— Christmas Season—
Thursday after Epiphany
 

“...for whoever is begotten by God conquers the world. And the victory that conquers the world is our faith.” (1 John 5:4)

Saint Bede the Venerable comments on this verse from today’s First Reading:

“The commandments of God are not burdensome. All those who are bound to keep them with true devotion, despite the adversities of this world, regard its temptations with equanimity, even to the point of looking forward to death, because it is the gateway to the heavenly country. And lest anyone should think that we can somehow achieve all this by our own efforts, John adds that the substance of our victory is our faith, not our works.” (On 1 John)


Collect
O God,
Who through Your Son raised up
Your eternal light for
all nations,
grant that Your people may come to acknowledge
the full splendor of their Redeemer,
that, bathed ever more in His radiance,
they may reach everlasting glory.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.


Glory 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

 
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