Fourth
Sunday of Lent
FIRST
READING: 2
Chronicles 36:14-17, 19-23
14
Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people wickedly
transgressed according to all the abominations of the Gentiles: and
they defiled the house of the Lord, which he had sanctified to
himself in Jerusalem.
15
And the Lord the God of their fathers sent to them, by the hand of
his messengers, rising early, and daily admonishing them: because he
spared his people and his dwelling place.
16
But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and
misused the prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his
people, and there was no remedy.
17
For he brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, and he slew their
young men with the sword in the house of his sanctuary, he had no
compassion on young man, or maiden, old man or even him that stooped
for age, but he delivered them all into his hands.
19
And the enemies set fire to the house of God, and broke down the wall
of Jerusalem, burnt all the towers, and whatsoever was precious they
destroyed.
20
Whosoever escaped the sword, was led into Babylon, and there served
the king and his sons till the reign of the king of Persia.
21
That the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremias might be
fulfilled, and the land might keep her sabbaths: for all the days of
the desolation she kept a sabbath, till the seventy years were
expired.
22
But in the first year of Cyrus king of the Persians, to fulfill the
word of the Lord, which he had spoken by the mouth of Jeremias, the
Lord stirred up the heart of Cyrus king of the Persians who commanded
it to be proclaimed through all his kingdom, and by writing also,
saying:
23
Thus saith Cyrus king of the Persians: All the kingdoms of the earth
hath the Lord the God of heaven given to me, and he hath charged me
to build him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judea: who is there
among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let
him go up.
PSALM:
Psalms 137:1-6
1
Upon the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept: when we remembered
Sion:
2
On the willows in the midst thereof we hung up our instruments.
3
For there they that led us into captivity required of us the words of
songs. And they that carried us away, said: Sing ye to us a hymn of
the songs of Sion.
4
How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a strange land?
5
If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten.
6
Let my tongue cleave to my jaws, if I do not remember thee: If I make
not Jerusalem the beginning of my joy.
SECOND
READING: Ephesians
2:4-10
4
But God, (who is rich in mercy,) for his exceeding charity wherewith
he loved us,
5
Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together in Christ,
(by whose grace you are saved,)
6
And hath raised us up together, and hath made us sit together in the
heavenly places, through Christ Jesus.
7
That he might shew in the ages to come the abundant riches of his
grace, in his bounty towards us in Christ Jesus.
8
For by grace you are saved through faith, and that not of yourselves,
for it is the gift of God;
9
Not of works, that no man may glory.
10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus in good works,
which God hath prepared that we should walk in them.
GOSPEL:
John 3:14-21
14
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of
man be lifted up:
15
That whosoever believeth in him, may not perish; but may have life
everlasting.
16
For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that
whosoever believeth in him, may not perish, but may have life
everlasting.
17
For God sent not his Son into the world, to judge the world, but that
the world may be saved by him.
18
He that believeth in him is not judged. But he that doth not believe,
is already judged: because he believeth not in the name of the only
begotten Son of God.
19
And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world,
and men loved darkness rather than the light: for their works were
evil.
20
For every one that doth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the
light, that his works may not be reproved.
21
But he that doth truth, cometh to the light, that his works may be
made manifest, because they are done in God.
