Advent
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5
Saint and Major Saints' Days
We give thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:12
Confession of Sin Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen
The Lessons
The Lessons
Psalm 119
(1) Blessed are the undefiled in the way, Who walk in the law of the LORD! (2) Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! (3) They also do no iniquity; They walk in His ways. (4) You have commanded us To keep Your precepts diligently.
(5) Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! (6) Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments. (7) I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. (8) I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
(9) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. (10) With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! (12) Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
(13) With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. (14) I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. (15) I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. (16) I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
(17) Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. (18) Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. (19) I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. (20) My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.
(21) You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. (22) Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies. (23) Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. (24) Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
(5) Oh, that my ways were directed To keep Your statutes! (6) Then I would not be ashamed, When I look into all Your commandments. (7) I will praise You with uprightness of heart, When I learn Your righteous judgments. (8) I will keep Your statutes; Oh, do not forsake me utterly!
(9) How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. (10) With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! (11) Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You! (12) Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes!
(13) With my lips I have declared All the judgments of Your mouth. (14) I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies, As much as in all riches. (15) I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. (16) I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
(17) Deal bountifully with Your servant, That I may live and keep Your word. (18) Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. (19) I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. (20) My soul breaks with longing For Your judgments at all times.
(21) You rebuke the proud -- the cursed, Who stray from Your commandments. (22) Remove from me reproach and contempt, For I have kept Your testimonies. (23) Princes also sit and speak against me, But Your servant meditates on Your statutes. (24) Your testimonies also are my delight And my counselors.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Isaiah 2
(1) The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (2) Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. (3) Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. (4) He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
(5) O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD. (6) For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. (7) Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. (8) Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made.
(9) People bow down, And each man humbles himself; Therefore do not forgive them. (10) Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. (11) The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(5) O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD. (6) For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. (7) Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. (8) Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made.
(9) People bow down, And each man humbles himself; Therefore do not forgive them. (10) Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. (11) The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
1 Thessalonians 2
(13) For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. (14) For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, (15) who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, (16) forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.
(17) But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. (18) Therefore we wanted to come to you -- even I, Paul, time and again -- but Satan hindered us. (19) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? (20) For you are our glory and joy.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
(17) But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. (18) Therefore we wanted to come to you -- even I, Paul, time and again -- but Satan hindered us. (19) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? (20) For you are our glory and joy.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Luke 20
(19) And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people -- for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. (20) So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. (21) Then they asked Him, saying, 'Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: (22) Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'
(23) But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 'Why do you test Me? (24) Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?' They answered and said, 'Caesar's.' (25) And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' (26) But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
(23) But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 'Why do you test Me? (24) Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?' They answered and said, 'Caesar's.' (25) And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' (26) But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
The Lord's Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.
Seasonal Collect: 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
forever. Amen.Personal Prayers and Reflection
Closing Prayers
The General Thanksgiving
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.
Conclude with following
Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for the honor of your Name. Amen.This concludes the Daily Prayer
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord