Voice: Kae Chee
Today is Monday, 1st of June. Be still in the Lord’s presence.
We start by praying the Collect for Purity:
Almighty God,
to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known,
and from whom no secrets are hidden:
cleanse the thoughts of our hearts
by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,
that we may perfectly love you,
and worthily magnify your holy name;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We praise the Lord in the words of Psalm 150
Praise the Lord !
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heavens!
2Praise him for his mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent greatness!
3Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
4Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
5Praise him with sounding cymbals;
praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6Let everything that has breath praise the Lord !
Praise the Lord !
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now,
and shall be forever. Amen.
1 Samuel 2:1-10
1And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2“There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
3Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
6The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
8He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.
9“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
10The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
This is the Word of the Lord
Thanks be to God
Humility
Today we commemorate the moment Mary visited Elizabeth and Zechariah. One helpful feature of following the Anglican lectionary is that the significant moments in the life of Christ are brought into focus throughout the year.
In our Old Testament reading from 1st Samuel 2:1-10, Hannah’s Song celebrates the birth of Samuel. His birth was itself a miracle, for Hannah had been barren for many years. Her song bears striking similarity to Mary’s song—the Magnificat—as both proclaim how God chooses to work through the lowly and accomplish His purposes through what seems impossible.
Hannah’s song is about reversal:
- The Lord exalts the poor and needy
- The bows of the mighty are broken
- The barren woman bears children
- The lowly are lifted to places of honour
The Lord is sovereign over all, for “the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world.”
This pattern runs throughout the story of God’s people. Those who fear Him and remain humble are lifted up. Those who are proud and self-reliant are brought low.
Our Lord Jesus Christ captures this truth succinctly:
“Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (Matthew 23:12)
Why does God favour the humble?
Because the humble are closer to the truth.
Humility allows us to see reality as it is, not as our ego wishes it to be. Pride blinds; humility opens our eyes to our limits and our need for grace.
The humble are teachable—willing to listen, to learn, and to be corrected. The proud cling to illusions; the humble receive truth, even when it is uncomfortable.
Scripture affirms this again and again:
“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.” (Proverbs 11:2)
Like Hannah and Mary, may the Lord be magnified in and through our lives.
We end with the Collect for Trinity Sunday:
Almighty and everlasting God,
you have given us your servants grace,
by the confession of a true faith,
to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity
and in the power of the divine majesty to worship the Unity:
keep us steadfast in this faith,
that we may evermore be defended from all adversities;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
Be blessed by this version of the Magnificat.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
And my spirit exalts in God my Savior
For He has looked with mercy on my lowliness
And my name will be forever exalted
For the mighty God has done great things for me
An His mercy will reach from age to age
And holy, holy, holy is His name
He has mercy in every generation
He has revealed His power and His glory
He has cast down the mighty in their arrogance
And has lifted up the meek and the lowly
He has come to help His servant Israel
He remembered His promise to our fathers
And holy, holy, holy is His name
And holy, holy, holy is His name
Link to today’s Morning Office
About This Daily Devotion
This weekday devotion is drawn from the Morning Office and is part of a project initiated by Revd Canon Terry Wong, with contributions from clergy and members across various parishes. Each entry includes selected readings from the appointed Psalm and another Scripture passage, accompanied by a reflection and prayer. An audio option is also available, often ending with a hymn or song. We encourage you to both read and listen.
Our aim is to help Anglicans engage more deeply with our rich liturgical tradition, while meeting the devotional needs of today’s believers. This project began on Ash Wednesday 2025 and is offered on weekdays only.
For feedback, please write to us at terrywong@anglican.org.sg
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