The Edifice of Faith - 11.17.19 The Rev. Vincent Pizzuto, Ph.D.

Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost Occasion: Proper 28 Sunday, November 17, 2019 Year (cycle): C   The Collect:  Blessed Lord, who caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant us so to hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Savior Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.   Old Testament:  Isaiah 65:17-25 [Alternate: Malachi 4:1-2a] 17 For I am about to create new heavens    and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered    or come to mind. 18 But be glad and rejoice for ever    in what I am creating; for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,    and its people as a delight. 19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem,    and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,    or the cry of distress. 20 No more shall there be in it    an infant that lives but a few days,    or an old person who does not live out a lifetime; for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,    and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 21 They shall build houses and inhabit them;    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 22 They shall not build and another inhabit;    they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,    and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 23 They shall not labour in vain,    or bear children for calamity; for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord—    and their descendants as well. 24 Before they call I will answer,    while they are yet speaking I will hear. 25 The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,    the lion shall eat straw like the ox;    but the serpent—its food shall be dust! They shall not hurt or destroy    on all my holy mountain, says the Lord. Alternate: 1See, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble; the day that comes shall burn them up, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2But for you who revere my name the sun of righteousness shall rise, with healing in its wings. Psalm:  Canticle 9 [Alternate: Psalm 98] Surely, it is God who saves me; *        I will trust in him and not be afraid. For the Lord is my stronghold and my sure defense, *        and he will be my Savior. Therefore you shall draw water with rejoicing *        from the springs of salvation. And on that day you shall say, *        Give thanks to the Lord and call upon his Name; Make his deeds known among the peoples; *        see that they remember that his Name is exalted. Sing the praises of the Lord, for he has done great things, *        and this is known in all the world. Cry aloud, inhabitants of Zion, ring out your joy, *        for the great one in the midst of you is the Holy One of Israel. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *        as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Alternate: 1 Sing to the Lord a new song, *        for he has done marvelous things. 2 With his right hand and his holy arm *        has he won for himself the victory. 3 The Lord has made known his victory; *        his righteousness has he openly shown in the sight of the nations. 4 He remembers his mercy and faithfulness to the house of Israel, *        and all the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 5 Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands; *        lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing. 6 Sing to the Lord with the harp, *        with the harp and the voice of song. 7 With trumpets and the sound of the horn *        shout with joy before the King, the Lord. 8 Let the sea make a noise and all that is in it, *        the lands and those who dwell therein. 9 Let the rivers clap their hands, *        and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord,        when he comes to judge the earth. 10 In righteousness shall he judge the world *        and the peoples with equity. Epistle:  2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 6 Now we command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. 7For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, 8and we did not eat anyone's bread without paying for it; but with toil and labour we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. 9This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. 11For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. 12Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. 13Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right. Gospel:  Luke 21:5-19 5 When some were speaking about the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and gifts dedicated to God, he said, 6'As for these things that you see, the days will come when not one stone will be left upon another; all will be thrown down.' 7 They asked him, 'Teacher, when will this be, and what will be the sign that this is about to take place?' 8And he said, 'Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, "I am he!" and, "The time is near!" Do not go after them. 9 'When you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified; for these things must take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.' 10Then he said to them, 'Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; 11there will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and plagues; and there will be dreadful portents and great signs from heaven. 12 'But before all this occurs, they will arrest you and persecute you; they will hand you over to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13This will give you an opportunity to testify. 14So make up your minds not to prepare your defence in advance; 15for I will give you words and a wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to withstand or contradict. 16You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, by relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. 17You will be hated by all because of my name. 18But not a hair of your head will perish. 19By your endurance you will gain your souls.