Sunday between 7 and 13 January
First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
First Reading - Isaiah 55.1-3,6-7
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Come, all who are thirsty;
come to the water and drink.
Come, all who are in poverty;
come for grain, and milk, and wine,
without money,
and without cost.
For you work,
and you spend,
but you find
neither food
nor fulfilment.
So listen now
to the word of the Lord,
and you will eat,
and be filled,
and your soul
will delight
in abundance.
Come to me,
and hear my word.
Hear my word,
that you may live,
says the Lord.
And the Lord
will make with you
an everlasting covenant.
Turn away
from your wicked ways,
and turn to the Lord,
for the Lord is ready to welcome you.
Turn away
from your plotting
for injustice,
and call upon the Lord,
for the Lord is near.
Return to the Lord your God,
for God will have mercy,
and freely forgive.
This is the word of the Lord.
Second Reading - Ephesians 1.9-14
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians.
God’s purpose is to bring
to unity, in Christ,
all things
in heaven
and on earth.
God called us
to live
to the praise of God’s glory, in Christ.
And whilst we
were the first
to place our trust in Christ,
you also
can now live
to the praise of God’s glory, in Christ,
for you have heard
the same message of truth,
the same gospel of salvation;
and you have been marked
with the same
seal of the promised Holy Spirit, which is
God’s pledge to us
that we are
God’s own people.
This is the word of the Lord.
Gospel - John 1.29-34
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to John.
John the Baptist saw Jesus
coming towards him,
and said, ‘Here is
the Lamb of God:
the one who takes away
the sin of the world;
the one who comes after me,
but ranks ahead of me,
because he existed
before I was born.
When God sent me
to baptise
with water,
God said
that I would see
the Spirit descend
on the one who is to baptise
with the Holy Spirit.
I came baptising
with water
to make known to Israel
the one who is to baptise
with the Holy Spirit.
And now,
I have seen the Spirit
descending from heaven
like a dove,
and resting upon him.
And so I declare
that this is
the Son of God.’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.