Leader: The Spirit of the Lord was upon him.

All: To bring good news to the poor and to heal the brokenhearted.

O Almighty God, whom truly to know is everlasting life:

grant us to perfectly know thy Son Jesus Christ

as the way, the truth and the life, and that,

following in the footsteps of saints like Nicholas

who loved the poor, the weak and the young,

and who gave what he had to enrich those

who had but little,

we may faithfully walk in the way

that leads to eternal life;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

 

READINGS

PSALM 23
The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not be in want.

 

He makes me lie down in green pastures

and leads me beside still waters.

 

He revives my soul

and guides me along right pathways for his Name's sake.

 

Though I walk through the valley of the

shadow of death, I shall fear no evil;

 

for you are with me; your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

 

You spread a table before me in the presence

of those who trouble me;

 

you have anointed my head with oil,

and my cup is running over.

 

Surely your goodness and mercy shall

follow me all the days of my life,

 

and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

 

Glory to You, Source of All Being, .... Amen.

 

RESPONSE AFTER THE PSALM:

We call upon Your mercy, O Lord.

                Through the intercession of St. Nicholas,

                keep us safe amid all dangers

                so that we may go forward without hindrance

                on the road of salvation. Amen.

 

 

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

        1 JOHN 4:7-14

Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God;

everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love.

God's love was revealed among us in this way:

God sent his only Son into the world so that

we might live through him.

In this is love, not that we loved God

but that God loved us and sent Jesus

to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

Beloved, since God loved us so much,

we also ought to love one another.

No one has ever seen God;

if we love one another, God lives in us,

and God’s love is perfected in us.


By this we know that we abide in God and God in us,

because of the gift of the Spirit.

And we have seen and do testify that

the Father has sent Jesus as the Saviour of the world.

 

        The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.

All: We give thanks.

All: We give thanks.

All: We give thanks.

DISMISSAL