Collect for: Alphege, Bishop and Martyr
Lord Jesus Christ, who willingly walked the way of the cross: Strengthen your Church through the example and prayers of your servant Alphege to hold fast the path of discipleship; for with the Father and Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Psalm
Psalm
48
1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain.
2 Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King.
3 God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge.
4 For behold, the kings assembled, They passed by together.
5 They saw it, and so they marveled; They were troubled, they hastened away.
6 Fear took hold of them there, And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs,
7 As when You break the ships of Tarshish With an east wind.
8 As we have heard, So we have seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, In the city of our God: God will establish it forever.
Selah 9 We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, In the midst of Your temple.
*At the end of the Psalms this is sung or said 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.
Old Testament
1 Samuel 24:7-19
7 So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way.
8 David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, and called out to Saul, saying, 'My lord the king!' And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth, and bowed down.
9 And David said to Saul: 'Why do you listen to the words of men who say, 'Indeed David seeks your harm'?
10 Look, this day your eyes have seen that the LORD delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the LORD's anointed.'
11 Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it.
12 Let the LORD judge between you and me, and let the LORD avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.
13 As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.' But my hand shall not be against you.
14 After whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom do you pursue? A dead dog? A flea?
15 Therefore let the LORD be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.'
16 So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, 'Is this your voice, my son David?' And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.
17 Then he said to David: 'You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil.
18 And you have shown this day how you have dealt well with me; for when the LORD delivered me into your hand, you did not kill me.
19 For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the LORD reward you with good for what you have done to me this day.
1
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
New Testament
Philemon 1:1-9
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,
2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:
3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,
5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,
6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.
7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.
8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting,
9 yet for love's sake I rather appeal to you -- being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ --
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
Gospel
Luke 23:1-9
Introduction to the Gospel:
Deacon:
The Lord be with you.
People:
And also with you. Or And with your spirit
Deacon:
May the Lord be on our minds, on our lips, and on our hearts as we hear His Holy Gospel. The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke.
People:
Glory to You, Lord Christ.
Deacon:
We are reading from Luke's Gospel chapter 23, beginning at verse 1.
1 Then the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to Pilate.
2 And they began to accuse Him, saying, 'We found this fellow perverting the nation, and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.'
3 Then Pilate asked Him, saying, 'Are You the King of the Jews?' He answered him and said, 'It is as you say.'
4 So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, 'I find no fault in this Man.'
5 But they were the more fierce, saying, 'He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place.'
6 When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean.
7 And as soon as he knew that He belonged to Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.
9 Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.
After the Gospel reading, the deacon elevates the book and says:
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
People:
Praise to You, Lord Christ.