Fourth Sunday of the
Apostles
June 1, 2008
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 1:16-33
Moses said to the people: "You
would not go up, but rebelled against the command of
the Lord your God; and you murmured in your tents,
and said, 'Because the Lord hated us he has brought
us forth out of the land of Egypt, to give us into
the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. Where are
we going? Our brethren have made our hearts melt,
saying, "The people are greater and taller than we;
the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and
moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim
there."' Then I said to you, 'Do not be in dread or
afraid of them. The Lord your God who goes before
you will himself fight for you, just as he did for
you in Egypt before your eyes, and in the
wilderness, where you have seen how the Lord your
God bore you, as a man bears his son, in all the way
that you went until you came to this place.' Yet in
spite of this word you did not believe the Lord your
God, who went before you in the way to seek you out
a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night, to
show you by what way you should go, and in the cloud
by day."
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Second Reading: Isaiah 1:10-20
Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of
Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you
people of Gomorrah! "What to me is the multitude of
your sacrifices? says the Lord; I have had enough of
burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; I
do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs,
or of he-goats. When you come to appear before me,
who requires of you this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an
abomination to me. New moon and sabbath and the
calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and
solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed
feasts my soul hates; they have become a burden to
me, I am weary of bearing them. When you spread
forth your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even
though you make many prayers, I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make
yourselves clean; remove the evil of your doings
from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do
good; seek justice, correct oppression; defend the
fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, let us
reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are
like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though
they are red like crimson, they shall become like
wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat
the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel,
you shall be devoured by the sword; for the mouth of
the Lord has spoken."
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Epistle: 1 Corinthians
9:13-end
Do you not know that those who are employed in the
temple service get their food from the temple, and
those who serve at the altar share in the
sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord
commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should
get their living by the gospel. But I have made no
use of any of these rights, nor am I writing this to
secure any such provision. For I would rather die
than have any one deprive me of my ground for
boasting. For if I preach the gospel, that gives me
no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon
me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! For if
I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if
not of my own will, I am entrusted with a
commission. What then is my reward? Just this: that
in my preaching I may make the gospel free of
charge, not making full use of my right in the
gospel. For though I am free from all men, I have
made myself a slave to all, that I might win the
more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win
Jews; to those under the law I became as one under
the law—though not being myself under the law—that I
might win those under the law. To those outside the
law I became as one outside the law—not being
without law toward God but under the law of
Christ—that I might win those outside the law. To
the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I
have become all things to all men, that I might by
all means save some. I do it all for the sake of the
gospel, that I may share in its blessings. Do you
not know that in a race all the runners compete, but
only one receives the prize? So run that you may
obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in
all things. They do it to receive a perishable
wreath, but we an imperishable. Well, I do not run
aimlessly, I do not box as one beating the air; but
I pommel my body and subdue it, lest after preaching
to others I myself should be disqualified.
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Gospel:
Luke 6:12-46
In these days he went
out to the mountain to pray; and all night he
continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, he
called his disciples, and chose from them twelve,
whom he named apostles; Simon, whom he named Peter,
and Andrew his brother, and James and John, and
Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas,
and James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was
called the Zealot, and Judas the son of James, and
Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And he came
down with them and stood on a level place, with a
great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude
of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the
seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear him and
to be healed of their diseases; and those who were
troubled with unclean spirits were cured. And all
the crowd sought to touch him, for power came forth
from him and healed them all.
And he lifted up his eyes on
his disciples, and said: "Blessed are you poor, for
yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you that
hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are
you that weep now, for you shall laugh. Blessed are
you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and
revile you, and cast out your name as evil, on
account of the Son of man! Rejoice in that day, and
leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in
heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.
But woe to you that are rich, for you have received
your consolation. Woe to you that are full now, for
you shall hunger. Woe to you that laugh now, for you
shall mourn and weep. Woe to you, when all men speak
well of you, for so their fathers did to the false
prophets. But I say to you that hear, Love your
enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those
who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To him
who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also;
and from him who takes away your coat do not
withhold even your shirt. Give to every one who begs
from you; and of him who takes away your goods do
not ask them again. And as you wish that men would
do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love
you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners
love those who love them. And if you do good to
those who do good to you, what credit is that to
you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend
to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit
is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to
receive as much again. But love your enemies, and do
good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and
your reward will be great, and you will be sons of
the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and
the selfish.
Be merciful, even as your
Father is merciful. Judge not, and you will not be
judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned;
forgive, and you will be forgiven; give, and it will
be given to you; good measure, pressed down, shaken
together, running over, will be put into your lap.
For the measure you give will be the measure you get
back. He also told them a parable: "Can a blind man
lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a
pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but every
one when he is fully taught will be like his
teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your
brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in
your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother,
'Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your
eye,' when you yourself do not see the log that is
in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log
out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly
to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.
