A reading from the book of Wisdom

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God,
and no torment will ever touch them.
In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died,
and their departure was thought to be a disaster,
and their going from us to be their destruction;
but they are at peace.
For though in the sight of others they were punished,
their hope is full of immortality.
Having been disciplined a little,
they will receive great good,
because God tested them and found them worthy of himself;
like gold in the furnace he tried them,
and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them.
Those who trust in him will understand truth,
and the faithful will abide with him in love,
because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones,
and he watches over his elect.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the book of Wisdom
Grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord

The virtuous ones, though they die before their time, will find rest.
length of days is not what makes age honourable,
nor number of years the true measure of life;
understanding, this is mans grey hairs
untarnished life, this is ripe old age.
They have sought to please God, so God has loved them;
as they were living among sinners, they have been taken up.
They have been carried off so that evil may not warp their understanding
or treachery seduce their souls;
for the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade,
and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart.
Coming to perfection is so short a while, they achieved long life;
their soul being pleasing to the Lord,
he has taken them quickly from the wickedness around them
Yet people look on, uncomprehending;
it does not enter their heads
that grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord,
and protection, his holy ones.

This is the word of the Lord.

Wisdom

There is no god, other than you, who cares for everything,
to whom you might have to prove that you never judged unjustly;
Your justice has its source in strength,
your sovereignty over all makes you lenient to all.
You show your strength when your sovereign power is questioned
and you expose the insolence of those who know it;
but, disposing of such strength, you are mild in judgement,
you govern us with great lenience,
for you have only to will, and your power is there.
By acting thus you have taught a lesson to your people
how the virtuous man must be kindly to his fellow men,
and you have given your sons the good hope
that after sin you will grant repentance.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Ecclesiastes

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
What does a worker gain from his or her toil ?
I have seen the burden God has laid on his people.
God has made everything beautiful in its time,
also he has put eternity into the human mind,
yet even still we cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
I know that there is nothing better for a person than to be happy and to do good while they live.
That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all their work – that is the gift of God.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food. On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death forever.

The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek, he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so.

That day, it will be said. See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation, the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading for the prophet Isaiah

Fear not I am with you; be not dismayed; I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, and uphold you with my right hand of justice. For I am the Lord your God who grasps your right hand; it is I who say to you ‘fear not, I will help you’.

I have brushed away your offences like a cloud, your sins like a mist, return to me, for I have redeemed you. Can a mother forget her infant be without tenderness for the child within her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palm of my hand I have written your name. Yes, in joy you shall depart, in peace you shall be brought back.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed;
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the book of Lamentations

It is good to wait in silence for the Lord to save

My soul is shut out from peace;
I have forgotten happiness.
And now I say, My strength is gone
that hope which came from the Lord.
Brooding on my anguish and affliction
is gall and wormwood.
My spirit ponders it continually
and sinks within me
This is what I shall tell my heart,
and so recover hope:
the favours of the Lord are not all past,
his kindnesses are not exhausted;
every morning they are renewed;
great is his faithfulness.
My portion is the Lord says my soul
and so I will hope in him.
The Lord is good to those who trust him,
to the soul that searches for him.
It is good to wait in silence for the Lord to save.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the 1st Book of Kings

When Elijah reached Horeb, the mountain of God, he went into the cave and spent the night in it. Then the word of the Lord came to him saying, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ Then he was told, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Then the Lord himself went by. There came a mighty wind, so strong it tore the mountains and shattered the rocks before the Lord. But Yahweh was not in the wind. After the wind came an earthquake. But the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire. But the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there came the sound of a gentle breeze. And when Elijah heard this, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.

The Word of the Lord.

A Reading from the prophet Micah

With what shall I enter God’s presence and bow down before God all-high? Shall I enter with burnt offerings, with calves one year old? Will he be pleased with rams by the thousand, with ten thousand barrels of oil? Shall I offer my eldest son for my wrong-doing, the child of my own body for my sin? You have already been told what is right and what God wants of you. Only this: to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God.

This is the Word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Psalms

Happy the person who fears the Lord
Who takes delight in His commands.
Such a person will have children powerful on earth
The children of the upright are blessed.
Riches and wealth are in their house,
His / her justice stands firm forever.
They are a light in the darkness, generous, merciful and just.
The good person takes pity and lends,
conducts their affairs with honour and will be remembered forever.
Such a person has no fear of bad news, with firm heart they trust in the Lord.
Open-handed they give to the poor, their justice stands firm forever, they will be raised to glory.

