Readings

Thursday after the Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost

    The Collect of the Day

    Proper 22

    The Sunday closest to October 5

    Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

    Psalms

    131

    Domine, non estBCP p. 785

    1O Lord, I am not proud; *I have no haughty looks.

    2I do not occupy myself with great matters, *or with things that are too hard for me.

    3But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother’s breast; *my soul is quieted within me.

    4O Israel, wait upon the Lord, *from this time forth for evermore.

    132

    Memento, DomineBCP p. 785

    1Lord, remember David, *and all the hardships he endured;

    2How he swore an oath to the Lord *and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:

    3“I will not come under the roof of my house, *nor climb up into my bed;

    4I will not allow my eyes to sleep, *nor let my eyelids slumber;

    5Until I find a place for the Lord, *a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

    6“The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; *we found it in the fields of Jearim.

    7Let us go to God’s dwelling place; *let us fall upon our knees before his footstool.”

    8Arise, O Lord, into your resting-place, *you and the ark of your strength.

    9Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; *let your faithful people sing with joy.

    10For your servant David’s sake, *do not turn away the face of your Anointed.

    11The Lord has sworn an oath to David; *in truth, he will not break it:

    12“A son, the fruit of your body *will I set upon your throne.

    13If your children keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, *their children will sit upon your throne for evermore.”

    14For the Lord has chosen Zion; *he has desired her for his habitation:

    15“This shall be my resting-place for ever; *here will I dwell, for I delight in her.

    16I will surely bless her provisions, *and satisfy her poor with bread.

    17I will clothe her priests with salvation, *and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.

    18There will I make the horn of David flourish; *I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.

    19As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; *but as for him, his crown will shine.”

    133

    Ecce, quam bonum!BCP p. 787

    1Oh, how good and pleasant it is, *when brethren live together in unity!

    2It is like fine oil upon the head *that runs down upon the beard,

    3Upon the beard of Aaron, *and runs down upon the collar of his robe.

    4It is like the dew of Hermon *that falls upon the hills of Zion.

    5For there the Lord has ordained the blessing: *life for evermore.

    Daily Office Readings

    Micah 3:1-8

    A Reading from the Book of the Prophet Micah.

    1 And I said: Listen, you heads of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel! Should you not know justice?— 2 you who hate the good and love the evil, who tear the skin off my people, and the flesh off their bones; 3 who eat the flesh of my people, flay their skin off them, break their bones in pieces, and chop them up like meat in a kettle, like flesh in a caldron. 4 Then they will cry to the Lord, but he will not answer them; he will hide his face from them at that time, because they have acted wickedly. 5 Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry “Peace” when they have something to eat, but declare war against those who put nothing into their mouths. 6 Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without revelation. The sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be black over them; 7 the seers shall be disgraced, and the diviners put to shame; they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer from God. 8 But as for me, I am filled with power, with the spirit of the Lord, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.

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    Luke 7:36-50

    36 One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. 37 And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. 38 She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” 40 Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “Speak.” 41 “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” 44 Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. 47 Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” 48 Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

    Acts 24:1-23

    1 Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against Paul to the governor. 2 When Paul had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: “Your Excellency, because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. 3 We welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude. 4 But, to detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary graciousness. 5 We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes. 6 He even tried to profane the temple, and so we seized him. 8 By examining him yourself you will be able to learn from him concerning everything of which we accuse him.” 9 The Jews also joined in the charge by asserting that all this was true. 10 When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied: “I cheerfully make my defense, knowing that for many years you have been a judge over this nation. 11 As you can find out, it is not more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. 12 They did not find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in the synagogues or throughout the city. 13 Neither can they prove to you the charge that they now bring against me. 14 But this I admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or written in the prophets. 15 I have a hope in God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. 16 Therefore I do my best always to have a clear conscience toward God and all people. 17 Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation and to offer sacrifices. 18 While I was doing this, they found me in the temple, completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance. 19 But there were some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you to make an accusation, if they have anything against me. 20 Or let these men here tell what crime they had found when I stood before the council, 21 unless it was this one sentence that I called out while standing before them, ‘It is about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.’” 22 But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the hearing with the comment, “When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will decide your case.” 23 Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in custody, but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his friends from taking care of his needs.