Pentecost 13

First Reading    Didache 1
     There are two ways, one of life and one of death, and there is a great difference between the two ways.
     The way of life is this: “First you shall love God who has created you; second, your neighbor as yourself.” Whatever you do not want to happen to you, do not do to another.
     The teaching that comes from these words is this: “Bless those who curse you,” and “pray for your enemies.” Moreover, fast “for those who persecute you.” For “what credit is it to you of you love those who love you? Do not even the nations do that? But “you must love those who hate you,” and then you will make no enemies.
     “Abstain from the desires of the flesh.” If anyone strikes you on your right cheek, turn your other one to him also, and you will be perfect. If anyone “forces you into one miles of service, go two miles with him.”; if someone “takes away your coat, give him your shirt too.” If someone “takes away from you what is yours, do not demand it back” You could not get it back anyway!
     “Give to everyone who asks of you, and do not demand it back.” For the Father wants people to give to everyone from the gifts that have been freely given to them. Blessed is the person who gives according to the commandment, for he is guiltless. But if he is not in need, he will have to stand trial of why he took and for what purpose. If he is imprisoned, he shall be interrogated about what he has done, and “he shall not go free until he has paid back the last penny.” Indeed, there is a further saying that relates to this: “Let your donation sweat in your hands until you know to whom you are giving it.”

Second Reading    Book of Thomas the Contender 138:4–27, 139:13–21, NHL
     The Savior said, “Brother Thomas, while you have time in the world, listen to me and I will reveal to you the things you have pondered in your mind.
     “Now since it has been said that you are my twin and true companion, examine yourself that you may understand who you are, in what way you exist, and how you will come to be. Since you are called my brother, it is not fitting that you be ignorant of yourself. And I know that you have understood, because you had already understood that I am the knowledge of the truth. So while you accompany me, although you are uncomprehending, you have in fact already come to know, and you will be called, ‘the one who knows himself.’
     “For he who has not known himself has known nothing, but he who has known himself has at the same time already achieved knowledge about the Depth of the All. So then, you, my brother Thomas, have beheld what is hidden to people, that is, that against which they ignorantly stumble.”
     Now Thomas said to the Lord, “Therefore I beg you to tell me what I ask before your Ascension, and when I hear from you about the hidden things, then I can speak about them. And it is obvious to me that the truth is difficult to perform before people . . .
     Those who speak about things that are invisible and difficult to explain are like those who shoot arrows at a target at night. To be sure they shoot their arrows as anyone would — since they shoot at a target — but it is not visible. Yet when the light comes forth and hides the darkness, then the work of each will appear. And you, our light, enlighten, Lord.”

Psalm    Ode 18
My heart is raised and magnified in the love of You, O Highest One,*
     That I might celebrate Your Name!
My arms and legs are made powerful*
     that they might not fall from Your power.
You heal my bodily sickness*
     Your will is as firm as Your Kingdom.
O lord, that I may help the weak, let me keep Your Word.*
     For them do not deny me Your perfection.
Let the light not be conquered by darkness.*
     Let truth not flee falsehood.
Appoint me to victory. Your right hand is salvation.*
     Receive and preserve us who greet temptation.
Falsehood and death are not in Your mouth.*
     My God, Your will is perfection.
Vanity You do not know, nor does it know You.*
     Error You do not know, nor does it know You.
Ignorance appears like dust and like scum of the sea.*
     The vain supposed it was great and were its child.
The wise understand and meditate.*
     They are unpolluted in their meditations for they share the mind of the Lord.
They laugh at error and speak truth*
     breathed into them from You, the Highest One.
Your Name is greatly beautiful. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 7:1–10
     At the time that Jesus entered Capernaum, a Roman officer there had a favorite servant who was sick and near death. Hearing about Jesus, the centurion sent some Jewish elders to ask him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and pleaded urgently with him. “He deserves your help,” they said. “He is a friend of our people; in fact, he is the one who built our synagogue.”
     Jesus was not very far from the house when the centurion approached him and said,”My servant is lying at home paralyzed and in great pain.”
     Jesus said to him, “I will come myself and cure him.”
     The centurion replied, “I don’t deserve to have you in my house. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. After all, I myself am under orders, and I have many soldiers under my command. I say to one, ‘Go!’ and he goes. I order another to come and he comes. And to my servant, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.”
     When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to the crowd following him, “I tell you, nowhere in Israel have I found such faith.”
     Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go home now and everything will happen as you believed it would.” At that moment, the servant was healed.

Pentecost 14

First Reading    Didache 2
     The second commandment of the Teaching: “You shall not murder. You shall not commit adultery.” You shall not corrupt children. You shall not fornicate. “You shall not steal.” You shall not practice magic. You shall not go in for sorcery. You shall not murder a child, whether by abortion or by killing it once it is born. “You shall not covet what belongs to your neighbor. You shall not swear falsely, You shall not bear false witness.” You shall not slander anyone.
     You shall not harbor resentment.
     You shall not equivocate, either in what you think or in what you say, for equivocation is “a deadly snare.”2 Your speech shall not be false or empty, but fulfilled in action. You shall not be given to greed, or robbery, or wickedness, or malice, or pride. You shall not plot evil against your neighbor.
     You shall not hate anyone. Some people, though, you shall call to task; for others you shall pray. Still others you shall love more than your own life.

Second Reading    Malachi 3:1–3, Tanakh
     Behold, I am sending My messenger to clear the way before Me, and the Lord whom you seek shall come to His Temple suddenly. As for the angel of the covenant that you desire, he is already coming. But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can hold out when he appears? For he is like a smelter’s fire and like fuller’s lye. He shall act like a smelter and purger of silver; and he shall purify the descendants of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, so that they shall present offerings in righteousness.

