2nd Sunday of Epiphany

Year B

Almighty God,

in Christ you make all things new:

transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace,

and in the renewal of our lives

make known your heavenly glory;

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.

or

Eternal Lord,

our beginning and our end:

bring us with the whole creation

to your glory, hidden through past ages

and made known

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

1 Samuel 3.1-10 [11-20]

3Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord under Eli. The word of the Lord was rare in those days; visions were not widespread.

2 At that time Eli, whose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his room; ³the lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.⁴Then the Lord called, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ and he said, ‘Here I am!’ ⁵and ran to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ So he went and lay down. ⁶The Lord called again, ‘Samuel!’ Samuel got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But he said, ‘I did not call, my son; lie down again.’ ⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. ⁸The Lord called Samuel again, a third time. And he got up and went to Eli, and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. ⁹Therefore Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if he calls you, you shall say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.” ’ So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

10 Now the Lord came and stood there, calling as before, ‘Samuel! Samuel!’ And Samuel said, ‘Speak, for your servant is listening.’[ ¹¹Then the Lord said to Samuel, ‘See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make both ears of anyone who hears of it tingle. ¹²On that day I will fulfil against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. ¹³For I have told him that I am about to punish his house for ever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God, and he did not restrain them. ¹⁴Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be expiated by sacrifice or offering for ever.’

15 Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. ¹⁶But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ ¹⁷Eli said, ‘What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.’ ¹⁸So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.’

19 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. ²⁰And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.]

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 139.1-5, 12-18

1  O Lord, you have searched me out and known me; •
   you know my sitting down and my rising up;
      you discern my thoughts from afar.
2  You mark out my journeys and my resting place •
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
3  For there is not a word on my tongue, •
   but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
4  You encompass me behind and before •
   and lay your hand upon me.
5  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, •
   so high that I cannot attain it.
12  For you yourself created my inmost parts; •
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
13  I thank you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; •
   marvellous are your works, my soul knows well.
14  My frame was not hidden from you, •
   when I was made in secret
      and woven in the depths of the earth.
15  Your eyes beheld my form, as yet unfinished; •
   already in your book were all my members written,
16  As day by day they were fashioned •
   when as yet there was none of them.
17  How deep are your counsels to me, O God! •
   How great is the sum of them!
18  If I count them, they are more in number than the sand, •
   and at the end, I am still in your presence.

[or Psalm 139.1-9]

1  O Lord, you have searched me out and known me; •︎
   you know my sitting down and my rising up;
      you discern my thoughts from afar.
2  You mark out my journeys and my resting place •︎
   and are acquainted with all my ways.
3  For there is not a word on my tongue, •︎
   but you, O Lord, know it altogether.
4  You encompass me behind and before •︎
   and lay your hand upon me.
5  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, •︎
   so high that I cannot attain it.
6  Where can I go then from your spirit? •︎
   Or where can I flee from your presence?
7  If I climb up to heaven, you are there; •︎
   if I make the grave my bed, you are there also.
8  If I take the wings of the morning •︎
   and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
9  Even there your hand shall lead me, •︎
   your right hand hold me fast.

Revelation 5.1-10

5Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals; ²and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?’ ³And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁴And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.’

6 Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. ⁸When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹They sing a new song:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll
   and to open its seals,
for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God
   saints from every tribe and language and people and nation;
¹⁰ you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God,
   and they will reign on earth.’

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

John 1.43-end

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ ⁴⁴Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ ⁴⁶Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’ ⁴⁷When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him, ‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ ⁴⁸Nathanael asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ ⁴⁹Nathanael replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ ⁵⁰Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’ ⁵¹And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

God of glory,

you nourish us with your Word

who is the bread of life:

fill us with your Holy Spirit

that through us the light of your glory

may shine in all the world.

