Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Genesis 18:20-32 (JB)

A reading from the book of Genesis

Lord, do not be angry if I speak.

The Lord said, ‘How great an outcry there is against Sodom and Gomorrah! How grievous is their sin! I propose to go down and see whether or not they have done all that is alleged in the outcry against them that has come up to me. I am determined to know.’

The men left there and went to Sodom while Abraham remained standing before the Lord. Approaching him he said, ‘Are you really going to destroy the just man with the sinner? Perhaps there are fifty just men in the town. Will you really overwhelm them, will you not spare the place for the fifty just men in it? Do not think of doing such a thing: to kill the just man with the sinner, treating just and sinner alike! Do not think of it! Will the judge of the whole earth not administer justice?’ The Lord replied, ‘If at Sodom I find fifty just men in the town, I will spare the whole place because of them.’

Abraham replied, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this to my Lord, I who am dust and ashes. But perhaps the fifty just men lack five: will you destroy the whole city for five?’ ‘No,’ he replied, ‘I will not destroy it if I find forty-five just men there.’ Again Abraham said to him, ‘Perhaps there will be only forty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the forty.’

Abraham said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry, but give me leave to speak: perhaps there will only be thirty there.’ ‘I will not do it’ he replied ‘if I find thirty there.’ He said, ‘I am bold indeed to speak like this, but perhaps there will only be twenty there.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the twenty.’ He said, ‘I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.’ ‘I will not destroy it’ he replied ‘for the sake of the ten.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Genesis 18:20-32 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of Genesis

The Lord appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre

and said,

“How great is the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah

and how very grave their sin!

I must go down

and see whether they have done altogether

according to the outcry that has come to me;

and if not, I will know.”

Then Abraham came near and said,

“Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked?

Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city;

will you then sweep away the place

and not forgive it for the fifty righteous who are in it?

Far be it from you to do such a thing,

to slay the righteous with the wicked,

so that the righteous fare as the wicked!

Far be that from you!

Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?”

And the Lord said,

“If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city,

I will forgive the whole place for their sake.”

Abraham answered,

“Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord,

I who am but dust and ashes.

Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking?

Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?”

And the Lord said,

“I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

Again Abraham spoke to the Lord,

“Suppose forty are found there.”

He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.”

Then Abraham said,

“Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak.

Suppose thirty are found there.”

The Lord answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.”

Abraham said,

“Let me take it upon myself to speak to the Lord.

Suppose twenty are found there.”

The Lord answered,

“For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.”

Then Abraham said,

“Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more.

Suppose ten are found there.”

The Lord answered,

“For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 137:1-3, 6-8 (JB)

R. Lord, on the day I called for help, you answered me.

I thank you, Lord, with all my heart,

you have heard the words of my mouth.

Before the angels I will bless you.

I will adore before your holy temple. R.

I thank you for your faithfulness and love

which excel all we ever knew of you.

On the day I called, you answered;

you increased the strength of my soul. R.

The Lord is high yet he looks on the lowly

and the haughty he knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of affliction

you give me life and frustrate my foes. R.

You stretch out your hand and save me,

your hand will do all things for me.

Your love, O Lord, is eternal,

discard not the work of your hands. R.

Colossians 2:12-14 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Colossians

He has made you alive with Christ for he has forgiven all our sins.

You have been buried with Christ, when you were baptised; and by baptism, too, you have been raised up with him through your belief in the power of God who raised him from the dead. You were dead, because you were sinners and had not been circumcised: he has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.

He has overridden the Law, and cancelled every record of the debt that we had to pay; he has done away with it by nailing it to the cross.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Colossians 2:12-14 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Colossians

When you were buried with Christ in baptism,

you were also raised with him

through faith in the power of God,

who raised Christ from the dead.

And when you were dead in trespasses

and the uncircumcision of your flesh,

God made you alive together with him,

when he forgave us all our trespasses,

erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands.

He set this aside, nailing it to the cross.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Romans 8:15 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

You have received the Spirit which makes us God’s children,

and in that Spirit we call God our Father.

Alleluia!

Romans 8:15 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

You have received the Spirit which makes us God’s children,

and in that Spirit we call God our Father.

Alleluia!

Luke 11:1-13 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Ask, and it will be given to you.

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’ He said to them, ‘Say this when you pray:

“Father, may your name be held holy,

your kingdom come;

give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive each one who is in debt to us.

And do not put us to the test.”‘

He also said to them, ‘Suppose one of you has a friend and goes to him in the middle of the night to say, “My friend, lend me three loaves because a friend of mine on his travels has just arrived at my house and I have nothing to offer him”; and the man answers from inside the house, “Do not bother me. The door is bolted now, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up to give it to you.” I tell you, if the man does not get up and give it to him for friendship’s sake, persistence will be enough to make him get up and give his friend all he wants.

‘So I say to you: Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For the one who asks always receives; the one who searches always finds; the one who knocks will always have the door opened to him. what father among you would hand his son a stone when he asked for bread? Or hand him a snake instead of a fish? Or hand him a scorpion if he asked for an egg? If you then, who are evil, know how to give your children what is good, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 11:1-13 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Jesus was praying in a certain place,

and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him,

“Lord, teach us to pray,

as John taught his disciples.”

He said to them, “When you pray, say:

‘Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins,

for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.

And do not bring us to the time of trial.'”

And Jesus said to the disciples,

“Suppose one of you has a friend,

and you go to him at midnight and say to him,

‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;

for a friend of mine has arrived,

and I have nothing to set before him.’

And your friend answers from within,

‘Do not bother me;

the door has already been locked,

and my children are with me in bed;

I cannot get up and give you anything.’

“I tell you,

even though he will not get up and give him anything

because he is his friend,

at least because of his persistence

he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you:

Ask, and it will be given you;

search, and you will find;

knock, and the door will be opened for you.

For everyone who asks receives,

and everyone who searches finds,

and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.

“Is there anyone among you who,

if your child asks for a fish,

will give a snake instead of a fish?

Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion?

“If you then, who are veil,

know how to give good gifts to your children,

how much more will the heavenly Father

give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.