Sunday Lectionary Readings

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The Collect

Holy Saturday
O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on his holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen
No preface is used

Old Testament Reading

Job 14:1-14
¹"Man who is born of woman Is of few days and full of trouble. ²He comes forth like a flower and fades away; He flees like a shadow and does not continue. ³And do You open Your eyes on such a one, And bring me to judgment with Yourself? ⁴Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? No one! ⁵Since his days are determined, The number of his months is with You; You have appointed his limits, so that he cannot pass. ⁶Look away from him that he may rest, Till like a hired man he finishes his day. ⁷"For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. ⁸Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, ⁹Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant. ¹⁰But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? ¹¹As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, ¹²So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep. ¹³"Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! ¹⁴If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 130
^{A Song of Ascents.}
¹Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD;

²Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.

³If You, LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?

⁴But there is forgiveness with You,
That You may be feared.

⁵I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
And in His word I do hope.

⁶My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning-
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

⁷O Israel, hope in the LORD;
For with the LORD there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.

⁸And He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.
-- NKJV

- OR -

Psalm 31:1-5
¹In You, O LORD, I put my trust;
Let me never be ashamed;
Deliver me in Your righteousness.

²Bow down Your ear to me,
Deliver me speedily;
Be my rock of refuge,
A fortress of defense to save me.

³For You are my rock and my fortress;
Therefore, for Your name's sake,
Lead me and guide me.

⁴Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my strength.

⁵Into Your hand I commit my spirit;
You have redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

-- NKJV

New Testament Reading

1 Peter 4:1-8
¹Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ²that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. ³For we have spent enough of our past lifetime in doing the will of the Gentiles-when we walked in lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries. ⁴In regard to these, they think it strange that you do not run with them in the same flood of dissipation, speaking evil of you. ⁵They will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶For this reason the gospel was preached also to those who are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. ⁷But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers. ⁸And above all things have fervent love for one another, for "love will cover a multitude of sins." -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

Matthew 27:57-66
⁵⁷Now when evening had come, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be given to him. ⁵⁹When Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰and laid it in his new tomb which he had hewn out of the rock; and he rolled a large stone against the door of the tomb, and departed. ⁶¹And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb. ⁶²On the next day, which followed the Day of Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees gathered together to Pilate, ⁶³saying, "Sir, we remember, while He was still alive, how that deceiver said, 'After three days I will rise.' ⁶⁴Therefore command that the tomb be made secure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night and steal Him away, and say to the people, 'He has risen from the dead.' So the last deception will be worse than the first." ⁶⁵Pilate said to them, "You have a guard; go your way, make it as secure as you know how." ⁶⁶So they went and made the tomb secure, sealing the stone and setting the guard. -- NKJV

- OR -

John 19:38-42
³⁸After this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly, for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took the body of Jesus. ³⁹And Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. ⁴⁰Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. ⁴¹Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. ⁴²So there they laid Jesus, because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the tomb was nearby. -- NKJV

The Preface

No preface used. The Eucharist is not celebrated today.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.
(Unless otherwise noted.)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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