[Propertalk] READINGS for the FIRST SUNDAY after CHRISTMAS

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the First Sunday after Christmas, Dec. 
26, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman 
Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common Worship) 
lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard Version 
(NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the Canadian and C of E 
lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.

Note that, while the ECUSA has adopted the RCL Lectionary, it has retained 
the traditional ECUSA readings for this Sunday.


OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 63: 7 - 9 (RCL)

Isai 63:7 (NRSV) I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD,
the praiseworthy acts of the LORD,
because of all that the LORD has done for us,
and the great favor to the house of Israel
that he has shown them according to his mercy,
according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
8 For he said, "Surely they are my people,
children who will not deal falsely";
and he became their savior
9 in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
but his presence that saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.


Isaiah 61: 10 - 62: 3   (ECUSA)

Isai 61:10 (NRSV) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.


Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 3: 3 - 7, 14 - 17   (Roman Catholic)

Sir 3:3 (NRSV) Those who honor their father atone for sins, 4 and those who 
respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure.
5 Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children,
and when they pray they will be heard.
6 Those who respect their father will have long life,
and those who honor their mother obey the Lord; 7 they will serve their 
parents as their masters.

14 For kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
and will be credited to you against your sins;
15 in the day of your distress it will be remembered in your favor;
like frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.
16 Whoever forsakes a father is like a blasphemer,
and whoever angers a mother is cursed by the Lord.
17 {Humility} My child, perform your tasks with humility; {Heb: Gk 
[meekness] }
then you will be loved by those whom God accepts.


PSALM 148   (RCL)

Psal 148:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD!


Psalm 147: (1 - 12) 13 - 21 (ECUSA)

147   Laudate Dominum   (ECUSA BCP)

1   Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God! *
  how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!

2   The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *
  he gathers the exiles of Israel.

3   He heals the brokenhearted *
  and binds up their wounds.

4   He counts the number of the stars *
  and calls them all by their names.

5   Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *
  there is no limit to his wisdom.

6   The Lord lifts up the lowly, *
  but casts the wicked to the ground.

7   Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *
  make music to our God upon the harp.

8   He covers the heavens with clouds *
  and prepares rain for the earth;

9   He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *
  and green plants to serve mankind.

10  He provides food for flocks and herds *
  and for the young ravens when they cry.

11  He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *
  he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;

12  But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *
  in those who await his gracious favor.


13  Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
  praise your God, O Zion;

14  For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
  he has blessed your children within you.

15  He has established peace on your borders; *
  he satisfies you with the finest wheat.

16  He sends out his command to the earth, *
  and his word runs very swiftly.

17  He gives snow like wool; *
  he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.

18  He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
  who can stand against his cold?

19  He sends forth his word and melts them; *
  he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.

20  He declares his word to Jacob, *
  his statutes and his judgments to Israel.

21  He has not done so to any other nation; *
  to them he has not revealed his judgments.
  Hallelujah!


Psalm 111   (Can. BAS)

Psal 111:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,
in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD,
studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of honor and majesty is his work,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just;
all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established forever and ever,
to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people;
he has commanded his covenant forever.
Holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
all those who practice it have a good understanding.
His praise endures forever.


Psalm 128: 1 - 5   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 128:1 (NRSV) Happy is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.


NEW TESTAMENT: Hebrews 2: 10 - 18   (RCL)

Hebr 2:10 (NRSV) It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all 
things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of 
their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For the one who
sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason 
Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12 saying,
"I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters,
in the midst of the congregation I will praise you."
13 And again,
"I will put my trust in him."
And again,
"Here am I and the children whom God has given me."
14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise 
shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who 
has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and free those who all their 
lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16 For it is clear that he 
did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17 Therefore he 
had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he 
might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make 
a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18 Because he himself 
was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being 
tested.


Galatians 3: 23 - 25, 4: 4 - 7   (ECUSA)

Gala 3:23 (NRSV) Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under 
the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our 
disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 
But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian,

4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a 
woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the 
law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are 
children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! 
Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then 
also an heir, through God.


Colossians 3: 12 - 17 (18 - 21)   (Roman Catholic)

Colo 3:12 (NRSV) As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves 
with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with 
one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each 
other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above 
all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect 
harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed 
you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ 
dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with 
gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 
And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord 
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 18 Wives, be subject to 
your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and 
never treat them harshly. 20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for 
this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your 
children, or they may lose heart.


GOSPEL: Matthew 2: 13 - 23   (RCL)
                   Matthew 2: 13 - 15, 19 - 23   (Can. BAS, Roman Catholic)

Matt 2:13 (NRSV) Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to 
Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee 
to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Her'od is about to  search 
for the child, to destroy him." 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and 
his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the 
death of Her'od. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord 
through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."
16 When Her'od saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, he was 
infuriated, and he sent and killed all the children in and around Bethlehem 
who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had learned 
from the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled what had been spoken through the 
prophet Jeremi'ah:
18 "A voice was heard in Ra'mah,
wailing and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be consoled, because they are no more."
19 When Her'od died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to 
Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go 
to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are 
dead." 21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the 
land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archela'us was ruling over Judea 
in place of his father Her'od, he was afraid to go there. And after being 
warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made 
his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the 
prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazore'an."


John 1: 1 - 18   (ECUSA)

John 1:1 (NRSV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 
and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came 
into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What 
has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all 
people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not 
overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness 
to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself 
was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, 
which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the 
world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people 
did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his 
name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of 
blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, 
the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John 
testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, "He who comes 
after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") 16 From his fullness 
we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through 
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen 
God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has 
made him known.


Chad Wohlers
East Bridgewater, Mass.   USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu