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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The following are the readings for Ash Wednesday,
February 22, 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, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are
identical to the RCL for this day. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>OLD TESTAMENT: Joel 2: 1 - 2, 12 -
17 (all but Roman
Catholic)<BR>
Joel 2: 12 - 18 (Roman Catholic)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Joel 2:1 (NRSV) Blow the trumpet in Zion; <BR>sound
the alarm on my holy mountain! <BR>Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble,
<BR>for the day of the LORD is coming, it is near-- <BR>2 a day of darkness and
gloom, <BR>a day of clouds and thick darkness! <BR>Like blackness spread upon
the mountains <BR>a great and powerful army comes; <BR>their like has never been
from of old, <BR>nor will be again after them <BR>in ages to come. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>12 Yet even now, says the LORD, <BR>return to me
with all your heart, <BR>with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; <BR>13
rend your hearts and not your clothing. <BR>Return to the LORD, your God,
<BR>for he is gracious and merciful, <BR>slow to anger, and abounding in
steadfast love, <BR>and relents from punishing. <BR>14 Who knows whether he will
not turn and relent, <BR>and leave a blessing behind him, <BR>a grain offering
and a drink offering <BR>for the LORD, your God? <BR>15 Blow the trumpet in
Zion; <BR>sanctify a fast; <BR>call a solemn assembly; <BR>16 gather the people.
<BR>Sanctify the congregation; <BR>assemble the aged; <BR>gather the children,
<BR>even infants at the breast. <BR>Let the bridegroom leave his room, <BR>and
the bride her canopy. <BR>17 Between the vestibule and the altar <BR>let the
priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep. <BR>Let them say, "Spare your people,
O LORD, <BR>and do not make your heritage a mockery, <BR>a byword among the
nations. <BR>Why should it be said among the peoples, <BR>"Where is their God?'"
<BR>18 Then the LORD became jealous for his land, <BR>and had pity on his
people. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><BR>Isaiah 58: 1 - 12 (alternate for RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Isai 58:1 (NRSV) Shout out, do not hold back! <BR>Lift up your voice like a
trumpet! <BR>Announce to my people their rebellion, <BR>to the house of Jacob
their sins. <BR>2 Yet day after day they seek me <BR>and delight to know my
ways, <BR>as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness <BR>and did not
forsake the ordinance of their God; <BR>they ask of me righteous judgments,
<BR>they delight to draw near to God. <BR>3 "Why do we fast, but you do not see?
<BR>Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?" <BR>Look, you serve your own
interest on your fast day, <BR>and oppress all your workers. <BR>4 Look, you
fast only to quarrel and to fight <BR>and to strike with a wicked fist. <BR>Such
fasting as you do today <BR>will not make your voice heard on high. <BR>5 Is
such the fast that I choose, <BR>a day to humble oneself? <BR>Is it to bow down
the head like a bulrush, <BR>and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? <BR>Will you
call this a fast, <BR>a day acceptable to the LORD? <BR>6 Is not this the fast
that I choose: <BR>to loose the bonds of injustice, <BR>to undo the thongs of
the yoke, <BR>to let the oppressed go free, <BR>and to break every yoke? <BR>7
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, <BR>and bring the homeless poor
into your house; <BR>when you see the naked, to cover them, <BR>and not to hide
yourself from your own kin? <BR>8 Then your light shall break forth like the
dawn, <BR>and your healing shall spring up quickly; <BR>your vindicator shall go
before you, <BR>the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. <BR>9 Then you
shall call, and the LORD will answer; <BR>you shall cry for help, and he will
say, Here I am. <BR>If you remove the yoke from among you, <BR>the pointing of
the finger, the speaking of evil, <BR>10 if you offer your food to the hungry
<BR>and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, <BR>then your light shall rise in
the darkness <BR>and your gloom be like the noonday. <BR>11 The LORD will guide
you continually, <BR>and satisfy your needs in parched places, <BR>and make your
bones strong; <BR>and you shall be like a watered garden, <BR>like a spring of
water, <BR>whose waters never fail. <BR>12 Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt;
<BR>you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; <BR>you shall be
called the repairer of the breach, <BR>the restorer of streets to live in.
