FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
INTROIT. Ad te levavi. Ps. 25
UNTO thee, O Lord, will I lift up my soul: my God, I have put my trust in thee, O let me not be confounded: neither let mine enemies triumph over me: for all they that hope in thee shall not be ashamed. Ps. ibid. Shew me thy ways, O Lord: and teach me thy paths. V. Glory be.
COLLECT.
ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy 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 quick and the dead; we may rise to the life immortal. Through the same Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. AMEN.
First Lesson: Isaiah 62:10-12
[10] Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples. [11] Behold, the LORD has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, “Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” [12] And they shall be called The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD; and you shall be called Sought out, a city not forsaken.
Psalm 97
[1] The LORD reigns; let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
[2] Clouds and thick darkness are round about him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
[3] Fire goes before him, and burns up his adversaries round about.
[4] His lightnings lighten the world; the earth sees and trembles.
[5] The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
[6] The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
[7] All worshipers of images are put to shame, who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.
[8] Zion hears and is glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoice, because of thy judgments, O God.
[9] For thou, O LORD, art most high over all the earth; thou art exalted far above all gods.
[10] The LORD loves those who hate evil; he preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
[11] Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
[12] Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
EPISTLE. Romans 13:8-14
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. 11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
GRADUAL. Ps. 25
For all they that look for thee shall not be ashamed, O Lord. V. Make known to me thy ways, O Lord: and teach me thy paths Alleluia, alleluia. V. Ps. 85 Shew us thy mercy, O Lord: and grant us thy salvation. Alleluia.
GOSPEL. St. Matthew 21:1-13
1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,
2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strowed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. 10 And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? 11 And the multitude said, This is Jesus the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. 12 And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 13 And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
OFFERTORY. Ps. 25
Unto thee, O Lord, will I lift up my soul: my God, I have put my trust in thee, O let me not be confounded: neither let mine enemies triumph over me: for all they that hope in thee shall not be ashamed.