Daily Bible Reading

Third to Last Sunday of the Church Year

Chief Hymn: The Lutheran Hymnal #522

Liturgical Color: Green

Introit

HAVE - MER- - || cy on me, O Lord, for I | am | in | trou- | ble; *

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who | per- | se- | cute | me. -

|| Do not let me be | a- | shamed, | O | Lord, *

For I have | called | u- | pon | You. - (Psalm 31:9a, 15b, and 17a)

|| In You, O Lord, | I | put | my | trust; *

Let me nev- | er | be | a- | shamed; -

|| Deliver me in | Your | right- | eous- | ness. *

Bow down Your ear to me; deliver | me | speed- | i- | ly. -

|| Into Your hand I com- | mit | my | spir- | it; *

You have redeemed me, O | Lord | God | of | truth. -

|| Be of good courage, and He shall | streng- | then | your | heart, *

All you who | hope | in | the | Lord. - (Psalm 31:1–2a, 5, and 24)

GLORIA PATRI (From Hymnal)

|| Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I | am | in | trou- | ble; *

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who | per- | se- | cute | me. -

|| Do not let me be | a- | shamed, | O | Lord, *

For I have | called | u- | pon | You. - (Psalm 31:9a, 15b, and 17a)

Psalm Readings

Matins: Psalm 116

Vespers: Psalm 18:20-45

Collect

Almighty God, we beseech Thee, show Thy mercy unto Thy humble servants, that we who put no trust in our own merits may not be dealt with after the severity of Thy judgment, but according to Thy mercy; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Old Testament Reading (TLH): Is. 49:12-17

Surely these shall come from afar; Look! Those from the north and the west, And these from the land of Sinim.” Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people, And will have mercy on His afflicted. But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me, And my Lord has forgotten me.” “Can a woman forget her nursing child, And not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, Yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me. Your sons shall make haste; Your destroyers and those who laid you waste Shall go away from you.

First Reading: 1 Thess. 4:13-18

But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.

Gradual

|| Your enemies roar in the midst of | Your | meet- | ing | place; *

They set up their | ban- | ners | for | signs. -

|| Remember Your congregation, which You have | pur- | chased | of |

old, *

The tribe of Your inheritance, which | You | have | re- | deemed. - (Psalm 74:4, 2a)

Verse

|| Al- | — | le- | lu- | ia! *

| Al- | — | le- | lu- | ia! -

|| There is a river whose streams shall make glad the | ci- | ty | of | God, *

The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. | Al- | le- | lu- |

ia! - (Psalm 46:4)

Second Reading: Matt. 24:15-28

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened. “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.