◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 148 150; Ps. 91 92; Isa. 55:3–9; Col. 3:1–17; John 14:6–14 (New Catholic Bible)

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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 148

Psalm 148^[a]

Song of the Universe

¹^[b]Alleluia.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    offer praise to him in the heights!
²Praise him, all his angels;
    offer praise to him, all his hosts!^[c]
³Praise him, sun and moon;
    offer praise to him, all you shining stars!
⁴Praise him, you highest heavens,^[d]
    and you waters above the heavens.
⁵Let them praise the name^[e] of the Lord,
    for it was at his command that they were created.
⁶He established them in place forever and ever;
    he issued a law that will never pass away.^[f]
⁷^[g]Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and ocean depths,
⁸fire and hail, snow and clouds,
    storm winds that carry out his word,^[h]
⁹all mountains and hills,
    all fruit trees and cedars,
¹⁰wild animals and all cattle,
    creeping creatures and flying birds,^[i]
¹¹kings of the earth and all nations,
    princes and all rulers on the earth,
¹²young men and women,
    the elderly, as well as children.^[j]
¹³^[k]Let them all praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his majesty is above the earth and the heavens.^[l]
¹⁴He has raised high a horn^[m] for his people,
    to the glory of all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Alleluia.

Footnotes

Psalm 148:1 The exiles have returned home, the temple has been rebuilt, and its precincts have been restored. God has reestablished the people he loves. What a testament to his glory (vv. 13-14). Joy invades all hearts and expands to worldwide dimensions. The whole universe and all earthly creatures are invited to praise the Lord, the Creator and Redeemer. This theme also permeates the next two psalms, forming the conclusion and the synthesis of the Psalter.
We can pray this psalm to exhort all creation, both animate and inanimate, to praise the Triune God not only as the Creator but also as the Savior and Sanctifier. For although all creation is presently subject to vanity, it hopes to be freed from corruption so as to enter into the freedom of God’s children, when God will transform the universe with a new heaven and a new earth (see Rom 8:19-22; Rev 21:1-5). May the angels and saints of heaven do likewise.
Psalm 148:1 The psalmist calls upon all creatures in the heavens to praise the Lord because of his creative and redeeming acts.
Psalm 148:2 See Ps 103:20f; Job 38:7.
Psalm 148:4 See Gen 1:6f; 1 Ki 8:27; 2 Cor 12:2; Eph 4:10. Highest heavens: literally, “the heavens of the heavens,” i.e., the space above the “expanse,” which separated the “waters above” from the “waters below” (see Ps 104:3, 13; Gen 1:6f).
Psalm 148:5 Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 148:6 See Jer 31:35f.
Psalm 148:7 The psalmist now calls upon all creatures on earth to praise the Lord: sea creatures, depths, the powers of nature, mountains and hills, fruit trees and the cedars, animals and birds, and finally all human beings, including the powerful as well as the young and old.
Psalm 148:8 Carry out his word: i.e., “do his bidding” (see Ps 147:15).
Psalm 148:10 See Gen 1:21, 24f; Isa 43:20.
Psalm 148:12 See Jer 31:13.
Psalm 148:13 The psalmist gives the reasons behind the praise: God is the exalted Ruler, who is not subject to the limitations of the earth or the heavens, and he has unique concern for his people, i.e., those devoted to him, his saints.
Psalm 148:13 See Pss 108:5; 113:2-4.
Psalm 148:14 Horn: i.e., the Lord’s anointed (see note on Ps 18:3; see also Ps 2:2); it may also refer to the strength and power of God’s people (see Ps 92:11; 1 Sam 2:1; Jer 48:25; Lam 2:17). Saints: see notes on Pss 4:3; 34:10.

