The Second Sunday in Advent
INTROIT. Ps 80:1-7 Ant. HEAR, O thou Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; / show thyself also, thou that sittest upon the cherubim. 2 Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, / stir up thy strength, and come and help us. 3 Turn us again, O God; / show the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole. 4 O Lord God of hosts, / how long wilt thou be angry with thy people that prayeth? 5 Thou hast fed them with the bread of tears, / and hast given them plenteousness of tears to drink. 6 Thou makest us a very strife unto our neighbours, / and our enemies laugh us to scorn. 7 Turn us again, O God of hosts; / show the light of thy countenance, and we shall be whole. Glory be. Repeat Antiphon.
THE COLLECT. BLESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning; Grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
First Lesson: Jeremiah 33:14-16
[14] “Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will fulfil the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
[15] In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring forth for David; and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
[16] In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: `The LORD is our righteousness.’
Psalm 25:1-14 A Psalm of David.
[1] To thee, O LORD, I lift up my soul.
[2] O my God, in thee I trust, let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.
[3] Yea, let none that wait for thee be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.
[4] Make me to know thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.
[5] Lead me in thy truth, and teach me, for thou art the God of my salvation; for thee I wait all the day long.
[6] Be mindful of thy mercy, O LORD, and of thy steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
[7] Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions; according to thy steadfast love remember me, for thy goodness’ sake, O LORD!
[8] Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
[9] He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
[10] All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
[11] For thy name’s sake, O LORD, pardon my guilt, for it is great.
[12] Who is the man that fears the LORD? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose.
[13] He himself shall abide in prosperity, and his children shall possess the land.
[14] The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.
GRADUAL. Ps 50:1-6 THE Lord, even the most mighty God, hath spoken, / and called the world, from the rising up of the sun unto the going down thereof. 2 Out of Sion, the perfection of beauty, / God hath shined forth. 3 Our God cometh, and keepeth not silence; / there goeth before him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest is stirred up round about him. 4 He calleth to the heavens from above, / and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 5 ‘Gather my saints together unto me: / those that have made a covenant with me with sacrifice.’ Alleluia, All. And the heavens declare his righteousness; / for God is judge himself. All.
The Epistle. Rom. xv. 4. WHATSOEVER things were written afore time were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God. Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers : and that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; In him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
The Gospel. St. Luke xxi. 25. AND, there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Be hold the fig tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So like wise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.