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Twenty-first Sunday after Pentecost

Proper 23

The Collect:

Lord, we pray that your grace may always precede and follow us, that we may continually be given to good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Old Testament: Job 23:1-9, 16-17

1Then Job answered: 2“Today also my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy despite my groaning. 3Oh, that I knew where I might find him, that I might come even to his dwelling! 4I would lay my case before him, and fill my mouth with arguments. 5I would learn what he would answer me, and understand what he would say to me. 6Would he contend with me in the greatness of his power? No; but he would give heed to me. 7There an upright person could reason with him, and I should be acquitted forever by my judge.

8“If I go forward, he is not there; or backward, I cannot perceive him;9on the left he hides, and I cannot behold him; I turn to the right, but I cannot see him. 16God has made my heart faint; the Almighty has terrified me; 17If only I could vanish in darkness, and thick darkness would cover my face!

Psalm: Psalm 22:1-15

1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? *
       and are so far from my cry
       and from the words of my distress?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; *
       by night as well, but I find no rest.
3 Yet you are the Holy One, *
       enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 Our forefathers put their trust in you; *
       they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 They cried out to you and were delivered; *
       they trusted in you and were not put to shame.
6 But as for me, I am a worm and no man, *
       scorned by all and despised by the people.
7 All who see me laugh me to scorn; *
       they curl their lips and wag their heads, saying,
8 “He trusted in the Lord; let him deliver him; *
       let him rescue him, if he delights in him.”
9 Yet you are he who took me out of the womb, *
       and kept me safe upon my mother’s breast.
10 I have been entrusted to you ever since I was born; *
       you were my God when I was still in my mother’s womb.
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, *
       and there is none to help.
12 Many young bulls encircle me; *
       strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open wide their jaws at me, *
       like a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water;
   all my bones are out of joint; *
       my heart within my breast is melting wax.
15 My mouth is dried out like a pot-sherd;
   my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; *
       and you have laid me in the dust of the grave.

Old Testament: Amos 5:6-7, 10-15

6Seek the Lord and live, or he will break out against the house of Joseph like fire, and it will devour Bethel, with no one to quench it. 7Ah, you that turn justice to wormwood, and bring righteousness to the ground! 10They hate the one who reproves in the gate, and they abhor the one who speaks the truth. 11Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine. 12For I know how many are your transgressions, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the righteous, who take a bribe, and push aside the needy in the gate. 13Therefore the prudent will keep silent in such a time; for it is an evil time. 14Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord, the God of hosts, will be with you, just as you have said. 15Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

Psalm: Psalm 90:12-17

12 So teach us to number our days *
       that we may apply our hearts to wisdom.
13 Return, O Lord; how long will you tarry? *
       be gracious to your servants.
14 Satisfy us by your loving-kindness in the morning; *
       so shall we rejoice and be glad all the days of our life.
15 Make us glad by the measure of the days that you afflicted us *
       and the years in which we suffered adversity.
16 Show your servants your works *
       and your splendor to their children.
17 May the graciousness of the Lord our God be upon us; *
       prosper the work of our hands;
       prosper our handiwork.

Epistle: Hebrews 4:12-16

12Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account. 14Since, then, we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast to our confession. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. 16Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Gospel: Mark 10:17-31

17As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age—houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

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Lectionary Calendar

The Old Testament, New Testament and Gospels readings are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Collects, Psalms, and Canticles are from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979.

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