17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year: A)
Date: Sunday, July 30th, 2017, 11:00
Old Testament: Gen. 29:15-28
Psalms: Ps. 105:1-11,45
15Laban said to him, "Just because you are a relative of mine, should you work for me for nothing? Tell me what your wages should be."
16Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.
17Leah had weak eyes, but Rachel was lovely in form, and beautiful.
18Jacob was in love with Rachel and said, "I'll work for you seven years in return for your younger daughter Rachel."
19Laban said, "It's better that I give her to you than to some other man. Stay here with me."
20So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel, but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.
21Then Jacob said to Laban, "Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to lie with her."
22So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.
23But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah and gave her to Jacob, and Jacob lay with her.
24And Laban gave his servant girl Zilpah to his daughter as her maidservant.
25When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, "What is this you have done to me? I served you for Rachel, didn't I? Why have you deceived me?"
26Laban replied, "It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.
27Finish this daughter's bridal week; then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work."
28And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.
Genesis 29:15-28 (NIV)
Epistle: Rom. 8:26-39
1Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
2Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
3Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
5Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,
6O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.
10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:
11"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."
45that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
Psalms 105:1-11,45 (NIV)
Gospel: Matt. 13:31-33,44-52
26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:26-39 (NIV)
31He told them another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field.
32Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches."
33He told them still another parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."
44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.
46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
47"Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish.
48When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away.
49This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous
50and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51"Have you understood all these things?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they replied.
52He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
Matthew 13:31-33,44-52 (NIV)