O ALMIGHTY God, who hast committed to the hands of men the
ministry of reconciliation; We humbly beseech thee, by the inspiration
of thy Holy Spirit, to put it into the hearts of many to offer
themselves for this ministry; that thereby mankind may be drawn
to thy blessed kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
For the Epistle. Acts xiii. 44.
THE next sabbath day came almost the whole city together to
hear the word of God. But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they
were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were
spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Then Paul and
Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word
of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put
it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life,
lo, we turn to the Gentiles. For so hath the Lord commanded us,
saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou
shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth. And when
the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word
of the Lord: and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.
And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.
The Gospel. St. Luke iv. 16.
JESUS came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and,
as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath
day, and stood up for to read. And there was delivered unto him
the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book,
he found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel
to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable
year of the Lord. And he closed the book, and he gave it again
to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that
were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say
unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
ANGLICAN MISSAL PROPERS For the Various Ember Days