Thursday, 17 December 2026

Wine & Oil Allowed

Gospel Reading

Mark 9:10-16

¹⁰ They kept this saying to themselves, questioning what the “rising from the dead” meant. ¹¹ They asked him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” ¹² He said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and restores all things. How is it written about the Son of Man, that he should suffer many things and be despised? ¹³ But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they have also done to him whatever they wanted to, even as it is written about him.” ¹⁴ Coming to the disciples, he saw a great multitude around them, and scribes questioning them. ¹⁵ Immediately all the multitude, when they saw him, were greatly amazed, and running to him, greeted him. ¹⁶ He asked the scribes, “What are you asking them?”


Epistle Reading

Hebrews 7:1-6

¹ For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of God Most High, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, ² to whom also Abraham divided a tenth part of all (being first, by interpretation, “king of righteousness”, and then also “king of Salem”, which means “king of peace”; ³ without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God), remains a priest continually. ⁴ Now consider how great this man was, to whom even Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth out of the best plunder. ⁵ They indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest’s office have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brothers, though these have come out of the body of Abraham, ⁶ but he whose genealogy is not counted from them has accepted tithes from Abraham, and has blessed him who has the promises.