We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sunday 7 January 2024 Alternative 1 of 2

1st Sunday of Epiphany
Baptism of Christ

 or 

Year B

---

Reading Notes: Use this provision if the Epiphany is celebrated on Saturday 6 January and the Baptism of Christ is celebrated on Sunday 7 January.

Collect

Eternal Father,

who at the baptism of Jesus

revealed him to be your Son,

anointing him with the Holy Spirit:

grant to us, who are born again by water and the Spirit,

that we may be faithful to our calling as your adopted children;

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.

or

Heavenly Father,

at the Jordan you revealed Jesus as your Son:

may we recognize him as our Lord

and know ourselves to be your beloved children;

through Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Readings

Genesis 1.1-5

1In the beginning when God created the heavens and the earth, ²the earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. ³Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light. ⁴And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. ⁵God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 29

1  Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven, •
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2  Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name; •
   worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
3  The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
      the God of glory thunders; •
   the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4  The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation; •
   the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.
5  The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees; •
   the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6  He makes Lebanon skip like a calf •
   and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7  The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning;
      the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; •
   the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8  The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe
      and strips the forests bare; •
   in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’
9  The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood; •
   the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
10  The Lord shall give strength to his people; •
   the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace.

Acts 19.1-7

19While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul passed through the inland regions and came to Ephesus, where he found some disciples. ²He said to them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?’ They replied, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ ³Then he said, ‘Into what then were you baptized?’ They answered, ‘Into John’s baptism.’ ⁴Paul said, ‘John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, in Jesus.’ ⁵On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ⁶When Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied—⁷altogether there were about twelve of them.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

Mark 1.4-11

⁴John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. ⁸I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.’

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Lord of all time and eternity,

you opened the heavens and revealed yourself as Father

in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son:

by the power of your Spirit

complete the heavenly work of our rebirth

through the waters of the new creation;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sunday 31 December 2023 

1st Sunday of Christmas 

Year B

---

Collect

Almighty God,

who wonderfully created us in your own image

and yet more wonderfully restored us

through your Son Jesus Christ:

grant that, as he came to share in our humanity,

so we may share the life of his divinity;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

God in Trinity,

eternal unity of perfect love:

gather the nations to be one family,

and draw us into your holy life

through the birth of Emmanuel,

our Lord Jesus Christ.

Readings

Isaiah 61.10-62.3

¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
   my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
   he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
   and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 
¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
   and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
   to spring up before all the nations. 

62For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,
   and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
   and her salvation like a burning torch. 
² The nations shall see your vindication,
   and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
   that the mouth of the Lord will give. 
³ You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the Lord,
   and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 148

1  Alleluia.
      Praise the Lord from the heavens; •
   praise him in the heights.
2  Praise him, all you his angels; •
   praise him, all his host.
3  Praise him, sun and moon; •
   praise him, all you stars of light.
4  Praise him, heaven of heavens, •
   and you waters above the heavens.
5  Let them praise the name of the Lord, •
   for he commanded and they were created.
6  He made them fast for ever and ever; •
   he gave them a law which shall not pass away.
7  Praise the Lord from the earth, •
   you sea monsters and all deeps;
8  Fire and hail, snow and mist, •
   tempestuous wind, fulfilling his word;
9  Mountains and all hills, •
   fruit trees and all cedars;
10  Wild beasts and all cattle, •
   creeping things and birds on the wing;
11  Kings of the earth and all peoples, •
   princes and all rulers of the world;
12  Young men and women,
      old and young together; •
   let them praise the name of the Lord.
13  For his name only is exalted, •
   his splendour above earth and heaven.
14  He has raised up the horn of his people
      and praise for all his faithful servants, •
   the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
      Alleluia.

[or Psalm 148.7-end]

7  Praise the Lord from the earth, •
   you sea monsters and all deeps;
8  Fire and hail, snow and mist, •
   tempestuous wind, fulfilling his word;
9  Mountains and all hills, •
   fruit trees and all cedars;
10  Wild beasts and all cattle, •
   creeping things and birds on the wing;
11  Kings of the earth and all peoples, •
   princes and all rulers of the world;
12  Young men and women,
      old and young together; •
   let them praise the name of the Lord.
13  For his name only is exalted, •
   his splendour above earth and heaven.
14  He has raised up the horn of his people
      and praise for all his faithful servants, •
   the children of Israel, a people who are near him.
      Alleluia.

Galatians 4.4-7

⁴But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, ⁵in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. ⁶And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ ⁷So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

Luke 2.15-21

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, ‘Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.’¹⁶So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them.¹⁹But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child; and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Heavenly Father,

whose blessed Son shared at Nazareth the life of an earthly home:

help your Church to live as one family,

united in love and obedience,

and bring us all at last to our home in heaven;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

4th Sunday of Advent \nChristmas Eve

Year B

Collects for the 4th Sunday of Advent:

God our redeemer,

who prepared the Blessed Virgin Mary

to be the mother of your Son:

grant that, as she looked for his coming as our saviour,

so we may be ready to greet him

when he comes again as our judge;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Eternal God,

as Mary waited for the birth of your Son,

so we wait for his coming in glory;

bring us through the birth pangs of this present age

to see, with her, our great salvation

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

or

Collects for Christmas Eve:

Almighty God,

you make us glad with the yearly remembrance

of the birth of your Son Jesus Christ:

grant that, as we joyfully receive him as our redeemer,

so we may with sure confidence behold him

when he shall come to be our judge;

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Almighty God,

as we prepare with joy

to celebrate the gift of the Christ-child,

embrace the earth with your glory

and be for us a living hope

in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

2 Samuel 7.1-11,16

7Now when the king was settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, ²the king said to the prophet Nathan, ‘See now, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God stays in a tent.’³Nathan said to the king, ‘Go, do all that you have in mind; for the Lord is with you.’

4 But that same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: ⁵Go and tell my servant David: Thus says the Lord: Are you the one to build me a house to live in? ⁶I have not lived in a house since the day I brought up the people of Israel from Egypt to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent and a tabernacle.⁷Wherever I have moved about among all the people of Israel, did I ever speak a word with any of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’ ⁸Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David: Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep to be prince over my people Israel; ⁹and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. ¹⁰And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may live in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and evildoers shall afflict them no more, as formerly, ¹¹from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before me; your throne shall be established for ever.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Magnificat

Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

              

1            My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

                 my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;  •

              he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

              

2            From this day all generations will call me blessed;  •

              the Almighty has done great things for me

                 and holy is his name.

              

3            He has mercy on those who fear him,  •

              from generation to generation.

              

4            He has shown strength with his arm  •

              and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

              

5            Casting down the mighty from their thrones  •

              and lifting up the lowly.

              

6            He has filled the hungry with good things  •

              and sent the rich away empty.

              

7            He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,  •

              to remember his promise of mercy,

              

8            The promise made to our ancestors,  •

              to Abraham and his children for ever.         

              Luke 1.46-55

 

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

or Psalm 89.1-4, 19-26

1  My song shall be always of the loving-kindness of the Lord: •
   with my mouth will I proclaim your faithfulness
      throughout all generations.
2  I will declare that your love is established for ever; •
   you have set your faithfulness as firm as the heavens.
3  For you said: ‘I have made a covenant with my chosen one; •
   I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4  ‘ “Your seed will I establish for ever •
   and build up your throne for all generations.” ’
19  You spoke once in a vision and said to your faithful people: •
   ‘I have set a youth above the mighty;
      I have raised a young man over the people.
20  ‘I have found David my servant; •
   with my holy oil have I anointed him.
21  ‘My hand shall hold him fast •
   and my arm shall strengthen him.
22  ‘No enemy shall deceive him, •
   nor any wicked person afflict him.
23  ‘I will strike down his foes before his face •
   and beat down those that hate him.
24  ‘My truth also and my steadfast love shall be with him, •
   and in my name shall his head be exalted.
25  ‘I will set his dominion upon the sea •
   and his right hand upon the rivers.
26  ‘He shall call to me, “You are my Father, •
   my God, and the rock of my salvation;”

