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.”
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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.
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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?
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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.
