Sunday between 11 and 17 September
Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)
First Reading - Genesis 50.15-21
A reading from the book of Genesis.
Joseph’s brothers feared
that Joseph would still
hold against them
all the wrongs
that they had done to him.
So the brothers approached Joseph,
and said, ‘Before your father died,
he gave us this message
to pass on to you: “I beg you, my son;
forgive the crimes of your brothers,
and all the wrongs that they have done to you.”
And so we come to you now,
as humble servants
of the God of your father,
and we beg you to forgive us
for all the wrongs that we have done to you.’
Joseph was moved to tears
when he heard these words.
His brothers fell down before him,
saying again, ‘We are your humble servants.’
But Joseph said to them, ‘Do not be afraid.
You thought you had a plan for harm,
but God had a plan for good,
to save many lives,
as you see today.’
And Joseph reassured them,
and comforted them,
saying, ‘Have no fear.
I will provide for you, and for your children.’
This is the word of the Lord.
Second Reading - Romans 13.8-10
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Owe no one anything,
except to love one another;
for in this
you fulfil the entire law.
You know the commandments:
You shall not commit adultery;
You shall not murder;
You shall not steal;
You shall not covet.
All these,
and any other commandments,
are summed up in this:
‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’
Love does no wrong to a neighbour; therefore
love
is the fulfilling
of the law.
This is the word of the Lord.
Gospel - Matthew 18.21-35
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Matthew.
Peter asked Jesus, ‘Lord, how many times
must I forgive
someone who sins against me?
As many as seven?’
Jesus replied, ‘Not seven,
but seventy times seven!’
And Jesus told this parable.
‘There was a king who wished
to settle accounts
with his servants.
One of the servants owed
ten thousand
gold coins.
As the servant could not pay,
the master ordered
that the servant should be sold,
to pay the debt,
along with his wife, his children,
and all their possessions.
The servant fell to his knees,
and begged his master
to have patience with him,
until he could pay in full.
And out of pity for him,
the master forgave
the entire debt,
and let the servant go.
As that servant went out, he met
one of his fellow-servants, who owed him
a few copper coins.
He took him by the throat, and said,
“Pay me what you owe.”
The fellow-servant fell to his knees,
and begged the servant
to have patience with him,
until he could pay in full.
But the servant refused.
And he had his fellow-servant
thrown into prison
until the debt could be paid.
When the other servants
heard of this,
they were indignant,
and reported to their master
all that had happened.
The master summoned the servant, and said,
“You wicked servant!
I forgave you all that debt when you pleaded with me.
You should have had
the same mercy for your fellow-servant
that I had for you.”
Then he handed that servant over
to be punished
until the debt was paid in full.
And surely this is how my heavenly Father
will treat you,
if you do not forgive each other
from the heart!’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.