The Book of Common Prayer Table of
contents
The Third Sunday in Advent
The Collect
O Lord Jesu Christ,
who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way
before thee: Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries
may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the
hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy
second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable
people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and
the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
The Epistle
1 Corinthians 4.1-5
Let a man so
account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the
mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man
be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I
should be judged of you, or of man's judgement: yea, I judge not
mine own self. For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby
justified; but he that judgeth me is the Lord. Therefore judge
nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring
to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the
counsels of the hearts; and then shall every man have praise of
God.
The Gospel
St. Matthew 11.2-10
Now when John had
heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his
disciples, and said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do
we look for another? Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew
John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive
their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the
deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the Gospel
preached to them. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended
in me. And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes
concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a
reed shaken with the wind? But what went ye out for to see? a man
clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are
in kings' houses. But what went ye out for to see? a prophet? yea,
I say unto you, and more than a prophet. For this is he of whom it
is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which
shall prepare thy way before thee.
Text from The Book of Common Prayer, the
rights in which are vested in the Crown,
is reproduced by permission of the Crown's Patentee, Cambridge
University Press.