FamilyPrayer: December 26

The Feast of St. Stephen

The Second Day ofChristmas

*Opening Sentence: Theirsound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world.Psalm 19:4

Confession: Let us kneel and confess our sins against God andour neighbor.

Mostmerciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, anddeed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not lovedyou with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We aretruly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, havemercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in yourways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

*Absolution: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sinsthrough our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the powerof the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen.

*Invitatory Saints

Lord,open our lips.

And our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

Alleluia! The Lord is glorious in his saints: Come letus adore him. Alleluia!

*Jubilate

Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands;
serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song.

Know this: The Lord himself is God;
he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep ofhis pasture.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name.

For the Lord is good;
his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age.

*Sing Psalm 28 (28A)

Responsive Reading: Psalm 30

To you I will cry, O Lord my Rock:

Donot be silent to me,

Lest, if you are silent to me,

Ibecome like those who go down to the pit.

Hear the voice of my supplicationswhen I cry to you,

WhenI lift up my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

Do not take me away with the wickedand with the workers of iniquity,

Whospeak peace to their neighbors, but evil is in their hearts.

Give to them according to theirdeeds,

Andaccording to the wickedness of their endeavors;

Give to them according to the workof their hands;

Renderto them what they deserve.

Because they do not regard the worksof the Lord, nor the operation of his hands,

Heshall destroy them and not build them up.

Blessed be the Lord,

Becausehe has heard the voice of my supplications!

The Lord is my strength and myshield;

Myheart trusted in him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoices,

Andwith my song I will praise him.

The Lord is their strength,

Andhe is the saving refuge of his anointed.

Save your people,

Andbless your inheritance;

Shepherd them also,

Andbear them up forever. Amen.

Gloria Patri

First Lesson Old Testament Lesson: 2 Chronicles24:17-22

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

*Sing Hymn #272 “Behold! The Mountain of the Lord”

Second Lesson New Testament Lesson: Acts 6:1-7

The Word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

St. Stephen: All that we know about Stephen is foundin Acts 6 & 7. He is known traditionally as one of the first deacons of thechurch, chosen because he was one “full of the Holy Spirit.” Stephen was aneloquent speaker as well as a provocative one. He declaration that the Templeservice was no longer the means by which penitent sinners should seekreconciliation with God enraged the Temple leaders who caused him to be stonedto death. Thus, Stephen became the first martyr of the Church.

Prayer Wegive you thanks, O Lord of glory, for the example of the first martyr Stephen,who looked up to heaven and prayed for his persecutors to your Son JesusChrist, who stands at your right hand: where he lives and reigns with you andthe Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Apostles’ Creed

The Lord’s Prayer

Suffrages

Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance;

Govern and uphold them, now and always.

Day by day we bless you;

We praise your name for ever.

Lord, keep us from all sin today;

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.

Lord, show us your love and mercy;

For we put our trust in you.

In you, Lord, is our hope;

And we shall never hope in vain.

A Collect for Peace (All): OGod, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life andto serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in allassaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fearthe power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Mission(All): O God, you have made of oneblood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peaceto those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that peopleeverywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold;pour out your Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom;through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Petitions and Intercessions: Let us pray now for our own needs and those ofothers.

For our Country (All): Almighty God, who has given us this good land forour heritage: We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves a peoplemindful of your favor and glad to do your will. Bless our land with honorableindustry, sound learning, and pure manners. Save us from violence, discord, andconfusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend ourliberties, and fashion us into one united people. Endue with the spirit ofwisdom those to whom in your Name we entrust the authority of government, thatthere may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to yourlaw, we may show forth your praise among the nations of the earth. In the timeof prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble,suffer not our trust in you to fail; all which we ask through Jesus Christ ourLord. Amen.

For the Oppressed (All): Look with pity, O heavenly Father, upon the people inthis land who live with injustice, terror, disease, and death as their constantcompanions. Have mercy upon us. Help us to eliminate our cruelty to these ourneighbors. Strengthen those who spend their lives establishing equal protectionof the law for all. And grant that every one of us may enjoy a fair portion ofthe riches of this land; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer of Self-Dedication (All):Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, sofill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours,utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray you, as you will, andalways to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord andSavior Jesus Christ. Amen.

General Thanksgiving (All):Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humblethanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you havemade. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings ofthis life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of theworld by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope ofglory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with trulythankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but inour lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before youin holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, towhom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages.Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom: Almighty God, you have given us grace at this timewith one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promisedthrough your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together inhis Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires andpetitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of yourtruth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

*Benediction

Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Thanksbe to God. Alleluia. Alleluia.

Glory to God whose power, working in us, can doinfinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation togeneration in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians3:20,21

Three-fold “Amen.”

Hymn #7: “Now Blessed Be the Lord Our God”