(Readings, Prayers and Responses are below for those who were unable to attend services today; may you be blessed by it) Today is the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, in which we celebrate Joy.. Rejoice: the Lord is nigh. As Christmas draws near, the Church emphasizes the joy which should be in our hearts over all that the birth of our Savior means for us. The great joy of Christians is to see the day drawing nigh when the Lord will come again in His glory to lead them into His kingdom. The oft-repeated Veni (Come) of Advent is an echo not only of the prophets but also of the conclusion of the Apocalypse of St. John: Come, Lord Jesus, the last words of the New Testament. Today is known as Gaudete Sunday. The term Gaudete refers to the first word of the Entrance Antiphon, Rejoice. Sunday, 14 December Morning Prayer The Third Sunday of Advent Opening Sentence In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Isaiah 40:3 Confession Let us confess our sins against God and our neighbor. Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we 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. Versicle and Response Lord, open our lips. 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. Our King and Savior now draws near: Come let us adore him. Jubilate Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age. Our King and Savior now draws near:Come let us adore him. The Psalms Psalm 63 1 O God, you are my God; eagerly I seek you; * my soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you, as in a barren and dry land where there is no water. 2 Therefore I have gazed upon you in your holy place, * that I might behold your power and your glory. 3 For your loving-kindness is better than life itself; * my lips shall give you praise. 4 So will I bless you as long as I live * and lift up my hands in your Name. 5 My soul is content, as with marrow and fatness, * and my mouth praises you with joyful lips, 6 When I remember you upon my bed, * and meditate on you in the night watches. 7 For you have been my helper, * and under the shadow of your wings I will rejoice. 8 My soul clings to you; * your right hand holds me fast. 9 May those who seek my life to destroy it * go down into the depths of the earth 10 Let them fall upon the edge of the sword, * and let them be food for jackals 11 But the king will rejoice in God; all those who swear by him will be glad; * for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be stopped. Psalm 98 1 Sing to the LORD a new song, * for he has done marvelous things. 2 With his right hand and his holy arm * has he won for himself the victory. 3 The LORD has made known his victory; * his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations. 4 He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, * and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 5 Shout with joy to the LORD, all you lands; * lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing. 6 Sing to the LORD with the harp, * with the harp and the voice of song. 7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn * shout with joy before the King, the LORD. 8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, * the lands and those who dwell therein. 9 Let the rivers clap their hands, * and let the hills ring out with joy before the LORD, when he comes to judge the earth. 10 In righteousness shall he judge the world * and the peoples with equity. Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. Amen. The Lessons The Old Testament Reading Isaiah 13:6-13 6 Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty! 7 Therefore all hands will be feeble, and every human heart will fail, 8and they will be dismayed. Pangs and agony will seize them; they will be in anguish like a woman in labour. They will look aghast at one another; their faces will be aflame. 9 See, the day of the Lord comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the earth a desolation, and to destroy its sinners from it. 10 For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. 11 I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will put an end to the pride of the arrogant, and lay low the insolence of tyrants. 12 I will make mortals more rare than fine gold, and humans than the gold of Ophir. 13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, and the earth will be shaken out of its place, at the wrath of the Lord of hosts on the day of his fierce anger. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Canticle 16 The Song of Zechariah Luke 1:68-79 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. New Testament Reading Hebrews 12:18-29 18You have not come to something that can be touched, a blazing fire, and darkness, and gloom, and a tempest, 19and the sound of a trumpet, and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that not another word be spoken to them. 20(For they could not endure the order that was given, If even an animal touches the mountain, it shall be stoned to death. 21Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, I tremble with fear.) 22But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. 25See that you do not refuse the one who is speaking; for if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if we reject the one who warns from heaven! 26At that time his voice shook the earth; but now he has promised, Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heaven. 27This phrase Yet once more indicates the removal of what is shakenthat is, created thingsso that what cannot be shaken may remain. 28Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; 29for indeed our God is a consuming fire. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. Canticle 21 You are God Te Deum laudamus You are God: we praise you; You are the Lord; we acclaim you; You are the eternal Father: All creation worships you. To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. The glorious company of apostles praise you. The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you; Father, of majesty unbounded, your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide. You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father. When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgins womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at Gods right hand in glory. We believe that you will come and be our judge. Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. The Reading of the Holy Gospel John 3:22-30 22After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he spent some time there with them and baptized. 23John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim because water was abundant there; and people kept coming and were being baptized 24John, of course, had not yet been thrown into prison. 25Now a discussion about purification arose between Johns disciples and a Jew. 26They came to John and said to him, Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you testified, here he is baptizing, and all are going to him. 27John answered, No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven. 28You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him. 29He who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegrooms voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled. 30He must increase, but I must decrease. The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God. The Creed The Apostles Creed 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. The Prayers The Lords Prayer Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen. Suffrages Show us your mercy, O Lord; And grant us your salvation. Clothe your ministers with righteousness; Let your people sing with joy. Give peace, O Lord, in all the world; For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care; And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit. Collect of the Day: Advent 3 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. For Mission 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. Amen. World Cycle of Prayer We pray for the people of Maldives. Ecumenical Cycle of Prayer We pray for our sisters and brothers members of the Lutheran Ministerium and Synod—USA. A Collect for Sundays O God, the King of glory, you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: Do not leave us comfortless, but send us your Holy Spirit to strengthen us, and exalt us to that place where our Savior Christ has gone before; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen. Prayers and Intercessions Let us pray now for our own needs and those of others. Birthdays Anniversaries For Recovery from Sickness For Travelers For a Person in Trouble or Bereavement For Those to be Baptized For the Departed Full list of prayers For the Church Gracious Father, we pray for your holy Church. Fill it with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of Jesus Christ your Son our Savior. Amen. For Church Musicians and Artists O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: Be ever present with your servants who seek through art and music to perfect the praises offered by your people on earth; and grant to them even now glimpses of your beauty, and make them worthy at length to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Families Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who places solitary persons in families: We commend to your continual care the homes in which your people dwell. Put far from them, we beseech you, every root of bitterness, the desire of vainglory, and the pride of life. Fill them with faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, and godliness. Knit together in constant affection those who, in marriage, have been made one flesh. Turn the hearts of the parents to the children, and the hearts of the children to the parents; and so enkindle fervent charity among us all, that we may evermore be kindly one to another; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer of Self-Dedication Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. 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 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. A Prayer of St. Chrysostom Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. The Ending Benediction 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
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 20:27:11 +0000
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