The Lessons Appointed for Use on the Feast of
William Augustus Muhlenberg
Priest, 1877 April 8

Ephesians 4:11-16
Matthew 21:12-16
Psalm 84:1-6 or
Psalm 133

Preface of a Saint (1)

Do not let your Church close its eyes, O Lord, to the plight of the poor and neglected, the homeless and destitute, the old and the sick, the lonely and those who have none to care for them. Give us the vision and compassion with which you so richly endowed your servant William Augustus Muhlenberg, that we may labor tirelessly to heal those who are broken in body or spirit, and to turn their sorrow into joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 4:11-16

The gifts Christ gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.

Psalm 84:1-6 Page 707, BCP

Quam dilecta!

1

How dear to me is your dwelling, O LORD of hosts! *
My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the LORD;
my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2

The sparrow has found her a house
and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *
by the side of your altars, O LORD of hosts,
my King and my God.

3

Happy are they who dwell in your house! *
they will always be praising you.

4

Happy are the people whose strength is in you! *
whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.

5

Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *
for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.

6

They will climb from height to height, *
and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.

or

Psalm 133 Page 787, BCP

Ecce, quam bonum!

1

Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *
when brethren live together in unity!

2

It is like fine oil upon the head *
that runs down upon the beard,

3

Upon the beard of Aaron, *
and runs down upon the collar of his robe.

4

It is like the dew of Hermon *
that falls upon the hills of Zion.

5

For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: *
life for evermore.

Matthew 21:12-16

Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were selling and buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. He said to them, "It is written,

`My house shall be called a house of prayer';

but you are making it a den of robbers."

The blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he cured them. But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read,

`Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies

you have prepared praise for yourself'?"

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle and Gospel lessons are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Church of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.

The Collects, Psalms and Canticles are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.

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