Daily Readings: February 23, 2024

Friday after the First Sunday in Lent

Morning	Evening
Psalm 40 Psalm 54	Psalm 51
Gen. 40:1-23 1 Cor. 3:16-23 Mark 2:13-22

The Collect of the Day

First Sunday in Lent

Almighty God, whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit to be tempted by Satan: Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations; and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us, let each one find you mighty to save; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, 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.

Polycarp of Smyrna

O God, the maker of heaven and earth, yougave your venerable servant, the holy and gentle Polycarp, the boldness to confess Jesus Christ as King and Savior and the steadfastness to die for his faith: Give us grace, following his example, to share the cup of Christ and to rise to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

Almighty and everlasting God, you hate nothing you have made and forgive the sins of all who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of you, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and 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

¹Some time after this, the cupbearer of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. ²Pharaoh was angry with his two officers, the chief cupbearer and the chief baker, ³and he put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. ⁴The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he waited on them; and they continued for some time in custody. ⁵One night they both dreamed—the cupbearer and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison—each his own dream, and each dream with its own meaning. ⁶When Joseph came to them in the morning, he saw that they were troubled. ⁷So he asked Pharaoh’s officers, who were with him in custody in his master’s house, “Why are your faces downcast today?” ⁸They said to him, “We have had dreams, and there is no one to interpret them.” And Joseph said to them, “Do not interpretations belong to God? Please tell them to me.” ⁹So the chief cupbearer told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, “In my dream there was a vine before me, ¹⁰and on the vine there were three branches. As soon as it budded, its blossoms came out and the clusters ripened into grapes. ¹¹Pharaoh’s cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup, and placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand.” ¹²Then Joseph said to him, “This is its interpretation: the three branches are three days; ¹³within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and restore you to your office; and you shall place Pharaoh’s cup in his hand, just as you used to do when you were his cupbearer. ¹⁴But remember me when it is well with you; please do me the kindness to make mention of me to Pharaoh, and so get me out of this place. ¹⁵For in fact I was stolen out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also I have done nothing that they should have put me into the dungeon.” ¹⁶When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was favorable, he said to Joseph, “I also had a dream: there were three cake baskets on my head, ¹⁷and in the uppermost basket there were all sorts of baked food for Pharaoh, but the birds were eating it out of the basket on my head.” ¹⁸And Joseph answered, “This is its interpretation: the three baskets are three days; ¹⁹within three days Pharaoh will lift up your head—from you! —and hang you on a pole; and the birds will eat the flesh from you.” ²⁰On the third day, which was Pharaoh’s birthday, he made a feast for all his servants, and lifted up the head of the chief cupbearer and the head of the chief baker among his servants. ²¹He restored the chief cupbearer to his cupbearing, and he placed the cup in Pharaoh’s hand; ²²but the chief baker he hanged, just as Joseph had interpreted to them. ²³Yet the chief cupbearer did not remember Joseph, but forgot him.