The Tenth Sunday
after Pentecost
Year A
Grant
to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as
are right, that we, who cannot exist without thee, may by thee be enabled to
live according to thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and
reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Or
Grant
to us, Lord, we pray, the spirit to think and do always those things that are
right, that we, who cannot exist without you, may by you be enabled to live
according to your will; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A
Reading from Genesis (37:1-4,12-28)
Jacob dwelt in the land
of his father's sojournings, in the land of Canaan. This is the history of the
family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock
with his brothers; he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his
father's wives; and Joseph brought an ill report of them to their father. Now
Israel loved Joseph more than any other of his children, because he was the son
of his old age; and he made him a long robe with sleeves. But when his brothers
saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him, and
could not speak peaceably to him. Now his brothers went to
pasture their father's flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, "Are not your brothers pasturing
the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them." And he said to him,
"Here I am." So he said to him, "Go now, see if it is well with
your brothers, and with the flock; and bring me word again." So he sent
him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him
wandering in the fields; and the man asked him, "What are you
seeking?" "I am seeking my brothers," he said, "tell me, I
pray you, where they are pasturing the flock." And the man said,
"They have gone away, for I heard them say, `Let us go to Dothan.'"
So Joseph went after his brothers, and found them at Dothan. They saw him afar
off, and before he came near to them they conspired against him to kill him.
They said to one another, "Here comes this dreamer. Come now, let us kill
him and throw him into one of the pits; then we shall say that a wild beast has
devoured him, and we shall see what will become of his dreams." But when
Reuben heard it, he delivered him out of their hands, saying, "Let us not
take his life." And Reuben said to them, "Shed no blood; cast him
into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand upon him" -- that he
might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father. So when
Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the long robe with
sleeves that he wore; and they took him and cast him into a pit. The pit was
empty, there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat; and looking up they
saw a caravan of Ish'maelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing
gum, balm, and myrrh, on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said
to his brothers, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his
blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ish'maelites, and let not our hand be upon
him, for he is our brother, our own flesh." And his brothers heeded him.
Then Mid'ianite traders passed by; and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out
of the pit, and sold him to the Ish'maelites for twenty shekels of silver; and
they took Joseph to Egypt.
Psalm 105, 1-6, 16-22,
45b
Confitemini Domino
1 Give
thanks to the Lord and
call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the
peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing
praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy
Name; *
let the hearts of those who
seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Search for the Lord and his strength; *
continually seek his face.
5 Remember the marvels
he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments
of his mouth,
6 Offspring of Abraham
his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.
16 Then he called for a
famine in the land *
and destroyed the supply of
bread.
17 He sent a man before
them, *
Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet
in fetters; *
his neck they put in an iron
collar.
19 Until his prediction
came to pass, *
the word of the Lord tested him.
20 The king sent and
released him; *
the ruler of the peoples set him
free.
21 He set him as a
master over his household,
as a ruler over all his
possessions,
22 To instruct his
princes according to his will
and to teach his elders wisdom.
45 Hallelujah!
A
Reading from Paul’s Letter to the Romans (10:5-15)
Moses writes that the man
who practices the righteousness which is based on the law shall live by it. But
the righteousness based on faith says, Do not say in your heart, "Who will
ascend into heaven?" (that is, to bring Christ down) or "Who will
descend into the abyss?" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But
what does it say? The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart (that
is, the word of faith which we preach); because, if you confess with your lips
that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,
you will be saved. For man believes with his heart and so is justified, and he
confesses with his lips and so is saved. The scripture says, "No one who
believes in him will be put to shame." For there is no distinction between
Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and bestows his riches upon all who
call upon him. For, "everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be
saved." But how are men to call upon him in whom they have not believed?
And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are
they to hear without a preacher? And how can men preach unless they are sent?
As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach good
news!"
The
Holy Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ
According to Matthew (14:22-33)
Then he made the
disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, while he
dismissed the crowds. And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up on the
mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, but the
boat by this time was many furlongs distant from the land, beaten by the waves;
for the wind was against them. And in the fourth watch of the night he came to
them, walking on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea,
they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out for
fear. But immediately he spoke to them, saying, "Take heart, it is I; have
no fear." And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, bid me come to
you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat
and walked on the water and came to Jesus; but when he saw the wind, he was
afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus
immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "O man of
little faith, why did you doubt?" And when they got into the boat, the
wind ceased. And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, "Truly you are
the Son of God."
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Year A
O God, the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy, that, thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever
and ever. Amen.
Or
O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon us your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so
pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
A Reading from Genesis (29:15-28)
Then Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages be?" Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful and lovely. Jacob loved Rachel; and he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel." Laban said, "It is better that I give her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with me." So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed." So Laban gathered together all the men of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her maid.) And in the morning, behold, it was Leah; and Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" Laban said, "It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the first-born. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years." Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to wife.
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b
Confitemini Domino
1 Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; *
make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him, *
and speak of all his marvelous works.
3 Glory in his holy Name; *
let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Search for the Lord and his strength; *
continually seek his face.
5 Remember the marvels he has done, *
his wonders and the judgments of his mouth,
6 O offspring of Abraham his servant, *
O children of Jacob his chosen.
7 He is the Lord our God; *
his judgments prevail in all the world.
8 He has always been mindful of his covenant, *
the promise he made for a thousand generations:
9 The covenant he made with Abraham, *
the oath that he swore to Isaac,
10 Which he established as a statute for Jacob, *
an everlasting covenant for Israel,
11 Saying, "To you will I give the land of Canaan *
to be your allotted inheritance."
45b Hallelujah!
A Reading from The Letter to the Romans (8:26-39)
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that in everything God works for good with those who love him, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the first-born among many brethren. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies; who is to condemn? Is it Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised from the dead, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For thy sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Holy Gospel According to Matthew (13:31-33,44-52)
Another parable he put before them, saying, "The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed which a man took and sowed in his field; it is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches." He told them another parable. "The kingdom of heaven is like leaven which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened." "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net which was thrown into the sea and gathered fish of every kind; when it was full, men drew it ashore and sat down and sorted the good into vessels but threw away the bad. So it will be at the close of the age. The angels will come out and separate the evil from the righteous, and throw them into the furnace of fire; there men will weep and gnash their teeth. "Have you understood all this?" They said to him, "Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.
