 Reuben Condie |
EPIPHANY 9 YEAR A
SUNDAY NEXT BEFORE LENT
On this Sunday the Church of England
allows only one of the two options in the Revised Common Lectionary.
Both provisions are given below. The Church of England provision
is the first set.
FIRST READING Exodus 34.29-35
A reading from the book of Exodus.
29 Moses
came down from Mount Sinai. As he came down from the mountain
with the two tablets of the covenant in his hand, Moses did not
know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking
with God.
30 When
Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face was
shining, and they were afraid to come near him.
31 But
Moses called to them; and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation
returned to him, and Moses spoke with them.
32 Afterwards
all the Israelites came near, and he gave them in commandment
all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.
33 When
Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face;
34 but
whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he would
take the veil off, until he came out; and when he came out, and
told the Israelites what he had been commanded,
35 the
Israelites would see the face of Moses, that the skin of his face
was shining; and Moses would put the veil on his face again, until
he went in to speak with him.
PSALM Psalm 99
RR Proclaim the greatness of the Lord our God.
1 The Lord is king; let the people
tremble; he is enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth shake.
2 The
Lord is great in Zion; he is high above all peoples.
3 Let
them confess his name, which is great and awesome; he is the Holy
One. RR
4 'O
mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you
have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob.'
5 Proclaim
the greatness of the Lord our God and fall down before his footstool;
he is the Holy One. RR
6 Moses
and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call upon
his name, they called upon the Lord and he answered them.
7 He
spoke to them out of the pillar of cloud; they kept his testimonies
and the decree that he gave them. RR
8 'O
Lord our God, you answered them indeed; you were a God who forgave
them, yet punished them for their evil deeds.'
9 Proclaim
the greatness of the Lord our God and worship him upon his holy
hill; for the Lord our God is the Holy One. RR
SECOND READING 2 Corinthians 3.12 - 4.2
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
12 Since
we have such a hope, we act with great boldness,
13 not
like Moses, who put a veil over his face to keep the people of
Israel from gazing at the end of the glory that was being set
aside.
14 But
their minds were hardened. Indeed, to this very day, when they
hear the reading of the old covenant, that same veil is still
there, since only in Christ is it set aside.
15 Indeed,
to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their
minds;
16 but
when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.
17 Now
the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there
is freedom.
18 And
all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as
though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same
image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from
the Lord, the Spirit.
1 Therefore,
since it is by God's mercy that we are engaged in this ministry,
we do not lose heart.
2 We
have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to
practise cunning or to falsify God's word; but by the open statement
of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone
in the sight of God.
GOSPEL (Short or long reading) Luke 9.28-36, (37-43)
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
28 Jesus
took with him Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain
to pray.
29 And
while he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and
his clothes became dazzling white.
30 Suddenly
they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him.
31 They
appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure, which he
was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 Now
Peter and his companions were weighed down with sleep; but since
they had stayed awake, they saw his glory and the two men who
stood with him.
33 Just
as they were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, 'Master, it is
good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' Peter did not know what he
said.
34 While
he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they
were terrified as they entered the cloud.
35 Then
from the cloud came a voice that said, 'This is my Son, my Chosen;
listen to him!'
36 When
the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And the disciples
kept silent and in those days told no one any of the things they
had seen.
[ 37 On
the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great
crowd met him.
38 Just
then a man from the crowd shouted, 'Teacher, I beg you to look
at my son; he is my only child.
39 Suddenly
a spirit seizes him, and all at once he shrieks. It throws him
into convulsions until he foams at the mouth; it mauls him and
will scarcely leave him.
40 I
begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.' 41 Jesus
answered, 'You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer
must I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.'
42 While
he was coming, the demon dashed him to the ground in convulsions.
But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave
him back to his father.
43 And
all were astounded at the greatness of God. Everyone was amazed
at all that he was doing. ]
Or
REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY ONLY
FIRST READING 1 Kings 8.22-23, 41-43
A reading from the first book of Kings.
22 Solomon
stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the
assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven.
23 He
said, 'O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven
above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love
for your servants who walk before you with all their heart.
41 When
a foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, comes from a distant
land because of your name -
42 for
they shall hear of your great name, your mighty hand, and your
outstretched arm - when a foreigner comes and prays towards this
house,
43 then
hear in heaven your dwelling-place, and do according to all that
the foreigner calls to you, so that all the peoples of the earth
may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and
so that they may know that your name has been invoked on this
house that I have built.'
PSALM Psalm 96.1-9
RR Ascribe to the Lord honour and power.
1 Sing to the Lord a new song; sing
to the Lord, all the whole earth.
2 Sing
to the Lord and bless his name; proclaim the good news of his
salvation from day to day.
3 Declare
his glory among the nations and his wonders among all peoples.
RR
4 For
great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; he is more to be
feared than all gods.
5 As
for all the gods of the nations, they are but idols; but it is
the Lord who made the heavens.
6 O
the majesty and magnificence of his presence! O the power and
the splendour of his sanctuary! RR
7 Ascribe
to the Lord, you families of the peoples; ascribe to the Lord
honour and power.
8 Ascribe
to the Lord the honour due to his name; bring offerings and come
into his courts.
9 Worship
the Lord in the beauty of holiness; let the whole earth tremble
before him. RR
SECOND READING Galatians 1.1-12
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Galatians.
1 Paul
an apostle - sent neither by human commission nor from human authorities,
but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from
the dead -
2 and
all the members of God's family who are with me, To the churches
of Galatia:
3 Grace
to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ,
4 who
gave himself for our sins to set us free from the present evil
age, according to the will of our God and Father,
5 to
whom be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6 I
am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called
you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel
-
7 not
that there is another gospel, but there are some who are confusing
you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But
even if we or an angel from heaven should proclaim to you a gospel
contrary to what we proclaimed to you, let that one be accursed!
9 As
we have said before, so now I repeat, if anyone proclaims to you
a gospel contrary to what you received, let that one be accursed!
10 Am
I now seeking human approval, or God's approval? Or am I trying
to please people? If I were still pleasing people, I would not
be a servant of Christ.
11 For
I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel that
was proclaimed by me is not of human origin;
12 for
I did not receive it from a human source, nor was I taught it,
but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.
GOSPEL Luke 7.1b-10
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.
1 Jesus
entered the town of Capernaum.
2 A
centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was
ill and close to death.
3 When
he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking
him to come and heal his slave.
4 When
they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, 'He
is worthy of having you do this for him,
5 for
he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for
us.'
6 And
Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house,
the centurion sent friends to say to him, 'Lord, do not trouble
yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof;
7 therefore
I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and
let my servant be healed.
8 For
I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and
I say to one, "Go," and he goes, and to another, "Come,"
and he comes, and to my slave, "Do this," and the slave
does it.'
9 When
Jesus heard this he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd
that followed him, he said, 'I tell you, not even in Israel have
I found such faith.'
10 When
those who had been sent returned to the house, they found the
slave in good health.
|
Reuben Condie |