Psalm    Ode 21
I raise my arms high to the grace of the Lord.*
     For You cast off my bonds.
My helper lifts me to Your grace and salvation.*
     I discard darkness and clothe myself in light.
My soul acquires a body*
     free from sorrow, affliction, or pain.
Your Thought, O Lord, restores me.*
     I feed on Your Eternal fellowship.
I am raised in the light and go to You, near You,*
     Praising and proclaiming You.
You make my heart flood into my mouth.*
     You make my heart shine on my lips.
On my face the exaltation of You increases, Lord*
     My face shines forth Your Praise. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 7:18–19, 22–35
     John the Baptist was in prison when he heard what Jesus was doing. He sent two of his own disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?”
     Jesus answered, “Go back and tell John what you hear and see: the blind see again, the lame walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life and the poor are given good news. Blessed is the man who does not lose faith in me.”
     After John’s disciples had departed, Jesus spoke to the crowds about John. “What did you go out to the desert to see? A reed shaken by the wind? No? Then what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? Those who wear fine clothes live in luxury in royal palaces. But why did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you — and much more than a prophet. He is the one about whom it is written:
     ‘See, I send my messengers before you,
     He will prepare the road ahead of you.’
     “I tell you, of all the children born of women, no one is greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the realm of God is greater than him.
     Up until the time of John the Baptist, we had the law of Moses and the words of the prophets. Since John arrived, the good news about God’s realm has been announced. Now people everywhere are pushing to get in.
     How should I describe the people of this generation? What are they like?
     They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another:
     ‘We played the flute for you and you didn’t dance;
     We sang sad songs and you would not weep.’
     For John the Baptist came, not eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Just look at him, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and outcasts.’
     But Wisdom is being proven right by all her children.”

Pentecost 15

First    Reading Didache 3
     My child, flee from all evil and from everything like it. Do not be an angry person, for anger leads to murder. Do not be jealous or contentious or impetuous, for from all this flows murderous acts.
     My child, do not be lustful, for lust leads to fornication. Do not use foul language or leer, for all this breeds adultery.
     My child, do not be a dealer in omens, since it leads to idolatry; nor should you be an enchanter, or an astrologer, or a magician, and do not be present to see or hear such things, for from all of these breed idolatry.
     My child, do not be a liar, since lying leads to theft. Do not be avaricious or vain, for all this breeds thievery.
     My child, do not be a grumbler against God, since it leads to blasphemy. Do not be presumptuous or disposed to invent evil, for all this breeds blasphemy.
     But be humble since “the humble will inherit the earth.” Be patient, merciful, guileless, quiet, and good; and always “have respect for the Teaching”2 you have heard.
     You shall not exalt yourself or let yourself be arrogant. You shall not attach yourself to those who are highly placed but shall associate with those who are just and humble.
     Accept as good whatever happens to you, knowing that nothing happens without God.

Second Reading    I Kings 19:19–21, Tanakh
     Elijah set out from there (a cave on Mount Horeb) and came upon Elisha son of Shaphat as he was plowing. There were twelve yoke of oxen ahead of him, and he was with the twelfth. Elijah came over to him and threw his mantle over him. He left the oxen and ran after Elijah, saying: “Let me kiss my father and mother good-by, and I will follow you.” And he answered him, “Go back. I am not stopping you.” He turned back from him and took the yoke of oxen and slaughtered them; he boiled their meat with the gear of the oxen and gave it to the people, and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and became his attendant.

Psalm    Ode 39
Raging rivers are the force of You, Lord!*
     They wash away those who despise You!
They entangle their paths and destroy their crossings.*
     They carry away their bodies and destroy their souls.
Their rapids are faster than lightning,*
     But those who cross them in faith will not be hurt.
Those who walk without blame need not cringe.*
     You are their sign, their Way, for those who cross in Your Name.
Dress in the Name of the Most High and know the Lord*
     Cross rivers without worry. Rivers obey you.
You, Lord, bridge rivers with Your Word.*
     You walk and cross them on foot.
Your footsteps are firm upon the waters and do not sink.*
     Your feet are like beams of wood fashioned of Truth.
Waves rise on this side and on the other*
     But Your footsteps, Anointed One, do not wash away.
A Way exists for those who cross after You,*
     for those who follow Your Way of faith and love Your Name. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 9:57, 10:2–4
     As they walked along the road, they met a man who said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the son of man, the Truly Human Being, has nowhere to rest his head.”
     To another he said, “Follow me.” But that person replied, “Let me go and bury my father first.” Jesus answered, “Let the dead bury their dead. Your duty is to go and spread the news of the realm of God.”
     Another person said, “I will follow you, but first let me go and say good-bye to my family.” Jesus said to him, “No one who puts a hand on the plough and continues to look at what was left behind is suited for the realm of God.”
     “Although the crop is abundant, there are few workers to harvest it, so ask the owner to send more laborers into the fields. Get going, but remember, I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”
     “Don’t acquire gold, silver or copper. Carry no purse, no knapsack, no sandals. Don’t bring a second tunic or a staff. Don’t stop to greet people along the way.”

Pentecost 16

First Reading     Didache 4
     My child, “you shall be mindful day and night of the one who speaks to you the word of God” and honor that person as you would the Lord. For where the Lord’s nature is proclaimed, there is the Lord.
     You shall seek daily the faces of the saints, to enjoy their refreshing conversation. You shall not cause division; instead you shall reconcile fighters.
     “Your judgments must be fair.” You shall not show partiality in calling people to task for their faults. You must not be of two minds about your decision. 
     Do not be the sort of person who holds out his hands to receive but draws them back when it comes to giving. If your labor has brought you earnings, pay a ransom for your sins.
     You shall not hesitate to give, and when you give you shall not grumble, for you will know who the paymaster is who gives good wages.
     You shall not turn away anyone who is in need, but you shall share everything with your brother and sister, and you shall not say that anything belongs only to you, for if you are partners in what is eternal, should you not be so all the more in things that perish?
     Do not neglect your responsibility to your son or your daughter, but from their youth you shall teach them to revere God.
     You shall not give orders in bitterness to your slave or you maid, those who hope in the same God as you, lest they stop revering the God who is over both you and them. For God does not come to call people according to their personal status but comes upon those whom the Spirit has prepared.
     As for you who are slaves, obey your masters with reverence and respect, as if they represented God.
     You shall hate all hypocrisy, and everything that is not pleasing to the Lord.
     You shall not abandon “the Lord’s commandments,” but “observe” the ones you have been given, “neither adding nor subtracting anything.”
     In the assembly you shall confess your sins, and not approach prayer with a bad conscience.
     This is the way of life.

