The Vigil of Whitsunday

The Vigil of Whitsunday

The Church is dark except for the Paschal Candle.

The Vigil of Whitsunday should not begin until after nautical twilight and should be finished before sunrise on Whitsun Day.

The Lamp Lighting

From the Paschal Candle shall be lit the other candles in the sanctuary. If candles have been distributed to members of the congregation, they are lighted from the Paschal Candle at this time.  Other candles and lamps in the church, except for those at the Altar, may also be lighted, but the principal of light amid darkness should be respected. While the Lamps are lit shall be be sung the following hymn or some other translation of it.

O Glading Light of the Holy Glory of the Immortal Father, Heavenly, Holy, Blessed Jesus Christ! Now that we have come to the setting of the sun and behold the vesper light, we sing thy praises God Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Meet it is for Thee at all times to be hymned with undefiled voices, O Son of God, Giver of life. Therefore the whole creation doth glorify Thee!

Or this

Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
and lighten with celestial fire.
Thou the anointing Spirit art,
who dost thy sevenfold gifts impart.

Thy blessed unction from above
is comfort, life, and fire of love.
Enable with perpetual light
the dullness of our blinded sight.

Anoint and cheer our soiled face
with the abundance of thy grace.
Keep far from foes, give peace at home:
where thou art guide, no ill can come.

Teach us to know the Father, Son,
and thee, of both, to be but One,
that through the ages all along,
this may be our endless song:

Praise to thy eternal merit,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

 

The Lessons

At least two of the following Lessons are read, of which one is always the Lesson from Exodus.  After each Lesson, the Psalm or Canticle listed, or some other suitable psalm, canticle, or hymn may be sung.  A period of silence may be kept; and the Collect provided, or some other suitable Collect, may be said.

The First Lesson Gen 22:1-18

And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off. And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together. And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son. And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh: as it is said to this day, In the mount of the Lord it shall be seen. And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time, And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.

Then shall be sung or said with the appointed Anitphon.

Psalm 16  Conserva me, Domine

Antiphon: Thou will show me * the path of life, Alleluia.

    PRESERVE me, O God; * for in thee have I put my trust.
    2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, * Thou art my God; I have no good like unto thee.
    3 All my delight is upon the saints that are in the earth, * and upon such as excel in virtue.
    4 But they that run after another god * shall have great trouble.
    5 Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, * neither make mention of their names within my lips.
    6 The LORD himself is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup; * thou shalt maintain my lot.
    7 The lot is fallen unto me in a fair ground; * yea, I have a goodly heritage.
    8 I will thank the LORD for giving me warning; * my reins also chasten me in the night season.

    9 I have set the LORD alway before me; * for he is on my right hand, therefore I shall not fall.
    10 Wherefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth¹: * my flesh also shall rest in hope.
    11 For why? Thou shalt not leave my soul in hell; * neither shalt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.
    12 Thou shalt show me the path of life: in thy presence is the fullness of joy, * and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore.

The Prayer

God, who by the works of thy servant Abraham hast given examples of obedience unto mankind, grant to us both to break down the depravity of our wills, and to 

fulfil thy righteous precepts in all things.Through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost one God, world without end.  Amen.

The Second Reading Deut 31:22-30

 Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel. And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying, Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee. For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death? Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them. For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands. And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended.

Then shall be sung with the appointed antiphon.

Psalm 46 Deus noster refugium

Antiphon: There is a river whose streams make glad * the city of God, Alleluia!

    GOD is our hope and strength, * a very present help in trouble.
    2 Therefore will we not fear, though the earth be moved, * and though the hills be carried into the midst of the sea;
    3 Though the waters thereof rage and swell, * and though the mountains shake at the tempest of the same.

    4 There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God; * the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most Highest.
    5 God is in the midst of her, therefore shall she not be removed; * God shall help her, and that right early.

6 The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are moved; * but God hath showed his voice, and the earth shall melt away.
    7 The Lord of hosts is with us; * the God of Jacob is our refuge.
    8 O come hither, and behold the works of the Lord, * what destruction he hath brought upon the earth.
    9 He maketh wars to cease in all the world; * he breaketh the bow, and knappeth the spear in sunder, and burneth the chariots in the fire.

