Thursday 11 June 2009 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

 Thursday 11 June 2009
DAILY LECTIONARY
 
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Ecclesiasticus 44:19-45:5
 
Abraham was the great father of a multitude of nations,
   and no one has been found like him in glory.
He kept the law of the Most High,
   and entered into a covenant with him;
he certified the covenant in his flesh,
   and when he was tested he proved faithful.
Therefore the Lord* assured him with an oath
   that the nations would be blessed through his offspring;
that he would make him as numerous as the dust of the earth,
   and exalt his offspring like the stars,
and give them an inheritance from sea to sea
   and from the Euphrates* to the ends of the earth.
 
To Isaac also he gave the same assurance
   for the sake of his father Abraham.
The blessing of all people and the covenant
   he made to rest on the head of Jacob;
he acknowledged him with his blessings,
   and gave him his inheritance;
he divided his portions,
   and distributed them among twelve tribes.
 
 
From his descendants the Lord* brought forth a godly man,
   who found favour in the sight of all
 
1and was beloved by God and people,
   Moses, whose memory is blessed.
He made him equal in glory to the holy ones,
   and made him great, to the terror of his enemies.
By his words he performed swift miracles;*
   the Lord* glorified him in the presence of kings.
He gave him commandments for his people,
   and revealed to him his glory.
For his faithfulness and meekness he consecrated him,
   choosing him out of all humankind.
He allowed him to hear his voice,
   and led him into the dark cloud,
and gave him the commandments face to face,
   the law of life and knowledge,
so that he might teach Jacob the covenant,
   and Israel his decrees.
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2 Corinthians 12:1-10
 
It is necessary to boast; nothing is to be gained by it, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord. I know a person in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows. And I know that such a person—whether in the body or out of the body I do not know; God knows— was caught up into Paradise and heard things that are not to be told, that no mortal is permitted to repeat. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses. But if I wish to boast, I will not be a fool, for I will be speaking the truth. But I refrain from it, so that no one may think better of me than what is seen in me or heard from me, even considering the exceptional character of the revelations. Therefore, to keep* me from being too elated, a thorn was given to me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated.* Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power* is made perfect in weakness.’ So, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities for the sake of Christ; for whenever I am weak, then I am strong.
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Luke 19:28-40
 
After he had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem.
 
 When he had come near Bethphage and Bethany, at the place called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples, saying, ‘Go into the village ahead of you, and as you enter it you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, “Why are you untying it?” just say this: “The Lord needs it.” ’ So those who were sent departed and found it as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, ‘Why are you untying the colt?’ They said, ‘The Lord needs it.’ Then they brought it to Jesus; and after throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. As he rode along, people kept spreading their cloaks on the road. As he was now approaching the path down from the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to praise God joyfully with a loud voice for all the deeds of power that they had seen, saying,
‘Blessed is the king
   who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven,
   and glory in the highest heaven!’
Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, order your disciples to stop.’ He answered, ‘I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out.’
 
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 71
 
Psalm 71
 
In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
   let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
   incline your ear to me and save me.
Be to me a rock of refuge,
   a strong fortress,* to save me,
   for you are my rock and my fortress.
 
 
Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
   from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
For you, O Lord, are my hope,
   my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
Upon you I have leaned from my birth;
   it was you who took me from my mother’s womb.
My praise is continually of you.
 
 
I have been like a portent to many,
   but you are my strong refuge.
My mouth is filled with your praise,
   and with your glory all day long.
Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
   do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
For my enemies speak concerning me,
   and those who watch for my life consult together.
They say, ‘Pursue and seize that person
   whom God has forsaken,
   for there is no one to deliver.’
 
 
O God, do not be far from me;
   O my God, make haste to help me!
Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
   let those who seek to hurt me
   be covered with scorn and disgrace.
But I will hope continually,
   and will praise you yet more and more.
My mouth will tell of your righteous acts,
   of your deeds of salvation all day long,
   though their number is past my knowledge.
I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God,
   I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
 
 
O God, from my youth you have taught me,
   and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
So even to old age and grey hairs,
   O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might
   to all the generations to come.*
Your power and your righteousness, O God,
   reach the high heavens.
 
 
You who have done great things,
   O God, who is like you?
You who have made me see many troubles and calamities
   will revive me again;
from the depths of the earth
   you will bring me up again.
You will increase my honour,
   and comfort me once again.
 
 
I will also praise you with the harp
   for your faithfulness, O my God;
I will sing praises to you with the lyre,
   O Holy One of Israel.
My lips will shout for joy
   when I sing praises to you;
   my soul also, which you have rescued.
All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help,
for those who tried to do me harm
   have been put to shame, and disgraced.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 74
 
Psalm 74
 
O God, why do you cast us off for ever?
   Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago,
   which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage.
   Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell.
Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;
   the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
 
 
Your foes have roared within your holy place;
   they set up their emblems there.
At the upper entrance they hacked
   the wooden trellis with axes.*
And then, with hatchets and hammers,
   they smashed all its carved work.
They set your sanctuary on fire;
   they desecrated the dwelling-place of your name,
   bringing it to the ground.
They said to themselves, ‘We will utterly subdue them’;
   they burned all the meeting-places of God in the land.
 
 
We do not see our emblems;
   there is no longer any prophet,
   and there is no one among us who knows how long.
How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?
   Is the enemy to revile your name for ever?
Why do you hold back your hand;
   why do you keep your hand in* your bosom?
 
 
Yet God my King is from of old,
   working salvation in the earth.
You divided the sea by your might;
   you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
You crushed the heads of Leviathan;
   you gave him as food* for the creatures of the wilderness.
You cut openings for springs and torrents;
   you dried up ever-flowing streams.
Yours is the day, yours also the night;
   you established the luminaries* and the sun.
You have fixed all the bounds of the earth;
   you made summer and winter.
 
 
Remember this, O Lord, how the enemy scoffs,
   and an impious people reviles your name.
Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals;
   do not forget the life of your poor for ever.
 
 
Have regard for your* covenant,
   for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame;
   let the poor and needy praise your name.
Rise up, O God, plead your cause;
   remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.
Do not forget the clamour of your foes,
   the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.
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