3 BEFORE ADVENT YEAR B
PROPER 27
The Revised Common Lectionary and the Church of England make different provision for today. For the Church of England provision see below.


REVISED COMMON LECTIONARY


TRACK 1


FIRST READING Ruth 3.1-5; 4.13-17

A reading from the book of Ruth.
1 Naomi, Ruth's mother-in-law, said to her, 'My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you.
2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing-floor.
3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing-floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking.
4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.'
5 She said to her, 'All that you tell me I will do.'
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son.
14 Then the women said to Naomi, ' Blessèd be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.'
16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse.
17 The women of the neighbourhood gave him a name, saying, 'A son has been born to Naomi.' They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David.


PSALM Psalm 127

RR The fruit of the womb is a gift.

1 Unless the Lord builds the house, their labour is in vain who build it.
2 Unless the Lord watches over the city, in vain the guard keeps vigil. RR
3 It is in vain that you rise so early and go to bed so late; vain, too, to eat the bread of toil, for he gives to his belovèd sleep.
4 Children are a heritage from the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is a gift. RR
5 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth.
6 Happy are they who have their quiver full of them! they shall not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. RR


Or TRACK 2


FIRST READING 1 Kings 17.8-16

A reading from the first book of Kings.
8 The word of the LORD came to Elijah, saying,
9 'Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.'
10 So he set out and went to Zarephath. When he came to the gate of the town, a widow was there gathering sticks; he called to her and said, 'Bring me a little water in a vessel, so that I may drink.'
11 As she was going to bring it, he called to her and said, 'Bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.'
12 But 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 jug; I am now gathering a couple of sticks, so that I may go home and prepare it for myself and my son, that we may eat it, and die.'
13 Elijah said to her, 'Do not be afraid; go and do as you have said; but first make me a little cake of it and bring it to me, and afterwards make something for yourself and your son.
14 For thus says the LORD the God of Israel: The jar of meal will not be emptied and the jug of oil will not fail until the day that the LORD sends rain on the earth.'
15 She went and did as Elijah said, so that she as well as he and her household ate for many days.
16 The jar of meal was not emptied, neither did the jug of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke by Elijah.


PSALM Psalm 146

RR I will praise the Lord as long as I live.

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


SECOND READING Hebrews 9.24-28

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
24 Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own;
26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement,
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 Mark 12.38-44

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
Jesus was teaching in the temple, and a large crowd was listening to him.
38 He said, 'Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,
39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honour at banquets!
40 They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.'
41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.
43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, 'Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.
44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.'


Or


CHURCH OF ENGLAND


FIRST READING Jonah 3.1-5, 10

A reading from the book of Jonah.
1 The word of the LORD came to Jonah, saying,
2 'Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.'
3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days' walk across.
4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's walk. And he cried out, 'Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!'
5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.
10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it.


PSALM Psalm 62.6-14

RR God alone is my rock and my salvation.

6 For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly, my hope is in him.
7 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
8 In God is my safety and my honour; God is my strong rock and my refuge. RR
9 Put your trust in him always, O people, pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
10 Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
11 On the scales they are lighter than a breath, all of them together. RR
12 Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride; though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
13 God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, that power belongs to God.
14 Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, for you repay everyone according to his deeds. RR


SECOND READING Hebrews 9.24-28

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews.
24 Christ did not enter a sanctuary made by human hands, a mere copy of the true one, but he entered into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.
25 Nor was it to offer himself again and again, as the high priest enters the Holy Place year after year with blood that is not his own;
26 for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the age to remove sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgement,
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 Mark 1.14-20

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Mark.
14 After John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,
15 and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.'
16 As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake - for they were fishermen.
17 And Jesus said to them, 'Follow me and I will make you fish for people.'
18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him.
19 As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.
20 Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.