Daily Readings: December 22, 2023

Friday after the Third Sunday of Advent

Ember Day

Morning	Evening
Psalm 40 Psalm 54	Psalm 51
Zech. 7:8-8:8 Rev. 5:6-14 Matt. 25:14-30

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

40

Expectans, expectaviBCP p. 640

¹I waited patiently upon the Lord; *he stooped to me and heard my cry.

²He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

³He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; *many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the Lord.

⁴Happy are they who trust in the Lord! *they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.

⁵Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God! how great your wonders and your plans for us! *there is none who can be compared with you.

⁶Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *but they are more than I can count.

⁷In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *(you have given me ears to hear you);

⁸Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *and so I said, “Behold, I come.

⁹In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *‘I love to do your will, O my God; your law is deep in my heart.’”

¹⁰I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *behold, I did not restrain my lips; and that, O Lord, you know.

¹¹Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great congregation.

¹²You are the Lord; do not withhold your compassion from me; *let your love and your faithfulness keep me safe for ever,

¹³For innumerable troubles have crowded upon me; my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see; *they are more in number than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails me.

¹⁴Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me; *O Lord, make haste to help me.

¹⁵Let them be ashamed and altogether dismayed who seek after my life to destroy it; *let them draw back and be disgraced who take pleasure in my misfortune.

¹⁶Let those who say “Aha!” and gloat over me be confounded, *because they are ashamed.

¹⁷Let all who seek you rejoice in you and be glad; *let those who love your salvation continually say, “Great is the Lord!”

¹⁸Though I am poor and afflicted, *the Lord will have regard for me.

¹⁹You are my helper and my deliverer; *do not tarry, O my God.

54

Deus, in nomineBCP p. 659

¹Save me, O God, by your Name; *in your might, defend my cause.

²Hear my prayer, O God; *give ear to the words of my mouth.

³For the arrogant have risen up against me, and the ruthless have sought my life, *those who have no regard for God.

⁴Behold, God is my helper; *it is the Lord who sustains my life.

⁵Render evil to those who spy on me; *in your faithfulness, destroy them.

⁶I will offer you a freewill sacrifice *and praise your Name, O Lord, for it is good.

⁷For you have rescued me from every trouble, *and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes.

Daily Office Readings

¹⁴“For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, ‘Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’