Evening Prayer

For the pattern of prayer, click on the above title for a link to the Order for Evening Prayer from the Prayer Book Society's web site. Then you'll see where the readings linked below go.


Psalms: 147, 148, 149, 150

First lesson: Ezekiel 1 : 15-end

Second lesson: John 14

Collect of the Day:

O God, who by thy Holy spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Jerome, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Morning Prayer

For the pattern of prayer, click on the above title for a link to the Order for Morning Prayer from the Prayer Book Society's web site. Then you'll see where the readings linked below go.


Psalms: 144, 145, 146

First lesson: Ezekiel 1 : 1-14

Second lesson: Colossians 1 : 21-Colossians 2 :-7

Collect of the Day:

O God, who by thy Holy spirit hast given unto one man a word of wisdom, and to another a word of knowledge, and to another the gift of tongues: We praise thy Name for the gifts of grace manifested in thy servant Jerome, and we pray that thy Church may never be destitute of the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Evening Prayer

For the pattern of Evening Prayer, click on the above title for a link to the Order for Evening Prayer from the Prayer Book Society's web site. Then you'll see where the readings linked below go within the liturgy.


Psalms: 91

First lesson: Daniel 10 : 4-end

Second lesson: Revelation 5

Collect of the Day:

O Everlasting God, who has ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven, so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saint Michael and all Angels

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Holy Communion readings


The Lesson: Revelation 12: 7-11

7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,
8 And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.
9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.
10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

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The Gospel: Matthew 18 :1-10

1 At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
2 And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!
8 Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
9 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
10 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.

Morning Prayer

For the pattern of prayer, click on the above title for a link to the Order for Morning Prayer from the Prayer Book Society's web site. Then you'll see where the readings linked below go.


Psalms: 34

First lesson: II Kings 6 : 8-17

Second lesson: Acts 12 : 1-11

Collect of the Day:

O Everlasting God, who has ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven, so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Evening Prayer

Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

PSALMS 89


Then the FIRST LESSON as appointed.

FIRST LESSON: Daniel 12: 1-4


And after that shall be sung or said Magnificat (or the Song of the Blessed Virgin Mary).

MAGNIFICAT. St. Luke 1:46
MY soul doth magnify the Lord, / and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded / the lowliness of his handmaiden.

For behold, from henceforth / all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me; / and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him / throughout all generations.

He hath showed strength with his arm; / he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat, / and hath exalted the humble and the meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things; / and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy / hath holpen his servant Israel;

As he promised to our forefathers, / Abraham and his seed for ever.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or Cantate Domino, Psalm 98, page 455.

Then THE SECOND LESSON as appointed.

THE SECOND LESSON Revelation 5


And after that shall be sung or said Nunc Dimittis (or the Son of Simeon).

NUNC DIMITTIS. St. Luke 2:29.
LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, / according to thy word.

For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, / which thou has prepared before the face of all people;

To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, / and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or else Deus Misereatur, Psalm 67, page 409.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in heaven, so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Collect, for Peace.

O GOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or a Hymn.

Here may be said the prayers found at this point in Morning Prayer or selections from the Prayers and Thanksgivings or such other prayers as are contained in this Book or set forth by lawful authority, always ending with the Prayer of St. Chrysostom and the Grace.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

A Sermon may be preached here and the offerings of the people received and presented at the Lord's Table. Or the Sermon may be preached immediately after the Hymn or Anthem following the Third Collect. The Minister shall then proceed to the intercessions and thanksgivings, ending with the Prayer of St. Chrysostom and the Grace.


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Welcome

Good morning and welcome to The Daily Offices

Below, you'll find the whole pattern for Morning Prayer from the Book of Common Prayer, Canada, 1962. If you click on the title for the post below, you'll be taken to the Prayer Book Society's web site. Usually I just post the prayer book link, and hyperlinks to the Psalms, the first and second lessons and the special prayer or collect of the day.

Because I hope some newcomers from the Inscribe Christian Fellowship's Writers' Conference will stop by, I've includedn the hyperlinks for the days Psalms and lessons where they would go within the daily prayers or canticles of Morning Prayer.

Please leave a comment to let me know you stopped by. If you want to avoid the whole sign up onto Blogger in order to leave a comment, you can indicate to the "comments program" that you wish to leave an anonymous comment.