Second Reading    2 Kings 4:29–37, Tanakh
     Elisha said to Gehazi, “Gird up your loins, take my staff in your hand, and go. If you meet anyone, do not greet him; and if anyone greets you, do not answer him. And place my staff on the face of the boy.” But the boy’s mother said, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you!” So he arose and followed her.
     Gehazi had gone on before them and had placed the staff on the boy’s face; but there was no sound or response. He turned back to meet him and told him, “The boy has not awakened.” Elisha came into the house, and there was the boy, laid out dead on his couch. He went in, shut the door behind the two of them, and prayed to the LORD. Then he mounted the bed and placed himself over the child. He put his mouth on his mouth, his eyes of his eyes, and his hands on his hands, as he bent over him. And the body of the child became warm. He stepped down, walked once up and down the room, then mounted and bent over him. Thereupon the boy sneezed seven times, and the boy opened his eyes. Elisha called Gehazi and said, “Call the Shumanite woman,” and he called her. When she came to him, he said, “Pick up your son.” She came and fell at his feet and bowed low to the ground; then she picked up her son and left.

Psalm    Ode 36
I find rest in the Spirit of the Lord who raises me up. *
     You place my feet on solid rock in high terrain before Your Glory.
I praise You continually*
composing my odes.
Christ speaks
The Spirit brought me forth*
     before the face of the Lord.
I was a Son of Man, living my True Humanity,*
     I was named the light, the child of God.
I was the most glorified of the glorious,*
     greatest of the great.
According to the greatness of the Most High, She made me.*
     According to his freshness, He renewed me.
From his perfection he anointed me*
     and I became equal to those near him.
My mouth was open like a dew cloud,*
     my heart overflowed with goodness,
My Way to him was peace,*
     and I was united in the soul of his providence.

Gospel    Q Gospel 10:5–22
     Whenever you enter someone’s home, let your first words be, “Peace to this house!” If a person who loves peace lives there, they will accept your blessings. If not, your words will come back to you. Stay in this house, taking what food and drink they offer, for the laborer deserves his reward. Do not keep moving from house to house. When you enter a town and the people welcome you, eat the food they provide. Heal the sick who are there. Say to the people of the town, “The realm of God is at your door.”
     If you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “We wipe off the very dust of your town that clings to our feet, and leave it with you. Yet be sure of this: the realm of God is very near.”
     I tell you, on that day Sodom and Gomorrah will be better off than that town.
     Beware Chorazin! Take heed, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had seen the miracles performed in your midst, they would have changed their ways long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. It will not go as hard with Tyre and Sidon at the judgment as with you. As for you, Capernaum, do you think you will be exalted to the heavens? No, you shall go crashing down among the dead!
     Anyone who listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me, and those who reject me reject the one who sent me.
     At this time, Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, for hiding these things from the wise and the clever and revealing them to the childlike. This is the way you want it. Everything has been put in my hand by my father. No one knows who the son is except the father, and who the father is except the son, and anyone to whom the son chooses to reveal him.”

Pentecost 17

First Reading    Didache 5–6
     But the way of death is this: First of all it, is evil and full of cursing; murders, adulteries, lusts, fornications, thefts, idolatries, magic, sorceries, robberies, false witnessings, hypocrisies, duplicity, deceit, pride, malice, stubbornness, greediness, filthy talk, jealousy, arrogance, boastfulness, lack of reverence for God.
     Persecutors of good people, hating truth, loving lies, ignorant of the wages of uprightness, not “adhering to what is good,”  nor to just judgment, lying awake not for what is good but for what is evil, from whom gentleness and patience are far away. “They love vanity,” “look for profit,”  do not show mercy to a poor person, do not exert themselves for the oppressed, ignoring their Maker, “murder children,” corrupt God’s image, turn their backs on the needy, who oppress the person who is distressed, advocates of the rich, unjust judges of the poor, and are thoroughly sinful. My children, may you be saved from all this!
     See to it “that no one leads you astray” from this way of the Teaching, since the person who does this teaches apart from God. For if you can near the whole yoke of the Lord, you will be perfect; but if you cannot, then do what you can.
     Now about food: bear what you can. But keep strictly away from food offered to idols, for that implies worshiping dead gods.

Second Reading    Ezekiel 36:22–28, Tanakh
     Say to the House of Israel: Thus said the Lord GOD: Not for your sake will I act, O House of Israel, but for My holy name, which you have caused to be profaned among the nations to which you have come. I will sanctify My great name which has been profaned among the nations — among whom you have caused it to be profaned. And the nations shall know that I am the LORD — declares the Lord GOD — when I manifest My holiness before their eyes through you. I will take you from among the nations and gather you from all the countries, and I will bring you back to your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean: I will cleanse you from all your uncleanness and from all your fetishes. And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit into you: I will remove the heart of stone from your body and give you a heart of flesh; and I will put My spirit into you. Thus I will cause you to follow My laws and faithfully to observe My rules. Then you shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers, and you shall be My people and I will be your God.

Psalm    Sirach 28:2–7, NRSV
Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done,*
     and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.
Does anyone harbor anger against another,*
     and expect healing from the Lord?
If one has no mercy toward another like himself,*
     can he then seek pardon for his own sins?
If a mere mortal harbors wrath,*
     who will make an atoning sacrifice for his sins?
Remember the end of your life,*
     and set enmity aside.
remember corruption and death,*
     and be true to the commandments.
Remember the commandments,*
     and do not not be angry with your neighbor;
Remember the covenant of the most high,*
     and overlook faults.

Gospel    Q Gospel 10:23–24, 11:2–13
     When Jesus was alone with his disciples, he turned to them and said, “Fortunate are the eyes that see what you are seeking. Many prophets and kings wished to see what you now see and never saw it, longed to hear what you now hear and never heard it.”
     One day it happened that Jesus was praying in a particular place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, “Lord, teach us how to pray just as John the Baptist taught his disciples.”
     He responded, “Say this when you pray:
            ‘Father, may your name be honored; may your reign begin.
            Grant us the food we need for each day.
            Forgive our failures, for we forgive everyone who fails us.
            And do not put us to the test.’”
     “Ask and it’ll be given to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for those who knock, the door is opened.
     “Who among you would hand his son a stone when he has asked you for bread? Who would hand him a snake when it’s fish he’s asking for? If you, who are imperfect, know how to give good things to your child, how much more will your heavenly Father give to you when you ask.”

