Prayer. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, whose only Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ, did patiently endure such contradiction of sinners against Himself; Mercifully grant that neither in word nor in deed I may ever deny Him; nor through fear or shame may ever fail to confess Him, my only Saviour and Redeemer; who liveth and reigneth with Thee, and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. AMEN. JESUS IS FALSELY ACCUSED, AND IMPIOUSLY CONDEMNED OF THE JEWS' COUNCIL, CONFESSETH HIMSELF TO BE THE SON OF GOD; SHAMEFULLY ABUSED, AND THE THIRD TIME DENIED BY PETER. ST. MATT. xxvi. 59-68, 73-75; ST. MARK xiv. 55-65, 70-72; ST. LUKE Xxii. 59— 71; ST. JOHN Xviii. 26, 27. Now the chief priests, and elders, and all the council, sought false witness against Jesus to put Him to death; but found none. And the high-priest answered and said unto Him, I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless, I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Then the high-priest rent his clothes, saying, He hath spoken blasphemy; and they all condemned Him to be guilty of death. Then did they spit in His face, and buffeted Him, and smote Him with the palms of their hands. And about the space of one hour after [the former denials] they that stood by, said unto Peter, Surely thou also art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto. But he began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak. And the second time the cock crew. And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, D Before the cock crow twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly. Prayers. ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which Thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when He shall come again in His glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through Him who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. AMEN. O LORD Jesus Christ, who by the crowing of the cock didst remind Thine Apostle Peter of his sin in denying Thee, and by Thy look didst move him to repentance with tears; Open Thine eye of mercy upon me, and grant that by the calls of Thy holy Spirit and the warnings of conscience, I may so be awakened to a sense of my offences |