The Introit
I saw the Lord sitting up-|on a throne,*
high and | lifted up;
Then I heard the voice of a great multitude, | crying out,*
"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Al- | mighty reigns."
Make a joyful noise to the LORD, | all the earth!*
Serve theLORD with gladness! Come into his presence with | singing!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and will be forever. Amen.
I saw the Lord sitting up-|on a throne,*
high and | lifted up;
Then I heard the voice of a great multitude, | crying out,*
"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Al- | mighty reigns."
The Collect of the Day
O Lord, mercifully receive the prayers of Your people who call upon You and grant that they both perceive and know what things they ought to do and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfill the same; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Biblical Scene with Priests Carrying the Ark, c. 1630-1646, by Christoffel van Sichem II or Christoffel van Sichem III, Dutch from the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Gradual
Blessed be the LORD, the God of | Israel,*
who alone does | wondrous things.
Let the mountains bear prosperity for the | people,*
and the hills, in | righteousness!
The First Lesson
1 Kings 8:6-13
Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
Then Solomon spoke:
“The Lord said He would dwell in the dark cloud.
I have surely built You an exalted house,
And a place for You to dwell in forever.”
The Epistle
Romans 12:1-5
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
Christ in the Temple, ca. 1860, by Julius Ernst, Swiss, from the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Holy Gospel
Luke 2:41-52
Alleluia. Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Serve the LORD with gladness! Alleluia.
His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.”
And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.
Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.