Pentecost 18

First Reading    Didache 7–8
     Now about baptism: this is how to baptize. Give instruction in the assembly on this Teaching and then “baptize” in running water, “in the name of the Father and of the Son, and Holy Spirit.” If you do not have running water, baptize in some other water. If you cannot baptize in cold water, then use warm. If you have neither, pour water on the head three times “in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.” Before the baptism let the baptizer and the one who is to be baptized, and others who are able, fast. And you must tell the one who is being baptized to fast for one or two days before.
     Your fasts must not be on the same days as the hypocrites. They fast on Mondays and Thursdays; but you should fast on Wednesdays and Fridays.
     And do not pray like the hypocrites, but “pray as follows” as the Lord directed in his gospel:
     “Our Father in heaven, your name be revered, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is done in heaven. Give us today our bread for the day, and forgive our debtors; and do not subject us to temptation, but save us from the Evil One; for your is the power and the glory forever!”
     You should pray in this way three times a day.

Second Reading    2 Esdras 7:78–87, NRSV
     When the decisive decree has gone out from the Most High that a person shall die, as the spirit leaves the body to return again to him who gave it, first of all it adores the glory of the Most High. If it is one of those who have shown scorn and have not kept the way of the Most High, who have desired his law and hated those who fear God — such spirits shall immediately wander about in torments, always grieving and sad, in seven ways.
     The first way, because they have scorned the law of the Most High. The second way, because they cannot now make a good repentance so that they may live. The third way, they shall see the reward laid for those who have trusted the covenants of the Most High. The fourth way, they shall consider the torment laid up for themselves in the last days. The fifth way, they shall see how the habitations of the others are guarded by angels in profound quiet. The sixth way, they shall see how some of them will cross over into torments. The seventh way, which is worse than all the ways that have been mentioned, because they shall utterly waste away in confusion and be consumed with shame, and shall wither with fear at seeing the glory of the Most High in whose presence they sinned while they were alive, and in whose presence they are to be judged in the last times.

Psalm    Ode 40
As honey drips from the honeycomb of bees*
     And milk flows from the woman who loves her child,
     so goes my hope to You, my God.
As a fountain bursts with water,*
     My heart bursts with praise for You, Lord, through my lips.
My tongue is sweet from conversing with You.*
     I feel the anointing when I sing Your songs.
My face beams when praising You.*
     My spirit is overflowing with Your Love and my soul is shining.
Whoever is fearful will trust in You*
     and come to wholeness in You.
Whoever trusts You has Eternal life*
     and cannot be corrupted. Hallelujah!

Gospel     Q Gospel 11:14–32
     They brought a man who was blind and mute and who was possessed by a demon to Jesus. He cured the man so that he could speak and see.
     The crowds were astonished. But some of them said, “He is in league with Beelzebul, the chief of the evil spirits.”
     But Jesus answered them, “If it is by the power of Beelzebul that I cast out demons, by whose power do your own people cast them out? If I rely on the help of the chief of the demons, then Beelzebul’s own house is divided against itself. Every kingdom divided against itself will be destroyed, and a house divided in two will collapse. So if Satan’s house is divided, how can his kingdom survive?
     “But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the reign of God has arrived!
     “Anyone who is not with me is against me. Whoever does not help me gather scatters.
     “When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless country looking for a place to rest. Not finding one it says, ‘I will go back to the home I came from.’ But on arrival, finding it swept and tidied, it then goes off and brings seven other spirit more wicked then itself, and they go in and set up house there, so that the person ends up by being worse than before.”
     As Jesus was speaking, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, “Blessed is the womb that gave birth to you and the breasts that nursed you.”
     He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and observe it.”
     With the crowds swarming around him, Jesus addressed the people directly,”You are an imperfect generation! You demand a sign, but none will be given except the sign of Jonah. Just as Jonah was a symbol for the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man (Truly Human Being) be for today’s generation.
     “The Queen of Sheba traveled from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. Today, something greater than Solomon is here. The people of Nineveh heard the preaching of Jonah and changed their ways. But now, something greater than Jonah is here.
     “At the judgment, both the Queen of Sheba and the Ninevites will condemn this generation.”

Pentecost 19

First Reading    Didache 9
     Now about the Eucharist: This is how to give thanks. First about the cup,
     “We thank you,our Father, for the holy vine of David, your child, which you have revealed through Jesus, your child. Glory to you forever.”
     And about the Bread, “We thank you, our Father, for the life and knowledge which you have made known to us through Jesus your child. Glory to you forever, Just as this piece of bread was scattered over the hills and then was brought together and made one, so let your Church be brought together from the ends of the earth, into your Kingdom. For the glory and the power are yours through Jesus Christ forever.”
     You must not let anyone eat or drink of your Eucharist except those baptized in the Lord’s name. For in reference to this the Lord said, “Do not give what is sacred to dogs.”

Second Reading    2 Samuel 12:1–12, Tanakh
     The LORD was displeased with what David had done, and the LORD sent Nathan to David, he came to him and said, “There were two men in the same city, one rich and one poor. The rich man had very large flocks and herds, but the poor man had only one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He tended it and it grew up together with him and his children: it used to share his morsel of bread, drink from his cup, and nestle in his bosom; it was like a daughter to him. One day, a traveler came to the rich man, but he was loath to take anything from his own flocks or herd to prepare a meal for the guest who had come to him; so he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
     David flew into a rage against the man, and said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He shall pay for the lamb four times over, because he did such things and showed no pity.”
     And Nathan said to David, “That man is you! Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘It was I who anointed you king over Israel and it was I who rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and possession of your master’s wives; and I gave you the House of Israel and Judah; and if that were not enough, I would give you twice as much and more. Why then have you flouted the command of the LORD and done what displeases Him? You have put Uriah the Hittite to the sword; you took his wife and made her your wife and had him killed by the sword of the Ammonites. Therefore the sword shall never depart from your House — because you spurned Me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite and making her your wife.’ Thus said the LORD: ‘I will make a calamity rise against you from within your own house; I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes and he shall sleep with your wives under this very sun. You acted in secret, but I will make this happen in the sight of all Israel and in broad daylight.’”

Psalm    Micah 6:6–9, Tanakh
With what shall I approach the LORD,*
     and do homage to God on high?
Shall I approach Him with burnt offerings,*
     With calves a year old?
Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,*
     With myriads of streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my transgression,*
     The fruit of my body for my sins?
 “He has told you, O mortal, what is good
     And what does the LORD require of you;
Only to do justice*
     And to love goodness,
And to walk modestly with your God;*
     Then will your name achieve wisdom.”

