◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 24 29; Ps. 8 84; 2 Samuel 1:17–27; Rom. 12:9–21; Matt. 25:31–46 (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 24

Psalm 24^[a]

The Lord’s Solemn Entry into Jerusalem

¹^[b]A psalm of David.

The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it,
    the world and all who live in it.^[c]
²For he founded it on the seas
    and established^[d] it on the rivers.
³Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
    Who may stand in his holy place?
⁴One who has clean hands and a pure heart,^[e]
    who does not turn his mind to vanities
    or swear an oath in order to deceive.
⁵He will receive a blessing from the Lord
    and vindication from God, his Savior.
⁶This is the generation of those who seek him,
    who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah
⁷^[f]Lift up your arches, O gates;
    rise up, you ancient portals,^[g]
    so that the King of glory may come in.
⁸Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord, strong and mighty,
    the Lord, valiant in battle.
⁹Lift up your arches, O gates,
    rise up, you ancient portals,
    so that the King of glory may come in.
¹⁰Who is this King of glory?
    The Lord of hosts:^[h]
    he is the King of glory. Selah

Footnotes

Psalm 24:1 A procession wends its way toward the temple; perhaps it bears the Ark of the Covenant to the holy place. Chants are expressed. They acclaim the Creator and thus recall the conditions for a true participation in worship: “clean hands and a pure heart” (vv. 3-6). At the entrance to the sanctuary, the cortege comes to a halt as the participants take time to meditate wonderingly about the presence of God. They must needs celebrate God the Vanquisher who takes possession of his holy dwelling; the titles given him (vv. 8-10) evoke the time when, represented by the Ark, the Lord would take his place at the head of the armies of Israel and lead them to victory (Num 10:35; Jos 6).
This psalm is well adapted to celebrating feasts of the Lord and to calling for the coming of his kingdom. It is also a psalm that makes demands, since it tells us of the conditions required for receiving the kingdom of God. The Church has always used this psalm in celebrating Christ’s Ascension into the heavenly Jerusalem and into the sanctuary on high.
Psalm 24:1 The Lord is proclaimed as the Creator, Sustainer, and Owner of the entire world. Therefore, he is worthy of the title “King of glory” (vv. 7-10). See Pss 29; 33:6-11; 89:6-19; 95:3-5; 104.
Psalm 24:1 See Ps 89:12; Deut 10:14. This text is cited in 1 Cor 10:26.
Psalm 24:2 Founded . . . established: a metaphor taken from the founding of a city. Extra-biblical records indicate that temples were regarded as microcosms of the created world; hence language applicable to temples was also applicable to the earth.
Psalm 24:4 Clean hands . . . pure heart: those who do no evil and think no evil. Jesus said that the “pure of heart . . . will see God” (Mt 5:8).
Psalm 24:7 These verses speak of the arrival of the Lord, the King of glory, at his sanctuary in Zion after his victorious journey from Egypt. The Lord of hosts (v. 10), the Lord, valiant in battle (v. 8; see Ex 15:1-18), has routed his enemies and now comes in triumph to his own city (see Pss 46; 48; 76; 87).
Psalm 24:7 Lift up your arches, O gates . . . you ancient portals: the gates and doors are personified in accord with extra-biblical parallels.
Psalm 24:10 The Lord of hosts: in Hebrew, Yahweh Sabaoth, sometimes translated as “the Lord of armies.” The expression suggests, first of all, the God who leads the Israelite army, therefore the Almighty who is surrounded by angels and stars and who controls the cosmic forces; then the expression becomes simply a way of emphasizing the greatness and power of God. See also note on Ps 59:6.

Psalm 29

Psalm 29^[a]

God’s Majesty in the Storm

¹A psalm of David.

