The Sunday after
Christmas-Day.
Cantate
Domino.
Psalm
xcviii
O SING unto the Lord a new song : for he hath done
marvellous things.
With his own right hand, and with his
holy arm : hath he gotten himself the victory.
The Lord declared his salvation : his
righteousness hath he openly showed in the sight of the heathen.
He hath remembered his mercy and truth
toward the house of Israel : and all the ends of the world have seen the
salvation of our God.
Show yourselves joyful unto the Lord,
all ye lands : sing, rejoice, and give thanks.
Praise the Lord upon the harp : sing to
the harp with a psalm of thanksgiving.
With trumpets also and shawms : O shew
yourselves joyful before the Lord the King.
Let the sea make a noise, and all that
therein is : the round world, and that dwell therein.
Let the floods clap their hands, and
let the hills be joyful together before the Lord : for he cometh to judge the
earth.
With righteousness shall he judge the
world : and the peoples with equity.
Glory be to the Father, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who
hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this
time to be born of a pure Virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy
children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit;
through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the same Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.
Almighty and
everlasting God: direct our actions according to Thy good pleasure; that in the
name of Thy beloved Son we may be made to abound in good works; through
Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord; who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy
Ghost: ever one God, world without end. Amen (The
Brotherhood Prayer Book).
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah
9.2-7
Psalter: Morning-2, 8; Evening-89
Epistle Reading: Galatians 4.1-7
Gospel Reading: St. Matthew
1.18-25
St. Irenaeus: “On this account,
therefore, the Lord Himself, who is Emmanuel from the Virgin, is the sign of
our salvation, since it was the Lord Himself who saved them, because they could
not be saved by their own instrumentality; and, therefore, when Paul sets forth
human infirmity, he says: “For I know that there dwelleth in my flesh no good
thing,” showing that the “good thing” of our salvation is not from us, but from
God. And again: “Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of
this death?” Then he introduces the Deliverer, [saying,] “The grace of Jesus
Christ our Lord.” And Isaiah declares this also, [when he says:] “Be ye
strengthened, ye hands that hang down, and ye feeble knees; be ye encouraged,
ye feeble-minded; be comforted, fear not: behold, our God has given judgment
with retribution, and shall recompense: He will come Himself, and will save
us.” Here we see, that not by ourselves, but by the help of God, we must be
saved” (“Against Heretics,” III.20.3).
The Circumcision
of Christ.
Psalm 122
Laetatus sum
I WAS glad when they said unto me : We
will go into the house of the Lord.
2. Our feet shall stand in thy gates :
O Jerusalem.
3. Jerusalem is built as a city : that
is at unity in itself.
4. For thither the tribes go up, even
the tribes of the Lord : to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the Name
of the Lord.
5. For there is the seat of judgement :
even the seat of the house of David.
6. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem :
they shall prosper that love thee.
7. Peace be within thy walls : and
plenteousness within thy palaces.
8. For my brethren and companions’
sakes : I will wish thee prosperity.
9. Yea, because of the house of the
Lord our God : I will seek to do thee good.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, who
madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the law for man;
Grant us the true Circumcision of the Spirit; that, our hearts, and all our
members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all
things obey thy blessed will; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Epistle Reading: Philippians 2.9-13
Gospel Reading: St. Luke 2.15-21
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For The New Year:
"Almighty and Everlasting God, from whom cometh down every good and
perfect gift; we give thee thanks for all thy benefits, temporal and spiritual,
bestowed upon us in the year past, and we beseech thee of thy goodness, grant
us a favorable and joyful year, defend us from all dangers and adversities, and
send upon us the fullness of thy blessing; through Jesus Christ, thy Son our
Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, ever One God,
world without end. Amen" ("The Book of Worship: Approved by the
General Synod of the Evangelical Reformed Church," 1947, p. 120).
