Daily Readings: November 18, 2023

Saturday after the Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Hilda, Abbess of Whitby, 680

Morning	Evening
Psalm 87 Psalm 90	Psalm 136
1 Macc. 2:1-28 Rev. 20:1-6 Mark 16:21-28

The Collect of the Day

Proper 27

The Sunday closest to November 9

O God, whose blessed Son came into the world that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves as he is pure; that, when he comes again with power and great glory, we may be made like him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Hilda of Whitby

O God of peace, by whose grace the abbess Hilda was endowed with gifts of justice, prudence, and strength to rule as a wise mother over the nuns and monks of her household: Raise up these gifts in us, that we, following her example and prayers, may build up one another in love to the benefit of your church; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Psalms

87

Fundamenta ejusBCP p. 711

¹On the holy mountain stands the city he has founded; *the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

²Glorious things are spoken of you, *O city of our God.

³I count Egypt and Babylon among those who know me; *behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia: in Zion were they born.

⁴Of Zion it shall be said, “Everyone was born in her, *and the Most High himself shall sustain her.”

⁵The Lord will record as he enrolls the peoples, *“These also were born there.”

⁶The singers and the dancers will say, *“All my fresh springs are in you.”

90

Domine, refugiumBCP p. 717

¹Lord, you have been our refuge *from one generation to another.

²Before the mountains were brought forth, or the land and the earth were born, *from age to age you are God.

³You turn us back to the dust and say, *“Go back, O child of earth.”

⁴For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is past *and like a watch in the night.

⁵You sweep us away like a dream; *we fade away suddenly like the grass.

⁶In the morning it is green and flourishes; *in the evening it is dried up and withered.

⁷For we consume away in your displeasure; *we are afraid because of your wrathful indignation.

⁸Our iniquities you have set before you, *and our secret sins in the light of your countenance.

⁹When you are angry, all our days are gone; *we bring our years to an end like a sigh.

¹⁰The span of our life is seventy years, perhaps in strength even eighty; *yet the sum of them is but labor and sorrow, for they pass away quickly and we are gone.

¹¹Who regards the power of your wrath? *who rightly fears your indignation?

¹²So teach us to number our days *that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.

¹³Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *be gracious to your servants.

¹⁴Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.

¹⁵Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *and the years in which we suffered adversity.

¹⁶Show your servants your works *and your splendor to their children.

¹⁷May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *prosper the work of our hands; prosper our handiwork.

Daily Office Readings

¹In those days Mattathias son of John son of Simeon, a priest of the family of Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modein. ²He had five sons, John surnamed Gaddi, ³Simon called Thassi, ⁴Judas called Maccabeus, ⁵Eleazar called Avaran, and Jonathan called Apphus. ⁶He saw the blasphemies being committed in Judah and Jerusalem, ⁷and said, ‘Alas! Why was I born to see this, the ruin of my people, the ruin of the holy city, and to live there when it was given over to the enemy, the sanctuary given over to aliens? ⁸ Her temple has become like a person without honour; ⁹ her glorious vessels have been carried into exile. Her infants have been killed in her streets, her youths by the sword of the foe. ¹⁰ What nation has not inherited her palaces and has not seized her spoils? ¹¹ All her adornment has been taken away; no longer free, she has become a slave. ¹² And see, our holy place, our beauty, and our glory have been laid waste; the Gentiles have profaned them. ¹³ Why should we live any longer?’ ¹⁴Then Mattathias and his sons tore their clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned greatly. ¹⁵The king’s officers who were enforcing the apostasy came to the town of Modein to make them offer sacrifice. ¹⁶Many from Israel came to them; and Mattathias and his sons were assembled. ¹⁷Then the king’s officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: ‘You are a leader, honoured and great in this town, and supported by sons and brothers. ¹⁸Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the people of Judah and those that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the Friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honoured with silver and gold and many gifts.’ ¹⁹But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: ‘Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to obey his commandments, everyone of them abandoning the religion of their ancestors, ²⁰I and my sons and my brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors. ²¹Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. ²²We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.’ ²³When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein, according to the king’s command. ²⁴When Mattathias saw it, he burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him on the altar. ²⁵At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. ²⁶Thus he burned with zeal for the law, just as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu. ²⁷Then Mattathias cried out in the town with a loud voice, saying: ‘Let everyone who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!’ ²⁸Then he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the town.