The Collects

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. 

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The Old Testament Lesson

Ezekiel 39:21 

(The Lesson is written in the 39th chapter of the Book of Ezekiel the Prophet, beginning at the 21st verse.)

And I will set my glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see my judgment that I have executed, and my hand that I have laid upon them. So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward. And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword. According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid my face from them. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Now will I bring again the 

captivity of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for my holy name; After that they have borne their shame, and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against me, when they dwelt safely in their land, and none made them afraid. When I have brought them again from the people, and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations; Then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, which cause them to be led into captivity among the heathen: but I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there. Neither will I hide my face any more from them: for I have poured out my spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD. 

Here endeth the Lesson.

The Psalm

Psalm 18:1-20

1 I WILL love thee, O LORD, my strength. * The LORD is my stony rock, and my defence; 

2 My Saviour, my God, and my might, in whom I will trust; * my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge. 

3 I will call upon the LORD, which is worthy to be praised; * so shall I be safe from mine enemies. 

4 The sorrows of death compassed me, * and the overflowings of ungodliness made me afraid. 

5 The pains of hell came about me; * the snares of death overtook me. 

6 In my trouble I called upon the LORD, * and complained unto my God: 

7 So he heard my voice out of his holy temple, * and my complaint came before him; it entered even into his ears. 

8 The earth trembled and quaked, * the very foundations also of the hills shook, and were removed, because he was wroth. 

9 There went a smoke out in his presence, * and a consuming fire out of his mouth, so that coals were kindled at it. 

10 He bowed the heavens also, and came down, * and it was dark under his feet. 

11 He rode upon the Cherubim, and did fly; * he came flying upon the wings of the wind. 

12 He made darkness his secret place, * his pavilion round about him with dark water, and thick clouds to cover him. 

13 At the brightness of his presence his clouds removed; * hailstones and coals of fire. 

14 The LORD also thundered out of heaven, and the Highest gave his thunder; * hailstones and coals of fire. 

15 He sent out his arrows, and scattered them; * he cast forth lightnings, and destroyed them. 

16 The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the round world were discovered, * at thy chiding, O LORD, at the blasting of the breath of thy displeasure. 

17 He sent down from on high to fetch me, * and took me out of many waters. 

18 He delivered me from my strongest enemy, and from them which hate me; * for they were too mighty for me. 

19 They came upon me in the day of my trouble; * but the LORD was my upholder. 

20 He brought me forth also into a place of liberty; * he brought me forth, even because he had a favour unto me. 

The Epistle

Galatians iv. 21.(-31)

(The Epistle is written in the 4th chapter of the Epistle of Saint Paul to the Galatians, beginning at the 21st verse.)

TELL me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not: break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman shall not be heir with the son of the freewoman. So then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, but of the free. 

Here endeth the Epistle.

The Gospel

St. John vi. 1.

JESUS went over the sea of Galilee, which is the sea of Tiberias. And a great multitude followed him, because they saw his miracles which he did on them that were diseased. And Jesus went up into a mountain, and there he sat with his disciples. And the passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh. When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat? And this he said to prove him: for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little. One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, saith unto him, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost. Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten. Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus did, said, This is of a truth that prophet that should come into the world.