The Book of Common Prayer Part 34

THE COLLECT.

O almighty G.o.d, who hast knit together thine elect in one communion and fellows.h.i.+p, in the mystical body of thy Son Christ our Lord: Grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and G.o.dly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

FOR THE EPISTLE. Rev. vii. 2.

And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living G.o.d; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth, and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our G.o.d in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed; and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand, of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Mana.s.ses were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand.

Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

After this I beheld, and lo, a great mult.i.tude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our G.o.d which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders, and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and wors.h.i.+pped G.o.d, saying, Amen; Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our G.o.d for ever and ever: Amen.

THE GOSPEL. St Matth. v. 1.

Jesus, seeing the mult.i.tudes, went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him. And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see G.o.d. Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of G.o.d. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

| SAINT KENTIGERN, (_January_ 13.) | | SAINT PATRICK,(_March_ 17.) | | SAINT COLUMBA, (_June_ 9.) AND | | SAINT NINIAN (_September_ 16.) | | THE COLLECT.

| | O G.o.d, who by the preaching of thy blessed servant Saint _N_.

| didst cause the light of the Gospel to s.h.i.+ne in this our land | [_or_ in these islands]; Grant, we beseech thee, that having his | life and labours in remembrance, we may shew forth our thankfulness | unto thee for the same by following the example of his zeal and | patience; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| | THE EPISTLE. 1 Thess. ii. 2.

| | We were bold in, our G.o.d to speak unto you the gospel of G.o.d | with much contention. For our exhortation was not of deceit, nor | of uncleanness, nor in guile; but as we were allowed of G.o.d to | be put in trust with the gospel, even so we speak; not as | pleasing men, but G.o.d, which trieth our hearts. For neither | at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloke | of covetousness; G.o.d is witness: nor of men sought we glory, | neither of you, nor yet of others, when we might have been | burdensome, as the apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among | you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children: so being | affectionately desirous of you, we were willing to have imparted | unto you, not the gospel of G.o.d only, but also our own souls, | because ye were dear unto us. For ye remember, brethren, our | labour and travail: for labouring night and day, because we | would not be chargeable unto any of you, we preached unto you | the gospel of G.o.d. Ye are witnesses, and G.o.d also, how holily | and justly and unblameably we behaved ourselves among you that | believe: as ye know how we exhorted and comforted and charged | every one of you, as a father doth his children, that ye would | walk worthy of G.o.d, who hath called you unto his kingdom and | glory.

| | THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xxviii. 16.

| | Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain | where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they | wors.h.i.+pped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake | unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in | earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them | in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy | Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have | commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end | of the world. Amen.

| | SAINT MARGARET OF SCOTLAND _November_ 16.

| | THE COLLECT.

| | O G.o.d, who didst call thy servant Queen Margaret to an earthly | throne that she might advance thy heavenly kingdom, and didst | endue her with zeal for thy Church and charity towards thy | people; Mercifully grant that we who commemorate her example | may be fruitful in good works, and attain to the glorious | fellows.h.i.+p of thy Saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

| _Amen_.

| | FOR THE EPISTLE. Proverbs x.x.xi. 10.

| | Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above | rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, | so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good | and not evil all the days of her life. She seeketh wool, and | flax, and worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the | merchants s.h.i.+ps; she bringeth her food from afar. She riseth | also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, | and a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and | buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planeth a vineyard.

| She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

| She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth | not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her | hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the | poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is | not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household | are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of | tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is | known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the | land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth | girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; | and she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth | with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness. She | looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the | bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; | her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done | virtuously, but thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, | and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she | shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let | her own works praise her in the gates.

| | THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xiii. 44.

| | The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; | the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof | goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

| Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, | seeking goodly pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of | great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

| | AT THE DEDICATION FESTIVAL | | THE COLLECT.

| | Almighty G.o.d, whom year by year we praise for the dedication | of this church, and who hast preserved us in safety to wors.h.i.+p | therein; Hear, we beseech thee, the prayers of thy people, and | grant that whosoever in this place shall make his supplication | before thee, may by the granting of his pet.i.tions be filled | with joy to the glory of thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ | our Lord. _Amen_.

| | THE EPISTLE. 1 St Peter ii. 1.

| | Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, | and envies, and all evil speakings, as newborn babes, desire | the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so | be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as | unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of G.o.d, | and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual | house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, | acceptable to G.o.d by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained | in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief cornerstone, | elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be | confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: | but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders | disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a | stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which | stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they | were appointed. But ye are a chosen generation, a royal | priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should | shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of | darkness into his marvellous light: which in time past were | not a people, but are now the people of G.o.d: which had not | obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

| | THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xxi. 12.

