Full NRSV Sunday texts

St Mark the Evangelist - HD (Red)

Thursday, April 25^th, 2024

Readings
ISAIAH 52:7-10 OR EPHESIANS 4:7-8,11-16; PSALM 2:7-13; MARK 1:1-15 OR MARK 16:15-20

Collect
Almighty God,
by the hand of Mark the evangelist
you gave to your Church
the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
We thank you for his witness,
and pray that we may be grounded firmly in its truth;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.

First Reading
A READING FROM THE BOOK OF ISAIAH
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.
ISAIAH 52:7-10

Or

A READING FROM THE LETTER OF PAUL TO THE EPHESIANS
Each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it is said, "When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive; he gave gifts to his people." The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people's trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body's growth in building itself up in love.
EPHESIANS 4:7-8, 11-16

Psalm
PSALM
REFRAIN You are my Son; this day have I begotten you.

Let me announce the decree of the Lord: he said to me, "You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. R

Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession.

You shall crush them with an iron rod and shatter them like a piece of pottery." R

And now, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth.

Submit to the Lord with fear, and with trembling bow before him;

Lest he be angry and you perish; for his wrath is quickly kindled. R

Happy are they all who take refuge in him!
PSALM 2:7-13

Gospel
THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO MARK
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, "See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness; 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, "The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
MARK 1:1-15

Or

THE HOLY GOSPEL OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
ACCORDING TO MARK
Jesus said to the disciples, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
MARK 16:15-20

Prayer over the Gifts
God of our salvation,
accept all we offer you this day.
May we learn to bear witness to the gospel of your Son
both in word and deed.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Prayer After Communion
Gracious God,
may the gifts we have received at your table
strengthen us in the faith of the gospel preached by Mark.
This we ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.