INTROIT. De ventre. Is. 49. From the womb of my mother the Lord hath called me by my
name: and hath made my mouth as it were a sharp sword: beneath
the shadow of his hand hath he hidden me, and hath made me like
to a polished arrow. Ps. 92 It is a good thing to give
thanks unto the Lord: and to sing praises unto thy Name, O Most
Highest. V. Glory be.
The Collect.
ALMIGHTY God, by whose providence thy servant John Baptist was
wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our
Saviour by preaching repentance; Make us so to follow his doctrine
and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching;
and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke
vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through the
same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Isaiah 40:1-11 1 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her
warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she
hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye
the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for
our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill
shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and
the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh
shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken
it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh
is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of
the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit
of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our
God shall stand for ever.
9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high
mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy
voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the
cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and his arm
shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work
before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the
lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently
lead those that are with young.
GRADUAL. Jer. 1. Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee:
and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee.
V. The Lord put forth his hand and touched my mouth, and spake
unto me.
Alleluia, alleluia. V. St Luke 1. Thou, child, shalt be
called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the
face of the Lord, to prepare his ways. Alleluia.
The Gospel. St Luke 1:57-80
57 Now Elisabeth's full time came that she should be delivered;
and she brought forth a son.
58 And her neighbours and her cousins heard how the Lord had
shown great mercy upon her; and they rejoiced with her.
59 And it came to pass, that on the eighth day they came to circumcise
the child; and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his
father.
60 And his mother answered and said, Not so; but he shall be
called John.
61 And they said unto her, There is none of thy kindred that
is called by this name.
62 And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.
63 And he asked for a writing table, and wrote, saying, His name
is John. And they marvelled all.
64 And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed,
and he spake, and praised God.
65 And fear came on all that dwelt round about them: and all
these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country
of Judaea.
66 And all they that heard them laid them up in their hearts,
saying, What manner of child shall this be! And the hand of the
Lord was with him.
67 And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost, and
prophesied, saying,
68 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for he hath visited and
redeemed his people,
69 And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house
of his servant David;
70 As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have
been since the world began:
71 That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand
of all that hate us;
72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember
his holy covenant;
73 The oath which he sware to our father Abraham,
74 That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of
the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear,
75 In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of
our life.
76 And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his
ways;
77 To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission
of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring
from on high hath visited us,
79 To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow
of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in
the deserts till the day of his showing unto Israel.
OFFERTORY. PS. 92. The righteous shall flourish
like a palm-tree: and shall spread abroad like a cedar in Libanus.
SECRET. O LORD, who didst send forth thy servant, Saint John Baptist,
to foretell the coming, and declare the presence of the Saviour
of the world: grant that the gifts which we do here present upon
thine altars in honour of his wondrous birth, may be an acceptable
offering in thy sight. Through the same.
COMMUNION. St Luke 1. Thou,
child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt
go before the face of the Lord, to prepare his ways.
POSTCOMMUNION. GRANT, O Lord, we pray thee: that like as thou didst send
thy blessed Saint John Baptist to reveal unto thy Church the
Author of its regeneration; so we thy people may evermore rejoice
in the remembrance of his birth. Through the same.