For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a
bad tree bear good fruit; for each tree is known by
its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from
thorns, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush.
The good man out of the good treasure of his heart
produces good, and the evil man out of his evil
treasure produces evil; for out of the abundance of
the heart his mouth speaks. Why do you call me
'Lord, Lord,' and not do what I tell you?"
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Fifth Sunday of the Apostles
June 8, 2008
First
Reading: Deuteronomy 1:33-2:1
Moses said to the people: "The Lord heard your
words, and was angered, and he swore, 'Not one of these
men of this evil generation shall see the good land
which I swore to give to your fathers, except Caleb the
son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him and to his
children I will give the land upon which he has trodden,
because he has wholly followed the Lord!' The Lord was
angry with me also on your account, and said, 'You also
shall not go in there; Joshua the son of Nun, who stands
before you, he shall enter; encourage him, for he shall
cause Israel to inherit it. Moreover your little ones,
who you said would become a prey, and your children, who
this day have no knowledge of good or evil, shall go in
there, and to them I will give it, and they shall
possess it. But as for you, turn, and journey into the
wilderness in the direction of the Red Sea.'
________________
Second Reading: Isaiah 1:21-end
How the faithful city has become a harlot, she that was
full of justice! Righteousness lodged in her, but now
murderers. Your silver has become dross, your wine mixed
with water. Your princes are rebels and companions of
thieves. Every one loves a bribe and runs after gifts.
They do not defend the fatherless, and the widow's cause
does not come to them. Therefore the Lord says, the Lord
of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will vent my
wrath on my enemies, and avenge myself on my foes. I
will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your
dross as with lye and remove all your alloy. And I will
restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors
as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the
city of righteousness, the faithful city." Zion shall be
redeemed by justice, and those in her who repent, by
righteousness. But rebels and sinners shall be destroyed
together, and those who forsake the Lord shall be
consumed. For you shall be ashamed of the oaks in which
you delighted; and you shall blush for the gardens which
you have chosen. For you shall be like an oak whose leaf
withers, and like a garden without water. And the strong
shall become tow, and his work a spark, and both of them
shall burn together, with none to quench them.
____________________
Epistle: 1 Corinthians 14:1-19
Now, brethren, if I come to you speaking in tongues, how
shall I benefit you unless I bring you some revelation
or knowledge or prophecy or teaching? If even lifeless
instruments, such as the flute or the harp, do not give
distinct notes, how will any one know what is played?
And if the bugle gives an indistinct sound, who will get
ready for battle? So with yourselves; if you in a tongue
utter speech that is not intelligible, how will any one
know what is said? For you will be speaking into the
air. There are doubtless many different languages in the
world, and none is without meaning; but if I do not know
the meaning of the language, I shall be a foreigner to
the speaker and the speaker a foreigner to me. So with
yourselves; since you are eager for manifestations of
the Spirit, strive to excel in building up the church.
Therefore, he who speaks in a tongue should pray for the
power to interpret. For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit
prays but my mind is unfruitful. What am I to do? I will
pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also;
I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the
mind also. Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how
can any one in the position of an outsider say the
"Amen" to your thanksgiving when he does not know what
you are saying? For you may give thanks well enough, but
the other man is not edified. I thank God that I speak
in tongues more than you all; nevertheless, in church I
would rather speak five words with my mind, in order to
instruct others, than ten thousand words in a tongue.
______________________
Gospel: Luke 12:16-34
And he told them a parable,
saying, "The land of a rich man brought forth
plentifully; and he thought to himself, 'What shall I
do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?' And he said,
'I will do this: I will pull down my barns, and build
larger ones; and there I will store all my grain and my
goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample
goods laid up for many years; take your ease, eat,
drink, be merry.' But God said to him, 'Fool! This night
your soul is required of you; and the things you have
prepared, whose will they be?' So is he who lays up
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." And
he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not
be anxious about your life, what you shall eat, nor
about your body, what you shall put on. For life is more
than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the
ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither
storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much
more value are you than the birds!
And which of you by being
anxious can add a cubit to his span of life? If then you
are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you
anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they
grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even
Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of
these. But if God so clothes the grass which is alive in
the field today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven,
how much more will he clothe you, O men of little faith!
And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to
drink, nor be of anxious mind. For all the nations of
the world seek these things; and your Father knows that
you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these
things shall be yours as well. "Fear not, little flock,
for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms; provide
yourselves with purses that do not grow old, with a
treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no
thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also."
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Sixth Sunday of the
Apostles
June 15, 2008
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 4:1-9
"And now, O Israel, give heed to the statutes and
the ordinances which I teach you, and do them; that you
may live, and go in and take possession of the land
which the Lord, the God of your fathers, gives you. You
shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take
from it; that you may keep the commandments of the Lord
your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what
the Lord did at Baalpeor; for the Lord your God
destroyed from among you all the men who followed the
Baal of Peor; but you who held fast to the Lord your God
are all alive this day. Behold, I have taught you
statutes and ordinances, as the Lord my God commanded
me, that you should do them in the land which you are
entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do
them; for that will be your wisdom and your
understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when
they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this
great nation is a wise and understanding people.' For
what great nation is there that has a god so near to it
as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?
