First Sunday in Lent
The Holy Eucharist Rite One
Great Litany, Eucharistic Prayer 1
Sunday, February 22, 2026
The Word of God
GREAT LITANY
All stand.
The People respond with the words in italics.
I.
Holy God, Creator of heaven and earth.
Have mercy on us.
Holy and Mighty, Redeemer of the world,
Have mercy on us.
Holy Immortal One, Sanctifier of the faithful,
Have mercy on us.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity, One God,
Have mercy on us.
II.
From all evil and mischief; from pride, vanity and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred and malice; and from all evil intent.
Savior, deliver us.
From sloth, worldliness and love of money; from hardness of heart and contempt for your word and your laws,
Savior, deliver us.
From sins of body and mind; from deceits of the world, flesh and the devil,
Savior, deliver us.
From famine and disaster; from violence, murder, and dying unprepared,
Savior, deliver us.
In all times of sorrow; in all times of joy; in the hour of our death and at the day of judgment,
Savior, deliver us.
By the mystery of your holy incarnation; by your birth, childhood and obedience; by your baptism, fasting and temptation,
Savior, deliver us.
By your ministry in word and work; by your mighty acts of power; by the preaching of your reign,
Savior, deliver us.
By your agony and trial; by your cross and passion; by your precious death and burial,
Savior, deliver us.
By your mighty resurrection; by your glorious ascension; and by your sending of the Holy Spirit,
Savior, deliver us.
III.
Hear our prayers, O Christ our God.
Hear us, O Christ.
Govern and direct your holy Church; fill it with love and truth; and grant it that unity which is your will.
Hear us, O Christ.
Give us boldness to preach the gospel in all the world, and to make disciples of all the nations.
Hear us, O Christ.
Enlighten your bishops, priests and deacons, especially Nicholas our Bishop, and Craig our Rector, with knowledge and understanding, that by their teaching and their lives they may proclaim your word.
Hear us, O Christ.
Give your people grace to witness to your word and bring forth the fruit of your Spirit.
Hear us, O Christ.
Bring into the way of truth all who have erred and are deceived.
Hear us, O Christ.
Strengthen those who stand; comfort and help the fainthearted; raise up the fallen; and finally beat down Satan under our feet.
Hear us, O Christ.
IV.
Guide the leaders of the nations into the ways of peace and justice.
Hear us, O Christ.
Give your wisdom and strength to Donald, the President of the United States, and Daniel the Governor of this state, that in all things they may do your will, for your glory and the common good.
Hear us, O Christ.
Give to the Congress of the United States, the members of the President’s Cabinet, those who serve in our state legislature, and all others in authority the grace to walk always in the ways of truth.
Hear us, O Christ.
Bless the justices of the Supreme Court and all those who administer the law, that they may act with integrity and do justice for all your people.
Hear us, O Christ.
Give us the will to use the resources of the earth to your glory and for the good of all.
Hear us, O Christ.
Bless and keep all your people,
Hear us, O Christ.
V.
Comfort and liberate the lonely, the bereaved and the oppressed.
Hear us, O Christ.
Keep in safety those who travel and all who are in peril.
Hear us, O Christ.
Heal the sick in body, mind or spirit and provide for the homeless, the hungry and the destitute.
Hear us, O Christ.
Guard and protect all children who are in danger.
Hear us, O Christ.
Shower your compassion on prisoners, hostages and refugees, and all who are in trouble.
Hear us, O Christ.
Forgive our enemies, persecutors and slanderers, and turn their hearts.
Hear us, O Christ.
Hear us as we remember those who have died and grant us with them a share in your eternal glory.
Hear us, O Christ.
VI.
Give us true repentance; forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our deliberate sins; and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to your word.
To be sung three times
Holy God,
Holy and Mighty,
Holy Immortal One.
Have mercy on us.
THE COLLECT OF THE DAY (BCP p. 325)
Celebrant
The Lord be with you.
People
And with thy spirit.
Celebrant
Let us pray.
Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The Lessons
FIRST READING Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-7
The people sit.
A Reading from the book of Genesis.
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.”
Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.’“ But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.
Reader
The Word of the Lord.
People
Thanks be to God.
Silence may follow.
PSALM Psalm 32 Beati quorum
Remain seated.
1 Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, *
and whose sin is put away!
2 Happy are they to whom the Lord imputes no guilt, *
and in whose spirit there is no guile!
3 While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, *
because of my groaning all day long.
4 For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; *
my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, *
and did not conceal my guilt.
6 I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord." *
Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.
7 Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; *
when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.
