For my next pastoral conference in early March, I will lead a study on the Apocrypha. We will learn how it fell into disuse within Lutheran circles, and it will finish with optional Old Testament readings from the Apocrypha for the Lutheran Service Book lectionaries.
Here is the optional Old Testament Apocrypha pericopes I will present.
Optional Supplemental Lectionary Readings from the OT Apocrypha
For the Lutheran Service Book Lectionary
ESV Division of the Apocrypha
Compiled by Pr Rich Futrell
Note: Modern lectionaries are abbreviated:
BCP = 1979 Episcopal Book of Common Prayer
RC = 1998 Roman Catholic Lectionary for Mass;
RCL = 1992 Revised Common Lectionary
PBA = 1999 Prayer Book of Australia
CW = 2000 Common Worship (England)
Two Apocrypha readings are not from any lectionary but are recommended by the author.
– Easter 4C: 1 Maccabees 4:36-56; John 10:22-30
- To understand what Jesus is doing in a fuller way, one needs to understand what took place in 1 Maccabees when the Temple was cleansed and the Feast of Dedication was instituted.
– Proper 27C: Tobit 7:9b-12; Luke 20:27-40
- To understand that the Sadducees were also ridiculing Jesus’ view of a larger canon than they accepted, one needs to understand the Sadducees’ use of Tobit in the Lukan account.
Three saints have been added to the lectionary based on the saint-day Lutheran hymn, O Starker Gott, Herre Zebaoth, (O Mighty God, Lord Sabaoth) by Andreas Musculus (1514-1581). He wrote this hymn in the 1540s and it was sung in the Lutheran Church for about 100 years. This hymn celebrated three saints in the Old Testament Apocrypha: Tobias, Susanna, and Judith.
Three Year LSB Lectionary
Year A
Christmas Day: Sirach 24:1-4, 8-12 (RC and RCL lectionaries); John 1:1-14 (15-18)
Epiphany 5A: Sirach 5:1-5 (Missale Ambrosianum); Matt 5:13-20
Epiphany 6A: Sirach 15:15-20 (BCP, RC, RCL, PBA, and CW lectionaries); Matt 5:21-37
Epiphany 7A: Esther 13:9-17 (Missale Ambrosianum); Matt 5:38-48
Good Friday: Wisdom 2:1, 12-24 (BCP Lectionary); John 19:17-30
Easter Vigil (after Isaiah 55 reading): Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 (RC, RCL, PBA, and CW lectionaries)
Pentecost: Wisdom 7:22-25a (East Syrian lectionaries)
Proper 7A: Prayer of Azariah 1-4, 19-22 (East Syrian lectionaries); Matt 10:5a, 21-33
Proper 8A: Wisdom 10:10-14 (Missale Ambrosianum); Matt 10:34-42
Proper 11A: Wisdom 12:13, 16-19 (BCP, RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Matt 13:24-20, 36-43
Proper 17A: Wisdom 3:1-9 (Lectionary of Augustine); Matt 16:21-28
Proper 18A: Sirach 27:30-28:7 (BCP and RC lectionaries); Matt 18:21-35
Proper 22A: Sirach 35:10-13 (Mozarbic Lectionary); Matt 21:33-46
Proper 27A: Wisdom 6:12-16 (RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Matthew 25:1-13
Proper 28A: Sirach 38:1-11 (Missale Ambrosianum); Matt 25:14-30
Feast and Festivals
St. Tobias ():To Be Determined
St. Susanna ():To Be Determined
St. Judith (Dec 17): To Be Determined
St. John (Dec 27): Wisdom 10:10-14 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
New Years Eve (Dec 31): Wisdom 11:2-4 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
Annunciation (Mar 25): Sirach 24:7-11 (Missale Ambrosianum)
All Saints (Nov 1): Wisdom 3:1-9 (PCA and CW)
Year B
Christmas Day: Sirach 24:1-4, 8-12 (RC and RCL lectionaries); John 1:1-14 (15-18)
Good Friday: Wisdom 2:1, 12-24 (BCP Lectionary); John 19:17-30
Easter Vigil (after Isaiah 55 reading): Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 (RC, RCL, PBA, and CW lectionaries)
Pentecost: Wisdom 7:22-25a (East Syrian lectionaries)
