[Propertalk] READINGS for the SECOND SUNDAY in LENT

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Second Sunday in Lent, March 20, 
2011, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman 
Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) 
lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version 
(NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, C of E and Canadian 
lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



OLD TESTAMENT   Genesis 12: 1 - 4a   (RCL, Roman Catholic)

Gene 12:1 (NRSV) Now the LORD said to Abram, "Go from your country and your 
kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 I will 
make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, 
so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and the 
one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth 
shall be blessed."
4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him.


PSALM 121   (RCL)

Psal 121:1 (NRSV) I lift up my eyes to the hills-- 
from where will my help come?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot be moved;
he who keeps you will not slumber.
4 He who keeps Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is your keeper;
the LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all evil;
he will keep your life.
8 The LORD will keep
your going out and your coming in
from this time on and forevermore.


121   Levavi oculos    (ECUSA BCP)

1   I lift up my eyes to the hills; *
  from where is my help to come?

2   My help comes from the Lord, *
  the maker of heaven and earth.

3   He will not let your foot be moved *
  and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.

4   Behold, he who keeps watch over Israel *
  shall neither slumber nor sleep;

5   The Lord himself watches over you; *
  the Lord is your shade at your right hand,

6   So that the sun shall not strike you by day, *
  nor the moon by night.

7   The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; *
  it is he who shall keep you safe.

8   The Lord shall watch over your going out and
  your coming in, *
  from this time forth for evermore.


Psalm 33: 4 - 5, 18 - 19, 20, 22   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 33:4 (NRSV) For the word of the LORD is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5 He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

18 Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19 to deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the LORD;
he is our help and shield.

22 Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.


NEW TESTAMENT   Romans 4: 1 - 5, 13 - 17   (RCL)

Roma 41 (NRSV) What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor 
according to the flesh? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has 
something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the scripture 
say? "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness." 4 
Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. 
5 But to one who without works trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such 
faith is reckoned as righteousness.

13 For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham 
or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of 
faith. 14 If it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith 
is null and the promise is void. 15 For the law brings wrath; but where 
there is no law, neither is there violation.
16 For this reason it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest 
on grace and be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents 
of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (for he is the 
father of all of us, 17 as it is written, "I have made you the father of 
many nations")--in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives 
life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.


2 Timothy 1: 8b - 10   (Roman Catholic)

2Tim 18 (NRSV) [J]oin with me in suffering for the gospel, relying on the 
power of God, 9 who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not 
according to our works but according to his own purpose and grace. This 
grace was given to us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 but it has 
now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who 
abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the 
gospel.


GOSPEL  John 3: 1 - 17   (RCL)

John 31 (NRSV) Now there was a Phar'isee named Nicode'mus, a leader of the 
Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you 
are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you 
do apart from the presence of God." 3 Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I 
tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." 
4 Nicode'mus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? 
Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" 5 Jesus 
answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God 
without being born of water and Spirit. 6 What is born of the flesh is 
flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be astonished that 
I said to you, "You must be born from above.' 8 The wind blows where it 
chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes 
from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit." 9 
Nicode'mus said to him, "How can these things be?" 10 Jesus answered him, 
"Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things?
11 "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we 
have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about 
earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you 
about heavenly things? 13 No one has ascended into heaven except the one who 
descended from heaven, the Son of Man. 14 And just as Moses lifted up the 
serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that 
whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone 
who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
17 "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, 
but in order that the world might be saved through him.


Matthew 17: 1 - 9   (Roman Catholic, alt. for RCL)

Matt 171 (NRSV) Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his 
brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2 And he was 
transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes 
became dazzling white. 3 Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Eli'jah, 
talking with him. 4 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be 
here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for 
Moses, and one for Eli'jah." 5 While he was still speaking, suddenly a 
bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, "This is my 
Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!" 6 When the 
disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7 
But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Get up and do not be afraid." 8 
And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Tell no one 
about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Note this reading is not an alternative for the C of E, or for ECUSA.


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