[or Psalm 89.1-8]

Romans 16.25-end

25 Now to God who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages ²⁶but is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the Gentiles, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— ²⁷to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory for ever! Amen.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

Luke 1.26-38

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’ ²⁹But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. ³¹And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’³⁴Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ ³⁵The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren.³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.’ ³⁸Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Eternal God, for whom we wait,

you have fed us with the bread of eternal life:

keep us ever watchful,

that we may be ready to stand before the Son of man,

Jesus Christ our Lord.

3rd Sunday of Advent
O Sapientia

Year B

O Lord Jesus Christ,

who at your first coming sent your messenger

to prepare your way before you:

grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries

may likewise so prepare and make ready your way

by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just,

that at your second coming to judge the world

we may be found an acceptable people in your sight;

for you are alive and reign with the Father

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. 

or

God for whom we watch and wait,

you sent John the Baptist to prepare the way of your Son:

give us courage to speak the truth,

to hunger for justice,

and to suffer for the cause of right,

with Jesus Christ our Lord.

Readings

Isaiah 61.1-4, 8-end

61The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
   because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
   to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
   and release to the prisoners;
² to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
   and the day of vengeance of our God;
   to comfort all who mourn;
³ to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
   to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
   the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
   the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.
⁴ They shall build up the ancient ruins,
   they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
   the devastations of many generations. 

⁸ For I the Lord love justice,
   I hate robbery and wrongdoing;
I will faithfully give them their recompense,
   and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
⁹ Their descendants shall be known among the nations,
   and their offspring among the peoples;
all who see them shall acknowledge
   that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
¹⁰ I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
   my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
   he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
   and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
   and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
   to spring up before all the nations. 

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 126

1  When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, •
   then were we like those who dream.
2  Then was our mouth filled with laughter •
   and our tongue with songs of joy.
3  Then said they among the nations, •
   ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’
4  The Lord has indeed done great things for us, •
   and therefore we rejoiced.
5  Restore again our fortunes, O Lord, •
   as the river beds of the desert.
6  Those who sow in tears •
   shall reap with songs of joy.
7  Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed, •
   will come back with shouts of joy,
      bearing their sheaves with them.

Magnificat

Magnificat (The Song of Mary)

              

1            My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,

                 my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;  •

              he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

              

2            From this day all generations will call me blessed;  •

              the Almighty has done great things for me

                 and holy is his name.

              

3            He has mercy on those who fear him,  •

              from generation to generation.

              

4            He has shown strength with his arm  •

              and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

              

5            Casting down the mighty from their thrones  •

              and lifting up the lowly.

              

6            He has filled the hungry with good things  •

              and sent the rich away empty.

              

7            He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,  •

              to remember his promise of mercy,

              

8            The promise made to our ancestors,  •

              to Abraham and his children for ever.         

              Luke 1.46-55

 

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

1 Thessalonians 5.16-24

¹⁶Rejoice always, ¹⁷pray without ceasing, ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise the words of prophets, ²¹but test everything; hold fast to what is good; ²²abstain from every form of evil.

23 May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

John 1.6-8, 19-28

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. ⁸He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light.

19 This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ ²⁰He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, ‘I am not the Messiah.’ ²¹And they asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ He said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the prophet?’ He answered, ‘No.’²²Then they said to him, ‘Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?’ ²³He said,
‘I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
“Make straight the way of the Lord” ’,
as the prophet Isaiah said.

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. ²⁵They asked him, ‘Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?’²⁶John answered them, ‘I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.’ ²⁸This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

We give you thanks, O Lord, for these heavenly gifts;

kindle in us the fire of your Spirit

that when your Christ comes again

we may shine as lights before his face;

who is alive and reigns now and for ever.

