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SUNDAY
BETWEEN 10 JULY AND 16 JULY, PROPER 15
GENESIS 25:19-34
PSALM
119:105-112
ROMANS
8:1-11
MATTHEW
13:1-9, 18-23
COLLECT
Almighty God,
you have made us for yourself,
and our hearts are restless
until they find their rest in you.
May we find peace in your service,
and in the world to come, see you face to face;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
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A
READING FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS
These are the descendants of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham was the
father of Isaac, and Isaac was forty years old when he married
Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel the Aramean of Paddanaram, sister of
Laban the Aramean. Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because
she was barren; and the Lord granted his prayer, and his wife
Rebekah conceived. The children struggled together within her; and
she said, "If it is to be this way, why do I live?" So
she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said to her,
"Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you
shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the
elder shall serve the younger." When her time to give birth
was at hand, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red,
all his body like a hairy mantle; so they named him Esau.
Afterward his brother came out, with his hand gripping Esau's
heel; so he was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she
bore them. When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a
man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.
Isaac loved Esau, because he was fond of game; but Rebekah loved
Jacob. Once when Jacob was cooking a stew, Esau came in from the
field, and he was famished. Esau said to Jacob, "Let me eat
some of that red stuff, for I am famished!" (Therefore he was
called Edom.) Jacob said, "First sell me your
birthright." Esau said, "I am about to die; of what use
is a birthright to me?" Jacob said, "Swear to me
first." So he swore to him, and sold his birthright to Jacob.
Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank,
and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.
GENESIS 25:19-34
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PSALM
REFRAIN Your word is a light upon my path.
Your
word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path.
I
have sworn and am determined to keep your righteous judgements. R
I
am deeply troubled; preserve my life, O Lord, according to your
word.
Accept,
O Lord, the willing tribute of my lips, and teach me your
judgements. R
My
life is always in my hand, yet I do not forget your law.
The
wicked have set a trap for me, but I have not strayed from your
commandments. R
Your
decrees are my inheritance for ever; truly, they are the joy of my
heart.
I
have applied my heart to fulfil your statutes for ever and to the
end. R
PSALM 119:105-112
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A
READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ
Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set
you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what
the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own
Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he
condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the
law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh
but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the
flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who
live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the
Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind
on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is
set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's
law indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please
God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since
the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the
Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you,
though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because
of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the
dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give
life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in
you.
ROMANS 8:1-11
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THE
HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea.
Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and
sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told
them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went
out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the
birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground,
where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly,
since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were
scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other
seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a
hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!
Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of
the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and
snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on
the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one
who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such
a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when
trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person
immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is
the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the
lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for
what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and
understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a
hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."
MATTHEW 13:1-9, 18-23
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PRAYER
OVER THE GIFTS
Father,
your word creates in us a yearning for your kingdom.
Receive all we offer you this day, and keep us in your peace;
for the sake of Jesus Christ the Lord.
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PRAYER
AFTER COMMUNION
Living God,
in this sacrament we have shared in your eternal kingdom.
May we who taste this mystery
forever serve you in faith, hope, and love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord.
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