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>PSALM 103: (1 - 7) 8 - 14 (15 - 22) (ECUSA)<BR>Psalm 103: 8
- 18 (Canadian BAS)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>103 Benedic, anima mea (ECUSA
BCP)<BR> <BR>1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, *<BR> and all
that is within me, bless his holy Name.<BR> <BR>2 Bless the
Lord, O my soul, *<BR> and forget not all his
benefits.<BR> <BR>3 He forgives all your sins *<BR> and
heals all your infirmities;<BR> <BR>4 He redeems your life from
the grave *<BR> and crowns you with mercy and
loving-kindness;<BR> <BR>5 He satisfies you with good things,
*<BR> and your youth is renewed like an eagle's.<BR> <BR>6
The Lord executes righteousness *<BR> and judgment for all who are
oppressed.<BR> <BR>7 He made his ways known to Moses
*<BR> and his works to the children of Israel.<BR> <BR>8
The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, *<BR> slow to anger and of
great kindness.<BR> <BR>9 He will not always accuse us,
*<BR> nor will he keep his anger for ever.<BR> <BR>10 He has not
dealt with us according to our sins, *<BR> nor rewarded us according to our
wickedness.<BR> <BR>11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
*<BR> so is his mercy great upon those who fear him.<BR> <BR>12
As far as the east is from the west, *<BR> so far has he removed our sins
from us.<BR> <BR>13 As a father cares for his children, *<BR> so
does the Lord care for those who fear him.<BR> <BR>14 For he himself
knows whereof we are made; *<BR> he remembers that we are but
dust.<BR> <BR>15 Our days are like the grass; *<BR> we flourish
like a flower of the field;<BR> <BR>16 When the wind goes over it, it
is gone, *<BR> and its place shall know it no more.<BR> <BR>17
But the merciful goodness of the Lord endures for ever<BR> on those
who fear him, *<BR> and his righteousness on children's
children;<BR> <BR>18 On those who keep his covenant *<BR> and
remember his commandments and do them.<BR> <BR>19 The Lord has set
his throne in heaven, *<BR> and his kingship has dominion over
all.<BR> <BR>20 Bless the Lord, you angels of his,<BR>you mighty ones
who do his bidding, *<BR> and hearken to the voice of his
word.<BR> <BR>21 Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, *<BR> you
ministers of his who do his will.<BR> <BR>22 Bless the Lord, all you
works of his,<BR>in all places of his dominion; *<BR> bless the Lord, O my
soul.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Psalm 51: 1 - 17 (RCL, Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 51:1 (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. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Note: this Psalm appears in the ECUSA, Can. BAS & probably others' Ash
Wednesday liturgy. Becauase of this, ECUSA and Canadian parishes using the RCL
should use Psalm 103, above, instead. Verse numbering in your Psalter may differ
from the above. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Corinthians 5:20b - 6: 10
(RCL)<BR>
2 Corinthians 5: 20b - 6: 2 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>2Cor 5:20 (NRSV) [W]e entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled
to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God. 6:1 As we work together with him, we urge
you also not to accept the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, <BR>"At an
acceptable time I have listened to you, <BR>and on a day of salvation I have
helped you." <BR>See, now is the acceptable time; see, now is the day of
salvation! 3 We are putting no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be
found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we have commended ourselves in
every way: through great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5
beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity,
knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, 7 truthful
speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right
hand and for the left; 8 in honor and dishonor, in ill repute and good repute.
We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet are well
known; as dying, and see--we are alive; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as
sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having
nothing, and yet possessing everything. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>GOSPEL: Matthew 6: 1 - 6, 16 - 21
(RCL)<BR>
Matthew 6: 1 - 6, 16 - 18 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matt 6:1 (NRSV) "Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to
be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. <BR>2
"So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites
do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others.
Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give alms, do
not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your alms
may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. <BR>5
"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand
and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen
by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. 6 But whenever you
pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>16 "And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites, for
they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are fasting. Truly I
tell you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your
head and wash your face, 18 so that your fasting may be seen not by others but
by your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward
you. <BR>19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and
rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but store up for
yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where
thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>John 8: 1 - 11 (alt. for C of E)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>John 8:1 (NRSV) while Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the
morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him and he sat down
and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Phar'isees brought a woman who
had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, 4 they
said to him, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing
adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do
you say?" 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to
bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7
When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "Let
anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her." 8 And
once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they went
away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the
woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, "Woman,
where are they? Has no one condemned you?" 11 She said, "No one, sir." And Jesus
said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again."
<BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chad Wohlers<BR>Woodbury, Vermont USA<BR><A
href="mailto:chadwohl@satucket.com">chadwohl@satucket.com</A><BR><A
href="mailto:cwohlers@bridgew.edu">cwohlers@bridgew.edu</A><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>