The Virgin Mary was so important her birth way plan for her mission to carry Christ. All of Lord Jesus dna come from our lady and her ancestors. Mary was born to be the mother bearer of God. This means his feast is very important to church history.

The Bible does not mention the birth and infancy of Mary, however, early Christians thought that, like John the Baptist, her birth, too, must have had something of the miraculous. This pious belief is reflected in the Protoevangelium of James, an apocryphal 2nd-century infancy gospel.^[1][2] A strong devotion to Saint Anne(and by extension to Joachim) developed in the East, and a number of churches were dedicated to them.

By the middle of the seventh century, a distinct feast day, the Conception of St. Anne (Maternity of Holy Anna) celebrating the conception of Mary by Saint Anne, was celebrated at the Monastery of Saint Sabas.^[3] The feast was subsequently entered in the liturgical calendar of the Byzantine Church. From ancient times this feast was especially venerated by pregnant women in Russia.

The feast eventually began to be observed in the West. Although the name changed to the Conception of Mary, it still focused on the miracle accorded to her parents. Herbert Thurston says that by the tenth century, the Feast of the Conception of Mary was noted in Irish liturgical calendars and listed for May 3. As it was thought that Mary was due no less honor than John the Baptist, it was believed that, like John, Mary must have been sanctified before birth. The feast was brought to Britain by Irish missionaries,^[4] and was celebrated there by the 1030s.

There developed a strong monastic cult of the Virgin Mary in England. The ecclesiastic and scholar Eadmer wrote De Conceptione sanctae Mariae, the first, and for two centuries the most valuable, Western exposition of the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception.^[5] The feast of the Conception of Mary had been celebrated at Canterbury since around 1030, and later at Canterbury and Exeter.^[6] After the Norman Conquest, with the reorganization of the Church calendar by Lanfranc, Archbishop of Canterbury, it had been suppressed. Eadmer’s advocacy of a sinless Mary was probably motivated as much by the restoration of local Anglo-Saxon devotions at Canterbury as with the wider propagation of the doctrine.

Around the same time, Osbert de Clare, prior of St Peter’s Abbey, Westminster attempted to introduce at Westminster, the Anglo-Saxon Feast of the Conception of Mary. A number of monks objected against this since it had not been sanctioned by Rome. Whereupon the matter was brought before the Council of London in 1129. The synod decided in favour of the feast, and Bishop Gilbert of London adopted it for his diocese.^[7] The feast was subsequently re-instated by Anselm, abbot of Bury St Edmunds. Other abbots soon followed. Thereafter the feast spread in England, but for a time retained its private character.^[7]

Observance

The Eastern and Western Churches focus on different aspects of the feast. The East celebrates the miracle of God taking away the barrenness of Anna’s womb, while the Western Church, emphasizes Mary’s purity from all sin from her conception.^[8]

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the faithful celebrate a liturgical feast on 9 December called the Conception (passive) of the Mother of God, which used to be more often called the Feast of the Conception (active) of Saint Anne.^[10] In the Greek Orthodox Church the feast is called “The Conception by St. Anne of the Most Holy Theotokos”.^[11]

The Eastern feast is not ranked among the Great Feasts, but as a lesser-ranking feast. Unlike the Latin Church date of 8 December for the feast, the Eastern feast is not exactly nine months before the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos (8 September), but a day later.

Mary is conceived by her parents as we are all conceived. But in her case it is a pure act of faith and love, in obedience to God’s will, as an answer to prayer. In this sense her conception is truly “immaculate.” And its fruit is woman who remains forever the most pure Virgin and Mother of God.^[12]
‘Come, let us dance in the spirit!
Let us sing worthy praises to Christ!
Let us celebrate the joy of Joachim and Anna,
The conception of the Mother of our God,
For she is the fruit of the grace of God.’

