The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Sunday, March 17, 2024
The Collect:
Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
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God of suffering and glory, in Jesus Christ you reveal the way of life through the path of obedience. Inscribe your law in our hearts, that in life we may not stray from you, but may be your people. Amen.
The Old Testament Reading:
Jeremiah 31:31-34 KJV
31 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:
32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord:
33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
The Psalm:
Psalm 51:1-12 KJV
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:*
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity,*
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions:*
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:*
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;*
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:*
and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:*
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness;*
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins,*
and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God;*
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence;*
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;*
and uphold me with thy free spirit.
The Epistle:
Hebrews 5:5-10 KJV
5 So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee.
6 As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;
8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;
10 Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
The Gospel:
John 12:20-33 KJV
20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
21 The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.
22 Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus.
23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
29 The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.
30 Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.
31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.
32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.