The collect for today, the Feast of St. Alfred the Great (849-899), King of the West Saxons, Scholar (source):
O God our maker and redeemer,
we beseech thee of thy great mercy
and by the power of thy holy cross
to guide us by thy will and to shield us from our foes,
that, following the example of thy servant Alfred,
we may inwardly love thee above all things;
through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
The Lesson: Wisdom 6:1-3,9-12,24-25
The Gospel: St. Luke 6:43-49
Artwork: John Birnie Philip, Alfred the Great, 19th century. Stone and gold, Parliamentary Art Collection, House of Commons, London.