Psalm 150

Psalm 150^[a]

Harmonious Praise of God

¹Alleluia.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in the firmament of his power.^[b]
²Praise him for his awesome acts,^[c]
    praise him for his immeasurable greatness.
³^[d]Praise him with the sound of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre.
⁴Praise him with tambourines and dancing,
    praise him with strings and flutes.
⁵Praise him with clanging cymbals,
    praise him with crashing cymbals.
⁶Let everything that breathes
    offer praise to the Lord.
Alleluia.^[e]

Footnotes

Psalm 150:1 In the same manner in which our “Glory be to the Father” concludes the recitation of our psalms, this doxological psalm concludes the Psalter on an urgent invitation to praise (see the conclusions to the first four Books: Pss 41:14; 72:18f; 89:53; 106:48). May every living creature praise the Lord everywhere, on the part of everyone, and by every means. The word “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” (translated as “Praise [or bless] the Lord” or “Praise [or bless] him”) echoes thirteen times in this psalm. The Psalter could not end on a richer or more powerful note. Everything leads to the immensity of God’s glory (see Rev 15:3-4; 19:4-8). “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To the One seated on the throne / and to the Lamb / be blessing and honor and glory and might / forever and ever!’. . . Amen!” (Rev 5:13f).
We should heed this recommendation and carry it out, for we Christians are more aware than the psalmist of the work of God and Christ in the world and in us. Christ is enthroned in the highest heavens, his own sanctuary, but he is present and active in the heart of every creature, giving to each existence, motion, and life, as the case may be. He is in the heart of the whole world, directing its march in the material, living, human, and spiritual spheres and realizing his greatest victory in the last—the construction of the Church, his Body, his spiritual Spouse.
Psalm 150:1 God is to be praised in his sanctuary on earth and his sanctuary in heaven (see Ps 8:3). The Church of the New Covenant has the mission to glorify God in the world, and her members must gather in the house of God in order to carry out this mission. Firmament of his power: this is also translated as “mighty heavens,” which ensures the well-being of those on earth.
Psalm 150:2 God is to be praised because of his creating and redeeming awesome acts (see Pss 106:2; 145:4, 12), which reveal his greatness (see Pss 145:3; 147:5; 1 Chr 29:11).
Psalm 150:3 God is to be praised with a full orchestra (with trumpet, harp, lyre, and tambourine) and with dance in a liturgy of praise that will reach as high as the heavens.
Psalm 150:6 God is to be praised by everyone and everything endowed with life by the Creator (see Pss 103:22; 148:7-12; Rev 5:13). By doing so, Christians will be following the “way” of the Lord, with which the Psalter began (see Ps 1:2), a way that leads to eternal life.

Psalm 91-92

Psalm 91^[a]

Security under God’s Protection

¹You who abide in the shelter of the Most High,^[b]
    who rest in the shadow of the Almighty,
²say to the Lord, “You are my refuge and my fortress,
    my God in whom I place my trust.”
³He will rescue you from the snare of the fowler^[c]
    and from virulent pestilence.
⁴With his feathers he will shelter you,^[d]
    and you will take refuge under his wings;
    his faithfulness serves as a protective shield.
⁵You will not fear the terror by night^[e]
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the plague^[f] that lays waste at midday.
⁷Even though a thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    such evils will not afflict you.
⁸Rather, your own eyes will behold^[g]
    the punishment inflicted on the wicked.
⁹You have made the Lord your refuge
    and chosen the Most High to be your dwelling.
¹⁰Therefore, no evil will threaten you,
    no calamity will come near your dwelling.
¹¹^[h]For he will command his angels^[i] about you—
    to guard you wherever you go.
¹²They will lift you up with their hands,
    lest you dash your foot against a stone.^[j]
¹³You will tread upon the asp and the viper;
    you will trample the lion and the dragon.^[k]
¹⁴^[l]“Because he loves me, I will deliver him,
    I will raise high^[m] the one who acknowledges my name.
¹⁵When he calls to me, I will answer,
    and I will be with him in time of distress;
    I will rescue him and cause him to be honored.^[n]
¹⁶I will reward him with a long life
    and show him my salvation.”^[o]

Psalm 92^[p]

Praise of God’s Just Rule

¹A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath.^[q]

