And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. _The same Collect, Epistle, and Gospel shall serve for every day after unto the Epiphany_. | THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS | | _This Collect, Epistle, and Gospel may also be used on any day_ | _after the Circumcision unto the Epiphany_. | | THE COLLECT. | | O God, who hast given us grace at this time to celebrate the | birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ: We laud and magnify thy | glorious Name for the countless blessings which he hath brought | unto us; and we beseech thee to grant that we may ever set forth | thy praise in joyful obedience to thy will; through the same | Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_. | | THE EPISTLE. Titus iii. 4. | | After that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man | appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, | but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of | regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on | us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being | justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to | the hope of eternal life. | | _Or_ 1 St John iv. 9. | | In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that | God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might | live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but | that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for | our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love | one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one | another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. | Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he | hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify | that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. | Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God | dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed | the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth | in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. | | THE GOSPEL. St Matth. xvi. 13. | | When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked | his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man