As Written in the 1928 Book of Common Prayer
Today is Wednesday, December 11, 2024
The liturgical color of the day is PURPLE
The Psalter
The Psalter (First Set of Propers)
Psalm 90
The Ninetieth Psalm
Domine, refugium.
LORD, thou hast been our refuge, * from one generation to another.
Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, * thou art God from everlasting, and world without end.
Thou turnest man to destruction; * again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men.
For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, * and as a watch in the night.
As soon as thou scatterest them they are even as a sleep; * and fade away suddenly like the grass.
In the morning it is green, and groweth up; * but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and withered.
For we consume away in thy displeasure, * and are afraid at thy wrathful indignation.
Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee; * and our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
For when thou art angry all our days are gone: * we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is told.
The days of our age are threescore years and ten; and though men be so strong that they come to fourscore years, * yet is their strength then but labour and sorrow; so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.
But who regardeth the power of thy wrath? * or feareth aright thy indignation?
So teach us to number our days, * that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Turn thee again, O LORD, at the last, * and be gracious unto thy servants.
O satisfy us with thy mercy, and that soon: * so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
Comfort us again now after the time that thou hast plagued us; * and for the years wherein we have suffered adversity.
Show thy servants thy work, * and their children thy glory.
And the glorious majesty of the LORD our God be upon us: * prosper thou the work of our hands upon us; O prosper thou our handy-work.
The Psalter (Second Set of Propers)
Psalm 103
The One Hundred Third Psalm
Benedic, anima mea.
PRAISE the LORD, O my soul; * and all that is within me, praise his holy Name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul, * and forget not all his benefits:
Who forgiveth all thy sin, * and healeth all thine infirmities;
Who saveth thy life from destruction, * and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness;
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, * making thee young and lusty as an eagle.
The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment * for all them that are oppressed with wrong.
He showed his ways unto Moses, * his works unto the children of Israel.
The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, * long-suffering, and of great goodness.
He will not alway be chiding; * neither keepeth he his anger for ever.
He hath not dealt with us after our sins; * nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.
For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth; * so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.
Look how wide also the east is from the west; * so far hath he set our sins from us.
Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children; * even so is the LORD merciful unto them that fear him.
For he knoweth whereof we are made; * he remembereth that we are but dust.
The days of man are but as grass; * for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.
For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone; * and the place thereof shall know it no more.
But the merciful goodness of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him; * and his righteousness upon children's children;
Even upon such as keep his covenant, * and think upon his commandments to do them.
The LORD hath prepared his seat in heaven, * and his kingdom ruleth over all.
O praise the LORD, ye angels of his, ye that excel in strength; * ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his word.
O praise the LORD, all ye his hosts; * ye servants of his that do his pleasure.
O speak good of the LORD, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion: * praise thou the LORD, O my soul.
The First Lesson (First Set of Propers)
Ecclesiastes 11:9 - 12:8, 13-14
Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes: but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh: for childhood and youth are vanity. Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
The First Lesson (Second Set of Propers)
Isaiah 25:1-9
O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth. For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built. Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low. And in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined. And he will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it. And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
The Second Lesson (First Set of Propers)
Hebrews 13:1-21
Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein. We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle. For the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp. Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly. But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner. Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The Second Lesson (Second Set of Propers)
St. John 5:17-29
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man. Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
The Collect
Sunday Next before Advent
STIR up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.