Fast-Free Day
Gospel Reading
Luke 5:17-26
¹⁷ On one of those days, he was teaching; and there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every village of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. The power of the Lord was with him to heal them. ¹⁸ Behold, men brought a paralyzed man on a cot, and they sought to bring him in to lay before Jesus. ¹⁹ Not finding a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went up to the housetop, and let him down through the tiles with his cot into the middle before Jesus. ²⁰ Seeing their faith, he said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” ²¹ The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?” ²² But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, answered them, “Why are you reasoning so in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you;’ or to say, ‘Arise and walk?’ ²⁴ But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins” (he said to the paralyzed man), “I tell you, arise, and take up your cot, and go to your house.” ²⁵ Immediately he rose up before them, and took up that which he was laying on, and departed to his house, glorifying God. ²⁶ Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”
Epistle Reading
1 Corinthians 15:39-45
³⁹ All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. ⁴⁰ There are also celestial bodies, and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial differs from that of the terrestrial. ⁴¹ There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. ⁴² So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown perishable; it is raised imperishable. ⁴³ It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. ⁴⁴ It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body and there is also a spiritual body. ⁴⁵ So also it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.