Old Testament Readings
 

JOB 19:1, 23-27A 

Job answered Bildad the Shuhite and said: 

Oh, would that my words were written down! 

 Would that they were inscribed in a record: 

That with an iron chisel and with lead 

 they were cut in the rock forever! 

But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives, 

 and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust; 

Whom I myself shall see: 

 my own eyes, not another's, shall behold him; 

And from my flesh I shall see God; 

 my inmost being is consumed with longing. 

WISDOM 3:1-9 (LONG FORM) 

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, 

 and no torment shall touch them. 

They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; 

 and their passing away was thought an affliction 

 and their going forth from us, utter destruction. 

But they are in peace. 

For if before men, indeed they be punished, 

 yet is their hope full of immortality; 

Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, 

 because God tried them 

 and found them worthy of himself. 

As gold in the furnace, he proved them, 

 and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. 

[In the time of their visitation they shall shine, 

 and shall dart about as sparks through stubble; 

They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, 

 and the LORD shall be their King forever.] 

Those who trust in him shall understand truth, 

 and the faithful shall abide with him in love: 

Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, 

 and his care is with his elect. 

WISDOM 3:1-6, 9 (SHORT FORM) 

The souls of the just are in the hand of God, 

 and no torment shall touch them. 

They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; 

 and their passing away was thought an affliction 

 and their going forth from us, utter destruction. 

But they are in peace. 

For if before men, indeed they be punished, 

 yet is their hope full of immortality; 

Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed, 

 because God tried them 

 and found them worthy of himself. 

As gold in the furnace, he proved them, 

 and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself. 

Those who trust in him shall understand truth, 

 and the faithful shall abide with him in love: 

Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, 

 and his care is with his elect. 

WISDOM 4:7-15 

The just man, though he die early, 

 shall be at rest. 

For the age that is honorable comes not 

 with the passing of time, 

 nor can it be measured in terms of years. 

Rather, understanding is the hoary crown for men, 

 and an unsullied life, the attainment of old age. 

He who pleased God was loved; 

 he who lived among sinners was transported– 

Snatched away, lest wickedness pervert his mind 

 or deceit beguile his soul; 

For the witchery of paltry things obscures what is right 

 and the whirl of desire transforms the innocent mind. 

Having become perfect in a short while, 

 he reached the fullness of a long career; 

 for his soul was pleasing to the LORD, 

 therefore he sped him out of the midst of wickedness. 

But the people saw and did not understand, 

 nor did they take this into account. 

ISAIAH 25:6A, 7-9 

On this mountain the LORD of hosts 

 will provide for all peoples. 

On this mountain he will destroy 

 the veil that veils all peoples, 

The web that is woven over all nations; 

 he will destroy death forever. 

The Lord GOD will wipe away 

 the tears from all faces; 

The reproach of his people he will remove 

 from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. 

 On that day it will be said: 

"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! 

 This is the LORD for whom we looked; 

 let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!" 

 

New Testament Readings

ROMANS 5:5-11

Brothers and sisters: 

Hope does not disappoint, 

 because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts  through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 

For Christ, while we were still helpless, 

 died at the appointed time for the ungodly. 

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person, 

 though perhaps for a good person 

 one might even find courage to die. 

But God proves his love for us 

 in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 

How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,  will we be saved through him from the wrath. 

Indeed, if, while we were enemies, 

 we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, 

 how much more, once reconciled, 

 will we be saved by his life. 

Not only that, 

 but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  through whom we have now received reconciliation. 

ROMANS 8:31B-35, 37-39 

Brothers and sisters: 

If God is for us, who can be against us? 

He did not spare his own Son 

 but handed him over for us all, 

 will he not also give us everything else along with him? 

Who will bring a charge against God's chosen ones? 

It is God who acquits us. 

Who will condemn? 

It is Christ Jesus who died, rather, was raised, 

 who also is at the right hand of God, 

 who indeed intercedes for us. 

What will separate us from the love of Christ? 

Will anguish, or distress or persecution, or famine, 

 or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? 

No, in all these things, we conquer overwhelmingly 

 through him who loved us. 

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, 

 nor angels, nor principalities, 

 nor present things, nor future things, 

 nor powers, nor height, nor depth, 

 nor any other creature will be able to separate us 

 from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

ROMANS 14:7-9, 10C-12 

Brothers and sisters: 

No one lives for oneself, 

 and no one dies for oneself. 

For if we live, we live for the Lord, 

 and if we die, we die for the Lord; 

 so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. 

For this is why Christ died and came to life, 

 that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. 

Why then do you judge your brother? 

Or you, why do you look down on your brother? 

For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of God; 

 for it is written: 

As I live, says the Lord, every knee 

shall bend before me, 

and every tongue shall give praise to God. 

