The Collect

O GOD, who declarest thy almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; Mercifully grant unto us such a measure of thy grace, that we, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

Old Testament Lesson

Isaiah 26:12-16, 19

The Lesson is written in the 26th chapter of the Book of Isaiah the Prophet, beginning at the 12th verse. 

LORD, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise: therefore, hast thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish. Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, thou hast increased the nation: thou art glorified: thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth. LORD, in trouble have they visited thee, they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them. Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. 

Here endeth the Lesson

Psalm

Psalm 124

1 IF the LORD himself had not been on our side, now may Israel say; * if the LORD himself had not been on our side, when men rose up against us; 

2 They had swallowed us up alive; * when they were so wrathfully displeased at us. 

3 Yea, the waters had drowned us, * and the stream had gone over our soul. 

4 The deep waters of the proud * had gone even over our soul. 

5 But praised be the LORD, * who hath not given us over for a prey unto their teeth. 

6 Our soul is escaped even as a bird out of the snare of the fowler; * the snare is broken, and we are delivered. 

7 Our help standeth in the Name of the LORD, * who hath made heaven and earth. 

Psalm 124

THEY that put their trust in the LORD shall be even as the mount Sion, * which may not be removed, but standeth fast for ever. 

2 The hills stand about Jerusalem; * even so standeth the LORD round about his people, from this time forth for evermore. 

3 For the sceptre of the ungodly shall not abide upon the lot of the righteous; * lest the righteous put their hand unto wickedness. 

4 Do well, O LORD, * unto those that are good and true of heart. 

5 As for such as turn back unto their own wickedness, * the LORD shall lead them forth with the evil doers; but peace shall be upon Israel. 

Epistle 

1 Corinthians xv. 1. 

(The Epistle is written in the 15th chapter of the 1st Epistle of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, beginning at the 1st verse.) 

BRETHREN, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: and that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: after that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. 

Here endeth the Epistle.

GOSPEL

St. Luke xviii. 9. 

JESUS spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.