I hope you find these readings and prayers a blessing.

Morning Prayer

The Order for
Morning Prayer
Daily throughout the Year


Minister. O Lord, open thou our lips;

People. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Minister. O God, make speed to save us;

People. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say:

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and the the Holy Ghost;

People. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Minister. Praise ye the Lord;

People. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following; except on days for which Proper Anthems are provided. On the nineteenth day of the month, this Psalm shall be omitted in the ordinary course of the Psalms.

At the discretion of the Minister the last four verses may be omitted.

Invitatories may be said or sung before this Psalm and after the Gloria Patri which follows it, as provided on page 25.

Venite Exultemus Domino. Psalm 95
O COME, let us sing unto the LORD: / let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, / and show ourselves glad in him with psalms.


For the LORD is a great God, / and a great King above all gods.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: / and the strength of the hills is his also.

The seas is his, and he made it: / and his hands prepared the dry land.

O COME, let us worship, and fall down, / and kneel before the LORD our Maker.

For he is the Lord our God; / and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

TO-DAY, O that ye would hear his voice: / 'Harden not your hearts as in the Provocation, and as in the day of Temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me, / proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with that generation, and said, / "It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways";

Unto whom I sware in my wrath, / that they should not enter into my rest.'

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Then shall follow THE PSALMS.

Psalms 132, 133, 134, 135

Then shall be read THE FIRST LESSON as appointed and before each Lesson the Minster shall say, The First [or Second] Lesson is written in such a book, in such a chapter, beginning at such a verse.

THE FIRST LESSON Jeremiah 42
And after the Lesson he shall say, Here endeth the First [or Second] Lesson.

After the First Lesson shall be sung or said the Hymn Te Deum Laudamus. But the Canticle Benedicte, Omnia Opera, page 26, is suitable of use in Advent, in Lent, on Ember Days (except those in Whitsun Week), on Rogation Days, and when the third chapter of Daniel is read as the First Lesson.

At the discretion of the Minister, the third section of Te Deum may be omitted.

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS.
WE praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud, the Heavens and all the Powers therin.

To thee Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry,

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of hosts;

Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee;

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee;

The noble army of Martyrs praise thee;

The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,

The Father, of an infinite Majesty;

Thine honourable, true, and only Son;

Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

THOU art the King of Glory, O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.

When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.

When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.

We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.

We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with thy Saints, in glory everlasting.

O LORD, save thy people, and bless thine heritage;

Govern them, and lift them up for ever.

Day by day we magnify thee;

And we worship thy Name, ever world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.

O Lord, in thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded.

Then shall be read in like manner, THE SECOND LESSON as appointed; and after that the following Canticle, except when it forms part of the Gospel or Second Lesson appointed for the day.

THE SECOND LESSON Philippians 4


Benedictus. St Luke 1:68
BLESSED be the Lord God of Israel; / for he hath visited and redeemed his people;

And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us, / in the house of his servant David;

As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, / which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies, / and from the hands of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, / and to remember his holy covenant;

To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, / that he would grant us

That we being delivered our of the hands of our enemies / might serve him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before him, / all the days of our life.

AND thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: / for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;

To give knowledge of salvation unto his people / for the remission of their sins;

Through the tender mercy of our God; / whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;

To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, / and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, / and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, / world without end. Amen.

Or instead Jubilate Deo, the 100th Psalm, page 457.

Then shall be said or sung the Confession of the Faith, called the Apostles' Creed.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:

And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholic Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

And after the Creed these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling, the Minister first pronouncing:

The Lord be with you;

People. And with thy spirit.

Minister. Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Then the Priest standing up shall say:

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

People. And grant us thy salvation.

Priest. O Lord, save the Queen;

People. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Priest. Endue thy Ministers with righteousness;

People. And make thy chosen people joyful.

Priest. O Lord, save thy people;

People. And bless thine inheritance.

Priest. Give peace in our time, O Lord;

People. And evermore mightily defend us.

Priest. O God, make clean our hearts within us;

People. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Then shall follow THE COLLECT OF THE DAY , together with any other Collects appointed to be said, and these two prayers in order.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Almighty God, by whose grace and power thy Martyr Prince Wenceslas was enabled to witness to the truth and to be faithful unto death: Grant that we, who now remember him before thee, may likewise so bear witness unto thee in this world, that we may receive with him the crown of glory that fadeth not away; through Jesus Christ out Lord, swho with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.