Gospel    Q Gospel 11:33–51, 12:2–3
     Jesus said, “No one lights a lamp and puts it under a bushel basket. They put it on a stand so that everyone can see the light. Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is clear, your entire body fills with light. But if your eye become clouded, your body is in darkness. Be careful that your light never fades into darkness.
     “Beware, you who call yourselves perfect in your obedience to the law. You pay tax on mint, dill and cumin, but you ignore justice, mercy and honesty. You should practice these things first.
     “You wash the outside of your cups and plates, but inside you are filled with thoughts of greed and theft. Didn’t the one who made the outside make the inside too? Wash the inside of the cup and it will all be clean.
     “You who claim to be the most devout are hopeless! You love sitting in the front row of the synagogue and having people bow down to you in public. You are whitewashed tombs — beautiful on the surface, but filled with death and decay.
     “Beware to those who load people down with the crushing burden of laws and regulations but do nothing to help them. You have taken away the key of knowledge, but instead of unlocking the door, you have blocked the way for those trying to enter.
     “You erect monuments to prophets who were murdered by your ancestors. They did the killing, you built the tombs.
     “That’s why the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and messengers. Some they will kill, others they will persecute. This generation will have to answer for the blood of every prophet shed since the beginning of the world from Abel to Zechariah.”
     “There is nothing covered up now that will not be exposed. Nothing is secret that will not be revealed. Every secret you’ve kept will become known. What you have whispered in hidden places will be shouted from the housetops.”

Pentecost 20

First Reading    Didache 10
     After you have finished your meal, give thanks in this way: “We give you thanks, Holy Father, for your holy name, which you have made to dwell in our hearts, and for knowledge and faith and immortality, which you have made known to us through Jesus your child. Glory to you forever. You, almighty Master, have created all things for your name’s sake, you have given human beings food and drink to enjoy, so that they would give you thanks, but to us you have given spiritual food and drink and eternal life through Jesus, your child.
     “Above all, we thank you that you are powerful. Glory to you forever. Remember, Lord, your church, to save it from all evil and to make it perfect in your love. Make it holy ‘and gather’ it ‘together from the four winds,’ into your kingdom which you have prepared for it. For the power and the glory are yours forever.”
         “Let Grace come and let this world pass away.”
         “Hosanna to the God of David!”
         “If anyone is holy, let him come. If not, let him repent.”
         “Our Lord, come!”
         “Amen.”
     Permit the prophets to give thanks as much as they please.

Second Reading    Gospel of Philip 63:21 and 55:6–14 and 57:6–9 and 75:14–24, NHL
     The Eucharist is Jesus . . .  Before Jesus came there was no bread in the world, just as Paradise, the place where Adam was, had many trees to nourish the animals but no wheat to sustain human beings. They used to feed like the animals, but when Jesus came, the truly human being, he brought bread from heaven in order that humans might be nourished with the food of humanity . . .
     Jesus’ flesh is the word and Jesus’ blood is the holy spirit. Whoever receives these has food and drink and clothing . . .
     The cup of prayer contains wine and water, since it is appointed as the type of the blood for which thanks is given. And it is full of the Holy Spirit, and it belongs to the wholly perfect human being. When we drink this, we shall receive for ourselves the perfect humanity. The living water is a body. It is necessary that we put on the living true humanity. Therefore, when someone is about to go down into the water, that person removes all clothing in order to put on the new and living humanity.

Psalm    Wisdom of Solomon 1:1–7, NRSV
Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth, think of the Lord in goodness*
     and seek the Lord with sincerity of heart;
because he is found by those who do not put him to the test,*
     and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.
For perverse thoughts separate people from God,*
     and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish;
because wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul,*
     or dwell in a body enslaved to sin.
For a holy and disciplined spirit will flee from deceit, and will leave foolish thoughts behind,*
     and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness.
For wisdom is a kindly spirit,*
     but will not free blasphemers from the guilt of their words;
because God is witness of their inmost feelings,*
     and a true observer of their hearts, and a hearer of their tongues.
Because the spirit of the Lord has filled the world,*
     and that which holds all things together knows what is said.

Gospel    Q Gospel 12:4–21
     Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, you should respect the one who holds in his hands both your body and your soul. What does a sparrow cost? A few pennies? Yet not a single little bird is forgotten by God. And you? God’s care extends to every hair on your head. You are worth more than a flock of sparrows.
     “Everyone who acknowledge me in public will be celebrated by the angels. Whoever rejects me before others will be disowned by the angels. Anyone who speaks against the Son of Man (True Humanity) will be forgiven, but there is no forgiveness for those who attack the Holy Spirit.
     “When you are dragged into court and forced to appear before judges because of your beliefs, don’t worry about how to defend yourself or what to say. The words will come to you from the Holy Spirit when you need them.”
     Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to share the family inheritance with me.” Jesus responded, “Friend, who made me a judge?
     “There was once a rich man whose lands yielded a good harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I don’t have enough room to store my crops. I know, I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones so that I can keep all my grain in them. Then I will say to myself, ‘I have enough to last me for years. I can take it easy, eat, drink, and have a good time.’
     “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you may die. Then who will own this hoard of yours?’ So it is with those who pile up possessions but remain poor in the treasures of the spirit.”

Pentecost 21

First Reading    Didache 11
     Now, you should welcome anyone who comes your way and teaches you all we have been saying. But if the teacher proves himself a renegade and by teaching otherwise contradicts all this, pay no attention to him. But if he teaches so that justice and knowledge of the Lord increase, welcome and receive him as you would the Lord.
     Now about the apostles and prophets: act in line with the Gospel precept. Welcome every apostles on arriving, as if he were the Lord. But he must not stay beyond one day. In case of necessity, however, the next day too. If he stays three days, he is a false prophet. On departing, an apostle must not accept anything except enough food to carry him till he finds his next lodging. If he asks for money, he is a false prophet.
     Do not test or examine any prophet who speaks in the Spirit. For “every sin will be forgiven,” but this sin “will not be forgiven.”2 However, not everyone making ecstatic utterances is a prophet, but only if he has the ways of the Lord. It is by their conduct that the false prophet and the true prophet can be distinguished. No prophet who orders a meal under the spirit’s influence shall eat of it; if he does, he is a false prophet. Again, every prophet who teaches the truth but fails to practice what he preaches is a false prophet. But every reliable and genuine prophet who acts with a view to symbolizing the Mystery of the church,3 but does not teach others to do what he himself does, shall be judged by you, for his judgment is with God. The ancient prophets acted in the same way.
     But whoever says in the spirit, “Give me money”, or something else, you shall not listen to him, but if he tells you to give for others who are in need, no one must condemn him.

