Help me to know what I should do and do it well. Help me to serve reverently at your Holy Altar and give you praise and glory now and for ever. Amen.
He has sent me to proclaim a year
of favour from the Lord
for the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring good news to the poor,
to bind up hearts that are broken;
to proclaim liberty to captives,
freedom to those in prison;
to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.
‘I exult for joy in the Lord,
my soul rejoices in my God,
for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation,
he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity,
like a bridegroom wearing his wreath,
like a bride adorned in her jewels.
‘For as the earth makes fresh things grow,
as a garden makes seeds spring up,
so will the Lord make both integrity and praise
spring up in the sight of the nations.’
My soul rejoices in my God
May you all be kept safe for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ
Be happy at all times; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks to God, because this is what God expects you to do in Christ Jesus.
Never try to
suppress the Spirit or treat the gift of prophecy with contempt; think before
you do anything – hold on to what is good and avoid every form of evil.
May the God of
peace make you perfect and holy; and may you all be kept safe and blameless,
spirit, soul and body, for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God has called
you and he will not fail you.
There stands among you the one coming after me'
A man came, sent
by God.
He came as a
witness,
as a witness to
speak for the light,
so that everyone
might believe through him.
He was not the
light,
only a witness to
speak for the light.
This is how John appeared as a witness. When the Jews
sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ he not only
declared, but he declared quite openly, ‘I am not the Christ.’ ‘Well then,’
they asked ‘are you Elijah?’ ‘I am not’ he said. ‘Are you the Prophet?’ He
answered, ‘No.’ So they said to him, ‘Who are you? We must take back an answer
to those who sent us. What have you to say about yourself?’ So John said, ‘I
am, as Isaiah prophesied:
a voice that cries
in the wilderness:
Make a straight
way for the Lord.’
Now these men had been sent by the Pharisees, and they
put this further question to him, ‘Why are you baptising if you are not the
Christ, and not Elijah, and not the prophet?’ John replied, ‘I baptise with
water; but there stands among you – unknown to you – the one who is
coming after me; and I am not fit to undo his sandal-strap.’ This happened at
Bethany, on the far side of the Jordan, where John was baptising. Handel: Messiah
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