The Advent Altar at St. Martin's Church

Prime Timers

The Prime Timers were a Bible study group at St. Martin's for eight years. One of the goals of our founder, Jackie Rose, was to have a weekly web page for the group and all the pages are still online here. The group disbanded but the readings below are being kept up to date.

Lectionary readings

The Readings for Sunday, December 11, are from Lectionary Year C, Third Sunday of Advent- Isaiah 35:1-10; Psalm 146:4-9 or Canticle 15 [or Canticle 3]; James 5:7-10 and Matthew 11:2-11. The text is from the New Revised Standard Version.

Isaiah 35:1-10

¹ The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
     the desert shall rejoice and blossom;

like the crocus ² it shall blossom abundantly,
     and rejoice with joy and singing.

The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
     the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.

They shall see the glory of the Lord,
     the majesty of our God.

³ Strengthen the weak hands,
     and make firm the feeble knees.

⁴ Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
    "Be strong, do not fear!

Here is your God.
     He will come with vengeance,

with terrible recompense.
     He will come and save you."

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
     and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

⁶ then the lame shall leap like a deer,
     and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.

For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
     and streams in the desert;

⁷ the burning sand shall become a pool,
     and the thirsty ground springs of water;

the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
     the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

⁸ A highway shall be there,
     and it shall be called the Holy Way;

the unclean shall not travel on it,
     but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.

⁹ No lion shall be there,
     nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;

they shall not be found there,
     but the redeemed shall walk there.

¹⁰ And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
     and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
     they shall obtain joy and gladness,
     and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Psalm 146:4-9

⁵ Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
     whose hope is in the Lord their God,

⁶ who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
     who keeps faith forever;

⁷ who executes justice for the oppressed;
     who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
    ⁸ the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
     The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;

the Lord loves the righteous.
    ⁹ The Lord watches over the strangers;
     he upholds the orphan and the widow,
     but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰ The Lord will reign forever,
     your God, O Zion, for all generations.
     Praise the Lord!

or Canticle 15

    The Song of Mary

⁴⁶ And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord

⁴⁷ and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
     ⁴⁸ for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant.

From now on all generations will call me blessed,
     ⁴⁹ for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.

⁵⁰ His mercy extends to those who fear him,
     from generation to generation.

⁵¹ He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
     he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.

⁵² He has brought down rulers from their thrones
     but has lifted up the humble.

⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things
     but has sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel,
     remembering to be merciful

⁵⁵ to Abraham and his descendants forever,
     just as he promised our ancestors.”

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

James 5:7-10

⁷ Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸ You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. ⁹ Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! ¹⁰ Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

Matthew 11:2-11

² When John, who was in prison, heard about the deeds of the Messiah, he sent his disciples ³ to ask him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?” ⁴ Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: ⁵ The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. ⁶ Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

⁷ As John’s disciples were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ⁸ If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. ⁹ Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is the one about whom it is written:

    “ ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
          who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹ Truly I tell you, among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Thanks to Bible Study Tools for today's text.