SUNDAY BETWEEN 23 AND 29 OCTOBER YEAR C
PROPER 25

Sundays after Trinity

Provision for Proper 25 is identical in the Revised Common Lectionary and the Church of England provision, but the Church of England adds alternatiive readings for "Bible Sunday" (see below).


TRACK 1

FIRST READING Joel 2.23-32

A reading from the book of the prophet Joel.

23 O children of Zion, be glad and rejoice in the LORD your God; for he has given the early rain for your vindication, he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the later rain, as before.
24 The threshing-floors shall be full of grain, the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
25 I will repay you for the years that the swarming locust has eaten, the hopper, the destroyer, and the cutter, my great army, which I sent against you.
26 You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
27 You shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I, the LORD, am your God and there is no other. And my people shall never again be put to shame.
28 Then afterwards I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.
29 Even on the male and female slaves, in those days, I will pour out my spirit.
30 I will show portents in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke.
31 The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes.
32 Then everyone who calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the LORD has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the LORD calls.


PSALM Psalm 65

R To you, O God, shall all flesh come, [and you will blot out their sins].
or
R You crown the year with your goodness, O Lord.

1 You are to be praised, O God, in Zion; to you shall vows be performed in Jerusalem.
2 To you that hear prayer shall all flesh come, because of their transgressions.
3 Our sins are stronger than we are, but you will blot them out. R
4 Happy are they whom you choose and draw to your courts to dwell there! they will be satisfied by the beauty of your house, by the holiness of your temple.
5 Awesome things will you show us in your righteousness, O God of our salvation, O Hope of all the ends of the earth and of the seas that are far away. R
6 You make fast the mountains by your power; they are girded about with might.
7 You still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the clamour of the peoples.
8 Those who dwell at the ends of the earth will tremble at your marvellous signs; you make the dawn and the dusk to sing for joy. R
9 You visit the earth and water it abundantly; you make it very plenteous; the river of God is full of water.
10 You prepare the grain, for so you provide for the earth.
11 You drench the furrows and smooth out the ridges; with heavy rain you soften the ground and bless its increase. R
12 You crown the year with your goodness, and your paths overflow with plenty.
13 May the fields of the wilderness be rich for grazing, and the hills be clothed with joy.
14 May the meadows cover themselves with flocks and the valleys cloak themselves with grain; let them shout for joy and sing. R


Or TRACK 2

FIRST READING (Alternative readings)

Either Ecclesiasticus 35.12-17

A reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus.

12 Give to the Most High as he has given to you, and as generously as you can afford.
13 For the Lord is the one who repays, and he will repay you sevenfold.
14 Do not offer him a bribe, for he will not accept it;
15 and do not rely on a dishonest sacrifice; for the Lord is the judge, and with him there is no partiality.
16 He will not show partiality to the poor; but he will listen to the prayer of one who is wronged.
17 He will not ignore the supplication of the orphan, or the widow when she pours out her complaint.


Or Jeremiah 14.7-10, 19-22

A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.

7 Although our iniquities testify against us, act, O LORD, for your name's sake; our apostasies indeed are many, and we have sinned against you.
8 O hope of Israel, its saviour in time of trouble, why should you be like a stranger in the land, like a traveller turning aside for the night?
9 Why should you be like someone confused, like a mighty warrior who cannot give help? Yet you, O LORD, are in the midst of us, and we are called by your name; do not forsake us!
10 Thus says the LORD concerning this people: Truly they have loved to wander, they have not restrained their feet; therefore the LORD does not accept them, now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins.
19 Have you completely rejected Judah? Does your heart loathe Zion? Why have you struck us down so that there is no healing for us? We look for peace, but find no good; for a time of healing, but there is terror instead.
20 We acknowledge our wickedness, O LORD, the iniquity of our ancestors, for we have sinned against you.
21 Do not spurn us, for your name's sake; do not dishonour your glorious throne; remember and do not break your covenant with us.
22 Can any idols of the nations bring rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Is it not you, O LORD our God? We set our hope on you, for it is you who do all this.


PSALM Psalm 84.1-7

R Happy are they who dwell in your house!

1 How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.
2 The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God. R
3 Happy are they who dwell in your house! they will always be praising you.
4 Happy are the people whose strength is in you! whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way. R
5 Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.
6 They will climb from height to height, and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.
7 Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob. R


SECOND READING 2 Timothy 4.6-8, 16-18

A reading from the second letter of Paul to Timothy.

6 As for me, I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.
8 From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
16 At my first defence no one came to my support, but all deserted me. May it not be counted against them!
17 But the Lord stood by me and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion's mouth.
18 The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and save me for his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory for ever and ever. Amen.


GOSPEL Luke 18.9-14

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

9 Jesus also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt:
10 'Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector.
11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, "God, I thank you that I am not like other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.
12 I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income."
13 But the tax-collector, standing far off, would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
14 I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted.'

BIBLE SUNDAY

FIRST READING Isaiah 45.22-25

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD:
22 Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.
23 By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return: 'To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.'
24 Only in the LORD, it shall be said of me, are righteousness and strength; all who were incensed against him shall come to him and be ashamed.
25 In the LORD all the offspring of Israel shall triumph and glory.


PSALM Psalm 119.129-136

R When your word goes forth it gives light.

129 Your decrees are wonderful; therefore I obey them with all my heart.
130 When your word goes forth it gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. R
131 I open my mouth and pant; I long for your commandments.
132 Turn to me in mercy, as you always do to those who love your name. R
133 Steady my footsteps in your word; let no iniquity have dominion over me.
134 Rescue me from those who oppress me, and I will keep your commandments. R
135 Let your countenance shine upon your servant and teach me your statutes.
136 My eyes shed streams of tears, because people do not keep your law. R


SECOND READING Romans 15.1-6

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.

1 We who are strong ought to put up with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us must please our neighbour for the good purpose of building up the neighbour.
3 For Christ did not please himself; but, as it is written, 'The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.'
4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, so that by steadfastness and by the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God of steadfastness and encouragement grant you to live in harmony with one another, in accordance with Christ Jesus,
6 so that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.


GOSPEL Luke 4.16-24

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

16 When Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read,
17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour.'
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
21 Then he began to say to them, 'Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.'
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, 'Is not this Joseph's son?'
23 He said to them, 'Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself!" And you will say, "Do here also in your home town the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum."'
24 And he said, 'Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's home town.'

Reuben Condie Reuben Condie