Preface of a Saint (1)

The Collect

Almighty and everlasting God, who raises up educators and teachers of the faith in every generation of your church: Grant that following the example of your servant Adelaide Teague Case, we might be bold to proclaim the reconciling power of Christ’s love in our own generation. Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

Old Testament

Proverbs 4:1-9

Listen, children, to a father’s instruction,
and be attentive, that you may gain insight;

for I give you good precepts:
do not forsake my teaching.

When I was a son with my father,
tender, and my mother’s favorite,

he taught me, and said to me,

“Let your heart hold fast my words;
keep my commandments, and live.

Get wisdom; get insight: do not forget, nor turn away
from the words of my mouth.

Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;
love her, and she will guard you.

The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,
and whatever else you get, get insight.

Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;
she will honor you if you embrace her.

She will place on your head a fair garland;
she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.”

The Psalm

Psalm 134

Ecce nunc

1 Behold now, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, *
you that stand by night in the house of the Lord.

2 Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the Lord; *
the Lord who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.

The Epistle

Hebrews 5:11–6:1

About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

Therefore let us go on toward perfection, leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith toward God.

The Gospel

Mark 4:21-25

Jesus said to the disciples, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under the bushel basket, or under the bed, and not on the lampstand? For there is nothing hidden, except to be disclosed; nor is anything secret, except to come to light. Let anyone with ears to hear listen!” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear; the measure you give will be the measure you get, and still more will be given you. For to those who have, more will be given; and from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.”

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