The Collect

ALMIGHTY God, who seest that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves; Keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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.

Old Testament Lesson

1 Kings 8:37–43

(The Lesson is written in the 8th Chapter of the 1st Book of the Kings, beginning at the 37th verse and is found on page 420 of your Pew Bible.)

If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpiller; if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be; What prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house: Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;) That they may fear thee all the days that they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers. Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake; (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house; Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name.

Here endeth the Lesson.

Psalms

Psalm 86

BOW down thine ear, O LORD, and hear me; for I am poor, and in misery.

2 Preserve thou my soul, for I am holy: my God, save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee.

3 Be merciful unto me, O Lord; for I will call daily upon thee.

4 Comfort the soul of thy servant; for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

5 For thou, Lord, art good and gracious, and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

6 Give ear, LORD, unto my prayer, and ponder the voice of my humble desires.

7 In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee; for thou hearest me.

8 Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord; there is not one that can do as thou doest.

9 All nations whom thou hast made shall come and worship thee, O Lord; and shall glorify thy Name.

10 For thou art great, and doest wondrous things: thou art God alone.

11 Teach me thy way, O LORD, and I will walk in thy truth: O knit my heart unto thee, that I may fear thy Name.

12 I will thank thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart; and will praise thy Name for evermore.

13 For great is thy mercy toward me; and thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell.

14 O God, the proud are risen against me; and the congregations of violent men have sought after my soul, and have not set thee before their eyes.

15 But thou, O Lord God, art full of compassion and mercy, long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth.

16 O turn thee then unto me, and have mercy upon me; give thy strength unto thy servant, and help the son of thine handmaid.

17 Show some token upon me for good; that they who hate me may see it, and be ashamed, * because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

Psalm 142

I CRIED unto the LORD with my voice; yea, even unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

2 I poured out my complaints before him, and showed him of my trouble.

3 When my spirit was in heaviness, thou knewest my path; in the way wherein I walked, have they privily laid a snare for me.

4 I looked also upon my right hand, and saw there was no man that would know me.

5 I had no place to flee unto, and no man cared for my soul.

6 I cried unto thee, O LORD, and said, Thou art my hope, and my portion in the land of the living.

7 Consider my complaint; for I am brought very low.

8 O deliver me from my persecutors; for they are too strong for me.

9 Bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto thy Name; * which thing if thou wilt grant me, then shall the righteous resort unto my company.

The Epistle

1 Thessalonians iv. 1.

(The Epistle is written in the 4th chapter of Saint Paul’s epistle to the Thessalonians beginning at the 1st verse.)

WE beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have fore-warned you and testified. For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness. He therefore that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given unto us his holy Spirit.

Here endeth the Epistle.

The Gospel

St. Matthew xv. 21.

JESUS went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.