Psalm 55:1-8

Hear my prayer, O God *

and hide not thyself from my petition.

Take heed unto me, and hear me *

how I mourn in my prayer, and am vexed.

The enemy crieth so, and the ungodly cometh on so fast *

for they are minded to do me some mischief; so maliciously are they set against me.

My heart is disquieted within me *

and the fear of death is fallen upon me.

Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me *

and an horrible dread hath overwhelmed me.

And I said, O that I had wings like a dove *

for then would I flee away, and be at rest.

Lo, then would I get me away far off *

and remain in the wilderness.

I would make haste to escape *

because of the stormy wind and tempest.

(Translation: Coverdale)

A Reading

(1 Kings 18:41-19:8)

And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain.

So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees,

And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times.

And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.

And it came to pass in the mean while, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

And the hand of the Lord was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and withal how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by to morrow about this time.

And when he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die; and said, It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.

And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat.

And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat; because the journey is too great for thee.

And he arose, and did eat and drink, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

(Translation: Authorized Version)

A period of silence may follow.

Canticle