Readings

Wednesday after the Third Sunday of Advent

The Collect of the Day

Third Sunday of Advent

Stir up your power, O Lord, and with great might come among us; and, because we are sorely hindered by our sins, let your bountiful grace and mercy speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

15. For the Ministry (Ember Days)

I. For those to be ordained

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, in your divine providence you have appointed various orders in your Church: Give your grace, we humbly pray, to all who are [now] called to any office and ministry for your people; and so fill them with the truth of your doctrine and clothe them with holiness of life, that they may faithfully serve before you, to the glory of your great Name and for the benefit of your holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

15. For the Ministry (Ember Days)

II. For the choice of fit persons for the ministry

O God, you led your holy apostles to ordain ministers in every place: Grant that your Church, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may choose suitable persons for the ministry of Word and Sacrament, and may uphold them in their work for the extension of your kingdom; through him who is the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

15. For the Ministry (Ember Days)

III. For all Christians in their vocation

Almighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers, which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Sunday of Advent

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalms

119

Zayin

Memor esto verbi tuiBCP p. 767

49Remember your word to your servant, *because you have given me hope.

50This is my comfort in my trouble, *that your promise gives me life.

51The proud have derided me cruelly, *but I have not turned from your law.

52When I remember your judgments of old, *O Lord, I take great comfort.

53I am filled with a burning rage, *because of the wicked who forsake your law.

54Your statutes have been like songs to me *wherever I have lived as a stranger.

55I remember your Name in the night, O Lord, *and dwell upon your law.

56This is how it has been with me, *because I have kept your commandments.

Heth

Portio mea, Domine

57You only are my portion, O Lord; *I have promised to keep your words.

58I entreat you with all my heart, *be merciful to me according to your promise.

59I have considered my ways *and turned my feet toward your decrees.

60I hasten and do not tarry *to keep your commandments.

61Though the cords of the wicked entangle me, *I do not forget your law.

62At midnight I will rise to give you thanks, *because of your righteous judgments.

63I am a companion of all who fear you *and of those who keep your commandments.

64The earth, O Lord, is full of your love; *instruct me in your statutes.

Teth

Bonitatem fecisti

65O Lord, you have dealt graciously with your servant, *according to your word.

66Teach me discernment and knowledge, *for I have believed in your commandments.

67Before I was afflicted I went astray, *but now I keep your word.

68You are good and you bring forth good; *instruct me in your statutes.

69The proud have smeared me with lies, *but I will keep your commandments with my whole heart.

70Their heart is gross and fat, *but my delight is in your law.

71It is good for me that I have been afflicted, *that I might learn your statutes.

72The law of your mouth is dearer to me *than thousands in gold and silver.

Daily Office Readings

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2 Pet. 2:1-10a

1 But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive opinions. They will even deny the Master who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. 2 Even so, many will follow their licentious ways, and because of these teachers the way of truth will be maligned. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with deceptive words. Their condemnation, pronounced against them long ago, has not been idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 4 For if God did not spare the angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of deepest darkness to be kept until the judgment; 5 and if he did not spare the ancient world, even though he saved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood on a world of the ungodly; 6 and if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction and made them an example of what is coming to the ungodly; 7 and if he rescued Lot, a righteous man greatly distressed by the licentiousness of the lawless 8 (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by their lawless deeds that he saw and heard), 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trial, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment 10 —especially those who indulge their flesh in depraved lust, and who despise authority. Bold and willful, they are not afraid to slander the glorious ones,

Isa. 9:8-17

8 The Lord sent a word against Jacob, and it fell on Israel; 9 and all the people knew it— Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria— but in pride and arrogance of heart they said: 10 “The bricks have fallen, but we will build with dressed stones; the sycamores have been cut down, but we will put cedars in their place.” 11 So the Lord raised adversaries against them, and stirred up their enemies, 12 the Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west, and they devoured Israel with open mouth. For all this his anger has not turned away; his hand is stretched out still. 13 The people did not turn to him who struck them, or seek the Lord of hosts. 14 So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day— 15 elders and dignitaries are the head, and prophets who teach lies are the tail; 16 for those who led this people led them astray, and those who were led by them were left in confusion. 17 That is why the Lord did not have pity on their young people, or compassion on their orphans and widows; for everyone was godless and an evildoer, and every mouth spoke folly. For all this his anger has not turned away, his hand is stretched out still.

Mark 1:1-8

1 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, ‘See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,    who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:    “Prepare the way of the Lord,    make his paths straight” ’, 4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 He proclaimed, ‘The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’