Proper 19 (24) (Year C)

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The Prayer:
O God, because without you we aren’t able to please you — mercifully grant that your Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus the Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.


                                   


The Readings:
11 At that time, this people and Jerusalem will be told:
A blistering wind from the bare heights;
it rages in the desert toward my people,
not merely to winnow or cleanse.
12 This wind is too devastating for that.
Now I, even I, will pronounce my sentence against them.

22 My people are foolish.
They don’t even know me!
They’re thoughtless children
without understanding;
they’re skilled at doing wrong,
inept at doing right.
23 I looked at the earth,
and it was without shape or form;
at the heavens
and there was no light.
24 I looked at the mountains
and they were quaking;
all the hills were rocking back and forth.
25 I looked and there was no one left;
every bird in the sky had taken flight.
26 I looked and the fertile land was a desert;
all its towns were in ruins
before Yahweh,
before Yahweh’s fury.
27 Yahweh proclaims:
The whole earth will become a desolation,
but I won’t destroy it completely.
28 Therefore, the earth will grieve
 and the heavens grow dark
because I’ve declared my plan
and will neither change my mind
nor cancel the plan.

1 Fools say in their hearts, There is no God.
They’re corrupt and do evil things;
not one of them does anything good.

2 Yahweh looks down from heaven on humans
to see if anyone is wise,
to see if anyone seeks God,
3 but all of them have turned bad.
Everyone’s corrupt.
No one does good —
not even one person!

4 Are they dumb, all these evildoers,
devouring my people
like they’re eating bread
but never calling on Yahweh?

5 Count on it: they’ll be in utter panic
because God is with the righteous generation.
6 You evildoers may humiliate
the plans of those who suffer,
but Yahweh is their refuge.

7 Let Israel’s salvation come out of Zion!
When Yahweh changes
his people’s circumstances for the better,
Jacob will rejoice;
Israel will celebrate!

12I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength because he considered me faithful. So he appointed me to ministry 13even though I used to speak against him, attack his people, and I was proud. But I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and without faith. 14Our Lord’s favor poured all over me along with the faithfulness and love that are in Christ Jesus. 15This saying is reliable and deserves full acceptance: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” — and I’m the biggest sinner of all. 16But this is why I was shown mercy, so that Christ Jesus could show his endless patience to me first of all. So I’m an example for those who are going to believe in him for eternal life. 17Now to the king of the ages, to the immortal, invisible, and only God, may honor and glory be given to God forever and always! Amen.

1All the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around Jesus to listen to him. 2The Pharisees and legal experts were grumbling, saying, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

3Jesus told them this parable: 4“Suppose someone among you had one hundred sheep and lost one of them. Wouldn’t he leave the other ninety-nine in the pasture and search for the lost one until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he’s thrilled and places it on his shoulders. 6When he arrives home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost sheep.’ 7In the same way, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who changes both heart and life than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need to change their hearts and lives.

8“Or what woman, if she owns ten silver coins and loses one of them, won’t light a lamp and sweep the house, searching her home carefully until she finds it? 9When she finds it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Celebrate with me because I’ve found my lost coin.’ 10In the same way, I tell you, joy breaks out in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who changes both heart and life.”



~~~
In the Love of the Three in One,

Br. Jack+, LC

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[1] Scripture quotations marked (CEB) are taken from The Common English Bible. Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible.

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