Almighty God, you have built your Church upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone:
Grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their teaching, that we may be
made a holy temple acceptable to you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns
with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
FIRST LESSON 2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. Ahaziah
had fallen through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay injured; so he
sent messengers, telling them, "Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether
I shall recover from this injury." They answered him, "There came a man to meet
us, who said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you, and say to him: Thus says the LORD:
Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending to inquire of Baal-zebub, the
god of Ekron? Therefore you shall not leave the bed to which you have gone, but shall
surely die.'" He said to them, "What sort of man was he who came to meet you and
told you these things?" They answered him, "A hairy man, with a leather belt
around his waist." He said, "It is Elijah the Tishbite." Then the king sent
to him a captain of fifty with his fifty men. He went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the
top of a hill, and said to him, "O man of God, the king says, 'Come down.'" But
Elijah answered the captain of fifty, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down from
heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then fire came down from heaven, and consumed
him and his fifty. Again the king sent to him another captain of fifty with his fifty. He
went up and said to him, "O man of God, this is the king's order: Come down
quickly!" But Elijah answered them, "If I am a man of God, let fire come down
from heaven and consume you and your fifty." Then the fire of God came down from
heaven and consumed him and his fifty. Again the king sent the captain of a third fifty
with his fifty. So the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees
before Elijah, and entreated him, "O man of God, please let my life, and the life of
these fifty servants of yours, be precious in your sight. Look, fire came down from heaven
and consumed the two former captains of fifty men with their fifties; but now let my life
be precious in your sight."
