--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 are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. ⁽²⁾ Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. ⁽³⁾ May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue ⁽⁴⁾ that says, 'We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips--who is our master?'

⁽⁵⁾ Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise,' says the LORD. 'I will protect them from those who malign them.' ⁽⁶⁾ And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times. ⁽⁷⁾ O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. ⁽⁸⁾ The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among 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 must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? ⁽³⁾ Look on me and answer, O LORD my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; ⁽⁴⁾ my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,' and my foes will rejoice when I fall.

⁽⁵⁾ But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. ⁽⁶⁾ I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to 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 says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. ⁽²⁾ The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. ⁽³⁾ All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one. ⁽⁴⁾ Will evildoers never learn-- those who devour my people as men eat bread and who do not call on the LORD?

⁽⁵⁾ There they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous. ⁽⁶⁾ You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge. ⁽⁷⁾ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes 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⁾ This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: ⁽²⁾ In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. ⁽³⁾ Many peoples will come and say, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.' The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ⁽⁴⁾ He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

⁽⁵⁾ Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the LORD. ⁽⁶⁾ You have abandoned your people, the house of Jacob. They are full of superstitions from the East; they practice divination like the Philistines and clasp hands with pagans. ⁽⁷⁾ Their land is full of silver and gold; there is no end to their treasures. Their land is full of horses; there is no end to their chariots. ⁽⁸⁾ Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made.

⁽⁹⁾ So man will be brought low and mankind humbled-- do not forgive them. ⁽¹⁰⁾ Go into the rocks, hide in the ground from dread of the LORD and the splendor of his majesty! ⁽¹¹⁾ The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

1 Thessalonians Chapter 2

⁽¹³⁾ And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe. ⁽¹⁴⁾ For you, brothers, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, ⁽¹⁵⁾ who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men ⁽¹⁶⁾ in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

⁽¹⁷⁾ But, brothers, when we were torn away from you for a short time (in person, not in thought), out of our intense longing we made every effort to see you. ⁽¹⁸⁾ For we wanted to come to you-- certainly I, Paul, did, again and again-- but Satan stopped us. ⁽¹⁹⁾ For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you? ⁽²⁰⁾ Indeed, you are our glory and joy.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Luke Chapter 20

⁽¹⁹⁾ The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. ⁽²⁰⁾ Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. ⁽²¹⁾ So the spies questioned him: 'Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. ⁽²²⁾ Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'

⁽²³⁾ He saw through their duplicity and said to them, ⁽²⁴⁾ Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and inscription are on it?' ⁽²⁵⁾ Caesar's,' they replied. He said to them, 'Then give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.' ⁽²⁶⁾ They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became 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