Sunday between 4 and 10 February
(if before Ash Wednesday)
Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
First Reading - Isaiah 40.27-31
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Do not say
that the Lord
does not know
of your troubles,
or that God
is neglecting
the injustice
that you suffer.
For the Lord,
the everlasting God,
the creator of all the earth,
has insight
beyond
our understanding.
The Lord does not
faint
or grow weary
and will give strength
to the suffering
and the weak.
Even the young
may grow weary,
and stumble, and fall.
But those who trust in the Lord
will find their strength renewed.
They will rise up
on wings
like eagles.
They will run,
and they will
endure.
This is the word of the Lord.
Second Reading - 1 Corinthians 10.32-11.1
A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Let everything you do,
and every choice you make,
be for the glory of God.
Give no offence
to others,
whether Hebrews,
or Greeks,
or the church of God itself.
For we are following
the example of Christ
when we work
not for our own good,
but for the good of others,
and for their salvation.
This is the word of the Lord.
Gospel - Mark 1.29-39
Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according to Mark.
Jesus went
with James and John
to the home of Simon and Andrew, where
Simon’s mother-in-law
was in bed
with a fever.
Jesus went to her,
and took her hand.
She awoke,
and immediately, the fever left her;
and she was able to welcome them,
and even attend to them.
That evening,
around sunset,
the whole city came out,
gathering around the door,
bringing to Jesus
all who were sick
or oppressed by demons.
Jesus cured many who were sick
with various diseases,
and drove out many demons.
And Jesus
would not allow
the demons
to speak,
because
they knew who Jesus was.
Early the next morning,
while it was still fully dark,
Jesus went out
into the wilderness, alone,
to pray.
Simon, and some of the other disciples,
went searching for him.
When they found him,
they said to him, ‘Everyone is looking for you.’
Jesus said, ‘Let us go on
to the neighbouring towns,
so that I may preach there also;
for that is what I came to do.’
And Jesus travelled
throughout
the region of Galilee,
teaching in the synagogues,
and driving out demons.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.