Collect for: Baptism of the Lord
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.
Old Testament
Isaiah 42:1-7
1 Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
2 He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
3 A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth.
4 He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law.'
5 Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it:
6 I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles,
7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
Psalm
Psalm
89
1 I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
2 For I have said, 'Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens.'
3 I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to My servant David:
4 Your seed I will establish forever, And build up your throne to all generations.' '
Selah 5 And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD; Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.
6 For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?
7 God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.
8 O LORD God of hosts, Who is mighty like You, O LORD? Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the raging of the sea; When its waves rise, You still them.
10 You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain; You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.
11 The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours; The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.
12 The north and the south, You have created them; Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.
13 You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.
14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face.
15 Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.
16 In Your name they rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our horn is exalted.
18 For our shield belongs to the LORD, And our king to the Holy One of Israel.
19 Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one, And said: 'I have given help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom My hand shall be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.
23 I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him.
24 But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, And in My name his horn shall be exalted.
25 Also I will set his hand over the sea, And his right hand over the rivers.
26 He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation.'
27 Also I will make him My firstborn, The highest of the kings of the earth.
28 My mercy I will keep for him forever, And My covenant shall stand firm with him.
29 His seed also I will make to endure forever, And his throne as the days of heaven.
*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.
New Testament
Acts 10:34-38
34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.
35 But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.
36 The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ -- He is Lord of all --
37 that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
Gospel
Matthew 3:13-17
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 Matthew.
People:
Glory to You, Lord Christ.
Deacon:
We are reading from Matthew's Gospel chapter 3, beginning at verse 13.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.
14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?'
15 But Jesus answered and said to him, 'Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.' Then he allowed Him.
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'
After the Gospel reading, the deacon can elevate the book and says:
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
People:
Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ. Prayers of the People
Prayers of the People for: Baptism of the Lord
First Sunday after Epiphany Brothers and sisters, by receiving the graces of our Baptism through faith, we have access to God our Father. Therefore, let us pray with confidence to Him for our needs and those of the whole world.
That the Church will continue to be a faithful instrument of the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That nations will resolve their conflicts by seeking justice and peace brought into the world through the Lord Jesus.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That the Christian community, made one by our common Baptism, will be brought into the unity of the faith.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That those preparing for Baptism and Confirmation will deepen their faith and become committed members of God's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That we, enlightened by Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit will live out our Baptismal calling to be committed disciples of Christ.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
That the Church will always stand up for and welcome the unborn, the poor, the persecuted, and the defenseless.
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
For our own special intentions. (Pause)
Lord in Your mercy, Hear our prayer.
Heavenly Father,ÿthrough the grace of our Baptism, You have brought us into a covenant relationship with You through Your Son Jesus Christ. Hear our prayer and give us the grace to be effective members of Your Church here on Earth. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN