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SUNDAY
BETWEEN 24 JULY AND 30 JULY, PROPER 17
GENESIS 29:15-28
PSALM
105:1-11, 45C OR PSALM 128
ROMANS
8:26-39
MATTHEW
13:31-33, 44-52
COLLECT
O God,
the protector of all who trust in you,
without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy,
increase and multiply upon us your mercy,
that with you as our ruler and guide,
we may so pass through things temporal,
that we lose not the things eternal;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
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A
READING FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS
Laban said to Jacob, "Because you are my kinsman, should you
therefore serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your wages
be?" Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the elder was
Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. Leah's eyes were
lovely, and Rachel was graceful and beautiful. Jacob loved Rachel;
so he said, "I will serve you seven years for your younger
daughter Rachel." Laban said, "It is better that I give
her to you than that I should give her to any other man; stay with
me." So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed
to him but a few days because of the love he had for her. Then
Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife that I may go in to
her, for my time is completed." So Laban gathered together
all the people of the place, and made a feast. But in the evening
he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob; and he went in
to her. (Laban gave his maid Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her
maid.) When morning came, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban,
"What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you
for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?" Laban said,
"This is not done in our country - giving the younger before
the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you
the other also in return for serving me another seven years."
Jacob did so, and completed her week; then Laban gave him his
daughter Rachel as a wife.
GENESIS 29:15-28
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PSALM
REFRAIN The Lord has always been mindful of his covenant.
Give
thanks to the Lord and call upon his name; make known his deeds
among the peoples.
Sing
to him, sing praises to him, and speak of all his marvellous
works. R
Glory
in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord
rejoice.
Search
for the Lord and his strength; continually seek his face.
Remember
the marvels he has done, his wonders and the judgements of his
mouth,
O offspring of Abraham his servant, O children of Jacob his
chosen. R
He
is the Lord our God; his judgements prevail in all the world.
He
has always been mindful of his covenant, the promise he made for a
thousand generations: R
The
covenant he made with Abraham, the oath that he swore to Isaac,
Which
he established as a statute for Jacob, an everlasting covenant for
Israel,
Saying,
"To you will I give the land of Canaan to be your allotted
inheritance."
Hallelujah!
R
PSALM 15:1-11, 45C
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Or
PSALM
Happy are they all who fear the Lord, and who follow in his ways!
You
shall eat the fruit of your labour; happiness and prosperity shall
be yours.
Your
wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house, your
children like olive shoots round about your table.
The
man who fears the Lord shall thus indeed be blessed.
The
Lord bless you from Zion, and may you see the prosperity of
Jerusalem all the days of your life.
May
you live to see your children's children; may peace be upon
Israel.
PSALM 128
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A
READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE ROMANS
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know
how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with
sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows
what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for
the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things
work together for good for those who love God, who are called
according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also
predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that
he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he
predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also
justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What
then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is
against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up
for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?
Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who
justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes,
who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed
intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ?
Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or
nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For your
sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep
to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that
neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things
present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us
from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
ROMANS 8:26-39
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THE
HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
Jesus put before them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven
is like a mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field;
it is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is
the greatest of shrubs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of
the air come and make nests in its branches." He told them
another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a
woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of
it was leavened. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in
a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and
sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of
heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls; on finding one
pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought
it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown
into the sea and caught fish of every kind; when it was full, they
drew it ashore, sat down, and put the good into baskets but threw
out the bad. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will
come out and separate the evil from the righteous and throw them
into the furnace of fire, where there will be weeping and gnashing
of teeth. Have you understood all this?" They answered,
"Yes." And he said to them, "Therefore every scribe
who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master
of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what
is old."
MATTHEW 13:31-33, 44-52
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PRAYER
OVER THE GIFTS
God of grace,
accept all we offer you this day,
as we look toward the glory you have promised.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.
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PRAYER
AFTER COMMUNION
God of grace,
we have received the memorial
of the death and resurrection of your Son.
May your love, poured into us,
bring us to your promises.
We ask this in the name of our Redeemer Jesus Christ.
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