²It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praise to your name,^[r] O Most High,
³to proclaim your kindness^[s] in the morning
    and your faithfulness during the night,
⁴with the ten-stringed harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
⁵^[t]Your deeds, O Lord, have caused me to exult;
    at the works of your hands I shout for joy:
⁶How great are your deeds, O Lord!
    How profound are your thoughts!
⁷^[u]A senseless person cannot grasp this;
    a fool^[v] is unable to comprehend it.
⁸Even though the wicked may sprout like grass
    and all evildoers may prosper,
they are doomed to eternal destruction,^[w]
⁹    whereas you, O Lord, are exalted forever.^[x]
¹⁰Surely your enemies, O Lord,
    surely your enemies will perish,
    and all evildoers will be scattered.
¹¹^[y]You have given me the strength of a wild bull
    and anointed me with fresh oil.
¹²My eyes have witnessed the downfall of my enemies;
    my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
¹³^[z]The righteous will flourish like the palm tree;
    they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon.
¹⁴They are planted in the house of the Lord^[aa]
    and will flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁵They still will bear fruit, in their old age,
    and they will remain fresh and green,
¹⁶proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;
    he is my Rock, in whom no injustice can be found.”

Footnotes

Psalm 91:1 This pilgrimage psalm is a glowing testimony to the security that God bestows on those who come to the temple to place themselves under his protection. They will be strengthened by God and his angels all along the path of life in which perils and snares proliferate on every side: the terror by night, the arrow by day, the fowler’s snare, pestilence, and plague, as well as the asp and viper, lion and dragon—in a word, every possible threat. Death itself seems to retreat, and one gets a glimpse of the peace and joy of the Messianic Age.
En route toward Jerusalem, or toward God, every believer is a pilgrim. The itinerary is not an idyllic dream; rather, amidst risks and dangers, the Lord delivers us from fear and leads us to salvation, to life in his presence. This peaceful psalm is especially suited to be an evening prayer.
We can regard this psalm as an exhortation of Christ developing the invitation that he addressed to his disciples after the Last Supper: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You place your trust in God [the Father]. Trust also in me” (Jn 14:1). We are to journey along the path of life with the constant certitude that the divine Persons surround us with a never-ending solicitude.
Psalm 91:1 The shelter of the Most High: a designation in the psalms for the temple (see Pss 27:5; 31:21; 61:5). The shadow of the Almighty: literally, “the shadow of the wings of the Almighty” (see Pss 17:8; 36:8; 57:2; 63:8). As indicated by verse 4, the shadow is an image of the safety to be found under the outstretched wings of the cherubim in the Holy of Holies. Almighty: literally, “Shaddai,” an ancient name for God (see note on Ps 68:15).
Psalm 91:3 Snare of the fowler: a proverbial phrase for danger (see Ps 124:7; Prov 6:5; Hos 9:8).
Psalm 91:4 With his feathers he will shelter you: traditional biblical image (see note on Ps 17:8).
Psalm 91:5 Terror by night: resulting from true or false alerts of enemy attacks; attacks by day were announced by flying arrows.
Psalm 91:6 Pestilence . . . plague: dreaded mortal diseases that frequently grew into epidemics (see Deut 32:24; Hos 13:14; Hab 3:5). In place of the plague that lays waste at midday, other versions have: “devil at noon” or the “noonday devil” (apparently a mythological expression for a contagious disease presumed to be caused by the noonday sun).
Psalm 91:8 Your own eyes will behold: the righteous will be merely a spectator to the threats mentioned and not be harmed by them.
