Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁹ For what thanks can we give back to God about you, for all the joy which we celebrate because of you in the presence of our God, ¹⁰ praying with more fervor than you can imagine, night and day, that we may see you face to face and may put into proper order anything that is lacking in your faith?

Paul’s words of blessing

¹¹ Now may God himself, our father, and our Lord Jesus, steer us on our way to you. ¹² And may the Lord make your love for one another, and for everybody, abound and overflow, just as ours does for you. ¹³ That way, your hearts will be strengthened and kept blameless in holiness before God our father when our Lord Jesus is present again with all his holy ones. Amen.

²⁵ “There will be signs in the sun, the moon and the stars. On earth the nations will be in distress and confusion because of the roaring and swelling of the sea and its waves. ²⁶ People will faint from fear, and from imagining all that’s going to happen to the world. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ Then they will see ‘the son of man coming on a cloud’ with power and great majesty. ²⁸ When all these things start to happen, stand up and lift up your heads, because the time has come for you to be redeemed.”

²⁹ He told them this parable. “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. ³⁰ When they are well into leaf, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is upon you. ³¹ In the same way, when you see all these things happening, you will know that God’s kingdom is upon you. ³² I’m telling you the truth; this generation won’t be gone before all of this happens. ³³ Heaven and earth may disappear, but these words of mine won’t disappear.”

Watching for the son of man

³⁴ “So watch out for yourselves,” said Jesus. “Don’t let your hearts grow heavy with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life, letting that day come upon you suddenly, ³⁵ like a trap. It will come, you see, on everyone who lives on the face of the earth. ³⁶ Keep awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the son of man.”