Second Reading    Tobit 4:5–11, NRSV
     Revere the LORD all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or to transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life, and do not walk in the ways of wrongdoing; for those who act in accordance with truth will prosper in all their activities. To all those who practice righteousness give alms from your possessions, and do not let your eye begrudge the gift when you make it. Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor, and the face of God will not be turned away from you. If you have many possessions, make your gift from them in proportion; if few, do not be afraid to give according to the little you have. So you will be laying up a good treasure for yourself against the day of necessity. For almsgiving delivers from death and keeps you from going into the Darkness. Indeed, almsgiving, for all who practice it, is an excellent offering in the presence of the Most High.

Psalm    Ode 22
Christ speaks to the Father
You are the One who brings me down from on high*
     and who brings me up from the regions below,
who gathers what is on the earth and hurls them at me,*
     who scatters my enemies and adversaries,
who gives me mastery of binding ropes that I loosen them,*
     who with my hands overthrows the dragon with seven heads
     and places me at his roots to destroy his seed.
You are here and help me*
     and everywhere Your Name circles me.
Your right hand destroys his wicked poison.*
     Your hand smooths the way for those who believe in You
Your hand chooses them from their graves, separating them from the dead,*
     taking dead bones and covering them with bodies.
They are motionless. You give them the energy of life.*
     Your Way and Your face are stainless.
To corruption You bring Your world clean and refreshing.*
     The foundation is Your rock on which You build Your kingdom where the holy live. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 12:22–40
     Jesus spoke to his disciples: “Don’t be anxious about your life. Don’t worry about getting enough food or having clothes to wear. Life means more than food and the body is more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant seeds or gather a harvest. They have neither storehouses nor barns. Yet God feeds them. Aren’t you more important than birds? Can any of you, for all your worrying, add a single moment to your life? If worry can’t change the smallest thing, then why be anxious about the rest?
     “Look at the lilies that grow wild in the fields. They don’t weave clothes for themselves. But I tell you, even King Solomon in all his splendor was not dressed as beautifully as these flowers. If that is how God clothes the grasses, which are green today and burned in the sun tomorrow, how much more will God provide for you. How little faith you have!
     “Don’t be blinded by the pursuit of food, clothing, and possessions. Stop worrying about these things. Only those who lack spirit and soul pursue them. You have a Father who knows what you need. Set your heart on God and these other things will be given to you.
     “Don’t pile up your treasures here on earth. They will be destroyed by moths and rust and stolen by thieves. Store your riches in heaven where moths and rust are powerless and thieves cannot break in. Wherever your treasure is, your heart will also be.
     “If the owner of a house knows when a thief is coming, he will be guard and not let anyone break into the house. You too must be prepared — the son of man will arrive when you least expect him.”

Pentecost 22

First Reading    Didache 12
     Everyone “who comes” to you “in the name of the Lord” must be welcomed. Then, when you have taken stock of him, you will know — for you will have insight — what is true and what is false.
     If the person who comes is just passing through, help him as much as you can. But he must not stay with you more than two days, or, if necessary, three.
     If he wants to settle in with you and has a trade, let him work for his living. But if he has no trade, see to it that no Christian live with you in idleness.
     If he refuses to do this, he is trading on Christ. Be on your guard against people like this.

Second Reading    Micah 7:1–7, NJB
     I am in trouble! I have become like a harvester in summertime, like a gleaner at the vintage: not a single cluster to eat, not one of the early figs I so long for.
     The devout have vanished from the land: there is not one honest man left. All are lurking for blood, every man hunting down his brother. Their hands are skilled in evil; the official demands  . . . , the judge gives judgment for a bribe, the man in power pronounces as he pleases.
     Put no trust in a neighbor, have no confidence in a friend; to the woman who shares your bed do not open your mouth. For son insults father, daughter defies mother, daughter-in-law defies mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are those of his own household.
     The best among them is like a briar, the most honest a hedge of thorn. Today will come their ordeal from the north, now is the time for their confusion.
     For my part, I look to Yahweh, my hope is in the God who will save me; my God will hear me.

Psalm    Ode 25
I am rescued from my chains and flee to You, my God.*
     You are the right hand of my salvation and my helper.
You hold back those who rise against me and they do not appear again.*
     Your face is with me. I am saved by Your grace.
But in the eyes of many I am abhorred and excluded.*
     In their eyes I am like lead. I assume strength and help from You.
You place a lamp at my right hand and at my left.*
     In me nothing is not bright.
Your Spirit covers me and I take off my garment of skin.*
     Your right hand raises me and removes my sickness.
I grow strong in Your truth, holy in Your goodness.*
     My enemies fear me.
I am of You, Lord, and by Your Name justified by Your gentleness.*
     Your rest goes on forever. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 12:42–46, 49–59
     Jesus said, “When the owner of an estate wants a manager who can be trusted with all his goods, someone who will make sure the staff is cared for and fed, whom will be put in charge? A trusty and sensible supervisor. Congratulations to that person if he proves faithful and is hard at work when the owner comes home. In that case, the owner will give him a share of the property. But if the manager says to himself, ‘The owner is not coming back for a long time,’ and begins abusing the workers and feasting and getting drunk, the owner may return unexpectedly. Instead of receiving a reward, the manager will be cut off and will share the fate of the unfaithful.
     “Do you suppose that I am here to bring peace? No, I have come to bring the sword of division. My message will divide father and son, mother and daughter, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
     “Those who prefer their father or mother to me are not deserving. Nor are those who prefer their sons and daughters.
     “Unless you carry your own cross and follow me, you are not worthy.
     “Those who grasp and clutch at self will lose it. Those who let go of self and follow me will find it.
     “When you see clouds in the western sky, you say, ‘It’s going to rain.’ And it does! When the wind blows from the south, you predict scorching weather. And it comes! You know the lay of the land and can read the face of the sky. So why can’t you interpret the here and now?
     “Why can’t you judge for yourself what is right? When you are headed for court with an opponent, try to settle the case on the way and make peace with him. Otherwise he will call you before the judge, who may turn you over to the jailer. Then you may not get out of jail until you’ve paid your last penny.”

