Daily Readings - 20/08/2026

^51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness, in your great tenderness wipe away my faults;

^51:2 wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin.

^51:3 For I am well aware of my faults, I have my sin constantly in mind,

^51:4 having sinned against none other than you, having done what you regard as wrong. You are just when you pass sentence on me, blameless when you give judgement.

^51:5 You know I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception.

^51:6 Yet, since you love sincerity of heart, teach me the secrets of wisdom.

^51:7 Purify me with hyssop[*a] until I am clean; wash me until I am whiter than snow.

^51:8 Instil some joy and gladness into me, let the bones you have crushed rejoice again.

^51:9 Hide your face from my sins, wipe out all my guilt.

^51:10 God, create a clean heart in me, put into me a new and constant spirit,

^51:11 do not banish me from your presence, do not deprive me of your holy spirit.

^51:12 Be my saviour again, renew my joy, keep my spirit steady and willing;

^51:13 and I shall teach transgressors the way to you, and to you the sinners will return.

^51:14 Save me from death, God my saviour, and my tongue will acclaim your righteousness;

^51:15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise.

^51:16 Sacrifice gives you no pleasure, were I to offer holocaust, you would not have it.

^51:17 My sacrifice is this broken spirit, you will not scorn this crushed and broken heart.

^51:18 Show your favour graciously to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.[*b]

^51:19 Then there will be proper sacrifice to please you – holocaust and whole oblation – and young bulls to be offered on your altar.

^22:1 Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again,

^22:2 ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding.

^22:3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come.

^22:4 Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.”

^22:5 But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business,

^22:6 and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.

^22:7 The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.

^22:8 Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy,

^22:9 go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding”.

^22:10 So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

^22:11 When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment,

^22:12 and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent.

^22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth”.

^22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.’