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OPENING PRAYER
O God, be within us as a voice of announcement that we may hear what you will birth in this day.
OPENING WORDS
O God, come to my assistance.
Make haste to help me, O God.
COLLECT FOR WORSHIP
Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name. Blessed are you and blessed is your Kin-Dom forever. Amen.
GLORIA
Glory be to God, who is—who was—and who is to come. Glory be to the Beloved and Anointed One in whose way we follow. Glory be to the Advocate and Comforter in whom we live and move and have our being. God as One—God in Three—Blessed and Holy Trinity. Amen.
COLLECT FOR THE DAY
Loving God, Source of Life, Word of Truth: we thank you for being not only Spirit, but also Flesh. May we know the fullness of what Incarnation means for us and for all. Amen.
PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION
Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Reveal to us, O God, the way of Jesus that we may follow where he leads.
SCRIPTURE READING
Six months later, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a young woman named Mary; she was engaged to a man named Joseph, of the house of David. Upon arriving, the angel said to Mary, “Rejoice, highly favored one! God is with you! Blessed are you among women!” Mary was deeply troubled by these words and wondered what the angel’s greeting meant. The angel went on to say to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. You have found favor with God. You’ll conceive and bear a son, and give to him the name Jesus—‘which means God is my salvation.’ His dignity will be great, and he will be called the Only Begotten of God. God will give Jesus the judgment seat of David, his ancestor, to rule over the house of Jacob forever, and his reign will never end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have never been with a man?” The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you—hence the offspring to be born will be called the Holy One of God. Know too that Elizabeth, your kinswoman, has conceived a child in her old age; she who was thought to be infertile is now in her sixth month. Nothing is impossible with God.” Mary said, “I am the servant of God. Let it be done to me as you say.” With that, the angel left her.
—Luke 2.26ff
Holy Wisdom.
Holy Word.
Thanks be to God.
CANTICLE OF MARY
“My soul proclaims your greatness, O God, and my spirit rejoices in you, my Savior. For you have looked with favor upon your lowly servant, and from this day forward all generations will call me blessed. For you, the Almighty, have done great things for me, and holy is your Name. Your mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear you. You have shown strength with your arm; you have scattered the proud in their conceit; you have deposed the mighty from their thrones and raised the lowly to high places. You have filled the hungry with good things, while you have sent the rich away empty. You have come to the aid of Israel your servant, mindful of your mercy—the promise you made to our ancestors—to Sarah and Abraham and their descendants forever.” —Luke 2.46ff
THE PRAYER OF JESUS
Almighty God, like a parent who loves their children, you dearly love us. Most holy is your Name, in heaven and on earth. Your Kin-Dom come, your will be done, always and everywhere. Grant us the portion of what we need in this day. Teach us to share that all may have enough. Forgive us of our wrong doings, as we forgive those who have wronged us. Test not our faith, for it will always be found lacking without your grace. Protect us from evil. For yours is the Eternal Sovereignty, the Power Almighty, and the Majesty in Glory, forever and ever. Amen.
PRAYER FOR THE DAY
Bearer of Life, your Divine Image is alive in places thought to be barren and without possibility. Mary, the Mother of the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, was your chosen vessel of grace. And, in that grace we see the reality that is true for each one of us. We are your people, spirit and flesh, love incarnate. Help us to live up to this our very nature that the whole human family—in all times and places—may come together for the common good. May we be the peace and justice that is our birthright, not just for we ourselves, but for all peoples. Your Kin-Dom come; your will be done—here and now as it is in heaven—to the glory of your Name and the fulfillment of our integrity. Blessed are You and Blessed are we in your creation, redeeming, and sustaining presence, now and forevermore. Amen.
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