FIRST SUNDAY IN LENT

02/18/2024

INTROIT. Invocabit me. Ps. 91. HE shall call on me and I will hearken unto him: I will deliver him and baring him to honour: with length of days will I satisfy him. Ps. ibid. Whoso dwelleth under the defence of the Most High: shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. V. Glory be.

COLLECT-O LORD, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights: give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, to thy honour and glory.

First Lesson:  Genesis 1:2-9, 3:1-7

[2] The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face of the waters. [3] And God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. [4] And God saw that the light was good; and God separated the light from the darkness. [5] God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day. [6] And God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” [7] And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so. [8] And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day. [9] And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. [1]Now the serpent was more subtle than any other wild creature that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God say, `You shall not eat of any tree of the garden’?” [2] And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden; [3] but God said, `You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'” [4] But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die. [5] For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband, and he ate. [7] Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons.

Psalm 91

[1] He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Almighty,

[2] will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”

[3] For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;

[4] he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.

[5] You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day,

[6] nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness, nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

[7] A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand; but it will not come near you.

[8] You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked.

[9] Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your habitation,

[10] no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.

[11] For he will give his angels charge of you to guard you in all your ways.

[12] On their hands they will bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

[13] You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.

[14] Because he cleaves to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.

[15] When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will rescue him and honor him.

[16] With long life I will satisfy him, and show him my salvation.

EPISTLE. 2 Corinthians 6:1-10  1 We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) 3 Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: 4 But in all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 In stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; 6 By pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 By the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 By honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; 9 As unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; 10 As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

GRADUAL. Ps. 91. He shall give his Angels charge over thee: to keep thee in all thy ways. V. They shall bear thee in their hands: that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.

GOSPEL. Saint Matthew 4:1-11 1 AT that time: then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 2 And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungered. 3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. 4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, 6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. 7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. 8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11 Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

OFFERTORY. Ps. 91. The Lord shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers: his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.