And what great nation is there, that has statutes and
ordinances so righteous as all this law which I set
before you this day? Only take heed, and keep your soul
diligently, lest you forget the things which your eyes
have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the
days of your life; make them known to your children and
your children's children.”
_________________
Second Reading:
Isaiah 2:1-21
The word which Isaiah the
son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. It shall
come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the
house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of
the mountains, and shall be raised above the hills; and
all the nations shall flow to it, and many peoples shall
come, and say: "Come, let us go up to the mountain of
the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may
teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths."
For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of
the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the
nations, and shall decide for many peoples; and they
shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their
spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any
more. O house of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light
of the Lord.
_________________
Epistle:
1 Corinthians 10:14-32
Therefore, my beloved, shun the worship of idols. I
speak as to sensible men; judge for yourselves what I
say. The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a
participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we
break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?
Because there is one bread, we who are many are one
body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the
people of Israel; are not those who eat the sacrifices
partners in the altar? What do I imply then? That food
offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is
anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they
offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be
partners with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the
Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the
table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we
provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
_________________
Gospel: Luke 12:57-13:17
"And why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?
As you go with your accuser before the magistrate, make
an effort to settle with him on the way, lest he drag
you to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the
officer, and the officer put you in prison. I tell you,
you will never get out till you have paid the very last
copper."
There were some present at that very time who told him
of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with
their sacrifices. And he answered them, "Do you think
that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the
other Galileans, because they suffered thus? I tell you,
No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.
Or those eighteen upon whom the tower in Siloam fell and
killed them, do you think that they were worse offenders
than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you,
No; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish."
And he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted
in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and
found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Lo, these
three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree,
and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the
ground?' And he answered him, 'Let it alone, sir, this
year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. And if
it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you
can cut it down.'"
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the
Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a spirit of
infirmity for eighteen years; she was bent over and
could not fully straighten herself. And when Jesus saw
her, he called her and said to her, "Woman, you are
freed from your infirmity." And he laid his hands upon
her, and immediately she was made straight, and she
praised God. But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant
because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, said to the
people, "There are six days on which work ought to be
done; come on those days and be healed, and not on the
Sabbath day." Then the Lord answered him, "You
hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie
his ox or his ass from the manger, and lead it away to
water it? And ought not this woman, a daughter of
Abraham whom Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed
from this bond on the Sabbath day?" As he said this, all
his adversaries were put to shame; and all the people
rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by
him.
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Seventh Sunday of the Apostles
June 22, 2008
First Reading:
Deuteronomy 4:10-24
Moses said to the people: "Therefore take good
heed to yourselves. Since you saw no form on the day
that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of
the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a
graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure,
the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any
beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged
bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything
that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that
is in the water under the earth. And beware lest you
lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun
and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you
be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things
which the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples
under the whole heaven. But the Lord has taken you, and
brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt,
to be a people of his own possession, as at this day.
Furthermore the Lord was angry with me on your account,
and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and
that I should not enter the good land which the Lord
your God gives you for an inheritance. For I must die in
this land, I must not go over the Jordan; but you shall
go over and take possession of that good land. Take heed
to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord
your God, which he made with you, and make a graven
image in the form of anything which the Lord your God
has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a devouring
fire, a jealous God.”
_______________
Second Reading:
Isaiah 5:8-25
Woe to those who join house to house, who add field to
field, until there is no more room, and you are made to
dwell alone in the midst of the land. The Lord of hosts
has sworn in my hearing: "Surely many houses shall be
desolate, large and beautiful houses, without
inhabitant. For ten acres of vineyard shall yield but
one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah."
Woe to those who rise early in the morning, that they
may run after strong drink, who tarry late into the
evening till wine inflames them! They have lyre and
harp, timbrel and flute and wine at their feasts; but
they do not regard the deeds of the Lord, or see the
work of his hands. Therefore my people go into exile for
want of knowledge; their honored men are dying of
hunger, and their multitude is parched with thirst.
Therefore Sheol has enlarged its appetite and opened its
mouth beyond measure, and the nobility of Jerusalem and
her multitude go down, her throng and he who exults in
her. Man is bowed down, and men are brought low, and the
eyes of the haughty are humbled. But the Lord of hosts
is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself
holy in righteousness. Then shall the lambs graze as in
their pasture, fatlings and kids shall feed among the
ruins.
