Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany
Introit • Ps. 96, 7, 8
Adore God, all you His angels: Sion hear, and was glad; and the daughters of Juda rejoiced. Ps. 96, 1. The Lord hath reigned; let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad. Glory be …
Collect (Prayer)
Keep Thy family, we beseech Thee, O Lord, with Thy continual mercy that, leaning only upon the hope of Thy heavenly grace, it may ever be defended by thy protection. Through our Lord.
Epistle • Col. 3, 12-17
Lesson from the Epistle of blessed Paul the Apostle to the Colossians.
[He exhorts them to put off the old man, and to put on the new. The duties of wives and husbands, children and servants.]
Brethren, put ye on therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, the bowels of mercy, benignity, humility, modesty, patience: Bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if any have a complaint against another: even as the Lord hath forgiven you, so do you also. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection: And let the peace of Christ rejoice in your hearts, wherein also you are called in one body: and be ye thankful.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, in all wisdom: teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual canticles, singing in grace in your hearts to God. All whatsoever you do in word or in work, do ye things, do ye in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God and the Father through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Gradual • Ps. 101, 16, 17
The Gentiles shall fear Thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory. For the Lord hath built up Sion, and He shall be seen in His majesty. Alleluia, alleluia. Ps. 96, 1. The Lord hath reigned, let the earth rejoice: let many islands be glad. Alleluia.
Gospel • Matt. 13, 24-30
Continuation of the Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew.
[The parables of the sower and the cockle: of the mustard seed, etc.]
At that time, Jesus spoke this parable to the multitudes: The kingdom of Heaven is likened to a man that to a man that sowed good seeds in his field. But while men were asleep, his enemy came and oversowed cockle among the wheat and went his way.
And when the blade was sprung up, and had brought forth fruit, then appeared also the cockle. And the servants of the goodman of the house coming said to him: Sir, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it cockle? And he said to them: An enemy hath done this. And the servants said to him: Wilt thou that we go and gather it up? ]And he said: No, lest perhaps gathering up the cockle, you root up the wheat also together with it. Suffer both to grow until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers: Gather up first the cockle, and bind it into bundles to burn, but the wheat gather ye into my barn.
Offertory • Ps. 117, 16, 17
The right hand of the Lord hath wrought strength, the right hand of the Lord hath exalted me: I shall not die, but live, and shall declare the works of the Lord.
Secret
We offer Thee, O Lord, the sacrifice of reconciliation, that Thou mayest mercifully forgive our sins and direct our wavering hearts. Through our Lord.
Communion • Luke 4, 22
They all wondered at these things, which proceeded from the mouth of God.
Postcommunion
We pray Thee, O almighty God, that we may receive the effect of that salvation of which we have received the pledge in these mysteries. Through our Lord.