homecoming celebration

¹⁹And he did not permit him, but he said to him, “Go to your own people, in your own house, and announce to them how great are the things that the Lord has done for you, and how he has taken pity on you.”

¹⁵And I will be your guardian wherever you will journey, and I will bring you back into this land. Neither will I dismiss you, until I have accomplished all that I have said.”

¹¹And he said: “A certain man had two sons. ¹²And the younger of them said to the father, ‘Father, give me the portion of your estate which would go to me.’ And he divided the estate between them. ¹³And after not many days, the younger son, gathering it all together, set out on a long journey to a distant region. And there, he dissipated his substance, living in luxury. ¹⁴And after he had consumed it all, a great famine occurred in that region, and he began to be in need. ¹⁵And he went and attached himself to one of the citizens of that region. And he sent him to his farm, in order to feed the swine. ¹⁶And he wanted to fill his belly with the scraps that the swine ate. But no one would give it to him.

¹³And we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who are sleeping, so as not to be sorrowful, like these others who do not have hope. ¹⁴For if we believe that Jesus has died and risen again, so also will God bring back with Jesus those who sleep in him. ¹⁵For we say this to you, in the Word of the Lord: that we who are alive, who remain until the return of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For the Lord himself, with a command and with the voice of an Archangel and with a trumpet of God, shall descend from heaven. And the dead, who are in Christ, shall rise up first. ¹⁷Next, we who are alive, who are remaining, shall be taken up quickly together with them into the clouds to meet Christ in the air. And in this way, we shall be with the Lord always. ¹⁸Therefore, console one another with these words.

¹⁶And when Jacob had awakened from sleep, he said, “Truly, the Lord is in this place, and I did not know it.” ¹⁷And being terrified, he said: “How terrible this place is! This is nothing other than the house of God and the gateway of heaven.” ¹⁸Therefore, Jacob, arising in the morning, took the stone which he had placed under his head, and he set it up as monument, pouring oil over it. ¹⁹And he called the name of the city, ‘Bethel,’ which before was called Luz. ²⁰And then he made a vow, saying: “If God will be with me, and will guard me along the way by which I walk, and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, ²¹and if I will return prosperously to my father’s house, then the Lord will be my God,

²²But the father said to his servants: ‘Quickly! Bring out the best robe, and clothe him with it. And put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.

¹Alleluia. Praise the Lord in his holy places. Praise him in the firmament of his power.

²¹strengthening the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them that they should remain always in the faith, and that it is necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of God through many tribulations. ²²And when they had established priests for them in each church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, in whom they believed. ²³And traveling by way of Pisidia, they arrived in Pamphylia. ²⁴And having spoken the word of the Lord in Perga, they went down into Attalia. ²⁵And from there, they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had now accomplished. ²⁶And when they had arrived and had gathered together the church, they related what great things God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

²And do not choose to be conformed to this age, but instead choose to be reformed in the newness of your mind, so that you may demonstrate what is the will of God: what is good, and what is well-pleasing, and what is perfect.

¹⁹Therefore, go forth and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰teaching them to observe all that I have ever commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the consummation of the age.”

¹A Psalm of David. The Lord directs me, and nothing will be lacking to me. ²He has settled me here, in a place of pasture. He has led me out to the water of refreshment. ³He has converted my soul. He has led me away on the paths of justice, for the sake of his name. ⁴For, even if I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they have given me consolation. ⁵You have prepared a table in my sight, opposite those who trouble me. You have anointed my head with oil, and my cup, which inebriates me, how brilliant it is! ⁶And your mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and so may I dwell in the house of the Lord for length of days.

⁴⁶And Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.”

³⁴Confess to the Lord, for he is good. For his mercy is eternal.