Saint Michael and All Angels, September 29

Collect:
O Everlasting God, who hast ordained and constituted the ministries of angels and men in a wonderful order: Mercifully grant that, as thy holy angels always serve and worship thee in heaven, so by thy appointment they may help and defend us on earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Genesis 28:10-17
Jacob left Beersheba and set out for Haran. When he reached a certain place, he stopped for the night because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones there, he put it under his head and lay down to sleep. He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. There above it stood the LORD, and he said: "I am the LORD, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying. Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring. I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I was not aware of it." He was afraid and said, "How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven."

Second Lesson: Revelation 12:7-12
And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down--that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down.
They overcame him
by the blood of the Lamb
and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
as to shrink from death.
Therefore rejoice, you heavens
and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
because he knows that his time is short."

Psalm: 103 or 103:19-22

1. Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
   and all that is within me, bless his holy Name.
2. Bless the LORD, O my soul, *
   and forget not all his benefits.
3. He forgives all your sins *
   and heals all your infirmities;
4. He redeems your life from the grave *
   and crowns you with mercy and loving-kindness;
5. He satisfies you with good things, *
   and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.
6. The LORD executes righteousness *
   and judgment for all who are oppressed.
7. He made his ways known to Moses *
   and his works to the children of Israel.
8. The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, *
   slow to anger and of great kindness.
9. He will not always accuse us, *
   nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, *
    nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11. For as the heavens are high above the earth, *
    so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.
12. As far as the east is from the west, *
    so far has he removed our sins from us.
13. As a father cares for his children, *
    so does the LORD care for those who fear him.
14. For he himself knows whereof we are made; *
    he remembers that we are but dust.
15. Our days are like the grass; *
    we flourish like a flower of the field;
16. When the wind goes over it, it is gone, *
    and its place shall know it no more.
17. But the merciful goodness of the LORD endures for ever
    on those who fear him, *
    and his righteousness on children's children;
18. On those who keep his covenant *
    and remember his commandments and do them.
19. The LORD has set his throne in heaven, *
    and his kingship has dominion over all.
20. Bless the LORD, you angels of his,
    you mighty ones who do his bidding, *
    and hearken to the voice of his word.
21. Bless the LORD, all you his hosts, *
    you ministers of his who do his will.
22. Bless the LORD, all you works of his,
    in all places of his dominion; *
    bless the LORD, O my soul.

Gospel: John 1:47-51
When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false."

"How do you know me?" Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you."

Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."

Jesus said, "You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You shall see greater things than that." He then added, "I tell you the truth, you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible

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