Part 31 (1/2)
THE COLLECT.
Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may of thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
FOR THE EPISTLE. Jer. xxiii. 5.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgement and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS. Therefore behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that they shall no more say, The Lord liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, The Lord liveth, which brought up, and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north-country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land.
THE GOSPEL. St John vi. 5.
When Jesus then lift up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat? (And this he said to prove him; for he himself knew what he would do.) Philip answered him, Two hundred penny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley-loaves, and two small fishes; but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much gra.s.s in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes, as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley-loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that Prophet that should come into the world.
_If there be any more Sundays before Advent Sunday, the Service of some of those Sundays that were omitted after the Epiphany shall be taken in to supply so many as are here wanting. And if there be fewer, the overplus may be omitted: Provided that this last Collect, Epistle, and Gospel shall always be used upon the Sunday next before Advent_.
| THE SEPTEMBER EMBER DAYS | | _The second Ember Collect in the Book of Common Prayer may be_ | _used with the Collect of the day_.
| | FOR THE EPISTLE. Acts xx. 28.
| | Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over | the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the | church of G.o.d, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I | know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in | among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall | men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after | them. Therefore watch, and remember, that by the s.p.a.ce of three | years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. And | now, brethren, I commend you to G.o.d, and to the word of his grace, | which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance | among all them which are sanctified. I have coveted no man's | silver, or gold, or apparel. Yea, ye yourselves know, that these | hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were | with me. I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye | ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord | Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
| | THE GOSPEL. St John x. 1.
| | Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the | door into the sheep-fold, but climbeth up some other way, the | same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door | is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the | sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and | leadeth them out. And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he | goeth before them, and the sheep follow him; for they know his | voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from | him; for they know not the voice of strangers. This parable spake | Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were | which he spake unto them. Then said Jesus unto them again, | Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.
| All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the | sheep did not hear them. I am the door: by me if any man enter | in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.
| The thief cometh not but for to steal, and to kill, and to | destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they | might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd: the good | shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an | hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, | seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth; and | the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling | fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the | sheep. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known | of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: | and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, | which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they | shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one | shepherd.
| | _Or_ St John xxi. 15.
| | Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou | me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest | that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith | to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou | me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love | thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the | third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was | grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou | me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou | knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
| Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou | girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when | thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and | another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest | not. This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify | G.o.d. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
| Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved | following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, | Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee? Peter seeing him saith | to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, | If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?
| Follow thou me.
SAINT ANDREW'S DAY
_November_ 30.
THE COLLECT.
Almighty G.o.d, who didst give such grace unto thy holy Apostle Saint Andrew, that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him without delay: Grant unto us all, that we, being called by thy holy word, may forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfil thy holy commandments; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
THE EPISTLE. Rom. x. 9.
If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that G.o.d hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him, of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of G.o.d. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you. But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
THE GOSPEL. St Matth. iv. 18.
Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, (for they were fishers;) and he saith unto them, Follow me; and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a s.h.i.+p with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the s.h.i.+p and their father, and followed him.
SAINT THOMAS THE APOSTLE _December_ 21.
THE COLLECT.
Almighty and ever-living G.o.d, who for the more confirmation of the faith didst suffer thy holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtful in thy Son's resurrection: Grant us so perfectly, and without all doubt, to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ, that our faith in thy sight may never be reproved. Hear us, O Lord, through the same Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for evermore. _Amen_.