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St. Nicholas (270-343) was born in what is today southwestern Turkey and was elected bishop of Myra, capital of the province, where he gained a reputation for holiness, charity, and pastoral zeal. (See ST. NICHOLAS )
O Holy ONE + open my lips,
~And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Blest is the One who comes in the NAME of our God
~Hosanna in the highest!
ST. NICHOLAS MORNING HYMN
From every land and every age
We sing of those who bravely wage
The saintly fight with Spirit’s sword
In mighty battle for the Lord.
Saint Nicholas, the Shepherd true,
Who brought his flock to faith anew,
Now by his prayers and faith secure
Draws us, for Jesus, to endure.
Now we rejoice on this his day
For in his life, in Christ’s sure way,
He saved Your children from their plight,
Defeated sin, put fear to flight.
And we, like sailors lost at sea,
Recall our saint, for surely he
Our patron, points us to the Lord
by whom all sinners are restored.
Now in this church we raise our cry
To God the Love of Saints on high.
And pray that, with St. Nich’las, we
May one day God in glorysee.
Text: Martin Smith; Tune: WINCHESTER NEW
PSALMODY
Those who wish may sing alternate verses with the cantor.
Antiphon
Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them;
for to such belongs the Realm of Heaven.
Psalm 102/103a
My soul, give thanks to Adonai,
all my being, bless the Holy Name.
My soul, give thanks to Adonai
and never forget all these blessings.
and gives you the strength of an eagle
Adonai does deeds of justice
and defends the poor and oppressed;
Teaches God’s ways to Moses,
and God’s deeds to the children of Israel.
As high as the heavens are above the Earth,
so great is God’s love for those who trust.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far does God remove our guilt.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
and to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
Let the little children come to me, do not hinder them;
for to such belongs the Realm of Heaven.
Reading: I John
Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God;
everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.
God’s love was revealed among us in this way:
God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him.
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us
and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father has sent his Son as the Savior of the world.
Listen to what the Spirit is saying to God’s people.
Thanks be to God.
Responsory:
R. Behold, I send my messenger before me. Who can endure the day of his coming?
*He is like the refiner’s fire, and the fuller’s herb.
V. He shall sit and purify the sons of Levi, and the offerings will be pleasing as they were in the days of old. *He is like the refiner’s fire, and the fuller’s herb.
V. Glory to the Abba, and the Word, and the Holy Breath of Love.
Gospel Canticle of Zachary Luke 1:68-79
Stand as you are able. The Gospel Canticle is preceded and followed by an antiphon based on the feast or Gospel of that day.
Antiphon:
When you give a dinner, invite the poor, the crippled and lame and the blind; for they cannot repay you. Alleluia.
It is customary to make the sign of the cross at the beginning of the Gospel Canticle.
Blessed + be Adonai, the God of Israel,
Who visits this people to set us free
Raising for us a sign of salvation
In the house and family of David.
God promised throughout past ages
In words of holy prophets
To save us from our enemies,
And from the control of our oppressors.
Adonai favored our ancestors
And remembered the sacred covenant.
The pledge to Abraham and Sarah
Is now renewed for us;
That freed from the grip of our foes
We might worship without fear
And be both just and holy
For the rest of our days.
And you, child, called “prophet of the Most High,”
Will go ahead to prepare the way,
By teaching this people of salvation
Through forgiveness of their sins.
For the loving compassion of the Holy One
As the Rising Sun will shine upon us
To illumine the darkness and dispel death’s shadow
To guide our feet on the way of peace.
Glory to the ONE and to the WORD
And to the BREATH of Love!
As always before,
so now and evermore. Amen
When you give a dinner, invite the poor, the crippled and lame and the blind; for they cannot repay you. Alleluia.
Intercessory Prayer
For all those charged with leadership in church, government, and society. May they always, like Saint Nicholas, act righteously, honestly, without self-interest, and with a warm heart for the weak.
May this celebration of Saint Nicholas, the warm-hearted children’s friend and liberator of the oppressed, keep our eyes, ears and hearts open to the poverty, the hunger, the sickness, the exploitation and the abuse that innumerable children can never be saved from without help; May it incite us to be, through prayer and deeds, a blessing for them.
May we, as members of the world house, with Bishop Nicholas as one of our guides, take the road to the celebration of the coming Holidays and HOLY DAYS, young at heart, friendly, playful, full of dreams, and fulfilled in hope.
Gathering our prayers and praise into one, we pray as Jesus taught the disciples:
Our Dear Abba …
Closing Prayer & Blessing
O Wondrous Love, Holy Source of all that is, we praise you on this special feast remembering the life and the legends of St. Nicholas. May his example of unconditional love for children and the poor inspire us to share the gifts we receive with any who are in need. For yours is the glory and power of Love, now and forever. Amen.
May the peace of the Holy ONE which surpasses all understanding + guard our hearts and our minds in Jesus-our Emmanuel. ~Amen.
Let us bless Adonai.
~Thanks be to God.