8th December 2025 Morning Prayer

The Psalter

Psalm 33

Exultate, justi

REJOICE in the LORD, O ye righteous; * for it be-cometh well the just to be thankful.

Praise the LORD with harp; * sing praises unto him with the lute, and instrument of ten strings.

Sing unto the Lord a new song; * sing praises lustily unto him with a good courage.

For the word of the LORD is true; * and all his works are faithful.

He loveth righteousness and judgment; * the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; * and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.

He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon an heap; * and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure-house.

Let all the earth fear the LORD: * stand in awe of him, all ye that dwell in the world.

For he spake, and it was done; * he commanded, and it stood fast.

The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought, * and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect, and casteth out the counsels of princes.

The counsel of the LORD shall endure for ever, * and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.

Blessed are the people whose God is the Lord JEHOVAH; * and blessed are the folk that he hath chosen to him, to be his inheritance.

The LORD looketh down from heaven, and beholdeth all the children of men; * from the habitation of his dwelling, he considereth all them that dwell on the earth.

He fashioneth all the hearts of them, * and understandeth all their works.

There is no king that can be saved by the multitude of an host; * neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength.

A horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man; * neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength.

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, * and upon them that put their trust in his mercy;

To deliver their soul from death, * and to feed them in the time of dearth.

Our soul hath patiently tarried for the LORD; * for he is our help and our shield.

For our heart shall rejoice in him; * because we have hoped in his holy Name.

Let thy merciful kindness, O LORD, be upon us, * like as we do put our trust in thee.

The First Lesson

Isa8:5-8

The Lord spake also unto me again, saying,

Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son;

Now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria, and all his glory: and he shall come up over all his channels, and go over all his banks:

And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck; and the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel.

For the Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,

Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

Sanctify the Lord of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread.

And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.

Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

And I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

Behold, I and the children whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the Lord of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion.

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

The Second Lesson

Mark2:23-28

And it came to pass, that he went through the corn fields on the sabbath day; and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the sabbath day that which is not lawful?

And he said unto them, Have ye never read what David did, when he had need, and was an hungred, he, and they that were with him?

How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and did eat the shewbread, which is not lawful to eat but for the priests, and gave also to them which were with him?

And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.

And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.

And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.

And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.

The Second Sunday in Advent

Blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.