THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT (DEC. 21ST)

A Gothic Icon Representing the Season, St. John the Baptist and St. Katherine Declaring the Gospel

 ✠ THE DIVINE LITURGY OF ST. JAMES ✠

ACCORDING TO THE USE OF THE ANCIENT CHURCH OF THE WEST

✠ FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT ✠

✠ THE PREPARATION ✠

INTROIT

Rorate coeli. Isaiah 45

DROP down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open and bring forth a Saviour.

Psalm 19

The heavens declare the glory of God: and the firmament sheweth his handy-work.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

THE COLLECTS

ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son, Jesus Christ, came to visit us in great humility: that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the quick and the dead; we may rise to the life immortal. Through the same 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. 

O God, who didst call Thy servant Abraham out of the land of the Chaldees, to be the father of the faithful, and madest Thy covenant with him to be an everlasting promise to all his seed: Grant that we, being made children of the same promise through faith, may evermore follow his example of trust, obedience, and hospitality, and at the last be received with him into Thine eternal kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, who didst give to Thy servant Daniel grace to stand firm in the midst of persecution, wisdom to interpret Thy holy will, and faith to trust in Thy deliverance: Grant that we, following his example, may remain steadfast in prayer and obedient to Thy commandments, that we may be found faithful in the day of Christ’s coming; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everliving God, who didst give thy holy Apostle Thomas faith in Thy Son's Resurrection, so as to make him a great preacher in the East; Grant us so perfectly, and conquering all doubt, to believe in Thy Son Jesus Christ, that our faith may allow us to follow Thy Apostle’s example. Hear us, O Lord, through the same Jesus Christ, to Whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

O LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

✠ THE LITURGY OF THE WORD ✠

THE OLD TESTAMENT LESSON

Deuteronomy 7:6–11; 8:1–5; 9:4–6

A READING FROM THE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY.

For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all people:

But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face.

Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, to do them.

All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.

And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.

Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that, as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land: but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Understand therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people.

THE APOSTOLIC LESSON

2 Thessalonians 1:3–10; 2:1–4, 13–17

A READING FROM THE SECOND EPISTLE OF SAINT PAUL THE APOSTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS.

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth;

So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:

Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:

Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;

And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,

In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:

Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.

Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,

That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.

But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:

Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,

Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.

THE EPISTLE

Philippians 4:4–7

Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.

Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

GRADUAL

Psalm 145

The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him: yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.

V. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name.

Alleluia, alleluia.

V. Come, O Lord, and tarry not: forgive the misdeeds of thy people.

Alleluia.

THE HOLY GOSPEL

St. John 1:19–28

✠ The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John.

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe’s latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

✠ THE LITURGY OF THE FAITHFUL ✠

OFFERTORY

St. Luke 1

Hail Mary, full of grace: the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

SECRET

WE beseech thee, O Lord, mercifully to have respect unto these our oblations: that the same may be profitable unto us for our increase in all godliness, and for the attainment of everlasting salvation. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

COMMUNION

Isaiah 7

Behold, a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son: and his Name shall be called Emmanuel.

POSTCOMMUNION

O LORD, who hast here vouchsafed unto us to be partakers of thy bounty: grant, we beseech thee, that we may so continue to draw near unto the same; that growing more and more in grace, we may attain in the end to everlasting life. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.