The Annunciation
according to the use of the
Episcopal Church
March 25
Readings
Isaiah 7:10-14
Hebrews 10:5-10
Luke 1:26-38
Psalm 40:1-11 or 40:5-10 or Canticle 3 or 15
Old Testament
Isaiah 7:10-14
Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, Ask a sign of the LORD your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the LORD to the test. Then Isaiah said: "Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
The Psalm
Psalm
40:1-11 or 40:5-10
- 1
- I waited patiently upon the LORD; *
he stooped to me and heard my cry.- 2
- He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; *
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.- 3
- He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; *
many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the LORD.- 4
- Happy are they who trust in the LORD! *
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.- 5
- Great things are they that you have done, O LORD my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us! *
there is none who can be compared with you.- 6
- Oh, that I could make them known and tell them! *
but they are more than I can count.- 7
- In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure *
(you have given me ears to hear you);- 8
- Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required, *
and so I said, "Behold, I come.- 9
- In the roll of the book it is written concerning me: *
'I love to do your will, O my God;
your law is deep in my heart.'"- 10
- I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation; *
behold, I did not restrain my lips;
and that, O LORD, you know.- 11
- Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;
I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance; *
I have not concealed your love and faithfulness from the great
congregation.
or
Canticle 3 or 15
The Magnificat
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior; *
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed: *
the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones, *
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel, *
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
The promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
The Epistle
Hebrews 10:5-10
When Christ came into the world, he said,
"Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired,
but a body you have prepared for me;
in burnt offerings and sin offerings
you have taken no pleasure.
Then I said, 'See, God, I have come to do your will, O God'
(in the scroll of the book it is written of me)."
When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law), then he added, "See, I have come to do your will." He abolishes the first in order to establish the second. And it is by God's will that we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
The Gospel
Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And he came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you." But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God. And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. For nothing will be impossible with God." Then Mary said, "Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.
Psalm 8, 138 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, ‘Did God say, “You shall not eat from any tree in the garden”?’ The woman said to the serpent, ‘We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden; but God said, “You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch it, or you shall die.” ’ But the serpent said to the woman, ‘You will not die; for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ 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, who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’ He said, ‘I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.’ He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, ‘What is this that you have done?’ The woman said, ‘The serpent tricked me, and I ate.’ The Lord God said to the serpent, How beautiful upon the mountains
Depart, depart, go out from there! Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. But someone has testified somewhere, It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings.
Psalm 110:1-5(6-7), 132
Psalm
8
Domine, Dominus noster
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
your majesty is praised above the heavens.
to quell the enemy and the avenger.
the moon and the stars you have set in their courses,
the son of man that you should seek him out?
you adorn him with glory and honor;
you put all things under his feet:
even the wild beasts of the field,
and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea.
how exalted is your Name in all the world!
Psalm
138
Confitebor tibi
before the gods I will sing your praise.
and praise your Name, *
because of your love and faithfulness;
and your word above all things.
you increased my strength within me.
when they have heard the words of your mouth.
that great is the glory of the LORD.
he perceives the haughty from afar.
you stretch forth your hand against the fury of my enemies;
your right hand shall save me.
O LORD, your love endures for ever;
do not abandon the works of your hands.
First Reading
Genesis 3:1-15
‘Because you have done this,
cursed are you among all animals
and among all wild creatures;
upon your belly you shall go,
and dust you shall eat
all the days of your life.
I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will strike your head,
and you will strike his heel.’
Romans 5:12-21
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned— sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when there is no law. Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the one who was to come.
But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died through the one man’s trespass, much more surely have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for the many. And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man’s sin. For the judgement following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brings justification. If, because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Therefore just as one man’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man’s act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all. For just as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. But law came in, with the result that the trespass multiplied; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, just as sin exercised dominion in death, so grace might also exercise dominion through justification leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
or
Galatians 4:1-7
My point is this: heirs, as long as they are minors, are no better than slaves, though they are the owners of all the property; but they remain under guardians and trustees until the date set by the father. So with us; while we were minors, we were enslaved to the elemental spirits of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God.
Psalm 85, 87
Psalm
85
Benedixisti, Domine
you have restored the good fortune of Jacob.
and blotted out all their sins.
and turned yourself from your wrathful indignation.
let your anger depart from us.
will you prolong your anger from age to age?
that your people may rejoice in you?
and grant us your salvation.
for he is speaking peace to his faithful people
and to those who turn their hearts to him.
that his glory may dwell in our land.
righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
and righteousness shall look down from heaven.
and our land will yield its increase.
and peace shall be a pathway for his feet.
Psalm
87
Fundamenta ejus
First Reading
the LORD loves the gates of Zion
more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
O city of our God.
behold Philistia, Tyre, and Ethiopia:
in Zion were they born.
and the Most High himself shall sustain her."
"These also were born there."
"All my fresh springs are in you."
Isaiah 52:7-12
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
together they sing for joy;
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth together into singing,
you ruins of Jerusalem;
for the Lord has comforted his people,
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations;
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
Touch no unclean thing;
go out from the midst of it, purify yourselves,
you who carry the vessels of the Lord.
For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight;
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rearguard.
‘What are human beings that you are mindful of them,
or mortals, that you care for them?
You have made them for a little while lower than the angels;
you have crowned them with glory and honour,
subjecting all things under their feet.’
Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them, but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.
Psalm
110
Dixit Dominus
until I make your enemies your footstool."
saying, "Rule over your enemies round about you.
in the beauty of holiness have I begotten you,
like dew from the womb of the morning."
"You are a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
will smite kings in the day of his wrath; *
he will rule over the nations.
he will smash heads over the wide earth.
therefore he will lift high his head.]
Psalm
132
Memento, Domine
and all the hardships he endured;
and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
nor climb up into my bed;
nor let my eyelids slumber;
a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
we found it in the fields of Jearim.
let us fall upon our knees before his footstool."
you and the ark of your strength.
let your faithful people sing with joy.
do not turn away the face of your Anointed.
in truth, he will not break it:
will I set upon your throne.
and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *
their children will sit upon your throne for evermore."
he has desired her for his habitation:
here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
and satisfy her poor with bread.
and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.
I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.
but as for him, his crown will shine."
First Reading
Wisdom 9:1-12
‘O God of my ancestors and Lord of mercy,
who have made all things by your word,
and by your wisdom have formed humankind
to have dominion over the creatures you have made,
and rule the world in holiness and righteousness,
and pronounce judgement in uprightness of soul,
give me the wisdom that sits by your throne,
and do not reject me from among your servants.
For I am your servant, the son of your servant-girl,
a man who is weak and short-lived,
with little understanding of judgement and laws;
for even one who is perfect among human beings
will be regarded as nothing without the wisdom that comes from you.
You have chosen me to be king of your people
and to be judge over your sons and daughters.
You have given command to build a temple on your holy mountain,
and an altar in the city of your habitation,
a copy of the holy tent that you prepared from the beginning.
With you is wisdom, she who knows your works
and was present when you made the world;
she understands what is pleasing in your sight
and what is right according to your commandments.
Send her forth from the holy heavens,
and from the throne of your glory send her,
that she may labour at my side,
and that I may learn what is pleasing to you.
For she knows and understands all things,
and she will guide me wisely in my actions
and guard me with her glory.
Then my works will be acceptable,
and I shall judge your people justly,
and shall be worthy of the throne of my father.
Second Reading
John 1:9-14
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Saints