Readings for Sunday, 10/29/23
THE COLLECT
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope,
and charity; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love
what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
OLD TESTAMENT
Deuteronomy 34:1-12
Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of
Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole
land: Gilead as far as Dan, all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and
Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, the Negeb,
and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as
far as Zoar. 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.” Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in
the land of Moab, at the LORD’s command. He was buried in a valley in
the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place
to this day. Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his
sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. The Israelites wept
for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of
mourning for Moses was ended. 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.
Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom
the LORD knew face to face. 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, and for all the mighty
deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in
the sight of all Israel.
THE PSALM
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17
Domine, refugium
1 Lord, you have been our refuge *
from one generation to another.
2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
or the land and the earth were born, *
from age to age you are God.
3 You turn us back to the dust and say, *
“Go back, O child of earth.”
4 For a thousand years in your sight are like yesterday when it is
past*
and like a watch in the night.
5 You sweep us away like a dream; *
we fade away suddenly like the grass.
6 In the morning it is green and flourishes; *
in the evening it is dried up and withered.
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.
THE EPISTLE
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was
not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully
mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to
declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our
appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, 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. As you know and as God is our witness, we
never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did
we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, 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. 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.
GOSPEL HYMN: Spirit of God
Spirit of God, un-seen as the wind, gentle as is the dove:
teach us the truth and help us believe, show us the Saviour’s
love!
- You spoke to us long, long a-go, gave us the written word;
we read it still, needing its truth, through it God’s voice is heard - With-out your help we fail our Lord, we can-not live his way;
we need your power, we need your strength, following Christ
each day
THE GOSPEL
Matthew 22:34-46
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they
gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to
test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
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.’ This is the greatest and
first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets.”
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this
question: “What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then
that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?” No one was able
to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him
any more questions.