Thirty Second Sunday in Ordinary Time

2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 (JB)

A reading from the second book of Maccabees

The king of the world will receive us into life eternal at the resurrection.

There were seven brothers who were arrested with their mother. The king tried to force them to taste pig’s flesh, which the Law forbids, by torturing them with whips and scourges. One of them, acting as spokesman for the others, said, ‘What are you trying to find out from us? We are prepared to die rather than break the Law of our ancestors.’

With his last breath the second brother exclaimed, ‘Inhuman fiend, you may discharge us from this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up, since it is for his laws that we die, to live again for ever.’

After him, they amused themselves with the third, who on being asked for his tongue promptly thrust it out and boldly held out his hands, with these honourable words, ‘It was heaven that gave me these limbs; for the sake of his laws I disdain them; from him I hope to receive them again.’ The king and his attendants were astounded at the young man’s courage and his utter indifference to suffering.

When this one was dead they subjected the fourth to the same savage torture. When he neared his end he cried, ‘Ours is the better choice, to meet death at men’s hands, yet relying on God’s promise that we shall be raised up by him; whereas for you there can be no resurrection, no new life.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

2 Maccabees 7:1-2, 9-14 (NRSV)

A reading from the second book of Maccabees

It happened that seven brothers and their mother were arrested

and were being compelled by King Antiochus,

under torture with whips and thongs,

to partake of unlawful swine’s flesh.

One of the brothers, speaking for all, said,

“What do you intend to ask and learn from us?

For we are ready to die

rather than transgress the laws of our ancestors.”

After the first brother had died,

they brought forward the second for their sport.

And when he was at his last breath, he said to King,

“You accursed wretch,

you dismiss us from this present life,

but the King of the universe will raise us up

to an everlasting renewal of life,

because we have died for his laws.”

After him, the third was the victim of their sport.

When it was demanded,

he quickly put out his tongue

and courageously stretched forth his hands,

and said nobly,

“I got these from Heaven,

and because of God’s laws I disdain them,

and from God I hope to get them back again.”

As a result the king himself and those with him

were astonished at the young man’s spirit,

for he regarded his sufferings as nothing.

After the third brother too had died,

they maltreated and tortured the fourth in the same way.

When he was near death, he said to his torturers,

“One cannot but choose to die at the hands of mortals

and to cherish the hope God gives

of being raised again by him.

But for you, there will be no resurrection to life!”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 16:1, 5-6, 8, 15 (JB)

R. Lord, when your glory appears,

my joy will be full.

Lord, hear a cause that is just,

pay heed to my cry.

Turn your ear to my prayer:

no deceit is on my lips. R.

I kept my feet firmly in your paths;

there was no faltering in my steps.

I am here and I call, you will hear me, O God.

Turn your ear to me; hear my words. R.

Guard me as the apple of your eye.

Hide me in the shadow of your wings.

As for me, in my justice I shall see your face

and be filled, when I awake, with the sight of your glory. R.

2 Thessalonians 2:16 – 3:5 (JB)

A reading from the second letter of St Paul to the Thessalonians

May the Lord strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father who has given us his love and, through his grace, such inexhaustible comfort and such sure hope, comfort you and strengthen you in everything good that you do or say.

Finally, brothers, pray for us; pray that the Lord’s message may spread quickly, and be received with honour as it was among you; and pray that we may be preserved from the interference of bigoted and evil people, for faith is not given to everyone. But the Lord is faithful, and he will give you strength and guard you from the evil one, and we, in the Lord, have every confidence that you are doing and will go on doing all that we tell you. May the Lord turn your hearts towards the love of God and the fortitude of Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

2 Thessalonians 2:16 – 3:5 (NRSV)

A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Thessalonians

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself

and God our Father,

who loved us

and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope,

comfort your hearts and strengthen them in every good word.

Brothers and sisters, pray for us,

so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly

and be glorified everywhere, just as it is among you,

and that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people;

for not all have faith.

But the Lord is faithful;

he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

And we have confidence in the Lord concerning you,

that you are doing and will go on doing

the things that we command.

May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God

and to the steadfastness of Christ.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Revelation 1:5, 6 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead;

glory and kingship be his for ever and ever.

Alleluia!

Revelation 1:5, 6 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead;

glory and kingship be his for ever and ever.

Alleluia!

Luke 20:27, 34-38 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

He is not a God of the dead but of the living.

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached Jesus and they put this question to him.

Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 20:27-38 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

He is not a God of the dead but of the living.

Some Sadducees – those who say that there is no resurrection – approached Jesus and they put this question to him, ‘Master, we have it from Moses in writing, that if a man’s married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother. Well, then, there were seven brothers. The first, having married a wife, died childless. The second and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children. Finally the woman herself died. Now, at the resurrection, to which of them will she be wife since she had been married to all seven?’

Jesus replied, ‘The children of this world take wives and husbands, but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are sons of God. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all men are in fact alive.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 20:27, 34-38 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection,

came to Jesus.

Jesus said to them,

“Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage;

but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age

and in the resurrection from the dead

neither marry nor are given in marriage.

Indeed they cannot die any more,

because they are like angels and are children of God,

being children of the resurrection.

“And the fact that the dead are raised

Moses himself showed in the story about the bush,

where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living;

for to him all of them are alive.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 20:27-38 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Some Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection,

came to Jesus and asked him a question,

“Teacher,

Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies,

leaving a wife but no children,

the man shall marry the widow

and raise up children for his brother.

Now there were seven brothers;

the first married, and died childless;

then the second

and the third married her,

and so in she same way all seven died childless.

Finally the woman also died.

In the resurrection, therefore,

whose wife will the woman be?

-for the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them,

“Those who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage;

but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age

and in the resurrection from the dead

neither marry nor are given in marriage.

Indeed they cannot die any more,

because they are like angels and are children of God,

being children of the resurrection.

“And the fact that the dead are raised

Moses himself showed in the story about the bush,

where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham,

the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

Now he is God not of the dead, but of the living;

for to him all of them are alive.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.