Anglican Communion

In the Church of England, the “Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary” may be observed as a Lesser Festival on 8 December. The Anglican Breviary uses the term “spotless” rather than “immaculate” to distinguish an acceptable pious belief from Catholic dogma. The situation in other constituent churches of the Anglican Communion is similar.^[18]

Many Anglo-Catholic parishes observe the feast using the traditional Roman Catholic title, the “Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary”.

Lectionary: 689

Reading 1 

Gn 3:9-15, 20

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R.(1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Reading 2 

Eph 1:3-6, 11-12

Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him. 
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.

Alleluia 

See Lk 1:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Lectionary: 689

Reading 1 

Gn 3:9-15, 20

After the man, Adam, had eaten of the tree,
the LORD God called to the man and asked him, “Where are you?”
He answered, “I heard you in the garden;
but I was afraid, because I was naked,
so I hid myself.”
Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked?
You have eaten, then,
from the tree of which I had forbidden you to eat!”
The man replied, “The woman whom you put here with me—
she gave me fruit from the tree, and so I ate it.”
The LORD God then asked the woman,
“Why did you do such a thing?”
The woman answered, “The serpent tricked me into it, so I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the serpent:
“Because you have done this, you shall be banned
from all the animals
and from all the wild creatures;
on your belly shall you crawl,
and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike at your head,
while you strike at his heel.”

The man called his wife Eve,
because she became the mother of all the living.

Responsorial Psalm 

Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3cd-4

R.(1) Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won victory for him,
his holy arm.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
The LORD has made his salvation known:
in the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness
toward the house of Israel.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation by our God.
Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands;
break into song; sing praise.
R. Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous deeds.

Reading 2 

Eph 1:3-6, 11-12

Brothers and sisters:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ
with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,
as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world,
to be holy and without blemish before him. 
In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ,
in accord with the favor of his will,
for the praise of the glory of his grace
that he granted us in the beloved.

In him we were also chosen,
destined in accord with the purpose of the One
who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,
so that we might exist for the praise of his glory,
we who first hoped in Christ.

Alleluia 

See Lk 1:28

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel 

Lk 1:26-38

The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin’s name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his Kingdom there will be no end.”
But Mary said to the angel,
“How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?”
And the angel said to her in reply,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God.”
Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”
Then the angel departed from her.

1st Sunday of Advent

Year B

Collect

Almighty God,

give us grace to cast away the works of darkness

and to put on the armour of light,

now in the time of this mortal life,

in which your Son Jesus Christ came to us in great humility;

that on the last day,

when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge the living and the dead,

we may rise to the life immortal;

through him who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

or

Almighty God,

as your kingdom dawns,

turn us from the darkness of sin to the light of holiness,

that we may be ready to meet you

in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Readings

Isaiah 64.1-9

64O that you would tear open the heavens and come down,
   so that the mountains would quake at your presence— 
² as when fire kindles brushwood
   and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
   so that the nations might tremble at your presence! 
³ When you did awesome deeds that we did not expect,
   you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence. 
⁴ From ages past no one has heard,
   no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,
   who works for those who wait for him. 
⁵ You meet those who gladly do right,
   those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
   because you hid yourself we transgressed. 
⁶ We have all become like one who is unclean,
   and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
   and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 
⁷ There is no one who calls on your name,
   or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
   and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 
⁸ Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
   we are the clay, and you are our potter;
   we are all the work of your hand. 
⁹ Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
   and do not remember iniquity for ever.
   Now consider, we are all your people.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Psalm 80.1-8, 18-20

1  Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, •
   you that led Joseph like a flock;
2  Shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim, •
   before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
3  Stir up your mighty strength •
   and come to our salvation.
4  Turn us again, O God; •
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
5  O Lord God of hosts, •
   how long will you be angry at your people’s prayer?
6  You feed them with the bread of tears; •
   you give them abundance of tears to drink.
7  You have made us the derision of our neighbours, •
   and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
8  Turn us again, O God of hosts; •
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
18  Let your hand be upon the man at your right hand, •
   the son of man you made so strong for yourself.
19  And so will we not go back from you; •
   give us life, and we shall call upon your name.
20  Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts; •
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

[or Psalm 80.1-8]

1  Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, •︎
   you that led Joseph like a flock;
2  Shine forth, you that are enthroned upon the cherubim, •︎
   before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.
3  Stir up your mighty strength •︎
   and come to our salvation.
4  Turn us again, O God; •︎
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.
5  O Lord God of hosts, •︎
   how long will you be angry at your people’s prayer?
6  You feed them with the bread of tears; •︎
   you give them abundance of tears to drink.
7  You have made us the derision of our neighbours, •︎
   and our enemies laugh us to scorn.
8  Turn us again, O God of hosts; •︎
   show the light of your countenance, and we shall be saved.

1 Corinthians 1.3-9

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 

4 I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, ⁵for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind— ⁶just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you— ⁷so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁸He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹God is faithful; by him you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

This is the word of the Lord.

AllThanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.

AllGlory to you, O Lord.

Mark 13.24-end

24 ‘But in those days, after that suffering,
the sun will be darkened,
   and the moon will not give its light, 
²⁵ and the stars will be falling from heaven,
   and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 
²⁶Then they will see “the Son of Man coming in clouds” with great power and glory. ²⁷Then he will send out the angels, and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven.

28 ‘From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. ²⁹So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that heis near, at the very gates. ³⁰Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place. ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

32 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. ³³Beware, keep alert; for you do not know when the time will come. ³⁴It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. ³⁵Therefore, keep awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, ³⁶or else he may find you asleep when he comes suddenly. ³⁷And what I say to you I say to all: Keep awake.’ 

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

AllPraise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

O Lord our God,

make us watchful and keep us faithful

as we await the coming of your Son our Lord;

that, when he shall appear,

he may not find us sleeping in sin

but active in his service

and joyful in his praise;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sunday 26th November 2023

Christ the King / Sunday next before Advent
Christ the King

Collect

Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven
that he might rule over all things as Lord and King:
keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit
and in the bond of peace,
and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

or

God the Father,
help us to hear the call of Christ the King
and to follow in his service,
whose kingdom has no end;
for he reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, one glory.

Readings

Ezekiel 34.11–16, 20–24

11 For thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out.
12 As shepherds seek out their flocks when they are among their scattered sheep, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.
13 I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries, and will bring them into their own land; and I will feed them on the mountains of Israel, by the watercourses, and in all the inhabited parts of the land.
14 I will feed them with good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel shall be their pasture; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel.
15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God.
16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice.
20 Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.
21 Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide,
22 I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.
23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.
24 And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.

This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.

Psalm 95.1–7

1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; •
let us heartily rejoice in the rock of our salvation.
2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving •
and be glad in him with psalms.
3 For the Lord is a great God •
and a great king above all gods.
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth •
and the heights of the mountains are his also.
5 The sea is his, for he made it, •
and his hands have moulded the dry land.
6 Come, let us worship and bow down •
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
7 For he is our God; •
we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.

Ephesians 1.15–end

15 I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason
16 I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers.
17 I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him,
18 so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,
19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.
20 God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.
22 And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church,
23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.

Gospel Reading

Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
All: Glory to you, O Lord.

Matthew 25.31–end

31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left.
34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,
36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.
37 Then the righteous will answer him, Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink?
38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing?
39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?
40 And the king will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.
41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels;
42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.
44 Then they also will answer, Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?
45 Then he will answer them, Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.
46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

This is the Gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, O Christ.

Post Communion

Stir up, O Lord,
the wills of your faithful people;
that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,
may by you be plenteously rewarded;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

This Post Communion may be used as the Collect at Morning and Evening Prayer during this week

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