Lectionary Readings
Book of Common Prayer - 1979
Sunday, November-08-2015
Proper 27

The Collect

Proper 27
O God, whose blessed Son was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil and make us children of God and heirs of eternal life: Grant us, we beseech thee, that, having this hope, we may purify ourselves even as he is pure; that, when he shall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, he liveth and reigneth ever, one God, world without end. Amen

Old Testament Reading

1 Kings 17:8-16
⁸ Then the word of the LORD came to him, ⁹ "Arise, go to Zar'ephath, which belongs to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow there to feed you." ¹⁰ So he arose and went to Zar'ephath; and when he came to the gate of the city, behold, a widow was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Bring me a little water in a vessel, that I may drink." ¹¹ And as she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, "Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand." ¹² And she said, "As the LORD your God lives, I have nothing baked, only a handful of meal in a jar, and a little oil in a cruse; and now, I am gathering a couple of sticks, that I may go in and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die." ¹³ And Eli'jah said to her, "Fear not; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterward make for yourself and your son. ¹⁴ For thus says the LORD the God of Israel, `The jar of meal shall not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, until the day that the LORD sends rain upon the earth.'" ¹⁵ And she went and did as Eli'jah said; and she, and he, and her household ate for many days. ¹⁶ The jar of meal was not spent, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD which he spoke by Eli'jah.

Psalm

Psalm 146

Lauda, anima mea
1Hallelujah!
     Praise the LORD, O my soul! *
     I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
     I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
2Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
     for there is no help in them.
3When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
     and in that day their thoughts perish.
4Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
     whose hope is in the LORD their God;
5Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
     who keeps his promise for ever;
6Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
     and food to those who hunger.
7The LORD sets the prisoners free;
     the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; *
     the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
8The LORD loves the righteous;
     the LORD cares for the stranger; *
     he sustains the orphan and widow,
     but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9The LORD shall reign for ever, *
     your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
     Hallelujah!

- OR -
Psalm 146:4-9

4Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
     whose hope is in the LORD their God;
5Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them; *
     who keeps his promise for ever;
6Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
     and food to those who hunger.
7The LORD sets the prisoners free;
     the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; *
     the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
8The LORD loves the righteous;
     the LORD cares for the stranger; *
     he sustains the orphan and widow,
     but frustrates the way of the wicked.
9The LORD shall reign for ever, *
     your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.
     Hallelujah!

New Testament Reading

Hebrews 9:24-28
²⁴ For Christ has entered, not into a sanctuary made with hands, a copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. ²⁵ Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the Holy Place yearly with blood not his own; ²⁶ for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. ²⁷ And just as it is appointed for men to die once, and after that comes judgment, ²⁸ so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Gospel Reading

Mark 12:38-44
³⁸ And in his teaching he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places ³⁹ and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, ⁴⁰ who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation." ⁴¹ And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. ⁴² And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. ⁴³ And he called his disciples to him, and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living."