Proper 8B: Wisdom 1:13-15; 2:23-24 (RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Mark 5:21-43
Proper 20B: Wisdom 2:12-22 (BCP, RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Mark 9:30-37
Proper 23B: Wisdom 5:15-19 (Mozarbic Lectionary); Mark 10:17-22
Feast and Festivals
St. Tobias ():To Be Determined
St. Susanna ():To Be Determined
St. Judith (Dec 17): To Be Determined
St. John (Dec 27): Wisdom 10:10-14 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
New Years Eve (Dec 31): Wisdom 11:2-4 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
Annunciation (Mar 25): Sirach 24:7-11 (Missale Ambrosianum)
All Saints (Nov 1): Wisdom 3:1-9 (PCA and CW)
Year C
Advent 2C: Baruch 5:1-9 (Missale Ambrosianum, BCP, RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Luke 3:1-14(15-20)
Christmas Day: Sirach 24:1-4, 8-12 (RC and RCL lectionaries); John 1:1-14 (15-18)
Christmas 2C: Sirach 3:3-7, 14-17a (RC Lectionary); Luke 2:40-52
Epiphany 8C: Sirach 27:4-7 (RC, RCL, and PBA lectionaries); Luke 6:39-49
Good Friday: Wisdom 2:1, 12-24 (BCP Lectionary); John 19:17-30
Easter Vigil (after Isaiah 55 reading): Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 (RC, RCL, PBA, and CW lectionaries)
Easter 4C: 1 Maccabees 4:36-56; John 10:22-30
Pentecost: Wisdom 7:22-25a (East Syrian lectionaries)
Proper 17C: Sirach 10:12-18 (BCP, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Luke 14:1-14
Proper 18C: Wisdom 9:13-18b (RC Lectionary); Luke 14:25-35
Proper 25C: Sirach 35:12-17 (RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Luke 18:9-17
Proper 26C: Wisdom 11:22-12:2 (RC Lectionary); Luke 19:1-10
Proper 27C: Tobit 7:9b-12; Luke 20:27-40
Feast and Festivals
St. Tobias ():To Be Determined
St. Susanna ():To Be Determined
St. Judith (Dec 17): To Be Determined
St. John (Dec 27): Wisdom 10:10-14 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
New Years Eve (Dec 31): Wisdom 11:2-4 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
Annunciation (Mar 25): Sirach 24:7-11 (Missale Ambrosianum)
All Saints (Nov 1): Wisdom 3:1-9 (PCA and CW)
One Year LSB Lectionary
Christmas Day: Sirach 24:1-4, 8-12 (RC and RCL lectionaries); John 1:1-14 (15-18)
Epiphany 1: Sirach 3:3-7, 14-17a (RC Lectionary); Luke 2:40-52
Epiphany 5: Wisdom 12:13-16-19 (BCP, RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Matt 13:24-20, 36-43
Good Friday: Wisdom 2:1, 12-24 (BCP Lectionary); John 18:1-19:42
Easter Vigil (after Isaiah 55 reading): Baruch 3:9-15, 32-4:4 (RC, RCL, PBA, and CW lectionaries)
Pentecost: Wisdom 7:22-25a (East Syrian lectionaries)
Trinity 4: Sirach 27:4-7 (RC and RCL lectionaries); Luke 6:39-49
Trinity 7: Sirach 36:1-10 (Missale Ambrosianum, Mozarbic Lectionary); Mark 8:1-9
Trinity 11: Sirach 35:12-17 (RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Luke 18:9-17
Trinity 17: Sirach 10:12-18 (BCP, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Luke 14:1-14
Trinity 20: Sirach 35:10-13 (Mozarbic Lectionary); Matt 21:33-44
Trinity 22: Sirach 27:30-28:7 (BCP and RC lectionaries); Matt 18:21-35
Last Sunday: Wisdom 6:12-16 (RC, RCL, and CW lectionaries); Matthew 25:1-13
Feast and Festivals
St. Tobias ():To Be Determined
St. Susanna ():To Be Determined
St. Judith (Dec 17): To Be Determined
St. John (Dec 27): Wisdom 10:10-14 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
New Years Eve (Dec 31): Wisdom 11:2-4 (Mozarbic Lectionary)
Annunciation (Mar 25): Sirach 24:7-11 (Missale Ambrosianum)
All Saints (Nov 1): Wisdom 3:1-9 (PCA and CW)
To read a sample sermon based on an Apocrypha text, click here.
