COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS. THE FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENTa. THE EPISTLE. Rom. xiii. S. Lectio Epistolæ beati Pauli Apostoli ad Romanos xiii. Fratres scientes quia hora est.... sed induemini Dominum Jesum Christum ". THE GOSPEL. St. Matthew xxi. 1. Evangelium secundum Mattheum xxi. In illo tempore cum appropinquasset....benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini . THE SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT 4. THE EPISTLE. Romans xv. 4. Ad Romanos xv. Quæcumque enim scripta.... et virtute Spiritus Sanctie. a A post-communion prayer for Advent, in the sacramentary of Gelasius, seems to resemble the collect. “Preces populi sui, quæsumus Domine, clementer exaudi; ut qui de adventu Unigeniti tui secundum carnem lætantur; in secundo cum venerit in majestate sua, præmium æternæ vitæ percipiant. Per.” Gelasii Sacr. Muratori, Liturg. Rom. Vet. tom. i. p. 683. Ambros. Sacr. ap. Pamel. Liturgic. tom. i. p. 441. MS. Leofr. fol. 154. The introduction of this collect is evidently derived from the Epistle. b Miss. Sarisb. Dom. i. Adv. fol. x. c Miss. Sarisb. fol. xi. d The collect is founded on the epistle. In the liturgy collect after the reading of the scriptures, which may be thought to merit transcription. Ὁ ἐνηχήσας ἡμᾶς Θεὸς τὰ θεῖά σου λόγια καὶ σωτήρια, φώτισον τὰς ψυχὰς ἡμῶν τῶν ἁμαρτω‐ λῶν εἰς τὴν τῶν προλεχθέντων κατάληψιν, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἀκροατὰς ὀφθῆναι τῶν πνευματικῶν ᾀσμάτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποιητὰς πράξεων ἀγαθῶν, πίστιν μετερχομένους ἀνύπουλον, βίον ἄμεμπτον, πολιτείαν ἀνέγκλητον. In the very next prayer part of our collect is embodied. Δέστ ποτα ζωοποιέ, καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν χορηγὲ, ὁ δοὺς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὴν μακαρίαν ἐλπίδα τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, τὸν κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, κ. τ. λ. Lit. Jacobi Assemani Cod. Lit. tom. v. p. 14, 15. e Miss. Sarisb. fol. xii. Dom. of S. James, there is a good 2, Adventus. THE GOSPEL. St. Luke xxi. 25. Secundum Lucam xxi. Erunt signa in sole....verba autem mea non transibuntf. THE THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENTS. THE EPISTLE. 1 Cor. iv. 1. Ad Corinthos 1. iv. Sic nos existimet homo ut ministros Christi....laus erit unicuique à Deoh. THE GOSPEL. St. Matt. xi. 2. Secundum Mattheum xi. Cum audisset Joannes....qui præparabit viam tuam ante te1. THE FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. THE COLLECT. O Lord, raise up we pray thee thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Amen. Excita, quæsumus, Domine potentiam tuam et veni, et magna nobis virtute succurre ; ut per auxilium gratiæ tuæ quod nostra peccata præpediunt, indulgentia tuæ propitiationis acceleret. Qui vivis et regnas cum Deo Patrej f Miss. Sar. fol. xii. g This collect resembles some very ancient prayers for Advent. "Excita Domine corda nostra ad præparandas Unigeniti tui vias, ut per ejus adventum purificatis tibi mentibus servire mereamur. Qui tecum vivit et regnat," &c. Miss. Sar. Dom. 2, Advent. fol. xii. MS. Leofr. 150. "Conscientias nostras quæsumus, Omnipotens Deus, cotidie visitando purifica; ut veniente Domino Filio tuo, paratam sibi in nobis inveniat mansionem." Gelas. Sacr. Murat. tom. i. p. 681, Gregorii Sacr. Menard. p. 202. Ambros. Sacr. Pamel. tom. i. p. 443. MS. Sacrament. Leofr. fol. 154. h Miss. Sar. Dom. 3, Adv. fol. xiii. i Miss. Sar. Dom. 3, Adv. fol. xiii. j Miss. Sar. Dom. 4, Adventus, fol. xv.; MS. Leofr. fol. 153; Sacr. Gelasii, Murat. tom. i. p. 680; Gregorii, Menard. p. 201; Ambrosii, Pamel. tom. i. p. 445. THE EPISTLE. Phil. iv. 4. Ad Philippenses iv. Gaudete in Domino....et intelligentias vestras in Christo Jesu Domino nostro*. THE GOSPEL. St. John i. 19. Secundum Johannem primo. Miserunt Judæi....ubi erat Joannes baptizans'. THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD". THE EPISTLE. Hebrews i. 1. Ad Hebræos primo. Multifarie multisque modis.... et anni tui non deficient". THE GOSPEL. St. John i. 1. Initium sancti evangelii secundum Joannem primo. In principio erat Verbum....plenum gratiæ et veritatis". SAINT STEPHEN'S DAY. THE COLLect. Grant, O Lord, that in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testi Da nobis, quæsumus, Domine, imitari quod colimus, ut discamus et inimicos diligere, Miss. Sarisb. Dom. 4, Adv. nerationis est auctor, ita et immortalitatis sit ipse largitor. fol. xv. 