COLLECTS FOR SPECIAL DAYS.

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ST. ANDREW'S DAY.

LMIGHTY God, who didst give such grace unto thy holy Apostle Saint Andrew, that he readily obeyed the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him without delay; grant unto us all, that we, being called by thy holy Word, may forthwith give up ourselves obediently to fulfil thy holy commandments, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE.

LMIGHTY and ever-living God, who, for the greater confirmation of the faith, didst suffer thy holy Apostle Thomas to be doubtful in thy Son's resurrection; grant us so perfectly, and without all doubt, to believe in thy Son Jesus Christ, that our faith in thy sight may never be reproved. Hear us, O Lord, through the same Jesus Christ, to whom, with thee, be all honor and glory, now and for evermore. Amen.

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CHRISTMAS DAY.

THE NATIVITY OF OUR LORD.

LMIGHTY God, who hast given us thine only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a virgin; grant that we, being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit. And this we beg in the name of Jesus Christ, through whom we ascribe unto thee all honor and glory, now and ever. Amen.

ST. STEPHEN'S DAY.

GRANT, O Lord, that, in all our sufferings here upon earth for the testimony of thy truth, we may steadfastly look up to heaven, and by faith behold the glory that shall be revealed; and, being filled with the Holy Ghost, may learn to love and bless our persecutors by the example of thy first martyr, Saint Stephen, who prayed for his murderers, which we ask through the blessed Jesus Christ our Lord, who standeth at the right hand of God to succor all those who suffer for him, the everlasting Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

ST. JOHN THE EVANGELIST'S DAY.

MERCIFUL Lord, we beseech thee to cast thy bright beams of light upon thy Church, that it, being instructed by the doctrine of thy blessed Apostle and Evangelist Saint John, may so walk in the light of thy truth, that it may at length attain to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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THE INNOCENTS' DAY.

ALMIGHTY God, who out of the mouths of babes and sucklings hast ordained strength, and madest infants to glorify thee by their deaths; mortify and kill all vices in us, and so strengthen us by thy grace, that by the innocency of our lives, and constancy of our faith even unto death, we may glorify thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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THE CIRCUMCISION OF CIIRIST.

LMIGHTY God, who madest thy blessed Son to be circumcised, and obedient to the Law for man, grant us the true Circumcision of the Spirit: that, our hearts, and all our members, being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will, through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

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THE EPIPHANY,

OR THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST TO THE GENTILES.

GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only begotten Son to the Gentiles, mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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THE CONVERSION OF ST. PAUL.

GOD, who, through the preaching of the blessed Apostle Saint Paul, hast caused the light of the Gospel to shine throughout the world; grant, we beseech thee, that we, having his wonderful conversion in remembrance, may show forth our thankfulness unto thee for the same, by following the holy doctrine which he taught, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE PRESENTATION OF CHRIST IN THE TEMPLE,

COMMONLY CALLED, THE PURIFICATION OF SAINT MARY THE VIRGIN.

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LMIGHTY and ever-living God, we humbly beseech thy Majesty, that as thy only-begotten Son was this day presented in the temple in substance of our flesh, so we may be presented unto thee with pure and clean hearts, by the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ST. MATTHIAS'S DAY.

ALMIGHTY God, who into the place of the traitor Judas didst choose thy faithful servant Matthias to be of the number of the twelve Apostles; grant that thy Church, being always preserved from false apostles, may be ordered and guided by faithful and true pastors, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

THE ANNUNCIATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY.

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E beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts; that as we have known the incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ by the message of an angel, so by his cross and passion we may be brought unto the glory of his resurrection, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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ST. MARK'S DAY.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast instructed thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of the Evangelist Saint Mark, give us grace that, being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrines, we may be established in the truth of thy holy Gospel, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ST. PHILIP AND ST. JAMES'S DAY.

ALMIGHTY God, whom truly to know is everlasting life, grant us perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life; that, following the steps of thy holy Apostles Saint Philip and Saint James, we may steadfastly walk in the way that leadeth to eternal life, through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GRANT,

THE ASCENSION DAY.

RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens, so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee, world without end.

Amen.

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ST. BARNABAS THE APOSTLE.

LORD God Almighty, who didst endue thy holy Apostle Barnabas with singular gifts of the Holy Ghost, leave us not, we beseech thee, destitute of thy manifold gifts, nor yet of grace to use them alway to thy honor and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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ST. JOHN BAPTIST'S DAY.

LMIGHTY God, by whose providence thy servant John Baptist was wonderfully born, and sent to prepare the way of thy Son our Saviour, by preaching repentance; make us so to follow his doctrine and holy life, that we may truly repent according to his preaching; and after his example constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke vice, and patiently suffer for the truth's sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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ST. PETER'S DAY.

ALMIGHTY God, who by thy Son Jesus Christ didst give to thy Apostle Saint Peter many excellent gifts, and commandedst him earnestly to feed thy flock; make, we beseech thee, all pastors diligently to preach thy holy word, and the people obediently to follow the same, that they may receive the crown of everlasting glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ST. JAMES THE APOSTLE.*

GRANT, O merciful God, that as thine holy Apostle Saint James,

leaving his father and all that he had, without delay was obedient unto the calling of thy Son Jesus Christ, and followed him; so we, forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may be evermore ready to follow thy holy commandments, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.