The Circumcision of Christ

The Collect

ALMIGHTY 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.

The Epistle

Rom iv. 8.
   Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
   ⁹Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.
   ¹⁰How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
   ¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:
   ¹²And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.
   ¹³For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.
   ¹⁴For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

---

The Gospel

St. Luke ii. 15
   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.
   ¹⁶And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
   ¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
   ¹⁸And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
   ¹⁹But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
   ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
   ²¹And 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.