Ascribe to the Lord, O mighty ones,^[b]
    ascribe to the Lord glory and might.
²Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;^[c]
    worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.
³The voice of the Lord^[d] echoes over the waters;
    the God of glory thunders,
    the Lord thunders over mighty waters.
⁴The voice of the Lord is powerful;
    the voice of the Lord is filled with majesty.
⁵The voice of the Lord shatters the cedars;
    the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.^[e]
⁶He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
    and Sirion^[f] like a young wild ox.
⁷The voice of the Lord flashes forth
    with bolts of lightning.
⁸The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
    the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.^[g]
⁹The voice of the Lord batters the oaks
    and strips the forests bare,
    while in his temple all cry out, “Glory!”^[h]
¹⁰The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;^[i]
    the Lord is enthroned as king forever.
¹¹May the Lord grant strength to his people.
    May the Lord bless his people with peace.

Footnotes

Psalm 29:1 The psalmist sings a hymn of praise to the Lord, the King of creation, evoking his power and glory in the storm that terrifies the foes of Israel, while sparing the chosen people. He concludes by asking the Lord to give similar power to the king and to Israel.
We can pray this psalm in the knowledge that the voice of God has acquired a body in Christ Jesus, living Word of the Father. It calls upon all who are in heaven, on earth, and in the netherworld to attribute to Christ all glory and power, and to adore him alone.
Psalm 29:1 Mighty ones: literally, “sons of God,” which in the beginning probably referred to the pagan deities but later came to be understood as referring to the angels (see Pss 82:1; 89:7; Job 1:6). To eliminate the polytheistic meaning of the expression, the Septuagint and Vulgate added immediately after “mighty ones” the line “bring to the Lord the offspring of rams.” This passage is sometimes applied to Israel, the son of God (see Ex 4:22; Deut 14:1; Acts 17:28).
Psalm 29:2 Name: see note on Ps 5:12. In the splendor of his holiness: it probably refers to the priestly garments to be worn in the liturgy (see Ps 110:3), although it may also refer to God or to the sanctuary.
Psalm 29:3 The voice of the Lord: this phrase appears seven times in imitation of the sound of thunder and symbolizes the power of God, the Lord of history as well as the Master of the elements, whose voice no one can resist (see Job 37:4f; Ezek 10:5).
Psalm 29:5 The cedars of Lebanon: i.e., the strongest of all trees (see Isa 2:13).
Psalm 29:6 Sirion: a Phoenician name for Mount Hermon in northern Palestine. The mountains there were originally given the general name of Lebanon.
Psalm 29:8 The wilderness of Kadesh: probably a border location in southern Palestine; some believe it is a location north of Palestine near Lebanon and Mount Hermon.
Psalm 29:9 The cry of Glory! takes place either in heaven (v. 2) or in the temple of Jerusalem whose liturgy echoes the heavenly praises.
Psalm 29:10 Enthroned above the flood: a reference to God’s control of the unruly primordial waters (see Gen 1:2, 6-10) or to his sending of the flood (see Gen 6:17), which was the first manifestation of the divine justice. Thus, the Lord will know how to make the cause of his people triumph (see Job 20:28; 22:16; Isa 24:18; 59:9ff).

Psalm 8

Psalm 8^[a]

The Majesty of God and the Dignity of Human Beings

¹For the director.^[b] “Upon the gittith.” A psalm of David.

²O Lord, our Lord,
    how glorious is your name^[c] in all the earth!
    You have exalted your majesty above the heavens.
³Out of the mouths of newborn babes and infants^[d]
    you have brought forth praise
as a bulwark against your foes,
    to silence the enemy and the avenger.
⁴When I look up at your heavens
    that have been formed by your fingers,
the moon and the stars
    that you set in place,
⁵what is man that you are mindful of him,
    the son of man^[e] that you care for him?
⁶You have made him a little less than the angels^[f]
    and crowned him with glory and honor.
⁷You have given him dominion over the works of your hands
    and placed everything under his feet:
⁸all sheep and oxen
    as well as the beasts of the field,
⁹the birds of the air, the fish of the sea,
    and whatever swims in the paths of the sea.
¹⁰O Lord, our Lord,
    how glorious is your name in all the earth!