The Second Collect, for Peace.


O GOD, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom: Defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Third Collect, for Grace.

O LORD our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day: Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Here may follow an Anthem or an Hymn.

Then shall be read on of the Prayers for the Queen, and the Prayer for the Clergy and People.

A Prayer for the Queen's Majesty.


O LORD our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all dwellers upon earth: Most heartily be beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH; and so replenish her with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way: Endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies, and finally after this life she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or

A Prayer for the Queen and the Commonwealth.

ALMIGHTY GOD, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, the Parliaments of the Commonwealth, and all who are set in authority under her; that they may order all things in wisdom, righteousness, and peace, to the honour of thy holy Name, and the good of thy Church and people; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or

A Prayer for the Queen and all in Authority.

O LORD God Almighty, who rulest the nations of the earth, we humbly beseech thee with thy favour to behold our Sovereign Lady, Queen ELIZABETH, that in all things she may be led by thy guidance and protected by thy power. We pray thee also to bless [*........] and all the Royal Family. Endue with wisdom the Governor-General of this Dominion, the Lieutanant-Governors of the Provinces, the Legislators of the Commonwealth and Empire, and all who are set in authority; that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

* Here shall be named, as determined by authority from time to time, the several members of the Royal Family.

Or there may be said the prayer For the Queen, For the Royal Family, or For the Commonwealth: Prayers and Thanksgivings, 21, 22, 23, pages 48 and 49.

A Prayer for the Clergy and People.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift: Send down upon our Bishops and Clergy, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of they blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then may be read any of the Occasional Prayers or Thanksgivings, or any prayers sactioned by the Ordinary, always ending with the Prayer of St. Chrysostom and the Grace; and before any of the prayers may be said Let us pray for ---, and before any of the thanksgivings, Let us give thanks for ---.

A Prayer for all Conditions of men.

* This to be said when any desire the Prayers of the Congregation.

O GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men; that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate; [* especially those for whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them, according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue our of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A General Thanksgiving, to be said by the Minister alone, or by the Minister and people together.

* This to be said when any that have been prayed for desire to return thanks.

ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks For all thy goodness and loving-kindness To us and to all men; [* particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; But above all for thine inestimable love In the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; For the means of grace, And for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mercies, That our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, And that we show forth thy praise, Not only with our lips, but in our lives; By giving up ourselves to thy service, And by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

2 Corinthians 13:14.

THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

A Sermon may be preached here and the offerings of the people received and presented at the Lord's Table. Or the Sermon may be preached immediately after the Hymn or Anthem following the Third Collect. The Minister shall then proceed to the intercessions and thanksgivings, ending with the Prayer of St. Chrysostom and the Grace.


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Away for a few days

Greetings. I will be away for a few days.

Here are the readings through next Monday. This is from the Ordo our dean puts together every month. C stands for the Collect in the Book of Common Prayer, M= Morning, HC = Holy Communion, E: =Evening. OH = office hymn.


22nd: Feria or Votive Colour: Green
M: Jer. 32:36-end; Phil. 1:1-11; OH 814 or 815; C 240
HC: IG 74; C 240; E&G 241; Common Preface
E: Jer. 33:1-13; OH 820; John 10:1-21; C 240

23rd: Adamnan, Abbot Colour: White
M: Jer. 33:14-end; Phil. 1:12-end; OH 217; C 304
HC: IG 111; C 304; E&G 323; Gl.; Pref. of Saints
E: Jer. 34:8-end; OH 846; John 10:22-end; C 304

24th: Feria or Votive Colour: Green
M: Jer. 37; Phil. 2:1-11; OH 814 or 815; C 240
HC: IG 74; C 240; E&G 241; Common Preface
E: Jer. 38:1-13; OH 821; John 11:1-44; C 240

25th: Lancelot Andrewes, Bp. & Sch. • 1st Eve of Trinity XVI Colour: White
M: Jer. 38:14-end; Phil. 2:12-end; OH 553; C 317
HC: IG 119; C 317; E&G 323; Gl.; Pref. of Saints
E: Jer. 39; OH 821; John 11:45-end; C 242

SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY Colour: Green
M: Ps. 90; Ezek. 18:1-4, 19-end; Luke 9:46-end; OH 12; C 242
HC: IG 75; C 242; E&G 242; Gl., Cr.; Common Preface
E: Ps. 91; Neh. 2; OH 821; 1 Cor. 13; C 242

27th: Feria or Votive Colour: Green
M: Jer. 40; Phil. 3; OH 814 or 815; C 242
HC: IG 75; C 242; E&G 242; Common Preface
E: Jer. 41; OH 821; John 12:1-19; C 242

28th: Wenceslas, Prince & Mtr. Colour: Red
M: Jer. 42; Phil. 4; OH 845; C 310
HC: IG 115; C 310; E&G 311; Gl.; Pref. of Saints
1st E’sg St. Michael and All Angels
E: Ps. 89 Pt 1; Dan. 12:1-4; OH 842; Rev. 8:1-6; C 294

Morning Prayer

Psalms: 107

First lesson: Jeremiah 32 : 36-end

Second lesson: Philippians 1 : 1-11

Collect of the Day:

Keep, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy; and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Evening Prayer

Psalms: 37 : 23-end

First lesson: I Chronicles 29 : 9-18

Second lesson: Matthew 6 : 19-end

Collect of the Day:

O Almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an Apostle and Evangelist: Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

St. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist

Today is a "Red-letter" day, a holy day in the liturgical year, honoring St. Matthew


The Epistle for today: II Corinthians 4: 1-6

The Gospel for today: Matthew 9: 9-13

Morning Prayer

Psalms: 50, 51, 52


First lesson: II Kings 18 : 13-end

Second lesson: Ephesians 1 : 15-end

Collect of the Day:

O God, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the earth, and didst send thy blessed Son Jesus Christ to preach peace to them that are afar off and to them that are nigh: Grant that all peoples of the world may feel after thee and find thee; and hasten, O Lord, the fulfilment of thy promise to pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Morning Prayer

Psalms: 35, 36

First lesson: Isaiah 7 : 1-17

Second lesson: Galatians 5 : 2-end

Collect of the Day:

Almighty and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service: Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On the Death of John the Baptist

[Father Peter Jardine's Sermon on Sunday, August 29, 2004)

Today we commemorate the death of Saint John the Baptist. John was beheaded, which is an emphatically terminal condition, leaving no room for doubt about the end result. Matthew 14, 1-12 describes the events around this death in all the detail we need.

But that passage from Matthew is not what we used in our Gospel reading today; we read verses 57-80 from Luke Ch.1. Asking myself why, I compared the two passages and a very obvious fact quickly emerged.

The description of John’s death speaks volumes about the sorry state of mortal man. It reveals the bitterness, the anger and dark ruthlessness of Herod the Tetrarch’s wife Herodias. It speaks of her thirst for vengeance against John for condemning her union with Herod.

It exposes the immorality and selfishness of Herod, who seduced and took for himself Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. John, in his blunt way, rightly told Herod, …it is not lawful for thee to have her.

It speaks of a royal princess abasing herself through the performance of suggestive dances and conniving in the evil wishes of her mother.

All of these things mark lives separated from God, as Herod, Herodias and Salome undoubtedly were.

John the Baptist lived exactly the opposite kind of life. A life filled with God; a life of total submission to God’s will; a life lived to glorify God. His whole existence had as its purpose pointing people to Jesus Christ. Isaiah foretold of John, saying, The voice of him crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a high-way for our God.

So, benefiting once again from the wisdom underlying our Prayer Book lectionary, we commemorate the death of St. John the Baptist by celebrating his life. The death of John the Baptist did indeed glorify God, but it is in John’s life that we find our God, shining through in the obedient, lifelong submission of His faithful, chosen, servant.

Indeed, St. Luke makes it clear that God was in John’s life from a very, very early stage. In Luke 1.39, we read, And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah; and entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth. And it came to pass that when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and she spake with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

God is amazing! Elisabeth and Zacharias, Luke tells us, were well stricken in years. By any normal yardstick she should not have been carrying a child at all. Yet here she was, six months pregnant with a son whose life was to be of great significance in God’s plan. Standing before her is a much younger relative, newly pregnant and about whose pregnancy Elisabeth could have known nothing.

But, on Mary’s visit, Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, who revealed these things to her. More importantly, and even more remarkably, the baby in Elisabeth’s womb was filled with the Holy Spirit, as the Angel Gabriel had declared to Zacharias he would be. Luke 1.15, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from the womb.

