[Propertalk] READINGS for the TWENTIETH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Twentienth Sunday after Pentecost 
(Proper 25), Oct. 26, 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 TESTAMENT:  Deuteronomy 34: 1 - 12  (RCL)

Deut 34:1 (NRSV) Then Moses went up from the plains of Mo'ab to Mount Ne'bo, 
to the top of Pis'gah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him 
the whole land: Gil'ead as far as Dan, 2 all Naph'tali, the land of E'phraim 
and Manas'seh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, 3 the 
Neg'eb, and the Plain--that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm 
trees--as far as Zo'ar. 4 The LORD said to him, "This is the land of which I 
swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, "I will give it to your 
descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross 
over there." 5 Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land 
of Mo'ab, at the LORD's command. 6 He was buried in a valley in the land of 
Mo'ab, opposite Beth-pe'or, but no one knows his burial place to this day. 7 
Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was 
unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. 8 The Israelites wept for Moses in 
the plains of Mo'ab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was 
ended.
  9 Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had 
laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had 
commanded Moses.
  10 Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the 
LORD knew face to face. 11 He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders 
that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and 
all his servants and his entire land, 12 and for all the mighty deeds and 
all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of 
all Israel.


Exodus 22: 21 - 27  (Roman Catholic)

Exod 22:21 (NRSV) You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you 
were aliens in the land of Egypt. 22 You shall not abuse any widow or 
orphan. 23 If you do abuse them, when they cry out to me, I will surely heed 
their cry; 24 my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and 
your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.
  25 If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not 
deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them. 26 If 
you take your neighbor's cloak in pawn, you shall restore it before the sun 
goes down; 27 for it may be your neighbor's only clothing to use as cover; 
in what else shall that person sleep? And if your neighbor cries out to me, 
I will listen, for I am compassionate.

Note: The Roman Catholic lectionary specifies vs. 20-26, but as the verse 
numbering in the New American Bible is different from the NRSV, KJV, NIV, 
etc., the readings are actually the same.


Leviticus 19: 1 - 2, 15 - 18   (alt. for RCL)

Levi 19:1 (NRSV) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You 
shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

15 You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the 
poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. 16 
You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not 
profit by the of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
17 You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove 
your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. 18 You shall not take 
vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love 
your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.


PSALM 90: 1 - 6, 13 - 17  (RCL)

Psal 90:1 (NRSV) Lord, you have been our dwelling place
in all generations.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
3 You turn us back to dust,
and say, "Turn back, you mortals."
4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like yesterday when it is past,
or like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
like grass that is renewed in the morning;
6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
in the evening it fades and withers.

13 Turn, O LORD! How long?
Have compassion on your servants!
14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
15 Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,
and as many years as we have seen evil.
16 Let your work be manifest to your servants,
and your glorious power to their children.
17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
and prosper for us the work of our hands-- 
O prosper the work of our hands!



Psalm 1   (alt. for RCL)

Psal 1:1 (NRSV) Happy are those
who do not follow the advice of the wicked,
or take the path that sinners tread,
or sit in the seat of scoffers;
2 but their delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law they meditate day and night.
3 They are like trees
planted by streams of water,
which yield their fruit in its season,
and their leaves do not wither.
In all that they do, they prosper.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.



Psalm 18: 1 - 3, 46, 50   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 18:1 (NRSV) I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
my God, my rock in whom I take refuge,
my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised,
so I shall be saved from my enemies.

46 The LORD lives! Blessed be my rock,
and exalted be the God of my salvation,

50 Great triumphs he gives to his king,
and shows steadfast love to his anointed,
to David and his descendants forever.

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


NEW TESTAMENT:  1 Thessalonians 2: 1 - 8  (RCL)

1The 2:1 (NRSV) You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming 
to you was not in vain, 2 but though we had already suffered and been 
shamefully mistreated at Philip'pi, as you know, we had courage in our God 
to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. 3 For our 
appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 4 but just 
as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the 
gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests 
our hearts. 5 As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with 
words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; 6 nor did we seek praise from 
mortals, whether from you or from others, 7 though we might have made 
demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse 
tenderly caring for her own children. 8 So deeply do we care for you that we 
are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own 
selves, because you have become very dear to us.


1 Thessalonians 1: 5c - 10  (Roman Catholic)

1The 1:5 (NRSV) ... [Y]ou know what kind of persons we proved to be among 
you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in 
spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy 
Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedo'nia 
and in Acha'ia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not 
only in Macedo'nia and Acha'ia, but in every place your faith in God has 
become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of 
those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how 
you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait 
for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead--Jesus, who rescues us 
from the wrath that is coming.


GOSPEL:  Matthew 22: 34 - 46   (RCL)
                   Matthew 22: 34 - 40   (Roman Catholic)

Matt 22:34 (NRSV) When the Phar'isees heard that he had silenced the 
Sad'ducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him 
a question to test him. 36 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the 
greatest?"
37 He said to him, " "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, 
and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' 38 This is the greatest and 
first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: "You shall love your neighbor 
as yourself.' 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the 
prophets."
  41 Now while the Phar'isees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this 
question: 42 "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said 
to him, "The son of David." 43 He said to them, "How is it then that David 
by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
44 "The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet" '?
45 If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" 46 No one was able 
to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more 
questions.



Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, VT USA
chadwohl at satucket.com