The Old Testament reading is taken from the Prophet Isaiah,
chapter 2, verses 1-5
The mountain of the Lord
2 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and
Jerusalem:
2 In the last days
the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established
as the highest of the mountains;
it will be exalted above the hills,
and all nations will stream to it.
3 Many peoples will come and say,
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the temple of the God of Jacob.
He will teach us his ways,
so that we may walk in his paths.’
The law will go out from Zion,
the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 He will judge between the nations
and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into ploughshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
nor will they train for war any more.
5 Come, descendants of Jacob,
let us walk in the light of the Lord.
This is the word of the Lord
Response. Thanks be to God
The Epistle is taken from Paul’s letter to the Romans, chapter
13, verses 11-14
The day is near
11 And do this, understanding the present time: the hour has
already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because
our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The
night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside
the deeds of darkness and put on the armour of light. 13 Let us
behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and
drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in
dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the
Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the
desires of the flesh.
This is the word of the Lord
Response. Thanks be to God
The Gospel reading is taken from Matthew 24:36-44
The day and hour unknown
36 ‘But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the
angels in heaven, nor the Son, [a] but only the Father. 37 As it was
in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of
Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah
entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would
happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is
how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will
be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two
women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and
the other left.
42 ‘Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what
day your Lord will come. 43 But understand this: if the owner of
the house had known at what time of night the thief was
coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his
house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready, because
the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect
him.