FIRST READING: Joshua 5:9-12

⁹The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away from you the disgrace of Egypt." And so that place is called Gilgal to this day.

¹⁰While the Israelites were camped in Gilgal they kept the passover in the

evening on the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹On the day after the passover, on that very day, they ate the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. ¹²The manna ceased on the day they ate the produce of the land, and the Israelites no longer had manna; they ate the crops of the land of Canaan that year.

PSALM: Psalm 32 - please read responsively

¹Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven,

and whose sin is put away!

²Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt,

and in whose spirit there is no guile!

³While I held my tongue, my bones withered away,

because of my groaning all day long.

⁴For your hand was heavy upon me day and night;

my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer.

⁵Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt.

I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD."

Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin.

⁶Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers

to you in time of trouble;

when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them.

⁷You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble;

you surround me with shouts of deliverance.

⁸"I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go;

I will guide you with my eye.

⁹Do not be like horse or mule, which have no understanding;

who must be fitted with bit and bridle,

or else they will not stay near you."

¹⁰Great are the tribulations of the wicked;

but mercy embraces those who trust in the LORD.

¹¹Be glad, you righteous, and rejoice in the LORD;

shout for joy, all who are true of heart.

Stand

P: The holy gospel according to St. Luke, the 15th chapter.

Glory to you, O Lord.

GOSPEL: Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to [Jesus.] ²And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, "This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them."

³So he told them this parable: ^11b"There was a man who had two sons. ¹²The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the property that will belong to me.' So he divided his property between them. ¹³A few days later the younger son gathered all he had and traveled to a distant country, and there he squandered his property in dissolute living. ¹⁴When he had spent everything, a severe famine took place throughout that country, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵So he went and hired

himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed the pigs. ¹⁶He would gladly have filled himself with the pods that the pigs were eating; and no one gave him anything. ¹⁷But when he came to himself he said, 'How many of my father's hired hands have bread enough and to spare, but here I am dying of hunger! ¹⁸I will get up and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; ¹⁹I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired hands." ' ²⁰So he set off and went to his father. But while he was still far off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion; he ran and put his arms around him and kissed him. ²¹Then the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' ²²But the father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out a robe—the best one—and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. ²³And get the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; ²⁴for this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!' And they began to celebrate.

²⁵Now his elder son was in the field; and when he came and approached the house, he heard music and dancing. ²⁶He called one of the slaves and asked what was going on. ²⁷He replied, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fatted calf, because he has got him back safe and sound.' ²⁸Then he became angry and

refused to go in. His father came out and began to plead with him. ²⁹But he answered his father, 'Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. ³⁰But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!' ³¹Then the father said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. ³²But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and has come to life; he was lost and has been found.'"

P: The Gospel of the Lord.

C: Praise to you, O Christ.