Saturday, September 26, 2020

St. George the General of Cappadocia,
St. Adoctus of Ephesus,
St. Romanos the Melodist

Wisdom 8:19-9:5
Isaiah 42:1-8
II Corinthians 1:3-7
Luke 12:2-9

Wisdom 8:19-9:5

[19] As a child I was by nature well endowed,
and a good soul fell to my lot;
[20] or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body.
[21] But I perceived that I would not possess wisdom
unless God gave her to me —
and it was a mark of insight to know whose gift she was —
so I appealed to the Lord and besought him,
and with my whole heart I said:

Chapter 9
[1] “O God of my fathers and Lord of mercy,
who hast made all things by thy word,
[2] and by thy wisdom hast formed man,
to have dominion over the creatures thou hast made,
[3] and rule the world in holiness and righteousness,
and pronounce judgment in uprightness of soul,
[4] give me the wisdom that sits by thy throne,
and do not reject me from among thy servants.
[5] For I am thy slave and the son of thy maidservant,
a man who is weak and short-lived,
with little understanding of judgment and laws;

Isaiah 42:1-8

[1] Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him,
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
[2] He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
[3] a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
[4] He will not fail or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
[5] Thus says God, the LORD,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread forth the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people upon it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
[6] “I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you by the hand and kept you;
I have given you as a covenant to the people,
a light to the nations,
[7] to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
[8] I am the LORD, that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to graven images.

II Corinthians 1:3-7

[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
[4] who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
[5] For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
[6] If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer.
[7] Our hope for you is unshaken; for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

Luke 12:2-9

[2] Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
[3] Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
[4] “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.
[5] But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear him!
[6] Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God.
[7] Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.
[8] “And I tell you, every one who acknowledges me before men, the Son of man also will acknowledge before the angels of God;
[9] but he who denies me before men will be denied before the angels of God.

The Revised Standard Version of the Bible is copyright © National Council of Churches of Christ in America