The Introit
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom | shall I fear?*
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I | be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to eat | up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes, it is they who stum- | ble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me, my heart | shall not fear;
though war arise against me, yet I will be | confident .
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.
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom | shall I fear?*
The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I | be afraid?
When evildoers assail me to eat | up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes, it is they who stum- | ble and fall.
The Collect of the Day
O Lord, grant that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by Your governance that Your Church may joyfully serve You in all godly quietness; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Joseph Welcoming His Brothers in Egypt, mid-17th Century, by Francesco Giovane, Italian from the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Gradual
Atone for our sins, for your | name's sake!*
Why should the nations say, "Where | is their God?"
Help us, O God of our sal- | vation,*
for the glory of your name de- | liver us.
The Old Testament
Genesis 50:15-21
When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “Perhaps Joseph will hate us, and may actually repay us for all the evil which we did to him.” So they sent messengers to Joseph, saying, “Before your father died he commanded, saying, ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph: “I beg you, please forgive the trespass of your brothers and their sin; for they did evil to you.”’ Now, please, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.
Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
The Epistle
Romans 8:18-23
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.
Christ Enthroned with Saints, c. 1774, by Stefano Mulinari, Italian from the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Holy Gospel
Luke 6:36-42
Alleluia . You have sat on the throne, giving righteous judgment . The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Alleluia.
Jesus said, "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.
“Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”
And He spoke a parable to them: “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone who is perfectly trained will be like his teacher. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not perceive the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the plank that is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck that is in your brother’s eye.