ST LUKE YEARS A B C

SUNDAY 18 October St Luke

FIRST READING (Alternative readings)

Either Isaiah 35.3–6

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

3 Strengthen the weak hands,

and make firm the feeble knees.

4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart,

‘Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God.

He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.

He will come and save you.’

5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

6 then the lame shall leap like a deer,

and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,

and streams in the desert.

=

Or Acts 16.6–12a

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

6 Paul and Timothy went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia,

having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.

7 When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia,

but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them;

8 so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas.

9 During the night Paul had a vision:

there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying,

‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’

10 When he had seen the vision,

we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia,

being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them.

11 We set sail from Troas

and took a straight course to Samothrace,

the following day to Neapolis,

12 and from there to Philippi,

which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony.

PSALM Psalm 147.1–7

R The Lord heals the brokenhearted

[and binds up their wounds].

1 Alleluia!

How good it is to sing praises to our God!

how pleasant it is to honour him with praise!

2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem;

he gathers the exiles of Israel. R

3 He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

4 He counts the number of the stars

and calls them all by their names. R

5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

there is no limit to his wisdom.

6 The Lord lifts up the lowly,

but casts the wicked to the ground.

7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

make music to our God upon the harp. R

SECOND READING 2 Timothy 4.5–17

A reading from the second letter of Paul to Timothy.

5 As for you, always be sober,

endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist,

carry out your ministry fully.

6 As for me,

I am already being poured out as a libation,

and the time of my departure has come.

7 I have fought the good fight,

I have finished the race,

I have kept the faith.

8 From now on

there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness,

which the Lord, the righteous judge,

will give to me on that day,

and not only to me

but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

9 Do your best to come to me soon,

10 for Demas, in love with this present world,

has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica;

Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.

11 Only Luke is with me.

Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry.

12 I have sent Tychicus to Ephesus.

13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas,

also the books, and above all the parchments.

14 Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm;

the Lord will pay him back for his deeds.

15 You also must beware of him, for he strongly opposed our message.

16 At my first defence no one came to my support,

but all deserted me.

May it not be counted against them!

17 But the Lord stood by me

and gave me strength,

so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed

and all the Gentiles might hear it.

So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth.

GOSPEL Luke 10.1–9

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Luke.

1 The Lord appointed seventy others

and sent them on ahead of him in pairs

to every town and place where he himself intended to go.

2 He said to them,

‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few;

therefore ask the Lord of the harvest

to send out labourers into his harvest.

3 Go on your way.

See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves.

4 Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals;

and greet no one on the road.

5 Whatever house you enter,

first say, “Peace to this house!”

6 And if anyone is there who shares in peace,

your peace will rest on that person;

but if not, it will return to you.

7 Remain in the same house,

eating and drinking whatever they provide,

for the labourer deserves to be paid.

Do not move about from house to house.

8 Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you,

eat what is set before you;

9 cure the sick who are there, and say to them,

“The kingdom of God has come near to you.”