Hebrews 8.7-13
(Epistle)
7For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.
8For finding fault with them, he said, “Behold, the days are coming”, says the Lord, “that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah;
9not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; for they didn’t continue in my covenant, and I disregarded them,” says the Lord.
10“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days,” says the Lord: “I will put my laws into their mind; I will also write them on their heart. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
11They will not teach every man his fellow citizen and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all will know me, from their least to their greatest.
12For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness. I will remember their sins and lawless deeds no more.”
13In that he says, “A new covenant”, he has made the first obsolete. But that which is becoming obsolete and grows aged is near to vanishing away.
Romans 6.3-11
(Epistle, Afterfeast of Theophany)
3Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.
5For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death, we will also be part of his resurrection;
6knowing this, that our old man was crucified with him, that the body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be in bondage to sin.
7For he who has died has been freed from sin.
8But if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him,
9knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over him!
10For the death that he died, he died to sin one time; but the life that he lives, he lives to God.
11Thus consider yourselves also to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Mark 8.11-21
(Gospel)
11The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven and testing him.
12He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”
13He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.
14They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
15He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”
16They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”
17Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember?
19When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.”
20“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.”
21He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”
John 3.22-33
(Gospel, Afterfeast of Theophany)
22After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea. He stayed there with them and baptized.
23John also was baptizing in Enon near Salim, because there was much water there. They came and were baptized;
24for John was not yet thrown into prison.
25Therefore a dispute arose on the part of John’s disciples with some Jews about purification.
26They came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified, behold, he baptizes, and everyone is coming to him.”
27John answered, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given him from heaven.
28You yourselves testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ,’ but, ‘I have been sent before him.’
29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore my joy is made full.
30He must increase, but I must decrease.
31“He who comes from above is above all. He who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks of the earth. He who comes from heaven is above all.
32What he has seen and heard, of that he testifies; and no one receives his witness.
33He who has received his witness has set his seal to this, that God is true.