'Miss. Sarisb. Dom. 4, Adv. Qui tecum vivit, et regnat fol. xv. 66 m Though the collect for this day is not directly translated from the ancient offices of the church; yet we may trace a similarity of ideas between it and two collects in the sacramentary of Gregory and the liturgy of Sarum. Almighty God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin; Grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same Lord Jesus Christ," &c. "Præsta quæsumus, Omnipotens Deus, ut natus hodie Salvator mundi, sicut divinæ nobis ge Our 66 Deus." Miss. Sarisb. fol. xviii. Sacramentar. Gregorii Menard. p. 7. Omnipotens sempiterne Deus, qui hunc diem per incarnationem Verbi tui, et partum beatæ Mariæ Virginis consecrasti, da populis tuis in hac celebritate consortium, ut qui tua gratia sunt redempti, tua sint adoptione securi. Per eundem." Sacr. Gregor. Menard. p. 7. n Miss. Sarisb. 3 Missa in die Nativit. Domini, fol. xviii. Miss. Mosarabic. Mabillon, de Lit. Gal. p. 107. Comes vel Lectionarius Pamel. Liturg. tom. ii. p. 2. o Miss. Sarisb. 3 Missa in die Nat. Dom. fol. xviii. Capitula ap. Marten. tom. Anecdot. p. 65. V. mony of thy truth, we may stedfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and being filled with the Holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first martyr St. Stephen, who prayed for his murderers to thee, O blessed Jesus, who standest at the right hand of God to succour all those that suffer for thee our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen. quia ejus natalitia celebramus, qui novit etiam pro persecutoribus exorare Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium tuum qui tecum vivit et regnat P. FOR THE EPISTLE. Acts vii. 55. Epistola. Lectio Actuum Apostolorum vi. et vii. Stephanus plenus gratia et fortitudine ....obdormivit in Domino 9. THE GOSPEL. St. Matth. xxiii. 34. Secundum Mattheum xxiii. Ecce ego mitto ad vos....dicatis, Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini". SAINT JOHN THE EVANGELIST'S DAY. THE COLLECT. Merciful Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy church, that it being enlightened by the doctrine of thy blessed apostle and evangelist St. John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that Ecclesiam tuam quæsumus Domine benignus illustra: ut beati Joannis apostoli tui et evangelista illuminata doctrinis, ad dona perveniat sempiterna. Per Dominum $. it may at length attain to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE GOSPEL. St. John xxi. 19. Evangelium secundum Joannem xxi. Dixit Jesus Petro....et scimus quia verum est testimonium ejus. THE INNOCENTS' DAY. THE COLLECT. O Almighty God, who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify thee by their deaths; Mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our faith, even unto death, we may glorify thy holy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Deus cujus hodierna die præconium innocentes martyres, non loquendo sed moriendo, confessi sunt; omnia in nobis vitiorum mala mortifica, ut fidem tuam, quam lingua nostra loquitur, etiam moribus vita fateatur. Per ". FOR THE EPISTLE. Rev. xiv. 1. Lectio libri Apocalypsis beati Joannis Apostoli xiv. In diebus illis vidi....sine macula enim sunt ante thronum Dei ". THE GOSPEL. St. Matth. ii. 13. Secundum Mattheum ii. Angelus Domini apparuit in somnis Joseph....et noluit consolari quia non sunt ". Joannis evangelistæ. fol. xix. MS. Leofric. 159. Gregorii Liber Sacr. Menard. p. 10. t Miss. Sarisb. in die S. Joannis evangelistæ, fol. xix. MS. Leofric. 159. Capitula Martene, p. 66. tom. v. Comes Pamel. Lit. tom. ii. p. 3. " Miss. Sarisb. In die Sanctorum Innocentium martyrum, fol. xix. MS. Sacramentar. Leofr. 160. Sacramentar. Gregorii Menard. p. 11. Sacr. Gelasii, Muratori Lit. Rom. tom. i. p. 499. Comes MS. V Miss. Sarisb. fol. xix. MS. |