Collect for: Saint Becket
I O God, our strength and our salvation, who didst call thy servant Thomas Becket to be a shepherd of thy people and a defender of thy Church: Keep thy household from all evil and raise up among us faithful pastors and leaders who are wise in the ways of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ the shepherd of our souls, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.?Amen.
Psalm
Psalm
125
1 Those who trust in the LORD Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, So the LORD surrounds His people From this time forth and forever.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest On the land allotted to the righteous, Lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity.
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, And to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 As for such as turn aside to their crooked ways, The LORD shall lead them away With the workers of iniquity. Peace be upon Israel!
*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
2 Esdras 2:42-48
42 Then Mattathias and his friends were joined by a group of devout and patriotic Jews, the strongest and bravest men in Israel, who had all volunteered to defend the Law.
43 In addition, everyone who was fleeing from the persecution joined them and strengthened their forces.
44 Now that they had an army, they gave vent to their anger by attacking the renegade Jews. Those who escaped were forced to flee to the Gentiles for safety.
45 Mattathias and his friends went everywhere tearing down pagan altars
46 and circumcising by force every uncircumcised boy they found within the borders of Israel.
47 They were also successful in hunting down the arrogant Gentile officials.
48 They rescued the Law of Moses from the Gentiles and their kings and broke the power of the wicked King Antiochus.
Officiant: The Word of the Lord. The People: Thanks be to God.
New Testament
1 John 2:3-6, 15-17
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.
4 He who says, 'I know Him,' and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.
17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
After the Gospel reading, the deacon elevates the book and says:
Deacon:
The Gospel of the Lord.
People:
Praise to You, Lord Christ.