[Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTY_THIRD SUNDAY after PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Twenty-third Sunday after Pentecost, 
November 12, (Proper 27, ECUSA; Proper 32, Roman Catholic) according to the 
Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Church of England, 
and Canadian (BAS) Lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised 
Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, 
Canadian (but not the C of E) lectionaries are identical to the RCL this 
Sunday.



OLD TESTAMENT   Ruth 31 - 5, 4 13 - 17   (RCL)

Ruth 31 (NRSV) Na'omi her 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 Bo'az, 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 Bo'az 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 
Na'omi, "Blessed 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 
Na'omi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 
The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born 
to Na'omi." They named him O'bed; he became the father of Jesse, the father 
of David.


1 Kings 17: 8 - 16   (alt. for RCL)
1 Kings 17: 10 - 16   (Roman Catholic)

1Kin 178 (NRSV) Then the word of the LORD came to him [Elijah], saying, 9 
"Go now to Zar'ephath, which belongs to Si'don, and live there; for I have 
commanded a widow there to feed you." 10 So he set out and went to 
Zar'ephath. 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 Eli'jah 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 Eli'jah 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 
Eli'jah.


Jonah 3: 1 - 5, 10   (C of E)

Jona 3:1 (NRSV) The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time, 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 127   (RCL)

Psal 1271 (NRSV) Unless the LORD builds the house,
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the LORD guards the city,
the guard keeps watch in vain.
2 It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he gives sleep to his beloved.
3 Sons are indeed a heritage from the LORD,
the fruit of the womb a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
are the sons of one's youth.
5 Happy is the man who has
his quiver full of them.
He shall not be put to shame
when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.


Psalm 146: 7 - 10   (Roman Catholic)
Psalm 146 (alt. for RCL)

Psal 1461 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the LORD!


Psalm 62: 5 - 12   (C of E)

Psal 62:5 (NRSV) For God alone my soul waits in silence,
for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,
my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us. [Selah]
9 Those of low estate are but a breath,
those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion,
and set no vain hopes on robbery;
if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken;
twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God, 12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
according to their work.


NEW TESTAMENT   Hebrews 9 24 - 28

Hebr 924 (NRSV) For 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 
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   Mark 12: 38 - 44   (RCL)
                    Mark 12: (38 - 40) 41 - 44   (Roman Catholic)

Mark 1238 (NRSV) As he taught, 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 
honor 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."


Mark 1: 14 - 20   (C of E)

Mark 1:14 (NRSV) Now 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 sea-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.


Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, Vermont &
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu