[Propertalk] READINGS for the LAST SUNDAY after the EPIPHANY

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Last Sunday after the Epiphany 
(Sunday next before Lent), Feb. 19, 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 otherwise noted, the ECUSA, 
Canadian BAS and Common Worship readings are identical to the RCL this 
Sunday.


OLD TESTAMENT:  2 Kings 2: 1 - 12   (RCL)

2Kin 2:1 (NRSV) Now when the LORD was about to take Eli'jah up to heaven by 
a whirlwind, Eli'jah and Eli'sha were on their way from Gil'gal. 2 Eli'jah 
said to Eli'sha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as Beth'el." 
But Eli'sha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not 
leave you." So they went down to Beth'el. 3 The company of prophets who were 
in Beth'el came out to Eli'sha, and said to him, "Do you know that today the 
LORD will take your master away from you?" And he said, "Yes, I know; keep 
silent."
4 Eli'jah said to him, "Eli'sha, stay here; for the LORD has sent me to 
Jericho." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will 
not leave you." So they came to Jericho. 5 The company of prophets who were 
at Jericho drew near to Eli'sha, and said to him, "Do you know that today 
the LORD will take your master away from you?" And he answered, "Yes, I 
know; be silent."
6 Then Eli'jah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the 
Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will 
not leave you." So the two of them went on. 7 Fifty men of the company of 
prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were 
standing by the Jordan. 8 Then Eli'jah took his mantle and rolled it up, and 
struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, 
until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
9 When they had crossed, Eli'jah said to Eli'sha, "Tell me what I may do for 
you, before I am taken from you." Eli'sha said, "Please let me inherit a 
double share of your spirit." 10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; 
yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if 
not, it will not." 11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of 
fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Eli'jah ascended in a 
whirlwind into heaven. 12 Eli'sha kept watching and crying out, "Father, 
father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no 
longer see him, he grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.


Deuteronomy 5: 12 - 15   (Roman Catholic)

Deut 5:12 (NRSV) Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy, as the LORD your 
God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work. 14 But 
the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any 
work--you, or your son or your daughter, or your male or female slave, or 
your ox or your donkey, or any of your livestock, or the resident alien in 
your towns, so that your male and female slave may rest as well as you. 15 
Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God 
brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; 
therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day.


PSALM 50: 1 - 6   (RCL)

Psal 50:1 (NRSV) The mighty one, God the LORD,
speaks and summons the earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and does not keep silence,
before him is a devouring fire,
and a mighty tempest all around him.
4 He calls to the heavens above
and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather to me my faithful ones,
who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6 The heavens declare his righteousness,
for God himself is judge.


Psalm 81: 2 - 7, 9 - 10   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 81:2 (NRSV) Raise a song, sound the tambourine,
the sweet lyre with the harp.
3 Blow the trumpet at the new moon,
at the full moon, on our festal day.
4 For it is a statute for Israel,
an ordinance of the God of Jacob.
5 He made it a decree in Joseph,
when he went out over the land of Egypt.
I hear a voice I had not known:
6 "I relieved your shoulder of the burden;
your hands were freed from the basket.
7 In distress you called, and I rescued you;
I answered you in the secret place of thunder;
I tested you at the waters of Mer'ibah. [Se'lah]

9 There shall be no strange god among you;
you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
10 I am the LORD your God,
who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is one higher than the above.


NEW TESTAMENT:  2 Corinthians 4: 3 - 6   (RCL)

2Cor 4:3 (NRSV) And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who 
are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds 
of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the 
glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5 For we do not proclaim 
ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for 
Jesus' sake. 6 For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of 
darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of 
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.


2 Corinthians 4: 6 - 11   (Roman Catholic)

2Cor 4:6 (NRSV) For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of 
darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of 
the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that 
this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. 8 We are 
afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to 
despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 
always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus 
may also be made visible in our bodies. 11 For while we live, we are always 
being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be 
made visible in our mortal flesh.


GOSPEL:  Mark 9: 2 - 9 (RCL)

Mark 9:2 (NRSV) Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and 
John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was 
transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as 
no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Eli'jah with 
Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus, "Rabbi, it 
is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for 
Moses, and one for Eli'jah." 6 He did not know what to say, for they were 
terrified. 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a 
voice, "This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!" 8 Suddenly when they 
looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one 
about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the 
dead.


Mark 2: 23 -28 (3: 1 - 6)   (Roman Catholic)

Mark 2:23 (NRSV) One sabbath he was going through the grainfields; and as 
they made their way his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 The 
Phar'isees said to him, "Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the 
sabbath?" 25 And he said to them, "Have you never read what David did when 
he and his companions were hungry and in need of food? 26 He entered the 
house of God, when Abi'athar was high priest, and ate the bread of the 
Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and he gave 
some to his companions." 27 Then he said to them, "The sabbath was made for 
humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; 28 so the Son of Man is lord 
even of the sabbath." 3:1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was 
there who had a withered hand. 2 They watched him to see whether he would 
cure him on the sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the 
man who had the withered hand, "Come forward." 4 Then he said to them, "Is 
it lawful to do good or to do harm on the sabbath, to save life or to kill?" 
But they were silent. 5 He looked around at them with anger; he was grieved 
at their hardness of heart and said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He 
stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Phar'isees went out and 
immediately conspired with the Hero'dians against him, how to destroy him.


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