Pentecost 23

First Reading    Didache 13
     Every genuine prophet who wants to settle with you “has a right to his support.” In the same way, a genuine teacher, just like a “workman, has a right to his support.” So you shall take the first fruits of the produce of the wine press and the threshing floor and of cattle and sheep and give the first fruits to the prophets, for they are your high priests. If, however, you have no prophet, give them to the poor. If you make bread, take the first fruits and give them according to the command. Likewise, when you open a jar of wine or oil, take the first fruits and give them to the prophets.
     Take the first fruits of money and clothing, and and of all your possessions, and give as you think best according to the command.

Second Reading    Ezekiel 17:22–23
     Thus says the Lord GOD: “Then I in turn will take and set in the ground a slip from the lofty top of the cedar; I will pluck a tender twig from the tip of its crown, and I will plant it on a tall, towering mountain. I will plant it in Israel’s lofty highlands, and it shall bring forth boughs and produce branches and grow into a noble cedar. Every bird of every feather shall take shelter under it, shelter in the shade of its boughs. Then shall all the trees of the field know that it is I the LORD who have abased the lofty tree and exalted the lowly tree, who have dried up the green tree and made the withered bud. I the LORD have spoken and I will act.”

Psalm    Ode 26
I pour praise on You, Lord. I am Yours.*
     I recite Your holy poem. My heart is with You.
Your harp is in my hand,*
     and the odes of Your rest will not be silent.
I cry to You from my whole heart.*
     praise and exult You with my arms raised.
From the east into the west is Your praise!*
     From south far into the north is Your thanksgiving!
From the top of the hills to the greatest peaks is Your Perfection!*
     Who can write the odes of the Lord or who can read them?
Who can train the soul for life to save the soul?*
     Who can rest high in the firmament so his mouth speaks?
Who can decipher the wonders of the Lord?*
     The interpreter perishes and the interpretation remains.
It is enough to know and to rest.*
     Singers rest serenely like a flowing river, like an overflowing spring. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 13:18–35, 14:11
     Jesus said, “What is the realm of God like? How can I describe it to you? It is like a tiny mustard seed that someone tosses into a garden. It grows into a tree and birds nest in its branches.
     “To what shall I compare the realm of God? It is like yeast that a woman takes and mixes with three cups of flour until it all rises.
     “Enter by the narrow gate. The path that leads to destruction is a wide and easy. Many follow it. But the narrow gate and hard road lead to life. Few discover it.
     “I predict that people will come from east and west, and north and south to sit with Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah and Rachel at a great banquet in the realm of heaven. Those who think the realm of God belongs to them will be thrown out into the dark where they will dry tears of bitter regret.
     “The last will be first and the first will be last.
     “Jerusalem, O Jerusalem, you are a city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you. How often I have wanted to gather your children as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But you have not let me. See your house will be abandoned and left in ruins. You will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’
     “Those who praise themselves will be humbled. Those who humble themselves will be praised.”

Pentecost 24

First Reading    Didache 14
     On every Lord’s Day — his special day — come together and break bread and give thanks, first confessing your sins so that your sacrifice may be pure. Let no one engaged in a dispute with his neighbor meet with you until they are reconciled, so that your sacrifice may not be profaned.
     This is the meaning of what was said by the Lord, “Always and everywhere offer me a pure sacrifice; for I am a great king,” says the Lord, “and my name is wonderful among the nations.”

Second Reading    Proverbs 9:1–6, Tanakh
Wisdom has built her house,
She has hewn her seven pillars.
She has prepared the feast,
Mixed the wine,
And also set the table.
She has sent out her maids to announce
On the heights of the town,
“Let the simple enter here”;
To those devoid of sense she says,
 “Come, eat my food
And drink the wine that I have mixed;
Give up simpleness and live,
Walk in the way of understanding.”

Psalm    Ode 28:1–6
As the wings of the dove over their nestlings, and the mouths of the nestlings toward their mothers’ mouths,*
     so also are the wings of the Spirit over my heart.
My heart is happy and leaps for joy,*
     like the infant who leaps for joy in mother’s womb.
I believe. I am peaceful. My faith is in You whom I trust.*
     You bless me greatly. My mind is with You.
No sword divides us, No scimitar separates us.*
     I am prepared before destruction comes.
I am in Your arms that do not know death.*
     Eternal Life embraces and kisses me.
Your Spirit is in me.*
     It lives and cannot die. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 14:16–23
     Jesus said, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many guests. As the dinner hour approached, he sent a servant to tell them, ‘Come, everything is ready now.’ One by one, they started making excuses. The first guest told the servant, ‘I’m sorry but I just bought a piece of land and have to go see it.’
     Another guest said, ‘You’ll have to excuse me, I’m on my way to take a look at five pairs of oxen that I’ve purchased.’
     A third guest explained, ‘I just got married and I cannot come.’
     The servant returned to tell the host about all these excuses.
     In a fit of anger, the man shouted, ‘Go out right now into the streets and alleys and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’
     Soon, the servant reported back, ‘I’ve carried out your orders, but there is still room.’
     ‘Then go farther out to the roads and country lanes,’ the man responded, ‘and lead people back until my house is filled. But not one of those original guests will share this feast.’”

Pentecost 25

First Reading Didache 15
     Elect for yourselves bishops and deacons who are a credit to the Lord, those who are gentle, generous, faithful, and honest. For their ministry to you is identical with that of prophets and teachers. So do not disregard them, for along with the prophets and teachers they enjoy a place of honor among you.
     Correct one another not in anger but in peace as you find it in the gospel. If anyone wrongs a neighbor, let no one speak to that person, and let him not hear a word from you until he repents.
     Offer your prayers, give your charity, and do everything just as you find it in the gospel of our Lord.

Second Reading    2 Esdras 13:51–56, NRSV
     I said, “O sovereign Lord, explain this to me: Why did I see the man coming up from the sea?”
     He said to me, “Just as no one can explore or know what is in the depths of the sea, so no one on earth can see my Son or those who are with him, except in the time of his day. This is my interpretation of the dream that you saw. And you alone have been enlightened about this, because you have forsaken your own ways and have applied yourself to mine, and have searched out my law; for you have devoted your life to wisdom, and called understanding your mother. Therefore I have shown you these things; for there is a reward laid up with the Most High. For it will be that after three more days I will tell you other things, and explain weighty and wondrous matters to you.”

