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“God’s fatherly compassion.” Psalm 103:1-12 (antiphon: v. 13)

13 

As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

103 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and all that is within me,
    bless his holy name!

2 

Bless the Lord, O my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits,

3 

who forgives all your iniquity,
    who heals all your diseases,

4 

who redeems your life from the pit,
    who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 

who satisfies you with good
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 

The Lord works righteousness
    and justice for all who are oppressed.

7 

He made known his ways to Moses,
    his acts to the people of Israel.

8 

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 

He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.

10 

He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 

as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;

as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

13 

As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

O God, our refuge and strength, the author of all godliness, hear the devout prayers of Your Church, especially in times of persecution, and grant that what we ask in faith we may obtain; through Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“God is faithful. Do not fear.” Isaiah 51:9–16

9 

Awake, awake, put on strength,
    O arm of the Lord;
awake, as in days of old,
    the generations of long ago.
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
    who pierced the dragon?

10 

Was it not you who dried up the sea,
    the waters of the great deep,
who made the depths of the sea a way
    for the redeemed to pass over?

11 

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return
    and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
    they shall obtain gladness and joy,
    and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

12 

“I, I am he who comforts you;
    who are you that you are afraid of man who dies,
    of the son of man who is made like grass,

13 

and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
    who stretched out the heavens
    and laid the foundations of the earth,
and you fear continually all the day
    because of the wrath of the oppressor,
when he sets himself to destroy?
    And where is the wrath of the oppressor?

14 

He who is bowed down shall speedily be released;
    he shall not die and go down to the pit,
    neither shall his bread be lacking.

15 

I am the Lord your God,
    who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
    the Lord of hosts is his name.

16 

And I have put my words in your mouth
    and covered you in the shadow of my hand,
establishing the heavens
    and laying the foundations of the earth,
    and saying to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”

COLLECT OF THE DAY

Almighty and ever-living God, You have given exceedingly great and precious promises to those who trust in You. Dispel from us the works of darkness and grant us to live in the light of Your Son, Jesus Christ, that our faith may never be found wanting; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“Don’t be foolish.” Matthew 25:1-13

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

LORD God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“And I look for the resurrection of the dead…” 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

The Coming of the Lord

13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

LORD God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“Make haste, O God, to deliver me.” Psalm 70 (antiphon: v. 4)

O Lord, Do Not Delay

4 

May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”

70 

Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!

2 

Let them be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!

3 

Let them turn back because of their shame
    who say, “Aha, Aha!”

4 

May all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”

5 

But I am poor and needy;
    hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

4 

May all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
say evermore, “God is great!”

COLLECT OF THE DAY

LORD God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“Let justice roll down like waters.” Amos 5:18-24

Let Justice Roll Down

18 

Woe to you who desire the day of the Lord!
    Why would you have the day of the Lord?
It is darkness, and not light,

19 

    as if a man fled from a lion,
    and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
    and a serpent bit him.

20 

Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
    and gloom with no brightness in it?

21 

“I hate, I despise your feasts,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.

22 

Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
    I will not look upon them.

23 

Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to the melody of your harps I will not listen.

24 

But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

LORD God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“Money is temporary.” Matthew 22:15–22

Paying Taxes to Caesar

15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances. 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

LORD God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“Where is your citizenship?” Philippians 3:17–21

17 Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us. 18 For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

LORD God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

“Hate evil.” Proverbs 8:11–22

11 

for wisdom is better than jewels,
    and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

12 

“I, wisdom, dwell with prudence,
    and I find knowledge and discretion.

13 

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
    and perverted speech I hate.

14 

I have counsel and sound wisdom;
    I have insight; I have strength.

15 

By me kings reign,
    and rulers decree what is just;

16 

by me princes rule,
    and nobles, all who govern justly.

17 

I love those who love me,
    and those who seek me diligently find me.

18 

Riches and honor are with me,
    enduring wealth and righteousness.

19 

My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
    and my yield than choice silver.

20 

I walk in the way of righteousness,
    in the paths of justice,

21 

granting an inheritance to those who love me,
    and filling their treasuries.

22 

“The Lord possessed me at the beginning of his work,
    the first of his acts of old.

COLLECT OF THE DAY

LORD God, heavenly Father, send forth Your Son to lead home His bride, the Church, that with all the company of the redeemed we may finally enter into His eternal wedding feast; through the same Jesus Christ, our LORD, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen