Daily Readings: April 21, 2023

Friday after the Second Sunday of Easter

Anselm, Archbishop of Canterbury, 1109

Morning	Evening
Psalm 16 Psalm 17	Psalm 134 Psalm 135
Dan 3:1-18 1 John 3:1-10 Luke 3:15-22

The Collect of the Day

Second Sunday of Easter

Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Anselm of Canterbury

Almighty God, whose servant Anselm helped your church to understand its faith in your eternal Being, perfect justice, and saving mercy: Provide your church in all ages with devout and learned scholars and teachers, that we may be able to give a reason for the hope that is in us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Psalms

16

Conserva me, DomineBCP p. 599

¹Protect me, O God, for I take refuge in you; *I have said to the Lord, “You are my Lord, my good above all other.”

²All my delight is upon the godly that are in the land, *upon those who are noble among the people.

³But those who run after other gods *shall have their troubles multiplied.

⁴Their libations of blood I will not offer, *nor take the names of their gods upon my lips.

⁵O Lord, you are my portion and my cup; *it is you who uphold my lot.

⁶My boundaries enclose a pleasant land; *indeed, I have a goodly heritage.

⁷I will bless the Lord who gives me counsel; *my heart teaches me, night after night.

⁸I have set the Lord always before me; *because he is at my right hand I shall not fall.

⁹My heart, therefore, is glad, and my spirit rejoices; *my body also shall rest in hope.

¹⁰For you will not abandon me to the grave, *nor let your holy one see the Pit.

¹¹You will show me the path of life; *in your presence there is fullness of joy, and in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

17

Exaudi, DomineBCP p. 600

¹Hear my plea of innocence, O Lord; give heed to my cry; *listen to my prayer, which does not come from lying lips.

²Let my vindication come forth from your presence; *let your eyes be fixed on justice.

³Weigh my heart, summon me by night, *melt me down; you will find no impurity in me.

⁴I give no offense with my mouth as others do; *I have heeded the words of your lips.

⁵My footsteps hold fast to the ways of your law; *in your paths my feet shall not stumble.

⁶I call upon you, O God, for you will answer me; *incline your ear to me and hear my words.

⁷Show me your marvelous loving-kindness, *O Savior of those who take refuge at your right hand from those who rise up against them.

⁸Keep me as the apple of your eye; *hide me under the shadow of your wings,

⁹From the wicked who assault me, *from my deadly enemies who surround me.

¹⁰They have closed their heart to pity, *and their mouth speaks proud things.

¹¹They press me hard, now they surround me, *watching how they may cast me to the ground,

¹²Like a lion, greedy for its prey, *and like a young lion lurking in secret places.

¹³Arise, O Lord; confront them and bring them down; *deliver me from the wicked by your sword.

¹⁴Deliver me, O Lord, by your hand *from those whose portion in life is this world;

¹⁵Whose bellies you fill with your treasure, *who are well supplied with children and leave their wealth to their little ones.

¹⁶But at my vindication I shall see your face; *when I awake, I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.

Daily Office Readings

¹King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue whose height was sixty cubits and whose width was six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. ²Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ³So the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, assembled for the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When they were standing before the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up, ⁴the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, ⁵that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. ⁶Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire.” ⁷Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁸Accordingly, at this time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. ⁹They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! ¹⁰You, O king, have made a decree, that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble, shall fall down and worship the golden statue, ¹¹and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. ¹²There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These pay no heed to you, O King. They do not serve your gods and they do not worship the golden statue that you have set up.” ¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought in; so they brought those men before the king. ¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and you do not worship the golden statue that I have set up? ¹⁵Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum, and entire musical ensemble to fall down and worship the statue that I have made, well and good. But if you do not worship, you shall immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire, and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?” ¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to present a defense to you in this matter. ¹⁷If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire and out of your hand, O king, let him deliver us. ¹⁸But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods and we will not worship the golden statue that you have set up.”