Psalm    Ode 34
The simple heart finds no hard way.*
     Good thoughts have no barriers.
Deep in the illumined mind is no whirlwind.*
     Surrounded on every side by the beauty of open country, one is free of doubt.
Below is like above. Everything is above.*
     Below is nothing, but the ignorant think they see.
Now you know grace. It is for your salvation.*
     Believe and live and be saved. Hallelujah!

Gospel    Q Gospel 17:3–4, 6, 22–35
     Jesus explained to his disciples, “If a companion does something wrong to you, go to the person and point this out. But do it privately. If your friend listens and says, ‘I’m sorry,’ forgive and your bond will be strengthened.”
     “But how often must I forgive the same person?” asked one of his disciples, “Seven times?”
     Jesus answered, “Not just seven times, but seventy times seven.
     “Even if your faith is no bigger than a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”
     Jesus was asked, “When will the kingdom of God arrive?”
     He replied, “You won’t be able to see the kingdom of God when it comes. People won’t be able to say,’it’s here’ or ‘it’s over there.’ The kingdom of God is among you.
     “A time will come when you will long to see the son of man, the Truly Human Being, but you’ll see nothing. There will be those who will say, ‘Look over there’ or ‘Look right here.’ But don’t go searching! Stay right where you are. Because the son of man, the Truly Human One, will come like lightning flashing from one end of the sky to the other.
     “It will be just like it was in the days of Noah. People ate, drank, got married and went on with their lives right up until the day that Noah climbed aboard the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them. That’s how it will be when the son of man, the Truly Human Being, is revealed.
     “If two people are sleeping, one will be taken, the other left. If two women are grinding grain at the mill, one will be taken, the other will be left.”

Pentecost 26

First Reading    Didache 16
     “Watch” over your life: do not let “your lamps” go out, and do not let your loins be weak, but “be ready” for “you do not know the hour when our Lord is coming.” Meet together frequently in your search for what is good for your souls, since a “lifetime of faith will be of no advantage” to you unless you prove perfect at the final hour. For in the final days the false prophets and seducers will be multiplied, and the sheep will turn into wolves and love will turn into hate. As lawlessness increases, they will hate and persecute and betray one another. And then the world deceiver will appear in the guise of a son of God. He will work “signs and wonders” and the earth will fall into his hands and he will commit outrages such as have never occurred before.
     Then humankind will come into the fiery trial and “many will fall away” and perish, “but those who persevere” in their faith “will be saved” by the Curse himself.
     Then “there will be signs” of the Truth: first the sign of stretched out hands in heaven, then the sign of “a loud trumpet call”, and thirdly the resurrection of the dead, though not all the dead, but as it has been said, “The Lord will come and all his saints with him. Then the world will see the Lord coming upon the clouds of heaven.”

     Second Reading    Apocalypse of Paul 18:3–19:20, NHL
     Paul meets a Child along the road and says to him, “By which road shall I go to Jerusalem?” The little child replied, saying, “Say your name so that I may show you the road.” The little child knew who Paul was. He wished to make conversation with him through his words in order that he might find an excuse for speaking with him.
     The little child spoke, saying, “I know who you are, Paul. You are he who was blessed from his mother’s womb. For I have come to you that you may go up to Jerusalem to your fellow apostles. And for this reason you were called. And I am the Spirit who accompanies you . . .
     “Let your mind awaken, Paul, and see this mountain upon which you are standing is the mountain of Jericho, so that you may know the hidden things in those that are visible. Now it is to the twelve apostles that you shall go, for they are elect spirits, and they will greet you.”
     Paul raised his eyes and saw them greeting him.

Psalm    Wisdom of Solomon 4:11–18, NRSV
Wisdom teaches her children*
     and gives help to those who seek her.
Whoever loves her loves life,*
     and those who seek her from early morning are filled with joy.
Whoever holds her fast inherits glory,*
     and the Lord blesses the place she enters.
Those who serve her minister to the Holy One;*
     the Lord loves those who love her.
Those who obey her will judge the nations,*
     and all who listen to her will live secure.
If they remain faithful, they will inherit her;*
     their descendants will also obtain her.
For at first she will walk with them on tortuous paths;*
     she will bring fear and dread upon then,
and will torment them by her discipline until she trusts them,*
     and she will test them with her ordinances.
Then she will come straight back to them again and gladden them,*
     and will reveal her secrets to them.

Gospel    Q Gospel 19:12–26, 22:28–30
     Jesus said, “A nobleman once went off to a distant land to become king. just before he left, he called together his ten most trusted servants and gave each of them ten silver coins. ‘See what you can earn with this money while I am gone,’ he instructed them.
     “His fellow citizens, however, hated him and sent a delegation saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’
     Nevertheless, he received the kingship and returned home. He summoned the servants to find out what each one had done with the money.
     The first one said, ‘I’ve turned the ten coins into one hundred!’
     ‘Excellent.’ the new king replied. ‘Because you’ve proven trustworthy in this small matter, I’m going to put you in charge of ten towns.’
     The second one reported, ‘I’ve earned five times what you gave me.’
     ‘Then you’ll be in charge of five towns,’ replied the king.
     Another servant stepped forward and said, ‘Sir, here are your coins. I kept them wrapped in a handkerchief because you’re a hard man and I’m afraid of you. You always try to get something for nothing. You reap where you do not sow.’
     ‘Listen to what you’re saying!’ the king said. ‘You’re trapped by your own words. You say that I’m a difficult man, that I try to get something for nothing. If that is true, why didn’t you do something with the money to make a profit? You’ve disobeyed me.’
     Turning to the others, he said, ‘Take the silver coins from him and give them to the fellow who turned ten coins into one hundred.’
     ‘But sir!’ they protested. ‘He already has a hundred coins.’
     ‘Yes,’ the king replied, ‘and to the person who has something, more will be given and that person will have abundance. The person who has nothing of real value will lose even what he thinks he has.’”
     Jesus said to his followers, “You have stayed close to me through all my trials. You will eat and drink with me in the realm of God.”     

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