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Epistle: 1 Corinthians 15:58-16:all
Therefore, my beloved
brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in
the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your
labor is not in vain. Now concerning the contribution
for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia,
so you also are to do. On the first day of every week,
each of you is to put something aside and store it up,
as he may prosper, so that contributions need not be
made when I come. And when I arrive, I will send those
whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to
Jerusalem. If it seems advisable that I should go also,
they will accompany me…Be watchful, stand firm in your
faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be
done in love…All the brethren send greetings. Greet one
another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting
with my own hand. If any one has no love for the Lord,
let him be accursed. Our Lord, come! The grace of the
Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with you all in
Christ Jesus. Amen.
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Gospel: Luke 13:22-end
He went on his way through towns and villages,
teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. And some one
said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?"
And he said to them, "Strive to enter by the narrow
door; for many, I tell you, will want to enter and will
not be able. When once the householder has risen up and
shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to
knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us.' He will
answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' Then
you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your
presence, and you taught in our streets.' But he will
say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from;
depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!' There you
will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of
God and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come
from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at
table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last
who will be first, and some are first who will be last."
At that very hour some Pharisees came, and said to him,
"Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you." And
he said to them, "Go and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast
out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the
third day I finish my course. Nevertheless I must go on
my way today and tomorrow and the day following; for it
cannot be that a prophet should perish away from
Jerusalem.' O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, killing the prophets
and stoning those who are sent to you! How often would I
have gathered your children together as a hen gathers
her brood under her wings, and you would not! Behold,
your house is forsaken. And I tell you, you will not see
me until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name
of the Lord!'"
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First
Sunday of Summer
June 29, 2008
First Reading: 1
Kings 18:30-39
Then Elijah said to all the people, "Come near
me;" and all the people came near him. And he repaired
the altar of the Lord that had been thrown down; Elijah
took twelve stones, according to the number of the
tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of the
Lord came, saying, "Israel shall be your name"; and with
the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord.
And he made a trench about the altar, as great as would
contain two measures of seed. And he put the wood in
order, and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on the
wood. And he said, "Fill four jars with water, and pour
it on the burnt offering, and on the wood." And he said,
"Do it a second time"; and they did it a second time.
And he said, "Do it a third time"; and they did it a
third time. And the water ran round about the altar, and
filled the trench also with water. And at the time of
the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came
near and said, "O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in
Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done
all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer
me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God,
and that you have turned their hearts back." Then the
fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering,
and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked
up the water that was in the trench. And when all the
people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said,
"The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God."
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Second Reading:
Acts 5:12-32
Now many signs and wonders were done among the people by
the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in
Solomon's Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but
the people held them in high honor. And more than ever
believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men
and women, so that they even carried out the sick into
the streets, and laid them on beds and pallets, that as
Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of
them. The people also gathered from the towns around
Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with
unclean spirits, and they were all healed. But the high
priest rose up and all who were with him, that is, the
party of the Sadducees, and filled with jealousy, they
arrested the apostles and put them in the common prison.
But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison
doors and brought them out and said, "Go and stand in
the temple and speak to the people all the words of this
Life." And when they heard this, they entered the temple
at daybreak and taught.
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Epistle: 2 Corinthians 1:8-14
For we do not want you to
be ignorant, brethren, of the affliction we experienced
in Asia; for we were so utterly, unbearably crushed that
we despaired of life itself. Why, we felt that we had
received the sentence of death; but that was to make us
rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead; he
delivered us from so deadly a peril, and he will deliver
us; on him we have set our hope that he will deliver us
again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many
will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted
us in answer to many prayers. For our boast is this, the
testimony of our conscience that we have behaved in the
world, and still more toward you, with holiness and
godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by the grace
of God. For we write you nothing but what you can read
and understand; I hope you will understand fully, as you
have understood in part, that you can be proud of us as
we can be of you, on the day of the Lord Jesus.
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Gospel:
Luke 14:1-14
One Sabbath when he went to dine at the house of a
ruler who belonged to the Pharisees, they were watching
him. And behold, there was a man before him who had
dropsy. And Jesus spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees,
saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?"
But they were silent. Then he took him and healed him,
and let him go. And he said to them, "Which of you,
having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well, will
not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?" And they
could not reply to this. Now he told a parable to those
who were invited, when he marked how they chose the
places of honor, saying to them, "When you are invited
by any one to a marriage feast, do not sit down in a
place of honor, lest a more eminent man than you be
invited by him; and he who invited you both will come
and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you
will begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when
you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that
when your host comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up
higher'; then you will be honored in the presence of all
who sit at table with you. For every one who exalts
himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will
be exalted." He said also to the man who had invited
him, "When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite
your friends or your brothers or your kinsmen or rich
neighbors, lest they also invite you in return, and you
be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor,
the maimed, the lame, the blind, and you will be
blessed, because they cannot repay you. You will be
repaid at the resurrection of the just."
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