THE THIRD SUNDAY IN LENT (MARCH 23)

Illustration from the Schnorr von Carolsfeld Bibel, Based on Meister Drucke

THE MISSAL MASS PROPERS FOR THE THIRD WEEK OF LENT ACCORDING TO THE LITURGY OF ST JAMES OF JERUSALEM IN THE ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE WEST

INTROIT: PSALM 25 - 

MINE eyes are ever looking unto the Lord, for he shall pluck my feet out of the net: turn thee unto me, and have mercy upon me: for I am desolate and in misery. Psalm ibid, O Lord, will I lift up my soul: my God, in thee have I put my trust, let me not be confounded. Glory be to the Farther, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shalt be, world without end. Amen. 

COLLECTS 

WE beseech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty desires of thy humble servants, and stretch forth the right hand of thy Majesty, to be our defence against all our enemies. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Almighty and Everlasting God, who didst call thy servant Patrick from bondage to be an Apostle to the Irish people, and didst fill him with the spirit of understanding and steadfast faith: Grant us, we beseech thee, the same grace to preach thy word with boldness, to endure hardships with patience, and to love even those who hate us, that, following his holy example, we may bring forth abundant fruit to the glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY GOD, through the intercession of our blessed Bishop Saint Cyril, may we attain unto the knowledge of the one true God and Jesus Christ, Thy Son, whom Thou hath sent. May we, as obedient sheep, heed Thy voice now and forevermore; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY GOD, who from the family of Thy servant David raised up Saint Joseph to be the guardian of thine incarnate Son and the chaste spouse of his ever virgin mother: Give us grace so as to imitate his uprightness of life and his obedience to Thy commandments. Grant, we pray Thee, Almighty God, that by Saint Joseph's intercession, Thy Church may constantly watch over the unfolding of the mysteries of human salvation, whose beginnings Thou entrusted to his faithful care; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who livest and reignest with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. 

O Almighty God, who didst call Thy servant Edward from the throne of an earthly kingdom to the glory of Thy heavenly realm, and didst make him a righteous king and a faithful martyr: Grant, we beseech Thee, that as he bore witness to Thy justice and truth on earth, so we may ever be mindful of our duty to serve Thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. 

Almighty God, who called your servant Cuthbert from following the flock to follow your Son and to be a shepherd of your people: in your mercy, grant that we, following his example, may bring those who are lost home to your fold; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. 

OLD TESTAMENT LESSON: GENESIS 24:1-27 -

And Abraham was old, and well stricken in age: and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things. And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: and I will make thee swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell: but thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. And the servant said unto him, Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land: must I needs bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him, Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from the land of my kindred, and which spake unto me, and that sware unto me, saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land; he shall send his angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife unto my son from thence. And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath: only bring not my son thither again. And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and sware to him concerning that matter. And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. And he made his camels to kneel down without the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water. And he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water: and let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master. And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking. And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man wondering at her held his peace, to wit whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; and said, Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee: is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in? And she said unto him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, which she bare unto Nahor. She said moreover unto him, We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in. And the man bowed down his head, and worshipped the Lord. And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master of his mercy and his truth: I being in the way, the Lord led me to the house of my master's brethren.

THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT LESSON: ACTS 10:9-20 - 

On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: and he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, and saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, and called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

THE EPISTLE: EPHESIANS 5:1-14 - 

BRETHREN: Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks.For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 

GRADUAL: PSALM 9 - 

Up, Lord, and let not man have the upper hand: let the heathen be judged in thy sight. V. While mine enemies are driven back, they shall fall and perish at thy presence. 

TRACT: PSALM 123 - 

Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. V. Behold, even as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters. V. And as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress: even so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God, until he have mercy upon us. V. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us. 

THE HOLY GOSPEL: ST. LUKE 11:14-28 - 

AT that time: Jesus was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered. But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils. And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth. If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub. And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore shall they be your judges. But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils. He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked. But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it. 

OFFERTORY: PSALM 19 - 

The statues of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart, sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb: moreover thy servant keepeth them. 

SECRET

GRANT, O Lord, we pray thee, that this oblation may in such wise cleanse us from all our sins: that we thy servants, being sanctified both in body and soul, may worthily offer unto thee this our sacrifice; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

COMMUNION: PSALM 84 - 

The sparrow hath found her an house, and the swallow a nest, where she may lay her young: even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God: blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be alway praising thee. 

POSTCOMMUNION

O LORD, who sufferest us to be partakers of thy wondrous mysteries: grant, we beseech thee; that by thy mercy we may be absolved from all our iniquities, and defended against all adversities; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.