This Sunday's Readings: 26 January, 2025 - 3rd Sunday After the Epiphany & Yellow Button Sunday
The 1st Reading: : A Reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians
Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31A
The 2nd Reading: For those looking for Joy – Church of the City of NY
When the world expects sadness,
help us, Creator of Light, to look for pockets of joy.
When the world is overwhelmed by darkness,
give us eyes to see little delights.
When the world is caught up in sensationalism,
help us speak of the hidden wonders we’ve discovered,
holding them up for others to see.
The sacred stillness of the early morning,
a quiet moment in the sun,
small children laughing on scooters,
trees bursting into bloom and lilies opening at the corner bodega.
These “small joys” reveal the truth of the world we live in.
No, there is not peace everywhere
and all pain has not been removed.
But there are still people returning home,
voices that pray,
moments of forgiveness,
signs of hope.
We don’t have to wait until all is well
to celebrate the glimpses of your Kingdom at hand.
Let us not deny sadness, but transform it into fertile soil for more joy.
Let us not deny the darkness, but choose to live in the light.
Cynics seek darkness wherever they go,
but joy is the mark of the people of God. Amen
The Gospel: The Holy Gospel of Jesus the Christ according to Luke
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
LUKE 4:14-21
The 1st Reading: : A Reading from Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians
Just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free - and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honourable we clothe with greater honour, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honour to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts.
1 CORINTHIANS 12:12-31A
The 2nd Reading: For those looking for Joy – Church of the City of NY
When the world expects sadness,
help us, Creator of Light, to look for pockets of joy.
When the world is overwhelmed by darkness,
give us eyes to see little delights.
When the world is caught up in sensationalism,
help us speak of the hidden wonders we’ve discovered,
holding them up for others to see.
The sacred stillness of the early morning,
a quiet moment in the sun,
small children laughing on scooters,
trees bursting into bloom and lilies opening at the corner bodega.
These “small joys” reveal the truth of the world we live in.
No, there is not peace everywhere
and all pain has not been removed.
But there are still people returning home,
voices that pray,
moments of forgiveness,
signs of hope.
We don’t have to wait until all is well
to celebrate the glimpses of your Kingdom at hand.
Let us not deny sadness, but transform it into fertile soil for more joy.
Let us not deny the darkness, but choose to live in the light.
Cynics seek darkness wherever they go,
but joy is the mark of the people of God. Amen
The Gospel: The Holy Gospel of Jesus the Christ according to Luke
Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee, and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour." And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
LUKE 4:14-21
Read Your Bible: January 2025
|
01 Isaiah 40:21-31
02 Numbers 24:14-25 03 Jeremiah 31:1-17 04 Psalm 147 05 Isaiah 60:1-14 06 Isaiah 60:15-22 07 Matthew 2:1-12 08 Psalm 72 09 Isaiah 43:1-13 10 Judges 13 11 Matthew 2:13-23 12 Luke 3:1-22 |
13 Acts 8:9-25
14 Judges 16:1-15 15 Judges 16:16-31 16 Hosea 11:1-11 17 Isaiah 62 18 Luke 9:18-27 19 John 2:1-12 20 1 Cor. 12:1-11 21 Nehemiah 8 22 Psalm 19 23 1 Cor. 12:12-31a 24 Acts 26:1-11 |
25 Acts 26:12-23
26 Luke 4:14-30 27 1 Cor. 12:31b–13:13 28 Jeremiah 1:1-10 29 Jeremiah 1:11-19 30 Psalm 71:1-11 31 Psalm 71:12-24 February 2025 01 Malachi 3:1-12 02 Luke 2:22-40 03 Isaiah 6:1-13 04 2 Chronicles 26:1-15 |
Next Sunday’s Readings: Mal 3:1-4; Ps 84; Heb 2:14-18; Lk 2:22-40
