--Today is the Feast Day of Saint Andrew--
Advent
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. Isaiah 40:5

Saint and Major Saints' Days
We give thanks to the Father, who has made us worthy to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. Colossians 1:12

Confession of Sin

Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

The Absolution
Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter

O God make speed to save us, O Lord make haste to help us

O Gracious Light,
pure brightness of everliving Father in heaven
O Jesus Christ holy and blessed!
Now as we come to the setting of the sun
and our eyes behold the vesper light
we sing your praises O God: Father Son and Holy Spirit.
You are worthy at all times to be praised by happy voices
O Son of God, O Giver of Life
and to be glorified through all worlds.
Our King and Savior now draws near: Come, let us adore him.

?The Psalms are unique for the evening, the other lessions can be read in total or those you have not included in Morning Prayer

The Lessons

Psalm 12

⁽¹⁾ Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men. ⁽²⁾ They speak idly everyone with his neighbor; With flattering lips and a double heart they speak. ⁽³⁾ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips, And the tongue that speaks proud things, ⁽⁴⁾ Who have said, 'With our tongue we will prevail; Our lips are our own; Who is lord over us?'

⁽⁵⁾ For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, Now I will arise,' says the LORD; 'I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.' ⁽⁶⁾ The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. ⁽⁷⁾ You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever. ⁽⁸⁾ The wicked prowl on every side, When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 13

⁽¹⁾ How long, O LORD? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? ⁽²⁾ How long shall I take counsel in my soul, Having sorrow in my heart daily? How long will my enemy be exalted over me? ⁽³⁾ Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; Enlighten my eyes, Lest I sleep the sleep of death; ⁽⁴⁾ Lest my enemy say, 'I have prevailed against him'; Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁽⁵⁾ But I have trusted in Your mercy; My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. ⁽⁶⁾ I will sing to the LORD, Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 14

⁽¹⁾ The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good. ⁽²⁾ The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. ⁽³⁾ They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. ⁽⁴⁾ Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call on the LORD?

⁽⁵⁾ There they are in great fear, For God is with the generation of the righteous. ⁽⁶⁾ You shame the counsel of the poor, But the LORD is his refuge. ⁽⁷⁾ Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Isaiah Chapter 2

⁽¹⁾ The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. ⁽²⁾ Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the LORD's house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. ⁽³⁾ Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ⁽⁴⁾ He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.

⁽⁵⁾ O house of Jacob, come and let us walk In the light of the LORD. ⁽⁶⁾ For You have forsaken Your people, the house of Jacob, Because they are filled with eastern ways; They are soothsayers like the Philistines, And they are pleased with the children of foreigners. ⁽⁷⁾ Their land is also full of silver and gold, And there is no end to their treasures; Their land is also full of horses, And there is no end to their chariots. ⁽⁸⁾ Their land is also full of idols; They worship the work of their own hands, That which their own fingers have made.

⁽⁹⁾ People bow down, And each man humbles himself; Therefore do not forgive them. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Enter into the rock, and hide in the dust, From the terror of the LORD And the glory of His majesty. ⁽¹¹⁾ The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

1 Thessalonians Chapter 2

⁽¹³⁾ For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe. ⁽¹⁴⁾ For you, brethren, became imitators of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ⁽¹⁵⁾ who killed both the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God and are contrary to all men, ⁽¹⁶⁾ forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always to fill up the measure of their sins; but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

⁽¹⁷⁾ But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ⁽¹⁸⁾ Therefore we wanted to come to you -- even I, Paul, time and again -- but Satan hindered us. ⁽¹⁹⁾ For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? ⁽²⁰⁾ For you are our glory and joy.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Luke Chapter 20

⁽¹⁹⁾ And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people -- for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. ⁽²⁰⁾ So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor. ⁽²¹⁾ Then they asked Him, saying, 'Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: ⁽²²⁾ Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'

⁽²³⁾ But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 'Why do you test Me? ⁽²⁴⁾ Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?' They answered and said, 'Caesar's.' ⁽²⁵⁾ And He said to them, 'Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.' ⁽²⁶⁾ But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

?A canticle is a hymn, or other Christian song of praise with lyrics taken from biblical texts

The Canticles

The Song of Simeon       Nunc Dimittis Luke 2:29-32  
Lord, you now have set your servant free
to go in peace as you have promised;
For these eyes of mine have seen the Savior,
whom you have prepared for all the world to see:
A Light to enlighten the nations,
and the glory of your people Israel.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.


The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
  He descended to the dead.
  On the third day he rose again.
  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  the holy catholic Church,
  the communion of saints,
  the forgiveness of sins,
  the resurrection of the body,
  and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer   Traditional
Suffrages     A

Seasonal Collect:  First Sunday of Advent
Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: O God, you manifest in your servants the signs of your presence: Send forth upon us the spirit of love that in companionship with one another your abounding grace may increase among us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others.


Closing Prayers   Thanksgiving

Conclude with following
Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21



This concludes the Daily Morning Prayer
Go in Peace to Love and Serve the Lord