December 10
The Second Sunday of Advent

Today is the second Sunday of Advent, so here is the Collect, Epistle and Gospel from the 1549 edition of The Book of Common Prayer which was written and compiled by Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury…

The second Sunday in Advent

The Collect

Blessed lord, which hast caused all holy Scriptures to bee written for our learnyng: graunte us that we maye in suche wise heare them, read, marke, learne, and inwardly digeste them: that by pacience, and coumfort of thy holy woorde, we may embrace, and ever holde fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast geven us in our saviour Jesus Christe.

The Epistle – Romans XV

Whatsoever thinges are written afore time, they are written for our learning, that we through pacience, and comfort of the scriptures, might have hope. The God of pacience and consolation graunt you to be like minded one toward another, after the ensaumple of Christ Jesu: that ye all agreeyng together, may with one mouth prayse God the father of our lorde Jesus Christ: wherfore receive ye one another as Christ received us, to the prayse of God. And thys I say, that Jesus Christe is a minister of the circumcision for the trueth of God, to confirme the promises made unto the fathers, & that the Gentiles might praise God for his mercie, as it is written. For this cause I will praise thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name. And agayne he sayeth: rejoyce ye Gentiles with hys people. And againe: praise the Lorde, all ye Gentyles, and laude hym all ye nacyons together. And againe Esai sayeth: there shall be the rote of Jesse, and he that shall ryse to reigne over the Gentiles: in him shal the Gentiles trust. The God of hope fyll you with all joy and peace in belevyng, that ye may be riche in hope, through the power of the holy gost.

The Gospel – Luke XXI

There shalbe signes in the Sunne and in the Moone, and in the starres; and in the earth the people shalbe at their wittes ende, through despayre. The sea and the water shall roare, and mens heartes shall fayle them for feare, and for loking after those thinges which shall come on the earth. For the powers of heaven shall move. And then shall they see the sonne of man come in a cloude, with power and great glorye. When these thynges begynne to come to passe, then loke up, & lyft up your heades, for your redempcion draweth nye. And he shewed them a similytude: beholde the fygge tree, & all other trees, when they shote furth their buddes, ye see & knowe of your owne selves that sommer is then nye at hande. So lykewyse ye also (when ye see these thinges come to passe) be sure that the kyngdome of God is nye. Verely I saye unto you: this generacion shall not passe, tyll all be fulfylled. Heaven and earth shall passe: but my worde shall not passe.