[Propertalk] READINGS for the EIGHTEENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost 
(Proper 23), Oct. 12, 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. Throughout 
Pentecost the alternate RCL Psalm would normally be used with the alternate 
RCL O. T. reading. Note also that the Canadian RCL does not have the 
alternative readings.



OLD TESTEMENT:  Exodus 32: 1 - 14  (RCL)

Exod 32:1 (NRSV) When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from 
the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make 
gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought 
us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 
Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold rings that are on the ears of your 
wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the 
people took off the gold rings from their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 
He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a 
calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out 
of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; 
and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a festival to the 
LORD."  6 They rose early the next day, and offered burnt offerings and 
brought sacrifices of well-being; and the people sat down to eat and drink, 
and rose up to revel.
7 The LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once! Your people, whom you brought up 
out of the land of Egypt, have acted perversely; 8 they have been quick to 
turn aside from the way that I commanded them; they have cast for themselves 
an image of a calf, and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 
"These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of 
Egypt!'" 9 The LORD said to Moses, "I have seen this people, how 
stiff-necked they are. 10 Now let me alone, so that my wrath may burn hot 
against them and I may consume them; and of you I will make a great nation."
11 But Moses implored the LORD his God, and said, "O LORD, why does your 
wrath burn hot against your people, whom you brought out of the land of 
Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians 
say, "It was with evil intent that he brought them out to kill them in the 
mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your 
fierce wrath; change your mind and do not bring disaster on your people. 13 
Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, how you swore to them by 
your own self, saying to them, "I will multiply your descendants like the 
stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your 
descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.'" 14 And the LORD changed 
his mind about the disaster that he planned to bring on his people.


Isaiah 25: 1 - 9  (alt. for RCL)
Isaiah 25: 6 - 10a (Roman Catholic)

Isai 25:1 (NRSV) O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap,
the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of aliens is a city no more,
it will never be rebuilt.
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a refuge to the poor,
a refuge to the needy in their distress,
a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
5 the noise of aliens like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
the song of the ruthless was stilled.
6 On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all peoples
a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
7 And he will destroy on this mountain
the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
the sheet that is spread over all nations;
he will swallow up death forever.
8 Then the Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from all faces,
and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
for the LORD has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day,
Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
This is the LORD for whom we have waited;
let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
10 For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.


PSALM 106: 1 - 6, 19 - 23  (RCL)

Psal 106:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Who can utter the mighty doings of the LORD,
or declare all his praise?
3 Happy are those who observe justice,
who do righteousness at all times.
4 Remember me, O LORD, when you show favor to your people;
help me when you deliver them;
5 that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
that I may glory in your heritage.
6 Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly.

19 They made a calf at Ho'reb
and worshiped a cast image.
20 They exchanged the glory of God
for the image of an ox that eats grass.
21 They forgot God, their Savior,
who had done great things in Egypt,
22 wondrous works in the land of Ham,
and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.
23 Therefore he said he would destroy them-- 
had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
to turn away his wrath from destroying them.


Psalm 23  (alt. for RCL, Roman Catholic)

Psal 23:1 (NRSV) The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff-- 
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.


NEW TESTAMENT:  Philippians 4: 1 - 9  (RCL)

Phil 4:1 (NRSV) Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long 
for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
2 I urge Euo'dia and I urge Syn'tyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. 3 
Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have 
struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the 
rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your 
gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. 6 Do not worry about 
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let 
your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses 
all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is 
just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if 
there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think 
about these things. 9 Keep on doing the things that you have learned and 
received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.


Philippians 4: 12 - 14, 19 - 20  (Roman Catholic)

Phil 4:12 (NRSV) I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to 
have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being 
well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13 I 
can do all things through him who strengthens me. 14 In any case, it was 
kind of you to share my distress.

19 And my God will fully satisfy every need of yours according to his riches 
in glory in Christ Jesus. 20 To our God and Father be glory forever and 
ever. Amen.


GOSPEL:  Matthew 22: 1 - 14   (all)

Matt 22:1 (NRSV) Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: 2 "The 
kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for 
his son. 3 He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the 
wedding banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, 
saying, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, 
my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; 
come to the wedding banquet.' 5 But they made light of it and went away, one 
to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his slaves, 
mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his 
troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to 
his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go 
therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding 
banquet.'
10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, 
both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 "But when 
the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not 
wearing a wedding robe, 12 and he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in 
here without a wedding robe?' And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said 
to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer 
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many 
are called, but few are chosen."

Note: Vs. 11-14 are optional for Roman Catholic


Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com