Holy Qurbana
Worship Service
Lectionary Theme: Annunciation to Joseph, Joseph: the Model of discipleship for the People of God
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Isaiah 7:10-17 First Lesson
10. Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, saying,
11. Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.
12. But Ahaz said, I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.
13. Then Isaiah said: “Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also?
14. Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel.
15. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.
16. For before the child knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land before whose two kings you are in dread will be deserted.
17. The Lord will bring on you and on your people and on your ancestral house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”
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1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 Second Lesson
12. But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you;
13. esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.
14. And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them.
15. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all.
16. Rejoice always,
17. pray without ceasing,
18. give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
19. Do not quench the Spirit.
20. Do not despise prophecies,
21. but test everything; hold fast to what is good;
22. abstain from every form of evil.
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2 Peter 1:5-11 Epistle
5. For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge,
6. and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness,
7. and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.
8. For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9. For anyone who lacks these things is short-sighted and blind, and is forgetful of the cleansing of past sins.
10. Therefore, brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do this, you will never stumble.
11. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.
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Matthew 1:18-23 Gospel
18. Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been engaged to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found to be pregnant from the Holy Spirit.
19. Her husband Joseph, being a righteous man and unwilling to expose her to public disgrace, planned to divorce her quietly.
20. But just when he had resolved to do this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21. She will bear a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
22. All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:
23. “Look, the virgin shall become pregnant and give birth to a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means, “God is with us.”