The following are the readings for the Fifth Sunday in Lent, March 17, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless otherwise noted, the ECUSA, Canadian and Common Worship readings are identical to the RCL this Sunday.

The Readings are posted on our web site at: <http://satucket.com/lectionary> in RTF format, which can be read by all word processors.

OLD TESTAMENT:   Jeremiah 31: 31 - 34   (all)

Jere 31:31 (NRSV) The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt--a covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, says the LORD. 33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 No longer shall they teach one another, or say to each other, "Know the LORD," for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more. 

PSALM 51: 1 - 13   (RCL)
              51: 1 - 2, 10 - 13   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 51:1 (NRSV) Have mercy on me, O God, 
according to your steadfast love; 
according to your abundant mercy 
blot out my transgressions. 
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, 
and cleanse me from my sin. 
3 For I know my transgressions, 
and my sin is ever before me. 
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned, 
and done what is evil in your sight, 
so that you are justified in your sentence 
and blameless when you pass judgment. 
5 Indeed, I was born guilty, 
a sinner when my mother conceived me. 
6 You desire truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; 
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; 
let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. 
9 Hide your face from my sins, 
and blot out all my iniquities. 
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, 
and put a new and right spirit within me. 
11 Do not cast me away from your presence, 
and do not take your holy spirit from me. 
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, 
and sustain in me a willing spirit. 
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, 
and sinners will return to you. 
14 Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, 
O God of my salvation, 
and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. 
15 O Lord, open my lips, 
and my mouth will declare your praise. 
16 For you have no delight in sacrifice; 
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased. 
17 The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; 
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

Note: Verse numbering in your psalter may differ from the above

51   Miserere mei, Deus    (ECUSA BCP)
 
1  	Have mercy on me, O God, according to your
		loving-kindness; *
 in your great compassion blot out my offenses.
 
2  	Wash me through and through from my wickedness *
 and cleanse me from my sin.
 
3  	For I know my transgressions, *
 and my sin is ever before me.
.
4  	Against you only have I sinned *
 and done what is evil in your sight.
 
5  	And so you are justified when you speak *
 and upright in your judgment.
 
6  	Indeed, I have been wicked from my birth, *
 a sinner from my mother's womb.
 
7  	For behold, you look for truth deep within me, *
 and will make me understand wisdom secretly.
 
8  	Purge me from my sin, and I shall be pure; *
 wash me, and I shall be clean indeed.
 
9  	Make me hear of joy and gladness, *
 that the body you have broken may rejoice.
 
10  Hide your face from my sins *
 and blot out all my iniquities.
 
11  Create in me a clean heart, O God, *
 and renew a right spirit within me.
 
12  Cast me not away from your presence *
 and take not your holy Spirit from me.
 
13  Give me the joy of your saving help again *
 and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.
 
14  I shall teach your ways to the wicked, *
 and sinners shall return to you.

Psalm 119: 9 - 16   (alt. for RCL)

Psal 119:9 (NRSV) How can young people keep their way pure? 
By guarding it according to your word. 
10 With my whole heart I seek you; 
do not let me stray from your commandments. 
11 I treasure your word in my heart, 
so that I may not sin against you. 
12 Blessed are you, O LORD; 
teach me your statutes. 
13 With my lips I declare 
all the ordinances of your mouth. 
14 I delight in the way of your decrees 
as much as in all riches. 
15 I will meditate on your precepts, 
and fix my eyes on your ways. 
16 I will delight in your statutes; 
I will not forget your word. 

119 Beth   In quo corrigit?      (ECUSA BCP)
 
9  	How shall a young man cleanse his way? *
 	By keeping to your words.
 
10  	With my whole heart I seek you; *
 	let me not stray from your commandments.
 
11  	I treasure your promise in my heart, *
 	that I may not sin against you.
 
12  	Blessed are you, O Lord; *
 	instruct me in your statutes.
 
13  	With my lips will I recite *
 	all the judgments of your mouth.
 
14  	I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees *
 	than in all manner of riches.
 
15  	I will meditate on your commandments *
 	and give attention to your ways.
 
16  	My delight is in your statutes; *
 	I will not forget your word.

NEW TESTAMENT:   Hebrews 5: 5 - 10   (RCL)
                                                      5: 7 - 9   (Roman Catholic)

Hebr 5:5 (NRSV) So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming a high priest, but was appointed by the one who said to him, 
"You are my Son, 
today I have begotten you"; 
6 as he says also in another place, 
"You are a priest forever, 
according to the order of Melchiz'edek." 
7 In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. 8 Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered; 9 and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, 10 having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchiz'edek. 

GOSPEL:   John 12: 20 - 33   (all)

John 12:20 (NRSV) Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsa'ida in Galilee, and said to him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." 22 Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor. 
27 "Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say--"Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." 30 Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself." 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.