MORNING PRAYER FOR ASCENSION DAY. + This Service is especially arranged to precede, if so desired, the Ascension Celebration of the Holy Communion. The people being in their accustomed places, the Minister shall reverently recite these Sentences. I ascend unto My Father, and your Father, and to My God, and your God. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne, even as I also overcome, and am sat down with My Father in His Throne. Antiphon. Minister and People. God, Who at sundry times, With messages of love and truth, For the education and perfecting of our race; Sent His beloved Son Jesus Christ. And for thanks, gave Him a crown of thorns; And purple robe of scorn; For a throne, the cruel scaffold of the Cross. And given Him a Name above every name, Then shall be sung the hymn Crown Him with many crowns, Awake my soul and sing Of Him Who died for thee Crown Him the Lord of Love: Those wounds, yet visible above, In beauty glorified. No angel in the sky Can fully bear that sight, But downward bends his wondering eye At mysteries so bright. Crown Him the Lord of years, Creator of the rolling spheres, All hail! Redeemer, hail! Thy praise, Thy glory, shall not fail Amen. Then shall the Minister read the story of the Ascension, Acts i, 1-11 verses, saying, The Lesson is taken from the first chapter of the Acts of the Apostles of Jesus; and at the close, Here endeth the Lesson. The Lesson. After the Lesson shall be sung this or some other appropriate Anthem or Hymn. Te Deum Laudamus. We praise Thee, O God we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. All the Earth doth worship Thee: the Father everlasting. : To Thee all Angels cry aloud the Heavens and all the Powers therein. To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Sabaoth, : Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty : of Thy glory. The glorious company of the Apostles: praise Thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise Thee. The noble army of Martyrs : praise Thee. The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge Thee, The Father of an Infinite Majesty, Thine adorable, true and only Son; : : : Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter. Thou art the King of glory: O Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver men : Thou didst humble Thyself to be born of a Virgin. When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father. We believe that Thou shalt come to be our Judge. We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants : Whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with Thy saints : in glory everlasting. O Lord, save Thy people and bless Thine heritage. up Govern them and lift them for ever. And we worship Thy Name : ever, world without end. Vouchsafe, O Lord to keep us this day without sin. O Lord, have mercy upon us have mercy upon us. O Lord, let Thy mercy be upon us as our trust is in Thee O Lord, in Thee have I trusted : let me never be confounded. Then the Minister shall read The Little Chapter. When He ascended up on high, He led a multitude of captives, and gave gifts unto men : And He gave some, apostles, and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ till we all come, in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. : Here all the people shall say or sing Thanks be to God! Then shall be said or sung these versicles: Minister. Lord Jesus, hear our prayer. People. And let our cry come unto Thee. Minister. Lamb of God, our Lord and Sav iour; People. Have mercy, and grant us Thy grace. |