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Tuesday, February 1, 2022 – Eve of the Presentation of the Lord Collect

Living God, in Christ you make all things new.  Transform the poverty of our nature by the riches of your grace, and in the renewal of our lives make known your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.  AMEN.Come, let us worship. 

 The Proclamation of the Word1st Reading:  Isaiah 52:1-12 (NRSV)

Let Zion Rejoice

Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion!  Put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for the uncircumcised and the unclean shall enter you no more.  Shake yourself from the dust, rise up, O captive Jerusalem; loose the bonds from your neck, O captive daughter Zion!For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money. For thus says the Lord God: Long ago, my people went down into Egypt to reside there as aliens; the Assyrian, too, has oppressed them without cause.  Now therefore, what am I doing here, says the Lord, seeing that my people are taken away without cause? Their rulers howl, says the Lord, and continually, all day long, my name is despised. Therefore my people shall know my name; therefore on that day they shall know that it is I who speak; here am I.How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’  Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion.  Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem.  The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.Depart, depart, go out from there!  Touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of it, purify yourselves, you who carry the vessels of the Lord.  For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rearguard. 

Psalm 61 (Book of Alternative Services page 781):

1   Hear my cry, O God, * and listen to my prayer.

2   I call upon you from the ends of the earth with heaviness in my heart; * set me upon the rock that is higher than I.

3   For you have been my refuge, * a strong tower against the enemy.

4   I will dwell in your house for ever; * I will take refuge under the cover of your wings.

5   For you, O God, have heard my vows; * you have granted me the heritage of those who fear your name.

6   Add length of days to the king’s life; * let his years extend over many generations.

7   Let him sit enthroned before God for ever; * bid love and faithfulness watch over him.

8   So will I always sing the praise of your name, * and day by day I will fulfil my vows.

 God of our salvation, when we are depressed and fearful, teach us the way of quiet confidence and hope. We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.  Amen.  

2nd Reading:  Galatians 4:12-20 (NRSV)

Friends, I beg you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong. You know that it was because of a physical infirmity that I first announced the gospel to you; though my condition put you to the test, you did not scorn or despise me, but welcomed me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What has become of the goodwill you felt? For I testify that, had it been possible, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me. Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth? They make much of you, but for no good purpose; they want to exclude you, so that you may make much of them. It is good to be made much of for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you.  My little children, for whom I am again in the pain of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, I wish I were present with you now and could change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. 

Gospel Reading:  Mark 8:1-10 (NRSV)

Feeding the Four Thousand

In those days when there was again a great crowd without anything to eat, he called his disciples and said to them, ‘I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way—and some of them have come from a great distance.’ His disciples replied, ‘How can one feed these people with bread here in the desert?’ He asked them, ‘How many loaves do you have?’ They said, ‘Seven.’ Then he ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground; and he took the seven loaves, and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to his disciples to distribute; and they distributed them to the crowd. They had also a few small fish; and after blessing them, he ordered that these too should be distributed.  They ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.  Now there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.  And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.  And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.  For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, forever and ever.  Amen.

 Closing Prayer

Remember us, gracious God, when we cannot see your way and purpose, and renew in us the joy of your kingdom of light and life.  We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. May the grace of God uphold you, the peace of God surround you, the love of God flow from you and the strength of God protect and bring you safely through this day.  Amen. God bless and keep us through this season of our lives -