This is the word of the Lord.

Exodus

With the two tablets of stone in his hands, he went up the mountain of Sinai in the early morning as the Lord had commanded him. And the Lord descended in the form of a cloud, and Moses stood with him there.

He called on the name of the Lord. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, the Lord, a God of tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in kindness and faithfulness; And Moses bowed down to the ground at once and worshipped. ‘If I have indeed won your favour, Lord,’ he said ‘let my Lord come with us, I beg. True, they are a headstrong people, but forgive us our faults and our sins, and adopt us as your heritage.’

The word of the Lord.

Deuteronomy

Moses said to the people: ‘Remember how the Lord your God led you for forty years in the wilderness, to humble you, to test you and know your inmost heart – whether you would keep his commandments or not. He humbled you, he made you feel hunger, he fed you with manna which neither you nor your fathers had known, to make you understand that man does not live on bread alone but that man lives on everything that comes from the mouth of the Lord. do not become proud of heart.

Do not then forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery: who guided you through this vast and dreadful wilderness, a land of fiery serpents, scorpions, thirst; who in this waterless place brought you water from the hardest rock; who in this wilderness fed you with manna that your fathers had not known, to humble you and test you and so make your future the happier.

The word of the Lord.

A Reading from the Book of Deuteronomy

Moses died, his eyes undimmed, his vigour unimpaired.

Then, leaving the plains of Moab, Moses went up Mount Nebo, and Yahweh showed him the whole land, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea. Yahweh said to him, ‘This is the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying: I will give it to your descendants. I have let you see it with your own eyes, but you shall not cross into it.’ There in the land of Moab, Moses the servant of Yahweh died as Yahweh decreed, he buried him in the valley, in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but to this day no one has ever found his grave. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, his eye undimmed, his vigour unimpaired. The sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days. The days of weeping for the mourning rites of Moses came to an end. Joshua son of Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands on him. It was he that the sons of Israel obeyed, carrying out the order that Yahweh had given to Moses

This is the Word of the Lord.

Joshua

Joshua said to all the people: Fear the Lord and serve him perfectly and sincerely; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. But if you will not serve the Lord, choose today whom you wish to serve, whether the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are now living. As for me and my House, we will serve the Lord.’

The people answered, ‘We have no intention of deserting the Lord and serving other gods! Was it not the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery, who worked those great wonders before our eyes and preserved us all along the way we travelled and among all the peoples through whom we journeyed? What is more, the Lord drove all those peoples out before us, as well as the Amorites who used to live in this country. We too will serve the Lord, for he is our God.’

Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, because he is a holy God, he is a jealous God who will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you desert the Lord to follow alien gods he in turn will afflict and destroy you after the goodness he has shown you.’ The people answered Joshua, ‘No; it is the Lord we wish to serve’.

Then Joshua said to the people, ‘You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him’. They answered, ‘We are witnesses’. ‘Then cast away the alien gods among you and give your hearts to the Lord the God of Israel!’ The people answered Joshua, ‘It is the Lord our God we choose to serve; it is his voice that we will obey’.

That day, Joshua made a covenant for the people; he laid down a statute and ordinance for them at Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God. Then he took a great stone and set it up there, under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord, and Joshua said to all the people, ‘See! This stone shall be a witness against us because it has heard all the words that the Lord has spoken to us: it shall be a witness against you in case you deny your God.’ Then Joshua sent the people away, and each returned to his own inheritance.

After these things Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died; he was a hundred and ten years old.

The Word of the Lord.

Proverbs

My son, you take my words to heart,
if you set store by my commandments,
tuning your ear to wisdom,
and applying your heart to truth:
yes, if your plea is for clear perception,
if you cry out for discernment,
if you look for it as if it were silver,
and search for it as for buried treasure,
you will then understand what the fear of the Lord is,
and discover the knowledge of God.
For the Lord himself is giver of wisdom,
from his mouth issue knowledge and discernment.
He keeps his help for honest men,
he is the shield of those whose ways are honourable;
he stands guard over the paths of justice,
he keeps watch on the way of his devoted ones.
Then you will understand what virtue is, justice, and fair dealing,
all paths that lead to happiness.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Sirach

Bury the dead with fitting ceremonial

My people, weep for the dead, lament to express your sorrow and bury the dead with fitting ceremonial and do not fail to honour the grave. Weep bitterly, cry out with full voice, and observe the mourning period in accordance with the merits of the deceased. When the dead are laid to rest, let their memory be one of peace, be comforted on their account once their spirit has departed.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the book of Ecclesiasticus

