[Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTY-FOURTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost 
(Proper 27), Nov. 7, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal 
(ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common 
Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard 
Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and 
C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.



OLD TESTAMENT: Haggai 1: 15b - 2:9 (RCL)

Hagg 1:15 (NRSV) In the second year of King Dari'us, 2:1 in the seventh 
month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by 
the prophet Hag'gai, saying: 2 Speak now to Zerub'babel son of Sheal'tiel, 
governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehoz'adak, the high priest, and to 
the remnant of the people, and say, 3 Who is left among you that saw this 
house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your 
sight as nothing? 4 Yet now take courage, O Zerub'babel, says the LORD; take 
courage, O Joshua, son of Jehoz'adak, the high priest; take courage, all you 
people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD of 
hosts, 5 according to the promise that I made you when you came out of 
Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6 For thus says the LORD of 
hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth 
and the sea and the dry land; 7 and I will shake all the nations, so that 
the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with 
splendor, says the LORD of hosts. 8 The silver is mine, and the gold is 
mine, says the LORD of hosts. 9 The latter splendor of this house shall be 
greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will 
give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts.


Job 19: 23 - 27a (C of E, alt, for RCL)

Job 19:23 (NRSV) "O that my words were written down!
O that they were inscribed in a book!
24 O that with an iron pen and with lead
they were engraved on a rock forever!
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
and that at the last he will stand upon the earth;
26 and after my skin has been thus destroyed,
then in my flesh I shall see God,
27 whom I shall see on my side,
and my eyes shall behold, and not another.


Zechariah 7: 1 - 10   (Can. BAS)

Zech 7:1 (NRSV) In the fourth year of King Darius, the word of the LORD came 
to Zechariah on the fourth day of the ninth month, which is Chislev. 2 Now 
the people of Bethel had sent Sharezer and Regem-melech and their men, to 
entreat the favor of the LORD, 3 and to ask the priests of the house of the 
LORD of hosts and the prophets, "Should I mourn and practice abstinence in 
the fifth month, as I have done for so many years?" 4 Then the word of the 
LORD of hosts came to me: 5 Say to all the people of the land and the 
priests: When you fasted and lamented in the fifth month and in the seventh, 
for these seventy years, was it for me that you fasted? 6 And when you eat 
and when you drink, do you not eat and drink only for yourselves? 7 Were not 
these the words that the LORD proclaimed by the former prophets, when 
Jerusalem was inhabited and in prosperity, along with the towns around it, 
and when the Negeb and the Shephelah were inhabited?
8 The word of the LORD came to Zechariah, saying: 9 Thus says the LORD of 
hosts: Render true judgments, show kindness and mercy to one another; 10 do 
not oppress the widow, the orphan, the alien, or the poor; and do not devise 
evil in your hearts against one another.



2 Maccabees 7: 1 - 2, 9 - 14 (Roman Catholic)

7: (NRSV) It happened also that seven brothers and their mother were 
arrested and were being compelled by the king, under torture with whips and 
thongs, to partake of unlawful swine's flesh. 2 One of them, acting as their 
spokesman, said, "What do you intend to ask and learn from us? For we are 
ready to die rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors."
7 After the first brother had died in this way, they brought forward the 
second for their sport. They tore off the skin of his head with the hair, 
and asked him, "Will you eat rather than have your body punished limb by 
limb?" 8 He replied in the language of his ancestors and said to them, "No." 
Therefore he in turn underwent tortures as the first brother had done. 9 And 
when he was at his last breath, he said, "You accursed wretch, you dismiss 
us from this present life, but the King of the universe will raise us up to 
an everlasting renewal of life, because we have died for his laws."
10 After him, the third was the victim of their sport. When it was demanded, 
he quickly put out his tongue and courageously stretched forth his hands, 11 
and said nobly, "I got these from Heaven, and because of his laws I disdain 
them, and from him I hope to get them back again." 12 As a result the king 
himself and those with him were astonished at the young man's spirit, for he 
regarded his sufferings as nothing.
13 After he too had died, they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the 
same way. 14 When he was near death, he said, "One cannot but choose to die 
at the hands of mortals and to cherish the hope God gives of being raised 
again by him. But for you there will be no resurrection to life!"


PSALM 145: 1 - 5, 17 - 21 (RCL)

Psal 145:1 (NRSV) I will extol you, my God and King,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2 Every day I will bless you,
and praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
4 One generation shall laud your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.

17 The LORD is just in all his ways,
and kind in all his doings.
18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him;
he also hears their cry, and saves them.
20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD,
and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.


Psalm 98 (alt. for RCL Psalm 145)

Psal 98:1 (NRSV) O sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory;
he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming
to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.


Psalm 17: 1 - 9 (C of E, alt. for RCL)
Psalm 17: 1, 5 - 6, 8, 15 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 17:1 (NRSV) Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry;
give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
2 From you let my vindication come;
let your eyes see the right.
3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not transgress.
4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
incline your ear to me, hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love,
O savior of those who seek refuge
from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Guard me as the apple of the eye;
hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who despoil me,
my deadly enemies who surround me.

15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.


Psalm 9: 11 - 20   (Can. BAS)

Psal 9:11 (NRSV) Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion.
Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O LORD.
See what I suffer from those who hate me;
you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may recount all your praises,
and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
rejoice in your deliverance.
15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16 The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment;
the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. [Higgaion. Selah]
17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
19 Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail;
let the nations be judged before you.
20 Put them in fear, O LORD;
let the nations know that they are only human. [Selah]


NEW TESTAMENT: 2 Thessalonians 2: 1 - 5, 13 - 17 (RCL)
                                    2 Thessalonians 2: 13 - 3: 5 (Can. BAS)
                                    2 Thessalonians 2: 16 - 3: 5 (Roman 
Catholic)

2The 2:1 (NRSV) As to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being 
gathered together to him, we beg you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to be 
quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by spirit or by word or by letter, 
as though from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord is already here. 3 
Let no one deceive you in any way; for that day will not come unless the 
rebellion comes first and the lawless one is revealed, the one destined for 
destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or 
object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, declaring 
himself to be God. 5 Do you not remember that I told you these things when I 
was still with you?
13 But we must always give thanks to God for you, brothers and sisters 
beloved by the Lord, because God chose you as the first fruits for salvation 
through sanctification by the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 For 
this purpose he called you through our proclamation of the good news, so 
that you may obtain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brothers 
and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions that you were taught 
by us, either by word of mouth or by our letter.
16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us 
and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, 17 comfort your 
hearts and strengthen them in every good work and word. 3:1 Finally, 
brothers and sisters, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread 
rapidly and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you, 2 and that we 
may be rescued from wicked and evil people; for not all have faith. 3 But 
the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil 
one. 4 And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing 
and will go on doing the things that we command. 5 May the Lord direct your 
hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.


GOSPEL: Luke 20: 27 - 38 (RCL)
                 Luke 20: 27 (28 - 33) 34 - 38 (Roman Catholic)

Luke 20:27 (NRSV) Some Sad'ducees, those who say there is no resurrection, 
came to him 28 and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that 
if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry 
the widow and raise up children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven 
brothers; the first married, and died childless; 30 then the second 31 and 
the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless. 32 
Finally the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife 
will the woman be? For the seven had married her."
34 Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to this age marry and are given in 
marriage; 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and 
in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 
36 Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are 
children of God, being children of the resurrection. 37 And the fact that 
the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where 
he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God 
of Jacob. 38 Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him 
all of them are alive."


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu