The one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh.
The altar party gathered for the Mass of Christ the King yesterday at Iglesia Episcopal Cristo Rey in Watsvonville, California, USA. (Fr. Michael Dresbach)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:2
INVITATORY AND PSALTER
O God, be not far from us.
Come quickly to help us, O God.
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alleluia.
Hymn: O Gracious Light
Phos hilaron
O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the everliving Father in heaven,
O Jesus Christ, holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing your praises, O God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.
Psalm 106:19-48
Israel made a bull-calf at Horeb *
and worshiped a molten image;
And so they exchanged their Glory *
for the image of an ox that feeds on grass.
They forgot God their Savior, *
who had done great things in Egypt,
Wonderful deeds in the land of Ham, *
and fearful things at the Red Sea.
So God would have destroyed them,
had not Moses, the chosen one, stood before God in the breach, *
to turn away divine wrath from consuming them.
They refused the pleasant land *
and would not believe God’s promise.
They grumbled in their tents *
and would not listen to the voice of the LORD.
So God’s hand was lifted against them, *
to overthrow them in the wilderness,
To cast out their seed among the nations, *
and to scatter them throughout the lands.
They joined themselves to Baal-Peor *
and ate sacrifices offered to the dead.
They provoked the LORD to anger with their actions, *
and a plague broke out among them.
Then Phinehas stood up and interceded, *
and the plague came to an end.
This was reckoned to Phinehas as righteousness *
throughout all generations for ever.
Again they provoked God’s anger at the waters of Meribah, *
and the LORD punished Moses because of them;
For they so embittered his spirit *
that he spoke rash words with his lips.
They did not destroy the peoples *
as the LORD had commanded them.
They intermingled with the heathen *
and learned their pagan ways,
So that they worshiped their idols, *
which became a snare to them.
They sacrificed their sons *
and their daughters to evil spirits.
They shed innocent blood,
the blood of their sons and daughters, *
which they offered to the idols of Canaan,
and the land was defiled with blood.
Thus they were polluted by their actions *
and went whoring in their evil deeds.
Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people *
and God abhorred the chosen inheritance.
God gave them over to the hand of the heathen, *
and those who hated them ruled over them.
Their enemies oppressed them, *
and they were humbled under their hand.
Many a time did God deliver them,
but they rebelled through their own devices, *
and were brought down in their iniquity.
Nevertheless, the LORD saw their distress, *
and heard their lamentation.
God remembered the covenant with them *
and out of abundant mercy relented.
God caused them to be pitied *
by those who held them captive.
Save us, O LORD our God,
and gather us from among the nations, *
that we may give thanks to your holy Name
and glory in your praise.
Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting; *
and let all the people say, “Amen!”
Hallelujah!
Praise to the holy and undivided Trinity, one God: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE LESSON
Matthew 19:1-12 (NRSV)
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and went to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. Large crowds followed him, and he cured them there.
Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?” He answered, “Have you not read that the one who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?” He said to them, “It was because you were so hard-hearted that Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and marries another commits adultery.”
His disciples said to him, “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this teaching, but only those to whom it is given. For there are eunuchs who have been so from birth, and there are eunuchs who have been made eunuchs by others, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can.”
Canticle: The Song of Simeon
Nunc dimittis
Luke 2:29-32
Lord, you now have set your servant free *
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior, *
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations, *
and the glory of your people Israel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
THE APOSTLES’ CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting. Amen.
THE PRAYERS
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial, and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours, now and for ever. Amen.
Show us your mercy, O Lord;
And grant us your salvation.
Clothe your ministers with righteousness;
Let your people sing with joy.
Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;
For only in you can we live in safety.
Lord, keep this nation under your care;
And guide us in the way of justice and truth.
Let your way be known upon earth;
Your saving health among all nations.
Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;
Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.
Create in us clean hearts, O God;
And sustain us by your Holy Spirit.
The church at Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York, founded by today’s saint. (Josh Thomas/dailyoffice.org)
Collect of the Day: James Otis Sargent Huntington, Priest and Monk, 1935
O loving God, by whose grace your servant James Huntington gathered a community dedicated to love and discipline and devotion to the holy Cross of our Savior Jesus Christ: Send your blessing upon all who proclaim Christ crucified, and move the hearts of many to look upon him and be saved; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer for Evening
O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then in your mercy, grant us a safe lodging and a holy rest, and peace at the last. Amen.
A Collect for Peace
Most holy God, the source of all good desires, all right judgments, and all just works: Give to us, your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, so that our minds may be fixed on the doing of your will, and that we, being delivered from the fear of all enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through the mercies of Christ Jesus our Savior. Amen.
Monday Evening Prayer List: Thanksgivings
Birth of EMMA ROSE SHIFRIN
A Collect for Mission
O God and Father of all, whom the whole heavens adore: Let the whole earth also worship you, all nations obey you, all tongues confess and bless you, and men and women everywhere love you and serve you in peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
May the God of hope fill us will all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13++
VIDEO: A 6-year-old boy with a speech problem, who likes wearing a tie to school in Massachusetts, found himself taunted for being different – until his buddies stood up. (WCVB-TV NewsCenter 5)
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