Sunday evening (December 6, 2020) is the second eve of the Second Sunday of Advent. Two candles may be lit on the Advent wreath or candleholder on this eve as on the first eve on Saturday evening.
Sunday evening is also the second eve of the Feast of Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra in the Western Church. He is sometimes called Saint Nicholas the Wonderworker for the miracles that he is said to have performed.
Saint Nicholas is “the patron saint of sailors, merchants, archers, repentant thieves, prostitutes, children, brewers, pawnbrokers, unmarried people, and students in various cities and countries around Europe.” He is reputed to have “rescued three girls from being forced into prostitution by dropping a sack of gold coins through the window of their house each night for three nights so their father could pay a dowry for each of them.”
The Church of England primary and elementary school that I attended in England as a small boy and where my mother was a teacher was named after the Saint Nicholas. Its badge was a golden crosier and staff crossed on a blue field with three golden sacks of coins.
In the Netherlands it is a tradition to put chocolate coins covered with gold foil paper and other small gifts in children’s shoes on the first eve of St. Nicholas’ feast day.
The order of service for Sunday evening is taken from the Anglican Church of Canada’s The Book of Alternative Services (1985) and was chosen for its brevity, simplicity, and adaptability to online use.
The Scripture reading for Sunday evening’s service is Matthew 24: 45-51.
The title of the homily for Sunday evening’s service is “Good Slave or Bad Slave? Which Are You?” If Jesus returned this very moment, how would he find you?
The link to Saturday evening’s service is:
https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/2020/12/all-hallows-evening-prayer-for-sunday.html#more
Please feel free to share this link with anyone whom you believe might benefit from the service.
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Previous services are online at:
https://allhallowsmurray.blogspot.com/
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