Francis de Sales, Bishop, and Jane de Chantal, Vowed Religious, Workers of Charity 1622 and 1641

The Collect:

Rite I:
Most Gracious God, who hast bidden us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before thee; Grant that we, like thy servants Francis and Jane, may see and serve Christ in all people, and know him as the giver of all good things; Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Rite II:
Most Gracious God, who has bidden us to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly before you; Grant that we, like your servants Francis and Jane, may see and serve Christ in all people, and know him as the giver of all good things; Through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Judges 6:11–24

¹¹Now the angel of the Lord came and sat under the oak at Ophrah, which belonged to Joash the Abiezrite, as his son Gideon was beating out wheat in the wine press, to hide it from the Midianites. ¹²The angel of the Lord appeared to him and said to him, ‘The Lord is with you, you mighty warrior.’ ¹³Gideon answered him, ‘But sir, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors recounted to us, saying, “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?” But now the Lord has cast us off, and given us into the hand of Midian.’ ¹⁴Then the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours and deliver Israel from the hand of Midian; I hereby commission you.’ ¹⁵He responded, ‘But sir, how can I deliver Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.’ ¹⁶The Lord said to him, ‘But I will be with you, and you shall strike down the Midianites, every one of them.’ ¹⁷Then he said to him, ‘If now I have found favour with you, then show me a sign that it is you who speak with me. ¹⁸Do not depart from here until I come to you, and bring out my present, and set it before you.’ And he said, ‘I will stay until you return.’

¹⁹So Gideon went into his house and prepared a kid, and unleavened cakes from an ephah of flour; the meat he put in a basket, and the broth he put in a pot, and brought them to him under the oak and presented them. ²⁰The angel of God said to him, ‘Take the meat and the unleavened cakes, and put them on this rock, and pour out the broth.’ And he did so. ²¹Then the angel of the Lord reached out the tip of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the meat and the unleavened cakes; and fire sprang up from the rock and consumed the meat and the unleavened cakes; and the angel of the Lord vanished from his sight. ²²Then Gideon perceived that it was the angel of the Lord; and Gideon said, ‘Help me, Lord God! For I have seen the angel of the Lord face to face.’ ²³But the Lord said to him, ‘Peace be to you; do not fear, you shall not die.’ ²⁴Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord, and called it, The Lord is peace. To this day it still stands at Ophrah, which belongs to the Abiezrites.

Psalm: Psalm 34

¹ I will bless the Lord at all times; *
       his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
² I will glory in the Lord; *
       let the humble hear and rejoice.
³ Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord;
       let us exalt his Name together.
⁴ I sought the Lord, and he answered me *
       and delivered me out of all my terror.
⁵ Look upon him and be radiant, *
       and let not your faces be ashamed.
⁶ I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me *
       and saved me from all my troubles.
⁷ The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, *
       and he will deliver them.
⁸ Taste and see that the Lord is good; *
       happy are they who trust in him!
⁹ Fear the Lord, you that are his saints, *
       for those who fear him lack nothing.
¹⁰ The young lions lack and suffer hunger, *
       but those who seek the Lord lack nothing that is good.
¹¹ Come, children, and listen to me; *
       I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
¹² Who among you loves life *
       and desires long life to enjoy prosperity?
¹³ Keep your tongue from evil-speaking *
       and your lips from lying words.
¹⁴ Turn from evil and do good; *
       seek peace and pursue it.
¹⁵ The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, *
       and his ears are open to their cry.
¹⁶ The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, *
       to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.
¹⁷ The righteous cry, and the Lord hears them *
       and delivers them from all their troubles.
¹⁸ The Lord is near to the brokenhearted *
       and will save those whose spirits are crushed.
¹⁹ Many are the troubles of the righteous, *
       but the Lord will deliver him out of them all.
²⁰ He will keep safe all his bones; *
       not one of them shall be broken.
²¹ Evil shall slay the wicked, *
       and those who hate the righteous will be punished.
²² The Lord ransoms the life of his servants, *
       and none will be punished who trust in him.

Gospel: Mark 12:41–44

⁴¹He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴²A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. ⁴³Then he called his disciples and said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.’