Psalm 91:11 These words were cited by Satan when tempting Christ to presumption against divine providence (Mt 4:6; Lk 4:10f).
Psalm 91:11 His angels: the teaching on guardian angels is common in the Old Testament (see Ps 34:7; Gen 24:7; Ex 23:20).
Psalm 91:12 Against a stone: along the stony paths of Canaan (see Ps 23:3).
Psalm 91:13 Asp . . . viper . . . lion . . . dragon: these terms correspond to the references found in verses 5-6 and complete the list of deadly threats against God’s servants (see Am 5:19).
Psalm 91:14 The psalmist reinforces his message by utilizing the form of a prophetic oracle in which God promises Messianic blessings to all who put their trust in him (see Ps 50:15, 23; Rom 8:30).
Psalm 91:14 Raise high: i.e., “raise him to a high, safe place.” My name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 91:15 The Lord gives assurance that his faithful will be honored for living honestly; they will enjoy themselves as his children in this life (see Pss 73:24; 112:9; 149:5; Isa 43:2; Jer 33:3).
Psalm 91:16 With a long life . . . my salvation: for the sages of Israel, a long life is the reward of the righteous (see Ex 23:26; Deut 4:40; 1 Sam 2:30; Job 5:26; Prov 3:2, 16; 10:27), crowned by salvation (see 1 Tim 4:8f).
Psalm 92:1 This is a didactic psalm, that is, both a praise of the Lord and an instruction for the faithful. The psalmist meditates on God’s way of acting. His love and faithfulness are reflected in everything he does, but they must be comprehended. Ultimately the happiness of the wicked will fade like seasonal grass, whereas the lot of the righteous will be like the great trees whose roots are planted in solid ground. For the latter, new seasons are promised in the courts of God. God’s joy is like a new spring in the life of believers.
We can make use of this psalm in following Christ’s lead to praise the triune God, to sing of the wondrous divine work that delivers us from our spiritual enemies and mysteriously introduces us into eternal life.
Psalm 92:1 For the Sabbath: these words indicate that in the post-Exilic temple liturgy this psalm was sung at the time of the morning sacrifice on the Sabbath or seventh day. Psalms sung on the other days were: Ps 24, first day; Ps 48, second day; Ps 82, third day; Ps 94, fourth day; Ps 81, fifth day; and Ps 93, sixth day.
Psalm 92:2 Human beings have the duty to praise the Lord Most High (see note on Ps 7:18). Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 92:3 Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
Psalm 92:5 God’s great deeds (of creating, redeeming, and ruling human beings) bring joy to the psalmist and all who have understanding through his grace.
Psalm 92:7 Evildoers have no knowledge of the Lord’s deeds or his dispensing of justice; they are seemingly happy and prosperous now, but they will soon perish under the just judgment of the Lord.
Psalm 92:7 Senseless person . . . fool: enemies of God and his faithful (see notes on Pss 14:1-2; see also Pss 37:33ff; 68:3; 83:4; 94:8-11).
Psalm 92:8 This verse summarizes the fuller description concerning the wicked in Ps 73. See notes on Ps 90:4, 5.
Psalm 92:9 Exalted forever: since God reigns forever, there is no hope of escape for the senseless.
Psalm 92:11 The psalmist has experienced victory over his enemies thanks to the Lord’s doing. He is overjoyed with God’s favors (see vv. 5-6). Strength: literally, “horn” (see Ps 75:11; Deut 33:17; Lk 1:69). The Lord has enabled him to gain the victory (see Ps 89:23-26) and anointed him with fresh oil, i.e., “the oil of gladness” (Ps 45:8; see also Ps 23:5).
Psalm 92:13 In contrast to the lot of the wicked, the righteous are exalted and renewed in their strength and happiness.
Psalm 92:14 Planted in the house of the Lord: the righteous are likened to trees growing in the temple itself, which is a source of life and fertility because of the divine presence (see Ps 36:8-10; Ezek 47:1-12).

