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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The following are the readings for the First Sunday
in Lent, March 13, 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 and Canadian lectionaries
are identical to the RCL for this day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>OLD TESTAMENT Genesis 2: 15 - 17, 3: 1
- 7
(RCL)<BR>
Genesis 2: 7 - 9, 3: 1 - 7 (Roman Catholic)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Gene 24 (NRSV) These are the generations of the
heavens and the earth when they were created. <BR>In the day that the LORD God
made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the
earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up--for the LORD God had not
caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6 but
a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground-- 7
then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8 And the LORD
God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had
formed. 9 Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is
pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of
the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the
garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man,
"You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17 but of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it
you shall die." </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>25 And the man and his wife were both naked, and
were not ashamed. 31 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other wild animal
that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God say, "You shall not
eat from any tree in the garden'?" 2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat
of the fruit of the trees in the garden; 3 but God said, "You shall not eat of
the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden, nor shall you touch
it, or you shall die.'" 4 But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not die;
5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will
be like God, knowing good and evil." 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was
good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to
be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate; and she also gave
some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were
opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together
and made loincloths for themselves. </FONT></DIV>
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<DIV><BR>PSALM 32 (RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 321 (NRSV) Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, <BR>whose
sin is covered. <BR>2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity,
<BR>and in whose spirit there is no deceit. <BR>3 While I kept silence, my body
wasted away <BR>through my groaning all day long. <BR>4 For day and night your
hand was heavy upon me; <BR>my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.
[Se'lah] <BR>5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, <BR>and I did not hide my
iniquity; <BR>I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," <BR>and
you forgave the guilt of my sin. [Se'lah] <BR>6 Therefore let all who are
faithful <BR>offer prayer to you; <BR>at a time of distress, the rush of mighty
waters <BR>shall not reach them. <BR>7 You are a hiding place for me; <BR>you
preserve me from trouble; <BR>you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
[Se'lah] <BR>8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; <BR>I
will counsel you with my eye upon you. <BR>9 Do not be like a horse or a mule,
without understanding, <BR>whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
<BR>else it will not stay near you. <BR>10 Many are the torments of the wicked,
<BR>but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD. <BR>11 Be glad in
the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, <BR>and shout for joy, all you upright in
heart. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Psalm 51: 1 - 4, 10 - 12, 15 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 511 (NRSV) Have mercy on me, O God, <BR>according to your steadfast
love; <BR>according to your abundant mercy <BR>blot out my transgressions. <BR>2
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, <BR>and cleanse me from my sin. <BR>3 For I
know my transgressions, <BR>and my sin is ever before me. <BR>4 Against you, you
alone, have I sinned, <BR>and done what is evil in your sight, <BR>so that you
are justified in your sentence <BR>and blameless when you pass judgment. <BR>5
Indeed, I was born guilty, <BR>a sinner when my mother conceived me. <BR>6 You
desire truth in the inward being; <BR>therefore teach me wisdom in my secret
heart. <BR>7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; <BR>wash me, and I
shall be whiter than snow. <BR>8 Let me hear joy and gladness; <BR>let the bones
that you have crushed rejoice. <BR>9 Hide your face from my sins, <BR>and blot
out all my iniquities. <BR>10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, <BR>and put a
new and right spirit within me. <BR>11 Do not cast me away from your presence,
<BR>and do not take your holy spirit from me. <BR>12 Restore to me the joy of
your salvation, <BR>and sustain in me a willing spirit. <BR>13 Then I will teach
transgressors your ways, <BR>and sinners will return to you. <BR>14 Deliver me
from bloodshed, O God, <BR>O God of my salvation, <BR>and my tongue will sing
aloud of your deliverance. <BR>15 O Lord, open my lips, <BR>and my mouth will
declare your praise. <BR>16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; <BR>if I were
to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. <BR>17 The sacrifice
acceptable to God is a broken spirit; <BR>a broken and contrite heart, O God,
you will not despise. <BR>18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; <BR>rebuild
the walls of Jerusalem, <BR>19 then you will delight in right sacrifices, <BR>in
burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; <BR>then bulls will be offered on
your altar. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Note Verse numbering in the Roman Catholic bible is two higher than the
above. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>NEW TESTAMENT Romans 5: 12 - 19 (RCL, Roman
Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Roma 512 (NRSV) Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man,
and death came through sin, and so death spread to all because all have sinned--
13 sin was indeed in the world before the law, but sin is not reckoned when
there is no law. 14 Yet death exercised dominion from Adam to Moses, even over
those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam, who is a type of the
one who was to come. <BR>15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if
the many died through the one man's trespass, much more surely have the grace of
God and the free gift in the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, abounded for
the many. 16 And the free gift is not like the effect of the one man's sin. For
the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift
following many trespasses brings justification. 17 If, because of the one man's
trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those
who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise
dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. <BR>18 Therefore just as one
man's trespass led to condemnation for all, so one man's act of righteousness
leads to justification and life for all. 19 For just as by the one man's
disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many
will be made righteous. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Note vs. 13-16 are optional for the Roman Catholic lectionary.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>GOSPEL Matthew 4: 1 - 11 (all)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matt 41 (NRSV) Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to
be tempted by the devil. 2 He fasted forty days and forty nights, and afterwards
he was famished. 3 The tempter came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God,
command these stones to become loaves of bread." 4 But he answered, "It is
written, <BR>"One does not live by bread alone, <BR>but by every word that comes
from the mouth of God.'" <BR>5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and
placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 saying to him, "If you are the Son
of God, throw yourself down; for it is written, <BR>"He will command his angels
concerning you,' <BR>and "On their hands they will bear you up, <BR>so that you
will not dash your foot against a stone.'" <BR>7 Jesus said to him, "Again it is
written, "Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" <BR>8 Again, the devil
took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world
and their splendor; 9 and he said to him, "All these I will give you, if you
will fall down and worship me." 10 Jesus said to him, "Away with you, Satan! for
it is written, <BR>"Worship the Lord your God, <BR>and serve only him.'" <BR>11
Then the devil left him, and suddenly angels came and waited on him.
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