention of Egypt and Babylon, * among them that know me.
    4 Behold¹, Philistia also; and Tyre, with Ethiopia; * lo, in Sion were they born.
    5 Yea, of Sion it shall be reported, this one and that one were born in her; * and the Most High shall stablish her.
    6 The LORD shall record it, when he writeth up the peoples; * lo, in Sion were they born.
    7 The singers also and trumpeters shall make answer: * All my fresh springs are in thee.

The service shall begin as usual until right before the reading of the epistle. Then shall be used the following.

The First Reading  Deut 26:12-19

When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be filled; Then thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all thy commandments which thou hast commanded me: I have not transgressed thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them. I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away ought thereof for any unclean use, nor given ought thereof for the dead: but I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, and have done according to all that thou hast commanded me. Look down from thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given us, as thou swarest unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul. Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice: And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments; And to make thee high above all nations which he hath made, in praise, and in name, and in honour; and that thou mayest be an holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.

The First Gradual Psalm 79. Deus, venerunt.

    O GOD, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; * thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones.
    2 The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air, * and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the land.
    3 Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem, * and there was no man to bury them.
    4 We are become an open shame to our enemies, * a very scorn and derision unto them that are round about us.
    5 LORD, how long wilt thou be angry? * shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?
    6 Pour out thine indignation upon the heathen that have not known thee; * and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name.
    7 For they have devoured Jacob, * and laid waste his dwelling-place.
    8 O remember not our old sins, but have mercy upon us, and that soon; * for we are come to great misery.
    9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy Name: * O deliver us, and be merciful unto our sins, for thy Name's sake.
    10 Wherefore do the heathen say, * Where is now their God?
    11 O let the vengeance of thy servants' blood that is shed, * be openly showed upon the heathen, in our sight.
    12 O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee; * according to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to die.
    13 And for the blasphemy wherewith our neighbours have blasphemed thee, * reward thou them, O Lord, sevenfold into their bosom.
    14 So we, that are thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, shall give thee thanks for ever, * and will alway be showing forth thy praise from generation to generation.

The First Collect

O God, Who leadest us through things temporal to things eternal, extend Thy mercy to us who are striving after heavenly promises ; and because all our faith is of Thee, may all our life be in Thee. Through Jesus Christ our Lord who livest and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Then shall be held the Admission of Ushers and other such lay ministers.

The Second Reading  Deut 11:22-25

 For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cleave unto him; Then will the Lord drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves. Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your coast be. There shall no man be able to stand before you: for the Lord your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as he hath said unto you.

The Second Gradual  Psalm 84. Quam dilecta!

O HOW amiable are thy dwellings, * thou LORD of hosts!
    2 My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the LORD; * my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
    3 Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house, and the swallow a nest, where she may lay her young; * even thy altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.
    4 Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; * they will be alway praising thee.
    5 Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; * in whose heart are thy ways.
    6 Who going through the vale of misery use it for a well; * and the pools are filled with water.
    7 They will go from strength to strength, * and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion.
    8 O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; * hearken, O God of Jacob.
    9 Behold, O God our defender, * and look upon the face of thine anointed.
    10 For one day in thy courts * is better than a thousand.
    11 I had rather be a door-keeper in the house of my God, * than to dwell in the tents of ungodliness.
    12 For the LORD God is a light and defence; * the LORD will give grace and worship; and no good thing shall he withhold from them that live a godly life.
    13 O LORD God of hosts, * blessed is the man that putteth his trust in thee.

The Second Collect

Look on us, O God, our Protector, that we, who labour under the weight of our own evils, may be rescued by Thy mercy, and serve Thee with a free mind. Through Jesus Christ our Lord who livest and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

Then shall be held the Admission of Lectors.

The Third Reading  2 Macc 1:23-27

And the priests made a prayer whilst the sacrifice was consuming, I say, both the priests, and all the rest, Jonathan beginning, and the rest answering thereunto, as Neemias did. And the prayer was after this manner; O Lord, Lord God, Creator of all things, who art fearful and strong, and righteous, and merciful, and the only and gracious King, The only giver of all things, the only just, almighty, and everlasting, thou that deliverest Israel from all trouble, and didst choose the fathers, and sanctify them: Receive the sacrifice for thy whole people Israel, and preserve thine own portion, and sanctify it. Gather those together that are scattered from us, deliver them that serve among the heathen, look upon them that are despised and abhorred, and let the heathen know that thou art our God.

