Sunday before Lent
Sunday, 15th February 2026
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
All and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
1Bless the Lord all you works of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
2Bless the Lord you heavens: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
3Bless the Lord you angels of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
4Bless the Lord all people on earth: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
5O people of God bless the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
6Bless the Lord you priests of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
7Bless the Lord you servants of the Lord: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
8Bless the Lord all you of upright spirit: ♦
bless the Lord you that are holy and humble in heart.
The Song of the Three 35-37, 60-65
All Bless the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit: ♦
sing his praise and exalt him for ever.
This opening prayer may be said
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Word of God
Psalmody
Psalm 2
God’s Promise to His Anointed
1 Why do the nations conspire,
and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves,
and the rulers take counsel together,
against the Lord and his anointed, saying,
3 ‘Let us burst their bonds asunder,
and cast their cords from us.’
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 ‘I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.’
7 I will tell of the decree of the Lord:
He said to me, ‘You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron,
and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.’
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with fear,
with trembling 12 kiss his feet,
or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way;
for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Happy are all who take refuge in him.
Old Testament Reading
Exodus 24:12-18
12 The Lord said to Moses, ‘Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.’ 13 So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. 14 To the elders he had said, ‘Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them.’
15 Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 16 The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. 18 Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
New Testament Reading
2 Peter 1:16-21
Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honour and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, ‘This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.’ 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.
19 So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.
Canticle
Refrain:
All Splendour and majesty are yours, O God; you are exalted as head over all.
1Blessed are you, God of Israel, for ever and ever, ♦
for yours is the greatness, the power,
the glory, the splendour and the majesty.
2Everything in heaven and on earth is yours; ♦
yours is the kingdom, O Lord,
and you are exalted as head over all.
3Riches and honour come from you ♦
and you rule over all.
4In your hand are power and might; ♦
yours it is to give power and strength to all.
5And now we give you thanks, our God, ♦
and praise your glorious name.
6For all things come from you, ♦
and of your own have we given you.
1 Chronicles 29.10b-13, 14b
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
All Splendour and majesty are yours, O God; you are exalted as head over all.
Gospel Reading
Matthew 17:1-9
The Transfiguration
17 Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, ‘This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!’ 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Get up and do not be afraid.’ 8 And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, ‘Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’
Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead
All And Christ shall give you light.
You have died and your life is hid with Christ in God.
All Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.
All And Christ shall give you light.
When Christ our life appears you will appear with him in glory.
All Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.
from Colossians 3
Gospel Canticle
Refrain:
All You have raised up for us a mighty Saviour, born of the house of your servant David.
1Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, ♦
who has come to his people and set them free.
2He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, ♦
born of the house of his servant David.
3Through his holy prophets God promised of old ♦
to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us,
4To show mercy to our ancestors, ♦
and to remember his holy covenant.
5This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: ♦
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
6Free to worship him without fear, ♦
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
7And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, ♦
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
8To give his people knowledge of salvation ♦
by the forgiveness of all their sins.
9In the tender compassion of our God ♦
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
10To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, ♦
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Luke 1.68-79
All Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
Refrain:
All You have raised up for us a mighty Saviour, born of the house of your servant David.
Prayers
The Collect of the day is said
Almighty Father, whose Son was revealed in majesty before he suffered death upon the cross:
give us grace to perceive his glory, that we may be strengthened to suffer with him and be changed into his likeness, from glory to glory;
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
All Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer is said
The Conclusion
The Lord bless us, and preserve us from all evil, and keep us in eternal life.
All Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
All Thanks be to God.