Lectionary Readings Book of Common Prayer - 1979 Sunday, January-27-2013 Third Sunday after Epiphany

The Collect

Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Give us grace, O Lord, to answer readily the call of our Savior Jesus Christ and proclaim to all people the Good News of his salvation, that we and the whole world may perceive the glory of his marvelous works; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
Preface of the Epiphany, or of the Lord's Day

Old Testament Reading

Nehemiah 8:2-10
²So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. ³Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. ⁴So Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood which they had made for the purpose; and beside him, at his right hand, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and at his left hand Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. Then all the people answered, "Amen, Amen!" while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. ⁷Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law; and the people stood in their place. ⁸So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading. ⁹And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn nor weep." For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰Then he said to them, "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 113

Laudate, pueri
1Hallelujah!
     Give praise, you servants of the LORD; *
     praise the Name of the LORD.
2Let the Name of the LORD be blessed, *
     from this time forth for evermore.
3From the rising of the sun to its going down *
     let the Name of the LORD be praised.
4The LORD is high above all nations, *
     and his glory above the heavens.
5Who is like the LORD our God, who sits enthroned on high, *
     but stoops to behold the heavens and the earth?
6He takes up the weak out of the dust *
     and lifts up the poor from the ashes.
7He sets them with the princes, *
     with the princes of his people.
8He makes the woman of a childless house *
     to be a joyful mother of children.

New Testament Reading

1 Corinthians 12:12-27
¹²For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ¹³For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. ¹⁴For in fact the body is not one member but many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? ¹⁸But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. ¹⁹And if they were all one member, where would the body be? ²⁰But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. ²¹And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." ²²No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. ²³And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, ²⁴but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, ²⁵that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. ²⁶And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

Luke 4:14-21
¹⁴Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. ¹⁵And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all. ¹⁶So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. ¹⁷And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: ¹⁸" The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; ¹⁹To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD." ²⁰Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. ²¹And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." -- NKJV

Lectionary Readings Book of Common Prayer - 1979 Sunday, January-06-2013

The Collect

The Epiphany
O God, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the peoples of the earth: Lead us, who know thee now by faith, to thy presence, where we may behold thy glory face to face; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Preface of the Epiphany

Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 60:1-6,9
¹Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. ²For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, And deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, And His glory will be seen upon you. ³The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising. ⁴" Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together, they come to you; Your sons shall come from afar, And your daughters shall be nursed at your side. ⁵Then you shall see and become radiant, And your heart shall swell with joy; Because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, The wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you. ⁶The multitude of camels shall cover your land, The dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; All those from Sheba shall come; They shall bring gold and incense, And they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD. ⁹Surely the coastlands shall wait for Me; And the ships of Tarshish will come first, To bring your sons from afar, Their silver and their gold with them, To the name of the LORD your God, And to the Holy One of Israel, Because He has glorified you. -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 72

Deus, judicium
1Give the King your justice, O God, *
     and your righteousness to the King's son;
2That he may rule your people righteously *
     and the poor with justice.
3That the mountains may bring prosperity to the people, *
     and the little hills bring righteousness.
4He shall defend the needy among the people; *
     he shall rescue the poor and crush the oppressor.
5He shall live as long as the sun and moon endure, *
     from one generation to another.
6He shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *
     like showers that water the earth.
7In his time shall the righteous flourish; *
     there shall be abundance of peace till the moon shall
     be no more.
8He shall rule from sea to sea, *
     and from the River to the ends of the earth.
9His foes shall bow down before him, *
     and his enemies lick the dust.
10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *
     and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.
11All kings shall bow down before him, *
     and all the nations do him service.
12For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *
     and the oppressed who has no helper.
13He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *
     he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
14He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *
     and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15Long may he live!
     and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; *
     may prayer be made for him always,
     and may they bless him all the day long.
16May there be abundance of grain on the earth,
     growing thick even on the hilltops; *
     may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,
     and its grain like grass upon the earth.
17May his Name remain for ever
     and be established as long as the sun endures; *
     may all the nations bless themselves in him and
     call him blessed.
18Blessed be the Lord GOD, the God of Israel, *
     who alone does wondrous deeds!
19And blessed be his glorious Name for ever! *
     and may all the earth be filled with his glory.
     Amen. Amen.

- OR -

Psalm 72:1-2,10-17

1Give the King your justice, O God, *
     and your righteousness to the King's son;
2That he may rule your people righteously *
     and the poor with justice.
10The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall pay tribute, *
     and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer gifts.
11All kings shall bow down before him, *
     and all the nations do him service.
12For he shall deliver the poor who cries out in distress, *
     and the oppressed who has no helper.
13He shall have pity on the lowly and poor; *
     he shall preserve the lives of the needy.
14He shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *
     and dear shall their blood be in his sight.
15Long may he live!
     and may there be given to him gold from Arabia; *
     may prayer be made for him always,
     and may they bless him all the day long.
16May there be abundance of grain on the earth,
     growing thick even on the hilltops; *
     may its fruit flourish like Lebanon,
     and its grain like grass upon the earth.
17May his Name remain for ever
     and be established as long as the sun endures; *
     may all the nations bless themselves in him and
     call him blessed.

New Testament Reading

Ephesians 3:1-12
¹For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles- ²if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, ³how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, ⁴by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), ⁵which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: ⁶that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, ⁷of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power. ⁸To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, ⁹and to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God who created all things through Jesus Christ; ¹⁰to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, ¹¹according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord, ¹²in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

Matthew 2:1-12
¹Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ²saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him." ³When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ⁶' But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.'" ⁷Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also." ⁹When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹²Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way. -- NKJV