Sunday Lectionary Readings

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The Collect

Fifth Sunday in Lent
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
Preface of Lent

Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 43:16-21
¹⁶Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, ¹⁷Who brings forth the chariot and horse, The army and the power (They shall lie down together, they shall not rise; They are extinguished, they are quenched like a wick): ¹⁸" Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. ¹⁹Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert. ²⁰The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen. ²¹This people I have formed for Myself; They shall declare My praise. -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 126
^{A Song of Ascents.}
¹When the LORD brought back the captivity of Zion,
We were like those who dream.

²Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
And our tongue with singing.
Then they said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."

³The LORD has done great things for us,
And we are glad.

⁴Bring back our captivity, O LORD,
As the streams in the South.

⁵Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.

⁶He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.
-- NKJV

New Testament Reading

Philippians 3:8-14
⁸Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ⁹and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; ¹⁰that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, ¹¹if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. ¹²Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. ¹³Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, ¹⁴I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

Luke 20:9-19
⁹Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. ¹⁰Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹²And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out. ¹³"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.' ¹⁴But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.' ¹⁵So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!" ¹⁷Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: ' The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'? ¹⁸Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder." ¹⁹And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people-for they knew He had spoken this parable against them. -- NKJV

The Preface

Preface of Lent
To be used on Sundays and weekdays alike, except as otherwise appointed for Holy Days and Various Occasions
Through Jesus Christ our Lord; who was tempted in every way as we are, yet did not sin. By his grace we are able to triumph over every evil, and to live no longer for ourselves alone, but for him who died for us and rose again.
- or this -
You bid your faithful people cleanse their hearts, and prepare with joy for the Paschal feast; that, fervent in prayer and in works of mercy, and renewed by your Word and Sacraments, they may come to the fullness of grace which you have prepared for those who love you.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.
(Unless otherwise noted.)
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