    10 Be still then, and know that I am God: * I will be exalted among the nations¹, and I will be exalted in the earth.
    11 The Lord of hosts is with us; * the God of Jacob is our refuge.

The Prayer

O God, who art the glory of the faithful, and the life of the just, who by thy servant Moses hast instructed us also in the measure of sacred song ; grant the gift of thy mercy to all nations, by bestowing happiness and remov- ing terror far away ; that warnings of punishment may become the instruments of eternal happiness.; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with the and the Holy Ghost one God, world without end. Amen.

The Third Reading Isa 4

And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. And the Lord will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the day time from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

Then shall be sung or said the following Psalm with the appointed antiphon.

Psalm 122. Lætatus sum.

    Antiphon: O pray for the peace of Jerusalem; * they shall prosper that love thee. Alleluia!

    I WAS glad when they said unto me, * We will go into the house of the LORD.
    2 Our feet shall stand in thy gates, * O Jerusalem.
    3 Jerusalem is built as a city * that is at unity in itself.
    4 For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the LORD, * to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name of the LORD.
    5 For there is the seat of judgment, * even the seat of the house of David.
    6 O pray for the peace of Jerusalem; * they shall prosper that love thee.
    7 Peace be within thy walls, * and plenteousness within thy palaces.
    8 For my brethren and companions' sakes, * I will wish thee prosperity.
    9 Yea, because of the house of the LORD our God, * I will seek to do thee good.

The Prayer

O God, who instructedst us in the pages of both testaments for the celebration of the present festival, give us such a sense of thy mercies, that from our experience of present gifts our hope of future gifts may be confirmed; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost one God, world without end. Amen.

The Fourth Reading Baruch 3:9-37

Hear, Israel, the commandments of life: give ear to understand wisdom. How happeneth it Israel, that thou art in thine enemies' land, that thou art waxen old in a strange country, that thou art defiled with the dead, That thou art counted with them that go down into the grave? Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom. For if thou hadst walked in the way of God, thou shouldest have dwelled in peace for ever. Learn where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding; that thou mayest know also where is length of days, and life, where is the light of the eyes, and peace. Who hath found out her place? or who hath come into her treasures ? Where are the princes of the heathen become, and such as ruled the beasts upon the earth; They that had their pastime with the fowls of the air, and they that hoarded up silver and gold, wherein men trust, and made no end of their getting? For they that wrought in silver, and were so careful, and whose works are unsearchable, They are vanished and gone down to the grave, and others are come up in their steads. Young men have seen light, and dwelt upon the earth: but the way of knowledge have they not known, Nor understood the paths thereof, nor laid hold of it: their children were far off from that way. It hath not been heard of in Chanaan, neither hath it been seen in Theman. The Agarenes that seek wisdom upon earth, the merchants of Meran and of Theman, the authors of fables, and searchers out of understanding; none of these have known the way of wisdom, or remember her paths. O Israel, how great is the house of God! and how large is the place of his possession! Great, and hath none end; high, and unmeasurable. There were the giants famous from the beginning, that were of so great stature, and so expert in war. Those did not the Lord choose, neither gave he the way of knowledge unto them: But they were destroyed, because they had no wisdom, and perished through their own foolishness. Who hath gone up into heaven, and taken her, and brought her down from the clouds? Who hath gone over the sea, and found her, and will bring her for pure gold? No man knoweth her way, nor thinketh of her path. But he that knoweth all things knoweth her, and hath found her out with his understanding: he that prepared the earth for evermore hath filled it with fourfooted beasts: He that sendeth forth light, and it goeth, calleth it again, and it obeyeth him with fear. The stars shined in their watches, and rejoiced: when he calleth them, they say, Here we be; and so with cheerfulness they shewed light unto him that made them. This is our God, and there shall none other be accounted of in comparison of him He hath found out all the way of knowledge, and hath given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved. Afterward did he shew himself upon earth, and conversed with men.

Psalm 42:1-7. Quemadmodum.

Antiphon: LIKE as the hart desireth the water-brooks, * so longeth my soul after thee, O God., Alleluia!

    LIKE as the hart desireth the water-brooks, * so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
    2 My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God: * when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
    3 My tears have been my meat day and night, * while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
    4 Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself; * for I went with the multitude, and brought them forth into the house of God;
    5 In the voice of praise and thanksgiving, * among such as keep holy-day.
    6 Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul? * and why art thou so disquieted within me?