So then each of us shall give an accounting of himself to God.

1 COR. 15:20-28 (LONG FORM) 

Brothers and sisters: 

Christ has been raised from the dead, 

 the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

For since death came through a man, 

 the resurrection of the dead came also through man. 

For just as in Adam all die, 

 so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 

 but each one in proper order: 

 Christ the firstfruits; 

 then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ; 

 then comes the end, 

 when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father. 

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death, 

 for "he subjected everything under his feet." 

But when it says that everything has been subjected, 

 it is clear that it excludes the one who subjected everything to him. When everything is subjected to him, 

 then the Son himself will also be subjected 

 to the one who subjected everything to him, 

 so that God may be all in all. 

1 COR. 15:20-23 (SHORT FORM) 

Brothers and sisters: 

Christ has been raised from the dead, 

 the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 

For since death came through a man, 

 the resurrection of the dead came also through man. 

For just as in Adam all die, 

 so too in Christ shall all be brought to life, 

 but each one in proper order: 

 Christ the firstfruits; 

 then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. 

FIRST READING 1 COR. 15:51-57 

Brothers and sisters: 

Behold, I tell you a mystery. 

We shall not all fall asleep, but we will all be changed, 

 in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. 

For the trumpet will sound, 

 the dead will be raised incorruptible, 

 and we shall be changed. 

For that which is corruptible must clothe itself with incorruptibility,  and that which is mortal must clothe itself with immortality. And when this which is corruptible clothes itself with incorruptibility  and this which is mortal clothes itself with immortality, 

 then the word that is written shall come about: 

Death is swallowed up in victory. 

Where, O death, is your victory? 

Where, O death, is your sting? 

The sting of death is sin, 

 and the power of sin is the law. 

But thanks be to God who gives us the victory 

 through our Lord Jesus Christ. 

FIRST READING 2 COR. 4:14—5:1 

Brothers and sisters: 

Knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesus 

 will raise us also with Jesus 

 and place us with you in his presence. 

Everything indeed is for you, 

 so that the grace bestowed in abundance on more and more people  may cause the thanksgiving to overflow for the glory of God. Therefore, we are not discouraged; 

 rather, although our outer self is wasting away, 

 our inner self is being renewed day by day. 

For this momentary light affliction 

 is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,  as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; 

 for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. 

For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, 

 should be destroyed, 

 we have a building from God, 

 a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven. 

FIRST READING 2 COR. 5:1, 6-10 

Brothers and sisters: 

We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, 

 should be destroyed, 

 we have a building from God, 

 a dwelling not made with hands, 

 eternal in heaven. 

We are always courageous, 

 although we know that while we are at home in the body 

 we are away from the Lord, 

 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 

Yet we are courageous, 

 and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, 

 whether we are at home or away. 

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, 

 so that each may receive recompense, 

 according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

FIRST READING PHIL. 3:20-21 

Brothers and sisters: 

Our citizenship is in heaven, 

 and from it we also await a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body 

 to conform with his glorified Body 

 by the power that enables him also 

 to bring all things into subjection to himself. 

FIRST READING 1 THES. 4:13-18 

We do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, 

 about those who have fallen asleep, 

 so that you may not grieve like the rest, who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose, 

 so too will God, through Jesus, 

 bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 

Indeed, we tell you this, on the word of the Lord, 

 that we who are alive, 

 who are left until the coming of the Lord, 

 will surely not precede those who have fallen asleep. 

For the Lord himself, with a word of command, 

 with the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of God,  will come down from heaven, 

 and the dead in Christ will rise first. 

Then we who are alive, who are left, 

 will be caught up together with them in the clouds 

 to meet the Lord in the air. 

Thus we shall always be with the Lord. 

Therefore, console one another with these words. 

FIRST READING 2 TIM. 2:8-13 

Beloved: 

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David:  such is my Gospel, for which I am suffering, 

 even to the point of chains, like a criminal. 

But the word of God is not chained. 

Therefore, I bear with everything for the sake of those who are chosen,  so that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus,  together with eternal glory. 

This saying is trustworthy: 

 If we have died with him 

 we shall also live with him; 

 if we persevere 

 we shall also reign with him. 

 But if we deny him 

 he will deny us. 

 If we are unfaithful 

 he remains faithful, 

 for he cannot deny himself. 

FIRST READING 1 JOHN 3:1-2 

Beloved: 

See what love the Father has bestowed on us 

 that we may be called the children of God. 

Yet so we are. 

The reason the world does not know us 

 is that it did not know him. 

Beloved, we are God's children now; 

 what we shall be has not yet been revealed. 

We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, 

 for we shall see him as he is.