Sunday between 28 January and 3 February
Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
First Reading - Micah 6.6-8
A reading from the book of the prophet Micah. What shall I bring, as an offering, to the Lord, as I bow down before God most high? Shall I bring burnt-offerings, calves a year old, thousands of rams, rivers of oil, or even my firstborn, the fruit of my body, for the transgressions of my soul? No, for the offering the Lord requires of us is this: to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God. This is the word of the Lord.Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 1.21-27
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians. The wisdom of the world did not lead people to God. Instead, God has used not the wisdom of the world, but the foolishness of our proclamation to save those who believe. Greeks demand wisdom, and Hebrews demand miraculous signs, but we proclaim Christ crucified. The proclamation of Christ crucified is foolishness to Greeks, and a stumbling-block to Hebrews. But to those who are called - both Hebrew and Greek - the proclamation of Christ crucified is both the wisdom of God, and the power of God. For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom; just as God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.When you were called,
not many of you were wise
by human standards;
not many were powerful,
or of noble birth.
But God chose
what is foolish in the world
to shame the wise.
God chose
what is weak in the world
to shame the strong.
This is the word of the Lord.