The Third Gradual Psalm 90:13-17 Domine, refugium.

    13 Turn thee again, O LORD, at the last, * and be gracious unto thy servants.
    14 O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon: * so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
    15 Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us; * and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.
    16 Show thy servants thy work, * and their children thy glory.
    17 And the glorious majesty of the LORD our God be upon us: * prosper thou the work of our hands upon us; O prosper thou our handy-work.

Give ear, O Lord, we beseech Thee, to our prayers ; that, through Thy bountiful grace, we may be humble in prosperity, and without fear in adversity. Through the same Jesus Christ or Lord who livest and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, unto the ages of ages. Amen. 

Then shall be held the Admission of Lay Ministers of Healing of mind, body, or spirit

The Fourth Reading  Ecclus 36:1-8

Have mercy upon us, O Lord God of all, and behold us: And send thy fear upon all the nations that seek not after thee. Lift up thy hand against the strange nations, and let them see thy power. As thou wast sanctified in us before them: so be thou magnified among them before us. And let them know thee, as we have known thee, that there is no God but only thou, O God. Shew new signs, and make other strange wonders: glorify thy hand and thy right arm, that they may set forth thy wondrous works. Raise up indignation, and pour out wrath: take away the adversary, and destroy the enemy. Sake the time short, remember the covenant, and let them declare thy wonderful works. Let him that escapeth be consumed by the rage of the fire; and let them perish that oppress the people. Smite in sunder the heads of the rulers of the heathen, that say, There is none other but we.

The Fourth Gradual Psalm 28. Ad te, Domine.

UNTO thee will I cry, O LORD, my strength: * think no scorn of me; lest, if thou make as though thou hearest not, I become like them that go down into the pit.
    2 Hear the voice of my humble petitions, when I cry unto thee; * when I hold up my hands towards the mercyseat of thy holy temple.
    3 O pluck me not away, neither destroy me with the ungodly and wicked doers, * which speak friendly to their neighbours, but imagine mischief in their hearts.
    4 Reward them according to their deeds, * and according to the wickedness of their own inventions.
    5 Recompense them after the work of their hands; * pay them that they have deserved.
    6 For they regard not in their mind the works of the LORD, nor the operation of his hands; * therefore shall he break them down, and not build them up.
    7 Praised be the LORD; * for he hath heard the voice of my humble petitions.
    8 The LORD is my strength, and my shield; my heart hath trusted in him, and I am helped; * therefore my heart danceth for joy, and in my song will I praise him.
    9 The LORD is my strength, * and he is the wholesome defence of his anointed.
    10 O save thy people, and give thy blessing unto thine inheritance: * feed them, and set them up for ever.

The Fourth Collect

Prevent us, O Lord, we beseech Thee, in all our doings, with Thy most gracious power, and further us with Thy continual help ; that all our works may be begun, continued, and ended in Thee. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who livest and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Then shall be held the Admission of Acolytes, Altar Guild Members etc.

The Fifth Reading  The Prayer of Azariah 24-28 being Dan 3:47-51

So that the flame streamed forth above the furnace forty and nine cubits. And it passed through, and burned those Chaldeans it found about the furnace. But the angel of the Lord came down into the oven together with Azarias and his fellows, and smote the flame of the fire out of the oven; And made the midst of the furnace as it had been a moist whistling wind, so that the fire touched them not at all, neither hurt nor troubled them. Then the three, as out of one mouth, praised, glorified, and blessed, God in the furnace, saying,

The Fifth Gradual The Prayer of Azariah 29-34 being Dan 3:51-56

Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

And blessed is thy glorious and holy name: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever. Blessed art thou in the temple of thine holy glory: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and to be praised and exalted above all for ever.

Blessed art thou on the glorious throne of thy kingdom: and to be praised and glorified above all for ever.

Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and above ail to be praised and glorified for ever.

Here shall be prayed the collect of the day and the customary memorials.

Then shall be held the Admission of Deaconesses and Sub Deacons, and the profession of religious.

The Epistle 1 Thess 5:14-23

Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Here if a bishop be present may be held the ordination of deacons.

The Gradual Psalm 117. Laudate Dominum.

    O PRAISE the LORD, all ye nations¹; * praise him, all ye peoples.
    2 For his merciful kindness is ever more and more toward² us; * and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise the LORD.

The Gospel Matt 17:1-9

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Here if a bishop be present may be held the ordination of Priests

Then shall be given the sermon after which the Holy Communion resumes its normal order.