Sunday between 17 and 23 July
Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B)
First Reading - Jeremiah 23.1-6
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah. Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture, says the Lord. You are the shepherds of my people, but you have not attended to them, says the Lord, the God of Israel; you have scattered them, and driven them away. Now I will attend to you, for the evil you have done, says the Lord. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their sheep-fold, and they will flourish, and become many, once again. I will raise up shepherds who will care for them. They will no longer be afraid, and none will be lost. And the days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a new son of David, who will reign as king, with wisdom, justice, and righteousness. Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell in safety. And his name will be: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’ This is the word of the Lord.Second Reading - Ephesians 2.11-22
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians. Previously, you did not know Christ. You were strangers also to the covenants that God had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. You were without God, and without hope in the world. But now, you who were once far off have been brought near. For Christ is our peace. In his own body and blood, he has broken down the hostility which had been like a dividing wall between us.He has abolished the law,
with its commandments and decrees,
in order to create, in himself,
one new humanity, in place of the two,
making peace,
reconciling both groups to God,
in his one body,
through the cross.
And so, indeed,
he came and proclaimed peace
to you who were far off,
and peace
to those who were near;
and through him, we all now
have access, in one Spirit, to the Father.
So now, you are no longer strangers,
and foreigners,
but fellow citizens, with the saints;
fellow members of the household of God,
built upon the foundation
of the apostles and the prophets,
with Christ Jesus himself
as the cornerstone.
In Christ, the whole structure is joined together,
and is built up
into a holy temple
in the Lord.
And you also
are now
built into
this holy temple,
this dwelling-place for God.
This is the word of the Lord.