Readings December 2019 & January 2020

READINGS FOR DECEMBER & JANUARY
Eucharists - Sundays and Holy Days
8.00 am & 10.00 am
Evensong - 3.00pm (Nov to March) 6.00pm (Apr to Oct)
(Where there is a choice of first reading at the Parish Eucharist the asterisk denotes the favoured text.
Where two page numbers are given for the same text, the first is for the Authorised Version used at 8am and Evensong and the second for the Revised English Bible used at the Parish Eucharist).
Sunday 1st December
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THE FIRST SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 2. 1-5
Romans 13. 11-end*
Matthew 24. 36-44
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p.708/569
p.1145/142
p.990/23
|
Sunday 8th
Evensong 3pm
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THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 11. 1-10*
Romans 15. 4-13
Matthew 3. 1-12
1Kings 18.17-39
John 1. 19-28
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p.716/577
p.1146/143
p.962/2
p.403/499
p.1064/78
|
Sunday 15th
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THE THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 35. 1-10*
James 5. 7-10
Matthew 11. 2-11
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p.735/597
p.1221/206
p.972/9
|
Sunday 22nd
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THE FOURTH SUNDAY OF ADVENT
Isaiah 7. 10-16*
Romans 1. 1-7
Matthew 1. 18-end
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p.712/573
p.1133/132
p.961/1
|
Tuesday 24th
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CHRISTMAS EVE (11.00pm)
Isaiah 52. 7-10*
Hebrews 1. 1-4 [5-12]
John 1. 1-14
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p.751/614
p.1206/194
p.1063/78
|
Wednesday 25th
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CHRISTMAS DAY
Isaiah 9.2-7*
Titus 2.11-14
Luke 2.1-14 [15-20]
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p.714/575
p.1204/192
p.1025/49
|
Sunday 29th
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THE FIRST SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
Isaiah 63. 7-9*
Hebrews 2. 10-end
Matthew 2. 13-end
|
p.759/623
p.1207/194
p.962/2
|
Sunday 5th January
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THE SECOND SUNDAY OF CHRISTMAS
(Eve of The Epiphany)
Jeremiah 31. 7-14
Ephesians 1. 3-14
John 1. [1-9] 10-18
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p.797/658
p.1178/170
p.1063/78
|
Sunday 12th
Evensong
3 pm
|
THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST
(THE FIRST SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY)
Isaiah 42. 1-9*
Acts 10. 34-43
Matthew 3. 13-end
Joshua 3. 1-8, 14-end
Hebrews 1. 1-12
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p.742/603
p.1107/111
p.963/2
p.244/179
p.1206/194
|
Sunday 19th
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THE SECOND SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
Isaiah 49.1-7*
1 Corinthians 1. 1-9
John 1. 29-42
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p.748/610
p.1148/145
p.1064/78
|
Sunday 26th
Evensong
3 pm
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THE THIRD SUNDAY OF EPIPHANY
Isaiah 9. 1-4*
1 Corinthians 1. 10-18
Matthew 4. 12-23
Ecclesiastes 3. 1-11
1 Peter 1. 3-12
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p.714/575
p.1148/145
p.963/3
p.695/556
p.1222/206
|
The connecting thread of the Church’s liturgies from All Saintstide through to Candlemas is Light. At the Cathedral the three great processions of Advent, Christmas and Epiphany are all services of Light. For all its beauty this is a dark world and we need only look into our own hearts to be aware of that. Candlelight in our worship signifies both judgement and hope. We are drawn to it, the light of Christ revealing the shadows cast by our deeds and the murkiness of our hearts. Preparation for Judgement, the great theme of Advent, is far from comfortable, and yet its resolution is the wonderful story of the Nativity. Our Lord and Judge comes to us with all the tenderness of the Child in the Manger, softening the hardest of hearts and illuminating our lives with the light of hope born of repentance and forgiveness. Like the Wise Men, the Kings of the Epiphany story, we are then challenged to be both seekers and bearers of the Light, beacons of hope in a dark world.
Charles Booth
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