FOR THE EPISTLE. Isaiah lxiii. 1.
Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah?
this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness
of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like
him that treadeth in the wine-fat? I have trodden the wine-press
alone, and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread
them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood
shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my
raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year
of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help;
and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own
arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury it upheld me. And I
will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in
my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth. I will
mention the loving-kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the
Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the
great goodness towards the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed
on them, according to his mercies, and according to the multitude
of his loving-kindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people,
children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. In all their
affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved
them: in his love, and in his pity, he redeemed them, and he bare
them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled,
and vexed his Holy Spirit; therefore he was turned to be their
enemy, and he fought against them. Then he remembered the days of
old, Moses and his people, saying, Where is he that brought them
up out of the sea with the shepherd of his flock? where is he
that put his Holy Spirit within him? that led them by the right
hand of Moses, with his glorious arm, dividing the water before
them, to make himself an everlasting name? that led them through
the deep as an horse in the wilderness, that they should not
stumble? As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of
the Lord caused him to rest: so didst thou lead thy people, to
make thyself a glorious name. Look down from heaven, and behold
from the habitation of thy holiness and of thy glory; where is
thy zeal and thy strength, the sounding of thy bowels, and of thy
mercies towards me? Are they restrained? Doubtless thou art our
Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge
us not: Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer, thy name is
from everlasting. O Lord, why hast thou made us to err from thy
ways? and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy
servants' sake, the tribes of thine inheritance. The people of
thy holiness have possessed it but a little while: our adversaries
have trodden down thy sanctuary. We are thine: thou never barest
rule over them; they were not called by thy name.
THE GOSPEL. St Mark xiv. 1.
After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened
bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might
take him by craft, and put him to death. But they said, Not on the
feast-day, lest there be an uproar of the people. And being in
Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there
came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very
precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head. And
there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said,
Why was this waste of the ointment made? for it might have been sold
for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor:
and they murmured against her. And Jesus said, Let her alone; why
trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me: for ye have the
poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good;
but me ye have not always. She hath done what she could; she is
come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto
you, Wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole
world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a
memorial of her. And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto
the chief priests to betray him unto them. And when they heard it
they were glad, and promised to give him money. And he sought how
he might conveniently betray him. And the first day of unleavened
bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him,
Where wilt thou that we go and prepare, that thou mayest eat the
passover? And he sendeth forth two of his disciples, and saith unto
them, Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing
a pitcher of water; follow him: and wheresoever he shall go in, say
ye to the good-man of the house, The Master saith, Where is the
guest-chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?
And he will shew you a large upper-room furnished and prepared:
there make ready for us. And his disciples went forth, and came
into the city, and found as he had said unto them: and they made
ready the passover. And in the evening he cometh with the twelve.
And as they sat, and did eat, Jesus said, Verily I say unto you,
One of you which eateth with me shall betray me. And they began to
be sorrowful, and to say unto him one by one, Is it I? and another
said, Is it I? And he answered and said unto them, It is one of
the twelve that dippeth with me in the dish. The Son of Man indeed
goeth, as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son
of Man is betrayed: good were it for that man if he had never been
born. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and
brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.
And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to
them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my
blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. Verily I say
unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that
day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God. And when they had
sung an hymn they went out into the mount of Olives. And Jesus
saith unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night:
for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall
be scattered. But, after that I am risen, I will go before you
into Galilee. But Peter said unto him, Although all shall be
offended, yet will not I. And Jesus saith unto him, Verily I say
unto thee, That this day, even in this night, before the cock crow
twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. But he spake the more vehemently,
If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise.
Likewise also said they all. And they came to a place which was
named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here,
while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter and James and
John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy, and saith
unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death; tarry ye
here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the
ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass
from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto
thee; take away this cup from me; nevertheless, not what I will,
but what thou wilt. And he cometh and findeth them sleeping, and
saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch
one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation: the
spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went
away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned
he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither
wist they what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and
saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough,
the hour is come; behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands
of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at
hand. And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of
the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves,
from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. And he that
betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall
kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And as
soon as he was come he goeth straightway to him, and saith,
Master, master; and kissed him. And they laid their hands on him,
and took him. And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and
smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus
answered, and said unto them, Are ye come out as against a thief,
with swords and with staves, to take me? I was daily with you in
the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the Scriptures must
be fulfilled. And they all forsook him, and fled. And there followed
him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked
body; and the young men laid hold on him: and he left the linen
cloth, and fled from them naked. And they led Jesus away to the
high priest: and with him were assembled all the chief priests
and the elders and the scribes. And Peter followed him afar off,
even into the palace of the high priest; and he sat with the
servants, and warmed himself at the fire. And the chief priests and
all the council sought for witness against Jesus to put him to
death; and found none. For many bare false witness against him,
but their witness agreed not together. And there arose certain,
and bare false witness against him, saying, We heard him say, I
will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three
days I will build another made without hands. But neither so did
their witness agree together. And the high priest stood up in the
midst, and asked Jesus, saying, Answerest thou nothing? what is it
which these witness against thee? But he held his peace, and
answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto
him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said,
I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of
power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest
rent his clothes, and saith, What need we any further witnesses?
ye have heard the blasphemy: what think ye? And they all condemned
him to be guilty of death. And some began to spit on him, and to
cover his face, and to buffet him, and to say unto him, Prophesy:
and the servants did strike him with the palms of their hands. And
as Peter was beneath in the palace there cometh one of the maids
of the high priest; and when she saw Peter warming himself she
looked upon him, and said. And thou also wast with Jesus of
Nazareth. But he denied, saying, I know not, neither understand I
what thou sayest. And he went out into the porch; and the cock
crew. And a maid saw him again, and began to say to them that
stood by, This is one of them. And he denied it again. And a little
after, they that stood by said again to Peter, Surely thou art one
of them; for thou art a Galilaean, and thy speech agreeth there
to. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this
man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And Peter
called to mind the word that Jesus said unto him, Before the cock
crow twice, thou shalt deny me thrice. And when he thought
thereon, he wept.