The Texts for Sunday, December 1st, 2013 - The 1st Sunday in Advent

First Reading: Isaiah 2:1–5

The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.

²In days to come

the mountain of the LORD's house

shall be established as the highest of the mountains,

and shall be raised above the hills;

all the nations shall stream to it.

  ³Many peoples shall come and say,

"Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD,

to the house of the God of Jacob;

that he may teach us his ways

and that we may walk in his paths."

For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,

and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

  ⁴He shall judge between the nations,

and shall arbitrate for many peoples;

they shall beat their swords into plowshares,

and their spears into pruning hooks;

nation shall not lift up sword against nation,

neither shall they learn war any more.

  ⁵O house of Jacob,

come, let us walk

in the light of the LORD!\

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Second Reading: Romans 13:11–14

¹¹Besides this, you know what time it is, how it is now the moment for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we became believers;  ¹²the night is far gone, the day is near. Let us then lay aside the works of darkness and put on the armor of light;  ¹³let us live honorably as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy.  ¹⁴Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Gospel: Matthew 24:36–44

³⁶But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  ³⁷For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,  ³⁹and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.  ⁴⁰Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.  ⁴¹Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.  ⁴²Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.  ⁴³But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.  ⁴⁴Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.