Thus says the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, “I dwell in the high and holy place and also with the one who has a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite.”
Isaiah 57:15
Officiant Lord, open our lips.
People And
our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia.
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.
Come, let us sing to the Lord; *
let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving *
and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.
For the Lord is a great God, *
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the caverns of the earth, *
and the heights of the hills are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it, *
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, *
and kneel before the Lord our Maker.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the
sheep of his hand. *
Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice!
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness: Come let us adore him.
I will sing of mercy and justice; *
to you, O LORD, will I sing praises.
I will strive to follow a blameless course; oh, when will you
come to me? *
I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house.
I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; *
I hate the doers of evil deeds; they shall not remain with me.
A crooked heart shall be far from me; *
I will not know evil.
Those who in secret slander their neighbors I will destroy; *
those who have a haughty look and a proud heart I cannot abide.
My eyes are upon the faithful in the
land, that they may dwell with me, *
and only those who lead a blameless life shall be my servants.
Those who act deceitfully shall not dwell in my house, *
and those who tell lies shall not continue in my sight.
I will soon destroy all the wicked in the land, *
that I may root out all evildoers from the city of the LORD.
Hold not your tongue, O God of my praise; *
for the mouth of the wicked,
the mouth of the deceitful, is opened against me.
They speak to me with a lying tongue; *
they encompass me with hateful words and fight against me without a cause.
Despite my love, they accuse me; *
but as for me, I pray for them.
They repay evil for good, *
and hatred for my love.
[Set a wicked man against him, *
and let an accuser stand at his right hand.
When he is judged, let him be found guilty, *
and let his appeal be in vain.
Let his days be few, *
and let another take his office.
Let his children be fatherless, *
and his wife become a widow.
Let his children be waifs and beggars; *
let them be driven from the ruins of their homes.
Let the creditor seize everything he has; *
let strangers plunder his gains.
Let there be no one to show him kindness, *
and none to pity his fatherless children.
Let his descendants be destroyed, *
and his name be blotted out in the next generation.
Let the wickedness of his fathers be remembered before the LORD,
*
and his mother’s sin not be blotted out;
Let their sin be always before the LORD; *
but let him root out their names from the earth;
Because he did not remember to show mercy, *
but persecuted the poor and needy and sought to kill the brokenhearted.
He loved cursing, let it come upon him; *
he took no delight in blessing, let it depart from him.
He put on cursing like a garment, *
let it soak into his body like water and into his bones like oil;
Let it be to him like the cloak which he wraps around himself, *
and like the belt that he wears continually.
Let this be the recompense from the LORD to my accusers, *
and to those who speak evil against me.]
But you, O Lord my God, oh, deal with me according to your Name;
*
for your tender mercy’s sake, deliver me.
For I am poor and needy, *
and my heart is wounded within me.
I have faded away like a shadow when it lengthens; *
I am shaken off like a locust.
My knees are weak through fasting, *
and my flesh is wasted and gaunt.
I have become a reproach to them; *
they see and shake their heads.
Help me, O LORD my God; *
save me for your mercy’s sake.
Let them know that this is your hand, *
that you, O LORD, have done it.
They may curse, but you will bless; *
let those who rise up against me be put to shame, and your
servant will rejoice.
Let my accusers be clothed with disgrace *
and wrap themselves in their shame as in a cloak.
I will give great thanks to the LORD with my mouth; *
in the midst of the multitude will I praise him;
Because he stands at the right hand of the needy, *
to save his life from those who would condemn him.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Hosea.
whoredom. Wine and new wine take away the understanding.
My people consult a piece of wood, and their divining rod gives them oracles. For a spirit of whoredom has led them astray, and they have played the whore, forsaking their God. They sacrifice on the tops of the mountains, and make offerings upon the hills, under oak, poplar, and terebinth, because their shade is good. Therefore your daughters play the whore, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they play the whore, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery; for the men themselves go aside with whores, and sacrifice with temple prostitutes; thus a people without understanding comes to ruin. Though you play the whore, O Israel, do not let Judah become guilty. Do not enter into Gilgal, or go up to Beth-aven, and do not swear, “As the LORD lives.” Like a stubborn heifer, Israel is stubborn; can the LORD now feed them like a lamb in a broad pasture? Ephraim is joined to idols— let him alone. When their drinking is ended, they indulge in sexual orgies; they love lewdness more than their glory. A wind has wrapped them in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their altars.
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Arise, shine, for your light has come, *
and the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you.
For behold, darkness covers the land; *
deep gloom enshrouds the peoples.
But over you the Lord will rise, *
and his glory will appear upon you.
Nations will stream to your light, *
and kings to the brightness of your dawning.
Your gates will always be open; *
by day or night they will never be shut.
They will call you, The City of the Lord, *
The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
Violence will no more be heard in your
land, *
ruin or destruction within your borders.
You will call your walls, Salvation, *
and all your portals, Praise.
The sun will no more be your light by
day; *
by night you will not need the brightness of the moon.
The Lord will be your everlasting light, *
and your God will be your glory.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
A Reading from the Gospel According to Luke.
After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth; and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up, left everything, and followed him. Then Levi gave a great banquet for him in his house; and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. The Pharisees and their scribes were complaining to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus answered, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick; I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.” Then they said to him, “John’s disciples, like the disciples of the Pharisees, frequently fast and pray, but your disciples eat and drink. Jesus said to them, “You cannot make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them, can you? The days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and sews it on an old garment; otherwise the new will be torn, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the new wine will burst the skins and will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new wine, but says, The old is good.’”
The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of
old, that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
*
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power
of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius
Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was
buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose
again.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right
hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge
the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
Officiant The Lord be with you.
People And
also with you.
Officiant Let us pray.
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,
for ever and ever. Amen.
V. Show us your mercy, O Lord;
R. And
grant us your salvation.
V. Clothe your ministers
with righteousness;
R. Let
your people sing with joy.
V. Give peace, O Lord, in
all the world;
R. For
only in you can we live in safety.
V. Lord, keep this nation
under your care;
R. And
guide us in the way of justice and truth.
V. Let your way be known
upon earth;
R. Your
saving health among all nations.
V. Let not the needy, O
Lord, be forgotten;
R. Nor
the hope of the poor be taken away.
V. Create in us clean
hearts, O God;
R. And
sustain us with your Holy Spirit.
O God, you declare your almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
O God, who gave us the holy Scriptures as alight to shine upon our path: Grant us, after the example of your servant Jerome, so to learn of you according to your holy Word, that we may find the Light that shines more and more to the perfect day; even Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever. Amen.
Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
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.
Let us pray for our own needs and those of others.
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 our selves 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.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:20,21