O Lord Jesus Christ, by your glorious resurrection, you appeared alive and immortal to your disciples and faithful followers, stayed with and taught them for forty days, and showed them many infallible proofs, speaking about the Kingdom of God, and comforted them and assured them of your actual resurrection, removing all doubt from their hearts.
O Lord, grant that we may be numbered among those chosen by God to be witnesses of your resurrection, not only by word of mouth, but in actions and truth, for your honor and glory; with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign as one God, now and forever.
Source: Ludolph of Saxony, d. 1378 Source of this version: Freely modified from Prayers of the Middle Ages, edited by J. Manning Potts, 1954.
Potts’ translation has the line in the second paragraph, “not only by word of mouth, but in reality of good works.” Line was changed to more clearly reflect 1 John 3:18.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.
O Christ, hear us.
God, the Father in heaven, have mercy on us. God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Jesus, Redeemer of mankind,
Jesus, Conqueror of sin and Satan,
Jesus, triumphant over Death,
Jesus, the Holy and the Just,
Jesus, the Resurrection and the Life,
Jesus, the Giver of grace,
Jesus, the Judge of the world,
who laid down your life for your sheep,
who rose again the third day,
who showed yourself to your chosen,
appearing to Mary Magdalene while she wept,
sending your angels to the holy women,
comforting the Eleven,
saying to them, “Peace,”
breathing on them the Holy Spirit,
confirming the faith of Thomas,
commanding Peter to feed your lambs and sheep,
speaking of the Kingdom of God, have mercy on us.
We poor sinners pray, hear us, Lord God.
That we may walk in newness of life,
that we may advance in the knowledge of you,
that we may grow in grace,
that we may always have the bread of life,
that we may persevere to the end,
that we may have confidence before you at your coming,
that we may behold your face with joy,
that we may be placed at your right hand in the judgment,
that we may have our place with the saints, hear us, good Lord.
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; have mercy on us. Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world; grant us your peace.
O Christ, hear us.
Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Amen.
Christ is risen, Alleluia. He is risen indeed. Alleluia.
Let us pray
O God, by your only Son you overcame death and opened the way to eternal life for us. Confirm us by your grace, that we may always walk as your people who who have been redeemed from their sins; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O Lord, strong and mighty, Lord of hosts, and King of glory;
cleanse our hearts from sin,
keep our hands pure,
and turn our minds away from empty things,
so that, in the end
we may stand in your holy place,
and receive blessing from you;
with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
we worship and glorify you as one God,
now and forever.
Amen.
O Lord, King of glory,
when you fulfilled all that the prophets had spoken about you,
you ascended to your Father’s throne,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
While you reign in heaven,
do not let us be weighed down by earthly things,
but keep our hearts looking upward
where our Redeemer has gone before;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed,
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.
O Lord, save us who hope in you,
comfort us with your Word,
whom you have redeemed with your most precious blood,
and grant us, with you, perpetual joy and happiness,
where sighing is at an end, and sorrow cannot come;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed, and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.
Lord Jesus,
stay with us, for it is toward evening
and the day is now far spent.
Be our companion on the way,
kindle our hearts
and awaken hope,
that we may know you
as you are revealed in Scripture
and the breaking of bread;
Grant this for the sake of your love.
Amen.
Lord Jesus, stay with us, for evening is at hand and the day is past; be our companion in the way, kindle our hearts, and awaken hope, that we may know thee as thou art revealed in Scripture and the breaking of bread. Grant this for the sake of thy love. Amen.
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.
To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever.
Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the Nations.
Who will not fear you, Lord, and who will not praise your name? You alone are holy!
Praise our God, all you his servants and you who fear him, small and great.
Alleluia! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.
Source: Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, revised using phrases from The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version.
The canticle Dignus est agnus seems to have its origins in American Lutheranism in the late 19th century. It appeared in several service books beginning with the General Synod’s Church Book of 1868.
It appears on p. 122 of The Lutheran Hymnal (1941) without music. Earlier books prescribed its use as an option for the main canticle in Matins and Vespers (in place of the Te Deum or Magnificat). Later books suggested it as an alternative song of praise in the Common Service (in place of the Gloria in Excelsis).
Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and who is and who is coming. (Revelation 4:8)
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, for you have created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing. (Revelation 5:12)
Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever. (Song of the Three Holy Children)
Praise our God, all you his servants and you who fear him, small and great (Revelation 19:5)
Let every creature that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them say: To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever. (Revelation 5:13)
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Praise him and exalt him above all forever. As it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen. Praise him and exalt him above all forever.
The text of this canticle has been reworked into a new canticle, This Is the Feast of Victory / Worthy Is Christ, by poet John W. Arthur. It first appeared as an anthem for choir, Festival Canticle: Worthy Is Christ with music by Richard W. Hillert, and made its first appearance in a hymnal in Lutheran Book of Worship as an alternative to the Gloria in Excelsis in the Divine Service.
Refrain: This is the feast of victory for our God. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.
1 Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain, whose blood set us free to be people of God. [Refrain]
2 Power, riches, wisdom and strength, and honor, blessing and glory are his. [Refrain]
Short interlude…
3 Sing with all the people of God and join in the hymn of all creation.
4 Blessing, honor, glory and might be to God and the Lamb forever. Amen. [Refrain]
For the Lamb who was slain has begun his reign. Alleluia. [Refrain]
The U. S. Book of Common Prayer (1979) has two canticles that have the same material as “Worthy is the Lamb.”
A Song to the Lamb Dignus es Revelation 4:11; 5:9-10, 13
Splendor and honor and kingly power * ___are yours by right, O Lord our God, For you created everything that is, * ___and by your will they were created and have their being; And yours by right, O Lamb that was slain, * ___for with your blood you have redeemed for God, From every family, language, people, and nation, * ___a kingdom of priests to serve our God. And so, to him who sits upon the throne, * ___and to Christ the Lamb, Be worship and praise, dominion and splendor, * ___for ever and for evermore.
The Song of the Redeemed Magna et mirabilia Revelation 15:3-4
O ruler of the universe, Lord God, ___great deeds are they that you have done, * ___surpassing human understanding. Your ways are ways of righteousness and truth, * ___O King of all the ages. Who can fail to do you homage, Lord, and sing the praises of your Name? * ___for you only are the holy One. All nations will draw near and fall down before you, * ___because your just and holy works have been revealed. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: * ___as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Parts of this canticle are identical with the introit for Christ the King in the Roman rite. This is the Latin text:
Dignus est Agnus, qui occisus est, accipere virtutem, et divinitatem, et sapientiam, et fortitudinem, et honorem. Ipsi gloria et imperium in saecula saeculorum. Deus, judicium tuum Regi da: et justitiam tuam Filio Regis.
The father of English hymnody, Isaac Watts, wrote a hymn version that predates this text being used as a canticle, Come, Let Us Join in Cheerful Songs. This appears in Evangelical Lutheran Worship as a hymn version of the Dignus in Holy Communion, Setting Ten.
We thank you with our whole heart,
O beloved Father,
for the precious blood of your dear Son,
which he shed for our sake,
and by which you daily cleanse, quicken, and sanctify us
in your holy Church,
and make us partakers of your divine nature.
We thank you for the great and unspeakable love,
though we were not worthy of it,
when you redeemed us by your own Son,
who is our High priest and Mediator,
the true Shepherd who laid down his life for the sheep of his flock,
who now sits on your right hand
and intercedes for us.
O good and faithful God, Friend of all mankind,
give us your grace and your great compassion,
that we may praise you with your Son and the Holy Spirit
in every act of our lives evermore.
Amen.
Source: Unknown, attributed to St. Augustine (d. 430)
“make us partakers of your divine nature” is a reference to 2 Peter 1:4
O Christ, true Son of God,
Lamb who was slain, now risen in glory,
listen to our prayers.
Grant that we may die to all that is evil,
and rise to good works;
through your mercy, O our God,
you are blessed,
and live and govern all things,
now and forever.
Amen.
O God, our Light and our Salvation,
by your holy inspiration
teach us what we ought to do,
and by your grace give us the power to do it;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
A Collection of Prayers 