Happy the husband of a really good wife
The number of his days will be doubled.
A perfect wife is the joy of her husband,
He will live out the years of his life in peace.
A good wife is the best of portions,
Reserved for those who fear the Lord;
Rich or poor, they will be glad of heart,
Cheerful of face, whatever the season.
The grace of a wife will charm her husband,
Her accomplishment will make him the stronger.
A silent wife is a gift from the Lord,
No price can be put on a well trained character.
A modest wife is a boon twice over,
A chaste character cannot be weighted on scales.
Like the sun rising over the mountains of the Lord
Is the beauty of a good wife in a well kept house.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the book of Lamentations

The Favours of the Lord are not all past

My soul is shut out from peace. I have forgotten happiness. And now I say, ‘My strength is gone, that hope which came from the Lord.’ This is what I shall tell my heart, and so recover hope: the favours of the Lord are not all past, his kindness is not exhausted, every morning they are renewed, great is his faithfulness. ‘’My portion is the Lord,’ says my soul, ‘and so I hope in him.’ It is good to wait in silence for the Lord to save.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the book of Ecclesiastes

Next let us praise illustrious people,
or ancestors in their successive generations.
The lord has created abundance of glory and displayed his greatness from earliest times.
Some wielded authority as kings and were renowned for their strength;
others were intelligent advisers and uttered prophetic oracles.
Others directed people by their advice,
by their understanding of the popular mind,
and by the wise words of their teaching;
others composed musical melodies, and set down ballads;
others were rich and powerful,
living peacefully in their homes.
But here a list of generous people whose good works have not been forgotten.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shone. You have made their gladness greater, you have made their joy increase, they rejoice in your presence…

For the yoke that was weighing on them, the bar across their shoulders, these you break as on the day of Midian.

For there is a child born for us, a son given to us and dominion is laid upon his shoulders; and this is the name they give him, Wonder-Counsellor, Mighty-God, Eternal-Father, Prince of Peace. Wide is his dominion in a peace that has no end, for the throne of David and for his royal power which he establishes and makes secure in justice and integrity, from this time onwards and forever.

This is the word of the Lord.

Daniel

As I watched:
‘Thrones were set in place
and one of great age took his seat.
His robe was white as snow,
the hair of his head as pure as wool.
His throne was a blaze of flames,
its wheels were a burning fire.
A stream of fire poured out,
issuing from his presence.
A thousand thousand waited on him,
ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
A court was held and the books were opened.
‘I gazed into the visions of the night.
And I saw, coming on the clouds of heaven,
one like a son of man.
He came to the one of great age
and was led into his presence.
On him was conferred sovereignty,
glory and kingship, and men of all peoples,
nations and languages became his servants.
His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty
which shall never pass away,
nor will his empire ever be destroyed.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food. On this mountain he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations, he will destroy Death forever.

The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek, he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so.

That day, it will be said. See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation, the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us.

This is the word of the Lord.

Isaiah

Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,
let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,
let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,
let it rejoice and sing for joy.
The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it,
the splendour of Carmel and Sharon;
they shall see the glory of the Lord,
the splendour of our God.
Strengthen all weary hands,
steady all trembling knees
and say to all faint hearts,
‘Courage! Do not be afraid.
‘Look, your God is coming,
vengeance is coming,
the retribution of God;
he is coming to save you.’
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
the ears of the deaf unsealed,
then the lame shall leap like a deer
and the tongues of the dumb sing for joy;
for water gushes in the desert,
streams in the wasteland,
the scorched earth becomes a lake,
the parched land springs of water.
The lairs where the jackals used to live
become thickets of reed and papyrus.
And through it will run a highway
undefiled which shall be called the Sacred Way;
the unclean may not travel by it,
nor fools stray along it.
No lion will be there
nor any fierce beast roam about it,
but the redeemed will walk there,
for those Yahweh has ransomed shall return.
They will come to Zion shouting for joy,
everlasting joy on their faces;
joy and gladness will go with them
and sorrow and lament be ended.

The Word of the Lord.

