The Introits, Collects, etc. 4th Week in Advent

The Fourth Sunday in Advent

1st Evensong

The Psalms Appointed

93 & 94

The Antiphon for the Magnificat is the Great O Antiphon Appointed for this day

Matins

The Psalms Appointed

98 & 99

The Readings

Isa. 52:1–10 & Matt. 25:1–13

Antiphon for the Benedictus

Every valley shall be filled, and every hill and mountain shall be made low: * and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Holy Communion

The Introit Psalm 5. Verba mea auribus.

PONDER my words, O LORD, * consider my meditation.
    2 O hearken thou unto the voice of my calling, my King and my God: * for unto thee will I make my prayer.
    3 My voice shalt thou hear betimes, O LORD; * early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
    4 For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickedness; * neither shall any evil dwell with thee.
    5 Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight; * for thou hatest all them that work iniquity.
    6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies¹: * the LORD will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, in the multitude of thy mercy I will come into thine house; * and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.
    8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies; * make thy way plain before my face.
    9 For there is no faithfulness in their mouth²; * their inward parts are very wickedness.
    10 Their throat is an open sepulchre; * they flatter with their tongue.
    11 Destroy thou them, O God; let them perish through their own imaginations; * cast them out in the multitude of their ungodliness; for they have rebelled against thee.
    12 And let all them that put their trust in thee rejoice: * they shall ever be giving of thanks, because thou defendest them; they that love thy Name shall be joyful in thee;
    13 For thou, LORD, wilt give thy blessing unto the righteous, * and with thy favourable kindness wilt thou defend him as with a shield.

The Collect.

OLORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and 'deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord*, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world with out end. Amen. 

The Epistle. Phil. iv. 4.

REJOICE in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice. Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all under standing, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 

The Gradual Ps 145:18-21  

THE Lord is righteous in all his ways, * and holy in all his works.
19 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, * yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
20 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him: * and he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
21 The Lord preserveth all them that love him; * but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.

The Alleluia Ps 145:22

Alleluia! Alleluia! My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: * and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.  Alleluia!

The Gospel. St. John i. 19.

THIS is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us, What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; he it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

2^nd Evensong

The Psalms Appointed

101 & 103

The Readings

I Kgs. 17:1–16 & Matt. 3:1–12

The Antiphon for the Magnificat is the Great O Antiphon Appointed for this day

Fourth Wednesday in Advent

Holy Communion

The Lesson Joel 2:23,24; 3:17-21.

Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.

So shall ye know that I am the Lord your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim. Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land. But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation. For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the Lord dwelleth in Zion.

The Gospel Luke 7:17-28

And this rumour of him went forth throughout all Judaea, and throughout all the region round about. And the disciples of John shewed him of all these things. And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another? And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight. Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. And when the messengers of John were departed, he began to speak unto the people concerning 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 which are gorgeously apparelled, and live delicately, are in kings' courts. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet. This is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.

Fourth Friday in Advent

Holy Communion

The Lesson  Zech 2:10-13

Thus saith the Lord, Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, lo, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of thee, saith the Lord. And many nations shall be joined to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people: and I will dwell in the midst of thee, and thou shalt know that the Lord of hosts hath sent me unto thee. And the Lord shall inherit Judah his portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again. Be silent, O all flesh, before the Lord: for he is raised up out of his holy habitation, saith the Lord Almighty.

The Gospel  Mark viii. 10-13

At that time, Jesus said unto his disciples, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.