The Officiant begins:
✠ O LORD, open thou our lips.
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.
✠ O GOD, make speed to save us
O LORD, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
Praise ye the Lord. The Lord's Name be praised. (From Easter Day until the eve of Trinity Sunday, Alleluia is added.)
The Appointed Psalms are said.
Psalm 37
F1RET not thyself because of the ungodly : neither be thou envious against the evil-doers.
2For they shall soon be cut down like the grass : and be withered even as the green herb.
3Put thou thy trust in the Lord, and be doing good : dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4Delight thou in the Lord : and he shall give thee thy heart's desire.
5Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him : and he shall bring it to pass.
6He shall make thy righteousness as clear as the light : and thy just dealing as the noon-day.
7Hold thee still in the Lord, and abide patiently upon him : but grieve not thyself at him whose way doth prosper, against the man that doeth after evil counsels.
8Leave off from wrath, and let go displeasure : fret not thyself, else shalt thou be moved to do evil.
9Wicked doers shall be rooted out : and they that patiently abide the Lord, those shall inherit the land.
10Yet a little while, and the ungodly shall be clean gone : thou shalt look after his place, and he shall be away.
11But the meek-spirited shall possess the earth : and shall be refreshed in the multitude of peace.
12The ungodly seeketh counsel against the just : and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13The Lord shall laugh him to scorn : for he hath seen that his day is coming.
14The ungodly have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow : to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as are of a right conversation.
15Their sword shall go through their own heart : and their bow shall be broken.
16A small thing that the righteous hath : is better than great riches of the ungodly.
17For the arms of the ungodly shall be broken : and the Lord upholdeth the righteous.
18The Lord knoweth the days of the godly : and their inheritance shall endure for ever.
19They shall not be confounded in the perilous time : and in the days of dearth they shall have enough.
20As for the ungodly, they shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord shall consume as the fat of lambs : yea, even as the smoke shall they consume away.
21The ungodly borroweth, and payeth not again : but the righteous is merciful and liberal.
22Such as are blessed of God shall possess the land : and they that are cursed of him shall be rooted out.
23The Lord ordereth a good man's going : and maketh his way acceptable to himself.
24Though he fall, he shall not be cast away : for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.
25I have been young, and now am old : and yet saw I never the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
26The righteous is ever merciful, and lendeth : and his seed is blessed.
27Flee from evil, and do the thing that is good : and dwell for evermore.
28For the Lord loveth the thing that is right : he forsaketh not his that be godly, but they are preserved for ever.
29The unrighteous shall be punished : as for the seed of the ungodly, it shall be rooted out.
30The righteous shall inherit the land : and dwell therein for ever.
31The mouth of the righteous is exercised in wisdom : and his tongue will be talking of judgement.
32The law of his God is in his heart : and his goings shall not slide.
33The ungodly seeth the righteous : and seeketh occasion to slay him.
34The Lord will not leave him in his hand : nor condemn him when he is judged.
35Hope thou in the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall promote thee, that thou shalt possess the land : when the ungodly shall perish, thou shalt see it.
36I myself have seen the ungodly in great power : and flourishing like a green bay-tree.
37I went by, and lo, he was gone : I sought him, but his place could no where be found.
38Keep innocency, and take heed unto the thing that is right : for that shall bring a man peace at the last.
39As for the transgressors, they shall perish together : and the end of the ungodly is, they shall be rooted out at the last.
40But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord : who is also their strength in the time of trouble.
41And the Lord shall stand by them, and save them : he shall deliver them from the ungodly, and shall save them, because they put their trust in him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
The First Lesson is read.
The First Lesson
1 Samuel 1:19-28
T19hey rose early in the morning and worshiped before the LORD; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.
20And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the LORD.”
21The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the LORD the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow.
22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the LORD and dwell there forever.”
23Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the LORD establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.
24And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. And the child was young.
25Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.
26And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD.
27For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.
28Therefore I have lent him to the LORD. As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.” And he worshiped the LORD there.
Then may be sung the Office Hymn.
Ave, maris stella
Hail, O Star that pointest Towards the port of heaven; Thou to whom as Maiden God for Son was given. When the salutation Gabriel had spoken. Peace was shed upon us, Eva's bonds were broken. Bound by Satan's fetters, Health and vision needing, God will aid and light us At thy gentle pleading. Jesu's tender Mother, Make thy supplication Unto him who chose thee At his Incarnation; That, O matchless Maiden, Passing meek and lowly, Thy dear Son may make us Blameless, chaste and holy. So, as now we journey, Aid our weak endeavour, Till we gaze on Jesus, And rejoice for ever. Father, Son, and Spirit, Three in One confessing, Give we equal glory, Equal praise and blessing. Amen.
Today is the Nativity of the holy Virgin Mary.
Whose glorious life illumineth all the churches.
Magnificat (The Song of Mary)
[Ant. Let us celebrate the worshipful Nativity of the blessed and glorious Virgin Mary: * whose lowliness the Lord regarded, when, at the word of an Angel, she conceived the world's Redeemer, alleluia.]
My soul doth magnify the Lord : and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For he hath regarded : the lowliness of his handmaiden. For behold, from henceforth : all generations shall call me blessed. For he that is mighty hath magnified me : and holy is his Name. And his mercy is on them that fear him : throughout all generations. He hath shewed strength with his arm : he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts. He hath put down the mighty from their seat : and hath exalted the humble and meek. He hath filled the hungry with good things : and the rich he hath sent empty away. He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel : as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
[Ant. Let us celebrate the worshipful Nativity of the blessed and glorious Virgin Mary: * whose lowliness the Lord regarded, when, at the word of an Angel, she conceived the world's Redeemer, alleluia.]
The Second Lesson is read.
The Second Lesson
Galatians 4:1-7
I1 mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything,
2but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father.
3In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world.
4But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.
6And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”
7So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
Nunc Dimittis (The Song of Simeon)
LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace : according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen : thy salvation; Which thou hast prepared : before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles : and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son : and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen.
Then shall be said the Apostles' Creed by the Officiant and the people, standing:
I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints; the Forgiveness of sins; the Resurrection of the body, and the Life everlasting. Amen.
Then follow these prayers, all devoutly kneeling:
O Lord, hear our prayer.
And let our cry come unto thee.
Let us pray. Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.
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. Amen.
O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.
O Lord, save the King.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.
Endue thy Ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.
O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.
Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.
O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.
Collect of the Day
Then shall follow the Collect of the Day, and after that these two Collects:
The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary
O Lord, we beseech thee, bestow on thy servants the gift of heavenly grace: that as our redemption began to dawn in the child-bearing of the Blessed Virgin Mary; so this festival of her Nativity may yield us an increase of peace; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Tuesday after the 14th Sunday after Trinity
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.
The Second Collect at Evening Prayer, for Peace
O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both, our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that, by thee, we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.
The Third Collect, for Aid against all Perils
Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
The Conclusion
In quires and places where they sing, an Anthem may follow. Then these Prayers may be read, or at least the Prayer of Saint Chrysostom and the Grace:
A Prayer for the King's Majesty
O LORD, our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes, who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lord, King CHARLES; and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that he may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way. Endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant him in health and wealth long to live; strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies; and finally after this life he may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Royal Family
ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless Queen Camilla, William Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family: Endue them with thy Holy Spirit; enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Prayer for the Clergy and People
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels: Send down upon our Bishops, and Curates, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer of Saint Chrysostom
ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests: Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.
The Grace
THE GRACE of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.