8 You are my hiding-place;
you preserve me from trouble; *
you surround me with shouts of deliverance.
9 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; *
I will guide you with my eye.
10 Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding; *
who must be fitted with bit and bridle,
or else they will not stay near you."
11 Great are the tribulations of the wicked; *
but mercy embraces those who trust in the Lord.
12 Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the Lord; *
shout for joy, all who are true of heart.
SECOND READING Romans 5:12-19
The people sit.
A Reading from Paul’s letter to the Romans.
As sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned-- sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man's trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Therefore just as one man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
Reader
The Word of the Lord.
People
Thanks be to God.
Silence may follow.
SEQUENCE HYMN #445 Praise to the Holiest in the Height
All stand.
GOSPEL Matthew 4:1-11
All stand.
Priest
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
People
Glory be to thee, O Lord.
Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was famished. The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,
‘One does not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor; and he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! for it is written,
‘Worship the Lord your God,
and serve only him.’”
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
Celebrant
The Gospel of the Lord.
People
Praise be to thee, O Christ.
THE SERMON The Rev. Craig R. Swan
THE CREED
All stand.
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of his Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered and was buried;
and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;
and he shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord, and Giver of Life,
who proceedeth from the Father and the Son;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped
and glorified;
who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church;
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE PEACE (BCP p. 332)
All stand.
Celebrant
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People
And with thy spirit.
Then the Ministers and the People may greet one another in the name of the Lord.
The Holy Communion
OFFERTORY SENTENCE
The Celebrant says
Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and make good thy vows unto the Most High. Psalm 50:14
OFFERTORY ANTHEM Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone (arr. Martin)
The Great Thanksgiving
SURSUM CORDA S 112 Lift up your hearts
The People remain standing.
Facing the Holy Table, the Celebrant proceeds
It is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee, O Lord, holy Father, almighty, everlasting God.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who was in every way tempted as we are, yet did not sin; by whose grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us and rose again.
Therefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name; evermore praising thee, and saying,
SANCTUS S 114 Holy, holy, holy (Willan) (BCP p. 333)
Celebrant and People
The people kneel or stand.
Then the Celebrant continues
All glory be to thee, Almighty God, our heavenly Father, for that thou, of thy tender mercy, didst give thine only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who made there, by his one oblation of himself once offered, a full, perfect, and sufficient sacrifice, oblation, and satisfaction, for the sins of the whole world; and did institute, and in his holy Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death and sacrifice, until his coming again.
For in the night in which he was betrayed, he took bread; and when he had given thanks, he brake it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat, this is my Body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”
Likewise, after supper, he took the cup; and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink ye all of this; for this is my Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for you, and for many, for the remission of sins. Do this, as oft as ye shall drink it, in remembrance of me.”
Wherefore, O Lord and heavenly Father, according to the institution of thy dearly beloved Son our Savior Jesus Christ, we, thy humble servants, do celebrate and make here before thy divine Majesty, with these thy holy gifts, which we now offer unto thee, the memorial thy Son hath commanded us to make; having in remembrance his blessed passion and precious death, his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension; rendering unto thee most hearty thanks for the innumerable benefits procured unto us by the same.
And we most humbly beseech thee, O merciful Father, to hear us; and, of thy almighty goodness, vouchsafe to bless and sanctify, with thy Word and Holy Spirit, these thy gifts and creatures of bread and wine; that we, receiving them according to thy Son our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy institution, in remembrance of his death and passion, may be partakers of his most blessed Body and Blood.
And we earnestly desire thy fatherly goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving; most humbly beseeching thee to grant that, by the merits and death of thy Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in his blood, we, and all thy whole Church, may obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of his passion.
And here we offer and present unto thee, O Lord, our selves, our souls and bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto thee; humbly beseeching thee that we, and all others who shall be partakers of this Holy Communion, may worthily receive the most precious Body and Blood of thy Son Jesus Christ, be filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction, and made one body with him, that he may dwell in us, and we in him.
And although we are unworthy, through our manifold sins, to offer unto thee any sacrifice, yet we beseech thee to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offenses, through Jesus Christ our Lord;
By whom, and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honor and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, world without end.
THE LORD’S PRAYER (BCP p. 336)
The Celebrant then continues
And now, as our Savior Christ hath taught us, we are bold to say,
People and Celebrant
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
The Breaking of the Bread
FRACTION ANTHEM
PRAYER OF HUMBLE ACCESS
The following prayer may be said. The People may join in saying this prayer
We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
INVITATION
The Celebrant says
The