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah

‘Console my people, console them’
says your God.
‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem
and call to her
that her time of service is ended,
that her sin is atoned for,
that she has received
from the hand of the Lord
double punishment for all her crimes.’
A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness
a way for the Lord.
Make a straight highway for our God
across the desert.
Let every valley be filled in,
every mountain and hill be laid low,
let every cliff become a plain,
and the ridges a valley;
then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed
and all mankind shall see it;
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’
A voice commands: ‘Cry!’
and I answered, ‘What shall I cry?’ –
‘All flesh is grass
and its beauty like the wild flowers.
The grass withers, the flower fades
when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
(The grass is without doubt the people.)
The grass withers, the flower fades,
but the word of our God remains for ever.’
Go up on a high mountain,
joyful messenger to Zion.
Shout with a loud voice,
joyful messenger to Jerusalem.
Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah,
‘Here is your God’.
Here is the Lord the Lord coming with power,
his arm subduing all things to him.
The prize of his victory is with him,
his trophies all go before him.
He is like a shepherd feeding his flock,
gathering lambs in his arms,
holding them against his breast
and leading to their rest the mother ewe.

The Word of the Lord.

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off. Do not fear, for I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I Will help you. I will uphold you with my victorious right hand.

All who are incensed against you will be ashamed and disgraced; those who strive against you will be as nothing and will perish. For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, “Do not fear, I will help you’. Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the prophet Isaiah

Thus say the Lord: ‘in a time of favour I have answered you, on a day of salvation I have helped you.” But Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me.’

‘Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands”.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the Prophet Isaiah

Is this the sort of fast that pleases me
– it is the Lord who speaks –
to break unjust fetters
and undo the thongs of the yoke
to let the oppressed go free
and break every yoke,
to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor,
to clothe the man you see to be naked and turn not from your own kin.
Then your light will shine like the dawn and any wounds you may have quickly healed over.
Your integrity will go before you and the glory of the Lord behind you.
Cry, and the Lord will answer; call and he will say, ‘I am here.’
If you do away with the yoke, the clenched fist, the wicked word,
If you give your bread to the hungry, and relief to the oppressed,
Your light will rise in the darkness and your shadows become like noon.
The Lord will always guide you Giving you relief in desert places.
He will give strength to your bones
And shall be like a watered garden
Like a spring of water
Whose waters never run dry.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the Book of Jeremiah

Thus says the Lord:
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,
whose hope is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted beside the waters
that stretches out its roots to the stream:
it fears not the heat when it comes;
its leaves stay green;
in the year of drought it shows no distress,
but still bears fruit.

This is the word of the Lord.

A reading from the prophet Zephaniah

Shout for joy, daughter of Zion,
Israel, shout aloud!
Rejoice, exult with all your heart,
daughter of Jerusalem!
Yahweh has repealed your sentence;
he has driven your enemies away.
The Lord, the king of Israel, is in your midst;
you have no more evil to fear.
When that day comes,
word will come to Jerusalem:
Zion, have no fear, do not let your hands fall limp.
The Lord your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.
He will exult with joy over you,
he will renew you by his love;
he will dance with shouts of joy for you
as on a day of festival.

The word of the Lord.

A reading from the book of Psalms

Lord, you have examined me and you know me. You know everything I do; from far away you understand all my thoughts.

You see me, whether I am working or resting; you know all my actions. Even before I speak, you already know what I will say. You are all round me on every side; you protect me with your power.

Your knowledge of me is too deep; it is beyond my understanding. Where could I go to escape from you? Where could I get away from your presence? If I went up to heaven, you would be there; if I lay down in the world of the dead, you would be there. If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me or the light round me to turn into night, but even darkness is not dark for you, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are the same to you.

You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother’s womb, I praise you because you are to be feared; all you do is strange and wonderful. I know it with my heart. When my bones were being formed, carefully put together in my mother’s womb, when I was growing there in secret, you knew that I was there – you saw me before I was born.

The days allotted to me had all been recorded in your book, before any of them ever began. O God, how difficult I find your thoughts; how many of them there are! If I counted them, there would be more than the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.

The word of the Lord

A reading from the Book of Isaiah

Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor. Give clothes to those who have nothing to wear, and do not refuse to help your own relatives. Then my favour will shine on you like the morning sun, and your wounds will be quickly healed. I will always be with you to save you; my presence will protect you on every side. When you pray I will answer you. When you call to me, I will respond. If you put an end to oppression, to every gesture of contempt, and to every evil word; if you give food to the hungry and satisfy those who are in need, then the darkness around you will turn to the brightness of noon. And I will always guide you and satisfy you with good things. I will keep you strong and well. You will be like a garden that has plenty of water, like a spring of water that never runs dry.

The word of the Lord.