    7 O put thy trust in God; * for I will yet thank him, which is the help of my countenance, and my God.

The Prayer

O God, who by the mouth of thy prophets hast taught us to forsake the things of this world, and to press towards things eternal ; grant unto thy servants that by thy heavenly inspiration we may be able to fulfil that which we know thee to have commanded; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost one God, world without end. Amen.

The Fifth Reading Exo 14:10-15:1

And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore. And Israel saw that great work which the Lord did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses. Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying,

Then shall be sung or said the following Canticle with appointed antiphon

The Canticle of Moses Exo 15:1-18

Antiphon: I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: and he is become my salvation. Alleluia!

I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.

² The Lord is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

³ The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.

⁴ Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.

⁵ The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.

⁶ Thy right hand, O Lord, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O Lord, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

⁷ And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

⁸ And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

⁹ The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.

¹⁰ Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹ Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

¹² Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.

¹³ Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.

¹⁴ The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.

¹⁵ Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

¹⁶ Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O Lord, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.

¹⁷ Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O Lord, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord, which thy hands have established.

¹⁸ The Lord shall reign for ever and ever.

The Prayer

O God, who cumpased the destruction Pharaoh and his host, send thy Holy Spirit into our hearts to direct us according to your will, lest our hearts be hardened like those of the Egyptians and we suffer a like fate; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the same Spirit one God, world without end.      Amen.

The Sixth Reading Ezek 37:1-14

The hand of the Lord was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord God, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus saith the Lord God unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord God; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Then he said unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel: behold, they say, Our bones are dried, and our hope is lost: we are cut off for our parts. Therefore prophesy and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves, O my people, and brought you up out of your graves, And shall put my spirit in you, and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land: then shall ye know that I the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith the Lord.

Then shall be sung or said the following Psalm with the appointed antiphon.

Psalm 143. Domine, exaudi.

Antiphon: O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning; for in thee is my trust: * show thou me the way that I should walk in; for I lift up my soul unto thee. Alleluia!

    HEAR my prayer, O LORD, and consider my desire; * hearken unto me for thy truth and righteousness' sake.
    2 And enter not into judgment with thy servant; * for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.
    3 For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground; * he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.
    4 Therefore is my spirit vexed within me, * and my heart within me is desolate.
    5 Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all thy works; * yea, I exercise myself in the works of thy hands.
    6 I stretch forth my hands unto thee; * my soul gaspeth unto thee as a thirsty land.
    7 Hear me, O LORD, and that soon; for my spirit waxeth faint: * hide not thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.
    8 O let me hear thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning; for in thee is my trust: * show thou me the way that I should walk in; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
    9 Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies; * for I flee unto thee to hide me.
    10 Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee; for thou art my God: * let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.
    11 Quicken me, O LORD, for thy Name's sake; * and for thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.
    12 And of thy goodness slay mine enemies, * and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am thy servant.

The Prayer

Almight God, who didst buy thy Holy Ghost animate the bones of the slain, send us that same spirit into us, that animated by thy life giving power we may glorify Thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the same Spirit one God, world without end.  Amen.

The Blessing of the Font

After the last reading or after the sermon, the clergy shall process to the baptismal font. Then the celebrant shall say. The Blessing of the Font as at the Easter Vigil.

At Holy Communion

Then the Celibrant says,

Alleluia.! Christ is risen!

People            The Lord is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

Then shall be sung or said the Gloria in excelsis, Te Deum Laudamus or Pascha Nostrum. The Celebrant then says.

The Lord be with you.

People          And with thy spirit.

Celebrant     Let us pray.

Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that we who celebrate the feast of the gift of the Holy Spirit, being kindled with heavenly desires, may thirst for the fountain 

of life, our Lord Jesus Christ, thy Son; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

Almighty everlasting God, who hast willed the Paschal sacrament to be contained in the mystery of fifty days, grant, we beseech thee, that the nations scattered abroad by the confusion of tongues may by thy heavenly gift be gathered together into one confession of thy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

The Epistle  Acts 19:1-8

And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve. And he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.

Then shall be sung the Alleluia!

The Gospel  John 14:15-21

If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

If a sermon or homily was not preached earlier, it follows here. The Nicene Creed is not used at this service. The celebration continues with the Prayer for the Church Militant.