Isaiah 55:3-9

³Come to me and pay close attention;
    listen so that you may have life.
I will make an everlasting covenant with you
    to love you with the faithful love promised to David.
⁴I appointed him to be a witness to the peoples,
    a leader and commander of nations.
⁵You in turn will summon nations unknown to you,
    and nations that do not know you will hasten to you,
because of the Lord, your God,
    the Holy One of Israel,
    for he has glorified you.
⁶Seek the Lord while he still may be found;
    call to him when he is close at hand.
⁷Let the wicked abandon their ways
    and those who are evil their thoughts.
Let them return to the Lord
    so that he may have mercy upon them;
and to our God,
    for he is rich in forgiveness.
⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
⁹As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Colossians 3:1-17

Exhortation To Live as Christians

Chapter 3

Seek the Things That Are Above.^[a] ¹Therefore, since you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. ²Fix your thoughts on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth, ³for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

A New Self.^[b] ⁵And so you should put to death everything in your nature that is earthly: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desires, and greed (which is idolatry).^[c] ⁶Because of these practices, the wrath of God will fall on those who are disobedient. ⁷In the life you formerly lived, you used to do these things. ⁸But now you must cast them all aside—anger, rage, malice, slander, and foul language out of your lips.

⁹Do not lie to one another, since you have stripped off the old self with its practices ¹⁰and have put on the new self that is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. ¹¹Now there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian and Scythian,^[d] slave and free man. Rather, Christ is all and in all.

¹²Characteristics of Life in Common.^[e] As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³Bear with one another, and forgive one another if anyone has reason to be offended with another. You must forgive just as the Lord has forgiven you.

¹⁴Over all these put on love, which is the bond of perfection. ¹⁵And let the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, because it was for this that you were called together in one body. Always be thankful.

¹⁶Let the word of Christ^[f] with all its richness dwell in you. Teach and admonish one another in all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Footnotes

Colossians 3:1 It is not a question here of having contempt for earthly realities but of a new movement by which Christians must let themselves be grasped. Seemingly, Baptism has changed nothing for them, but in reality they live henceforth united to Christ in an even more mysterious manner. They have entered the world of the Resurrection. It is a certitude that transforms the idea that they have of their existence. At the same time, it is an impatient longing for the return of the Lord, when this change in their lives will be made complete.
Colossians 3:5 This is a Christian endeavor, something that expresses the reality of life and the transformation of Baptism, and something that enables believers to become each day a bit more what they, in fact, are, i.e., living members of the risen Christ. Morality is then no longer a list of recommended reactions but a thrust that opposes sin and degradation, a growth in an ever more profound affinity with the Lord. United with Christ, Christians are new persons who no longer identify themselves by cultural references or by ethical and religious differences. Union with Christ basically destroys all divisions (see Gal 3:28).
Colossians 3:5 See Rom 1:29-31 and Gal 5:19-21 for other lists of vices.
Colossians 3:11 Scythian: the Scythians lived on the steppes of Asia and were regarded as barbarians par excellence.
Colossians 3:12 The Church is a community of persons bound together by love to give testimony to love. Without ceasing, models must be invented to express this truth. As a community united with the Lord, the Church lives in peace and joy. She lives in faith and mutual pardon, and she puts forth her deepest sentiments in prayer and thanksgiving.
Colossians 3:16 Word of Christ: principally Christ’s teaching, which was transmitted orally at that time but which also includes the Old Testament and the New. Hymns: these set forth some of the most important doctrines and have been preserved for us only in Paul’s Letters (e.g., Col 1:15-20; Eph 5:14; Phil 2:6-11; 1 Tim 3:16).

John 14:6-14

Jesus, the Truth, Reveals the Father^[a]

⁶Jesus replied,

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father
except through me.
⁷If you know me,
then you will know my Father also.
From now on you do know him.
You have seen him.”

⁸Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, it will be enough for us.” ⁹Jesus answered,

“Have I been with you all this time, Philip,
and you still do not know me?
Whoever has seen me
has seen the Father.
How can you say,
‘Show us the Father’?
¹⁰Do you not believe
that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me?
“The words that I speak to you
I do not speak on my own.
The Father who dwells in me
is doing his works.
¹¹Believe me when I say
that I am in the Father
and the Father is in me.
But if you do not,
then believe
because of the works themselves.

Jesus, the Life, Communicates the Spirit^[b]

¹²“Amen, amen, I say to you,
the one who believes in me
will also do the works that I do,
and indeed will do even greater ones than these,
because I am going to the Father.
¹³Whatever you ask in my name I will do,
so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
¹⁴If you ask me for anything in my name,
I will do it.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 148[a]

Song of the Universe

Footnotes

Psalm 150[a]

Harmonious Praise of God

Footnotes

Psalm 91[a]

Security under God’s Protection

Psalm 92[p]

Praise of God’s Just Rule

Footnotes

Exhortation To Live as Christians

Chapter 3

Footnotes

Jesus, the Truth, Reveals the Father[a]

Jesus, the Life, Communicates the Spirit[b]

Footnotes

Psalm 148^[a]

Psalm 150^[a]

Psalm 91^[a]

Psalm 92^[p]

Jesus, the Truth, Reveals the Father^[a]

Jesus, the Life, Communicates the Spirit^[b]