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Fourth Sunday in Lent |
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The Parable of the Prodigal and
His Brother |
Gracious Father, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ came down from heaven to be
the true bread which giveth life to the world: Evermore give us this bread,
that he may live in us, and we in him; who liveth and reigneth with thee and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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Lesson - Joshua (4:19-24); 5:9-12 |
Giligal
The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month,
and they encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve
stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. And he
said to the people of Israel, "When your children ask their fathers in time
to come, `What do these stones mean?' then you shall let your children know,
`Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.' For the LORD your God dried
up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the LORD your
God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, so
that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is
mighty; that you may fear the LORD your God for ever."
And the LORD said to Joshua, "This day I have rolled away the reproach of
Egypt from you." And so the name of that place is called Gilgal to this day.
While the people of Israel were encamped in Gilgal they kept the passover on
the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho. And on
the morrow after the passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of
the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. And the manna ceased on the
morrow, when they ate of the produce of the land; and the people of Israel
had manna no more, but ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
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Epistle - 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 |
The Ministry of Reconciliation
Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed
away, behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ
reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that
is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their
trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
So we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We
beseech you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made
him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God.
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Gospel - Luke 15:11-32 |
The Parable of the Prodigal and His Brother
And he said, "There was a man who had two sons; and the younger of them said
to his father, `Father, give me the share of property that falls to me.' And
he divided his living between them. Not many days later, the younger son
gathered all he had and took his journey into a far country, and there he
squandered his property in loose living. And when he had spent everything, a
great famine arose in that country, and he began to be in want. So he went
and joined himself to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into
his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have fed on the pods that the
swine ate; and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself he
said, `How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to
spare, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and
I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I
am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me as one of your hired
servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But while he was yet at a
distance, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and embraced him
and kissed him. And the son said to him, `Father, I have sinned against
heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the
father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on
him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted
calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead,
and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to make
merry. "Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew near to
the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and
asked what this meant. And he said to him, `Your brother has come, and your
father has killed the fatted calf, because he has received him safe and
sound.' But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and
entreated him, but he answered his father, `Lo, these many years I have
served you, and I never disobeyed your command; yet you never gave me a kid,
that I might make merry with my friends. But when this son of yours came,
who has devoured your living with harlots, you killed for him the fatted
calf!' And he said to him, `Son, you are always with me, and all that is
mine is yours. It was fitting to make merry and be glad, for this your
brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'" |
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