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FOURTH
SUNDAY IN LENT
1 SAMUEL 16:1-13
PSALM
23
EPHESIANS
5:8-14
JOHN
9:1-41
COLLECT
Almighty God,
through the waters of baptism
your Son has made us children of light.
May we ever walk in his light
and show forth your glory in the world;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
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A
READING FROM THE FIRST BOOK OF SAMUEL
The Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve over Saul?
I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn
with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite,
for I have provided for myself a king among his sons." Samuel
said, "How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill
me." And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you, and
say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.' Invite Jesse to the
sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall
anoint for me the one whom I name to you." Samuel did what
the Lord commanded, and came to Bethlehem. The elders of the city
came to meet him trembling, and said, "Do you come
peaceably?" He said, "Peaceably; I have come to
sacrifice to the Lord; sanctify yourselves and come with me to the
sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited
them to the sacrifice. When they came, he looked on Eliab and
thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed is now before the
Lord." But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his
appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have
rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look
on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart."
Then Jesse called Abinadab, and made him pass before Samuel. He
said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one." Then Jesse
made Shammah pass by. And he said, "Neither has the Lord
chosen this one." Jesse made seven of his sons pass before
Samuel, and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen
any of these." Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons
here?" And he said, "There remains yet the youngest, but
he is keeping the sheep." And Samuel said to Jesse,
"Send and bring him; for we will not sit down until he comes
here." He sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had
beautiful eyes, and was handsome. The Lord said, "Rise and
anoint him; for this is the one." Then Samuel took the horn
of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the
spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.
Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
1 SAMUEL 16:1-13
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PSALM
REFRAIN The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
The
Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want.
He
makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still
waters. R
He
revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his name's
sake.
Though
I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no
evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort
me. R
You
spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me;
you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over.
Surely
your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. R
PSALM 23
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A
READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light.
Live as children of light - for the fruit of the light is found in
all that is good and right and true. Try to find out what is
pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of
darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to
mention what such people do secretly; but everything exposed by
the light becomes visible, for everything that becomes visible is
light. Therefore it says, "Sleeper, awake! Rise from the
dead, and Christ will shine on you."
EPHESIANS 5:8-14
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THE
HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO JOHN
As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples
asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that
he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man
nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works
might be revealed in him. We must work the works of him who sent
me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. As long
as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." When he
had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva
and spread the mud on the man's eyes, saying to him, "Go,
wash in the pool of Siloam" (which means Sent). Then he went
and washed and came back able to see. The neighbours and those who
had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, "Is this not
the man who used to sit and beg?" Some were saying, "It
is he." Others were saying, "No, but it is someone like
him." He kept saying, "I am the man." But they kept
asking him, "Then how were your eyes opened?" He
answered, "The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my
eyes, and said to me, 'Go to Siloam and wash.' Then I went and
washed and received my sight." They said to him, "Where
is he?" He said, "I do not know." They brought to
the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. Now it was a
sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. Then the
Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He
said to them, "He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now
I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not
from God, for he does not observe the sabbath." But others
said, "How can a man who is a sinner perform such
signs?" And they were divided. So they said again to the
blind man, "What do you say about him? It was your eyes he
opened." He said, "He is a prophet." The Jews did
not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight
until they called the parents of the man who had received his
sight and asked them, "Is this your son, who you say was born
blind? How then does he now see?" His parents answered,
"We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;
but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who
opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for
himself." His parents said this because they were afraid of
the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who
confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the
synagogue. Therefore his parents said, "He is of age; ask
him." So for the second time they called the man who had been
blind, and they said to him, "Give glory to God! We know that
this man is a sinner." He answered, "I do not know
whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was
blind, now I see." They said to him, "What did he do to
you? How did he open your eyes?" He answered them, "I
have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want
to hear it again? Do you also want to be-come his disciples?"
Then they reviled him, saying, "You are his disciple, but we
are disciples of Moses. We know that God has spoken to Moses, but
as for this man, we do not know where he comes from." The man
answered, "Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know
where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God
does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships
him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been
heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this
man were not from God, he could do nothing." They answered
him, "You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to
teach us?" And they drove him out. Jesus heard that they had
driven him out, and when he found him, he said, "Do you
believe in the Son of Man?" He answered, "And who is he,
sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him." Jesus said to
him, "You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is
he." He said, "Lord, I believe." And he worshipped
him. Jesus said, "I came into this world for judgement so
that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become
blind." Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to
him, "Surely we are not blind, are we?" Jesus said to
them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now
that you say, 'We see,' your sin remains."
JOHN 9:1-41
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PRAYER
OVER THE GIFTS
God of light,
your Word brings to us a new vision of your glory.
Accept our offering of praise and thanksgiving,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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PRAYER
AFTER COMMUNION
Father,
through your goodness
we receive your Son in word and sacrament.
May we always have faith in him,
Jesus Christ the Lord.
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