ADVENT 3-GAUDETE (Rose) SUNDAY
INTROIT. Gaudete. Philippians 4:4-6 REJOICE in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice: let your moderation be known unto all men: the Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing: but in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. Ps. 85:1 Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob. 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.
COLLECT. O LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee: grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, Who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit ever, one God, world without end. AMEN.
FIRST LESSON: ISAIAH 35:1-10
[1] The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus [2] it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God. [3] Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. [4] Say to those who are of a fearful heart, “Be strong, fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” [5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
[6] then shall the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [7] the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes. [8] And a highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not pass over it, and fools shall not err therein. [9] No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there. [10] And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm 146
[1] Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
[2] I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have being.
[3] Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
[4] When his breath departs he returns to his earth; on that very day his plans perish.
[5] Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God,
[6] who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
[7] who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
[8] the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
[9] The LORD watches over the sojourners, he upholds the widow and the fatherless;
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
[10] The LORD will reign for ever, thy God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!
EPISTLE. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man’s judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
GRADUAL. Ps. 80. Shew thyself, O Lord, thou that sittest upon the Cherubims, stir up thy strength and come. V. Hear, O thou Shepherd of Israel: thou that leadest Joseph like a sheep.
Alleluia, alleluia. V. Stir up thy strength, O Lord: and come and help us. Alleluia
GOSPEL. St. Matthew 11:2-10 2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
OFFERTORY. Ps. 85. Lord, thou art become gracious unto thy land: thou hast turned away the captivity of Jacob: thou hast forgiven the offence of thy people.