| | Jesus went into the temple of G.o.d, and cast out all them that | sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the | money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves, 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. And the | blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed | them. And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful | things that he did, and the children crying in the temple, and | saying, Hosanna to the son of David; they were sore displeased, | and said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith | unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes | and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?

| | AT THE THANKSGIVING FOR HARVEST | | THE COLLECTS.

| | _One or more of these Collects may be said_.

| | O almighty and everlasting G.o.d, who hast given unto us the | fruits of the earth in their season, and hast crowned the year | with thy goodness: Give us grateful hearts, that we may unfeignedly | thank thee for all thy loving-kindness, and worthily magnify thy | holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| | Stir up, we beseech thee, O Lord, the wills of thy faithful | people, that they who have freely received of thy bounty, may, | of thy bounty, freely give; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

| _Amen_.

| | O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast taught us that man doth not live | by bread alone: Feed us, we humbly beseech thee, with the true | Bread that cometh down from heaven, even thyself, O blessed | Saviour, who livest and reignest, with the Father and the Holy | Spirit, one G.o.d, world without end. _Amen_.

| | FOR THE EPISTLE. Deut. xvi. 13.

| | Thou shalt observe the feast of tabernacles seven days, after | that thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine: and thou | shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, | and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the | stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are within | thy gates. Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the | Lord thy G.o.d in the place which the Lord shall choose: because | the Lord thy G.o.d shall bless thee in all thine increase, and in | all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

| | THE GOSPEL. St Matth. vi. 28.

| | Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, | neither do they spin: and yet I say unto you, That even Solomon | in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, | if G.o.d so clothe the gra.s.s of the field, which to-day is, and | to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe | you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, | What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal | shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles | seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of | all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of G.o.d, and | his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto | you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow | shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto | the day is the evil thereof.

| | SOLEMNIZATION OF MATRIMONY | | THE COLLECT.

| | O heavenly Father who didst join together in marriage our first | parents, Adam and Eve: Sanctify and bless these thy servants; | and grant that those whom thou by matrimony dost make one, may | stedfastly keep the covenant betwixt them made, and ever remain | in perfect love and peace together; through Jesus Christ our | Lord. _Amen_.

| | THE EPISTLE. Ephes. v. 25.

| | Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the Church, | and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it | with the was.h.i.+ng of water by the word, that he might present it | to himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or | any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

| So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that | loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his | own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord | the Church: for we are members of his body, of his flesh, and | of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and | mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall | be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning | Christ and the Church. Nevertheless let every one of you in | particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see | that she reverence her husband.

| | THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xix. 4.

| | Jesus answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he | | which made them at the beginning made them male and female, | and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, | and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one | flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What | therefore G.o.d hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

| | BURIAL OF THE DEAD | | THE COLLECT.

| | O merciful G.o.d, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is | the resurrection and the life; in whom whosoever believeth | shall live, though he die; and whosoever liveth, and believeth | in him, shall not die eternally; who also hath taught us (by | his holy Apostle Saint Paul) not to be sorry, as men without | hope, for them that sleep in him: We meekly beseech thee, O | Father, to raise us from the death of sin unto the life of | righteousness; that, when we shall depart this life, we may | rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth; and that, | at the general resurrection in the last day, we may be found | acceptable in thy sight, and receive that blessing, which thy | well-beloved Son shall then p.r.o.nounce to all that love and fear | thee, saying, Come, ye blessed children of my Father, receive | the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world: | Grant this, we beseech thee, O merciful Father, through Jesus | Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer. _Amen_.

| | THE EPISTLE. 1 Thess. iv. 13.

| | I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them | which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have | no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even | so them also which sleep in Jesus will G.o.d bring with him. For | this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are | alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent | them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from | heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with | the trump of G.o.d: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then | we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with | them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall | we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with | these words.

| | THE GOSPEL. St John vi. 37.

| | All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that | cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. For I came down from | heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent | me. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of | all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should | raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him | that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth | on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at | the last day.

| | _Or_ St John xi. 21.

| | Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my | brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever | thou wilt ask of G.o.d, G.o.d will give it thee. Jesus saith unto | her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I | know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last | day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: | he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he | live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never | die. Believest thou this? She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I | believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of G.o.d, which should | come into the world.

THE SCOTTISH LITURGY

FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE HOLY EUCHARIST

AND ADMINISTRATION OF HOLY COMMUNION

COMMONLY CALLED THE SCOTTISH COMMUNION OFFICE