Category: Prayers and liturgy

The collect for today, the Feast of St Theodore of Tarsus (602-690), Archbishop of Canterbury (source):

Almighty God, who didst call thy servant Theodore of Tarsus from Rome to the see of Canterbury, and didst give him gifts of grace and wisdom to establish unity where there had been division, and order where there had been chaos: Create in thy Church, we pray, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, such godly union and concord that it may proclaim, both by word and example, the Gospel of the Prince of Peace; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

The Epistle: 2 Timothy 2:1-5,10
The Gospel: St Matthew 24:42-47

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The collect for today, the Feast of St Ninian (d. c. 432), Bishop of Galloway, Apostle to the Picts (source):

Almighty and everlasting God,
who didst call thy servant Ninian to preach the gospel
to the people of northern Britain:
raise up, we beseech thee, in this and every land,
heralds and evangelists of thy kingdom,
that thy Church may make known the immeasurable riches
of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ,
who liveth and reigneth with thee,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

The Lesson: Isaiah 49:1-6
The Gospel: St Matthew 28:16-20

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The collect for today, the commemoration of Dante Alighieri (1265-1321), Poet, Spiritual Writer (source):

Almighty God, who didst move thy servant Dante Alighieri to portray in magificent poetry thy steadfast rejection of sin, thy loving correction of those who repent, and the joy of abiding in thy presence forever: Grant us the grace to acknowledge our sins and to see clearly the utter emptiness of life without thee, the grace to amend our lives and to embrace willingly the means whereby thou dost perfect us in holiness and love of thee, and the grace to abide in thy will and rejoice in thy presence both in this life and in the life to come; the which we ask through Jesus Christ our Savior, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever.

With the Lesson and Gospel for a Doctor of the Church, Poet, or Scholar
The Lesson: Daniel 2:17-24
The Gospel: St Matthew 13:9-17

Artwork: Domenico di Michelino, Dante and the Three Kingdoms, 1465. Oil on canvas, Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence.

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The collect for today, Holy Cross Day, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

O BLESSED Saviour, who by thy cross and passion hast given life unto the world: Grant that we thy servants may be given grace to take up the cross and follow thee through life and death; whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit we worship and glorify, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Epistle: Philippians 2:5-11
The Gospel: St John 12:31-36

Artwork: Adam Elsheimer, The Veneration of the Cross, c. 1607. Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main.

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The collect for today, the Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

ALMIGHTY and merciful God, of whose only gift it cometh that thy faithful people do unto thee true and laudable service: Grant, we beseech thee, that we may so faithfully serve thee in this life, that we fail not finally to attain thy heavenly promises; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle: Galatians 5:16-24
The Gospel: St Luke 10:25-37

Artwork: William Hogarth, The Good Samaritan, 1737.  Oil on canvas, St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London.

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The collect for today, the Feast of Saint Aidan (d. 651), Monk of Iona, Missionary, first Bishop and Abbot of Lindisfarne (source):

O loving God, who didst call thy servant Aidan from the Peace of a cloister to re-establish the Christian mission in northern England, and didst endow him with gentleness, simplicity, and strength: Grant, we beseech thee, that we, following his example, may use what thou hast given us for the relief of human need, and may persevere in commending the saving Gospel of our Redeemer Jesus Christ; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Epistle: 1 Corinthians 9:16-23
The Gospel: St Matthew 19:27-30

Artwork: St Aidan, 19th-century stained glass, from the East window, North transept, Cartmel Priory, England.

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The collect for today, the Beheading of St John the Baptist, from The Book of Common Prayer (Canadian, 1962):

O God, who didst send thy messenger, John the Baptist, to be the forerunner of the Lord, and to glorify thee by his death: Grant that we, who have received the truth of thy most holy Gospel, may bear our witness thereunto, and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth’s sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For the Epistle: Jeremiah 1:17-19
The Gospel: St Mark 6:17-29

Artwork: Pierre-Cécile Puvis de Chavannes, The Beheading of St John the Baptist, c. 1869. Oil on canvas, National Gallery, London.

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The collect for today, the Feast of St Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo, Doctor of the Church (source):

O merciful Lord,
who didst turn Augustine from his sins to be a faithful bishop and teacher:
grant that we may follow him in penitence and godly discipline,
till our restless hearts find their rest in thee;
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 Epistle: Hebrews 12:22-24,28-29
The Gospel: St John 14:6-15

Artwork: Vittore Carpaccio, St Augustine in his Study, c 1511. Oil on canvas, Scuola di San Giorgio degli Schiavoni, Venice.

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