From one womb to another, and in Mary who was in her first month of pregnancy, the Holy Spirit revealed to the baby John, his Lord.

I wonder what a difference it would make if the women who enter abortion clinics, the men who encourage them to go there and the people who earn their tainted living in them, pondered deeply the visit of Mary to Elisabeth.

Elisabeth’s full time came that she should be delivered; and she brought forth a son. There was great rejoicing, in the course of which the friends and relations who gathered began calling the baby Zacharias, after the custom of the people.

Hold the phone, Elisabeth said, he is to be called John, which was the name God had chosen for this baby. Gabriel had informed Zacharias of this name during his visit to the fearful old priest, …thy prayer is heard; the angel said, and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

Zacharias, we are told, was doubtful about all this. But God has the technology to deal with the silly doubts of men, and Zacharias was struck dumb, until, said Gabriel, the day that these things shall be performed.

Unaware of this and In some consternation, the friends and relations turned to the man of the house. And he asked for a writing table and wrote, saying, His name is John. And his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spake and praised God.

Old Zacharias then gave voice to that most exquisite song of praise, which he must have written on his heart during his nine months of enforced silence. We know it now, of course, as the Benedictus, said every day during Morning Prayer.

The Benedictus brings all our focus back to God. Zacharias, Elisabeth, their child, John, are not about themselves; they are about God. It is God’s purpose in their lives; God’s presence in their lives that we must seek.

Then Luke, in verse 80, abruptly drops John off the radar screen for over two decades, though even his dismissal is God centered, And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit; and was in the desert until the day of his shewing unto Israel. Interestingly, Luke uses the exact same turn of phrase when speaking of the young Jesus in the next chapter. In 2.40, we read, And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit.

This repetition suggests that St. Luke held John the Baptist in very high regard, so high that is also important to note that nowhere does Luke, or any of the other Gospel writers, give us even the slightest of grounds for attributing any element of Divinity to John. And, of course, no such element existed.

So, like so many of God’s chosen, John went off into the desert.

He was separated by God, for God. It is tempting to pity such austerity, but that is wrong. It is much more a matter for rejoicing. His life was devoid of the noise and clutter which so distracts us from our Father, drowning out the quiet voice of Holy Spirit and turning us from our Saviour, God the Son. The noise and clutter which is now so cacophonous that it so easily separates us from God rather than to God.

But there in the desert, something very different happened to John. There, in the austere silence of the desert, he was filled with the Holy Spirit. There, he was set on fire for God. Jesus himself described John this way, He was a burning and a shining light. John 5.35.

The day of his shewing unto Israel came and it was a man consumed by and burning with the fire of God who was revealed.

That fire in his soul gave rise to the utter conviction from which his forthrightness was born. Luke 3.7, Then said John to the multitude that came to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore, fruits worthy of repentance.

What a magnificent, fiery preacher this strange man must have been! And how gloriously his life proclaims total submission to God.

Multitudes came to see him, to hear him, to be baptized by him, day after day. In their adulation, many thought he must be the Christ but through all of it, John never lost sight of who he really was, nor of the task that God had given him. He never lost the Grace of humility, so he could say to those who pressed him, I am not the Christ, but I am sent before him. Later he says, He must increase, but I must decrease. Oh that God would grant us such humility and such wisdom!

But John was not like other men. He was exalted by God, and the words of his father, Zacharias, remain eternally true, And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways.

Now let us give the last word on John to the Lord for whom he lived and died. To Jesus Christ, for whom John leaped for joy in his mother’s womb. To Jesus, whom John proclaimed to the world on Jordan’s banks, with the words, Behold the lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

Jesus said, of John, What went ye out into the wilderness for to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.
But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.
For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist;.

Peter Jardine
The Beheading of John the Baptist, August 29th, 2004

Morning Prayer

Psalms: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

First lesson: II Kings 7: 3-end

Second lesson: II Corinthians 12: 14-II Corinthians 13:-end

Collect of the Day:

O Almighty God, who willest to be glorified in thy Saints, and didst raise up thy servant Giles to shine as a light in the world: Shine, we pray thee, in our hearts, that we also in our generation mya show forth thy praises, who has called us out of darkness into thy marvellous light; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.