Footnotes

Psalm 8:1 In the midst of disconsolate supplications, here is a hymn that chants the splendor of God. But is not the best reflection of the divine majesty the grandeur of the human being? For the Lord has made this tiny being lost in the immensity of the world the crown of all creation. In the man “crowned with glory” Paul and the author of the Letter to the Hebrews see the glorified and risen Christ, who, while on earth, was for a time made lower than the heavenly creatures, the angels (see 1 Cor 15:25-27; Eph 1:22; Heb 2:5-9).
Psalm 8:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. Gittith: possibly a musical instrument from the Philistine city of Gath, or else a song for the harvest and the winepress.
Psalm 8:2 Name: according to Semitic usage, this word designates the person with all its essential qualities. See also note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 8:3 Out of the mouths of newborn babes and infants: Jesus cites this passage with reference to the children who acclaim him on the day of his triumphal entry into Jerusalem (see Mt 21:16).
Psalm 8:5 Son of man: a phrase used here and elsewhere as a synonym for human (see Ps 80:18; Ezek 2) and a sign of humility. Later it became a Messianic title in Daniel (7:13f) and Jewish apocryphal tradition (see 1 Enoch, 2 Esdras, and 2 Baruch). Eventually, Jesus made use of it to express his twofold destiny of suffering (see Mk 8:31; 9:13, 31; 10:33; 14:21) and of glory (see Mk 8:38; 12:36; 14:62).
Psalm 8:6 A little less than the angels: that is, a little lower than the beings who comprise the heavenly court. The text for heavenly beings is elohim, that is, “God”; in effect, God created human beings in his own image and likeness. Some translate: “a little less than godlike”; and in Heb 2:9 this passage is said to be eminently fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the God-man. See also 1 Cor 15:27; Eph 1:22, where Paul applies to Christ the words “you have . . . placed everything under his feet” (v. 7).

Psalm 84

Psalm 84^[a]

Longing for God’s Dwelling

¹For the director.^[b] “Upon the gittith.” A psalm of the sons of Korah.

²How lovely is your dwelling place,
    O Lord of hosts.^[c]
³My soul yearns and is filled with longing
    for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my flesh cry out
    for the living God.
⁴Just as the sparrow searches for a home
    and the swallow builds a nest for herself
    where she may place her young,
so do I seek your altars,^[d]
    O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.
⁵Blessed^[e] are those who dwell in your house;
    they offer continuous praise to you. Selah
⁶Blessed are those who find strength in you,
    who set their hearts upon your ways.^[f]
⁷As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
    they turn it into a region of springs,
    and the early rain covers it with pools.^[g]
⁸^[h]They move forward with increasing strength
    as they behold the God of gods in Zion.
⁹O Lord of hosts, hear my prayer;
    listen to my pleas, O God of Jacob. Selah
¹⁰O God, look upon our shield^[i]
    behold the face of your anointed one.
¹¹It is better to spend one day in your courts
    than a thousand elsewhere.
I would rather be a doorkeeper^[j] in God’s house
    than dwell inside the tents of the wicked.
¹²The Lord God serves as our sun^[k] and our shield;
    the Lord showers us with grace and glory.
He does not withhold any good thing
    from those who walk in integrity.
¹³O Lord of hosts,
    blessed is the man who puts his trust in you.

Footnotes

Psalm 84:1 During one of the pilgrimages prescribed by the Mosaic Law (see Ex 23:17; 1 Sam 1:3; Lk 2:42), perhaps the one for the harvest, a pilgrim expresses his joy at finding himself near God in the temple. At the last stage, the Lord has already manifested his favor to the faithful pilgrims (vv. 6-7). He reserves even more happiness for those who follow his law. Another opinion holds that this psalm recalls Ps 42 and reflects its circumstances. The psalmist is a Levite who has no access to God’s house, possibly at the time when Sennacherib was overrunning Judah (see 2 Ki 18:13-16), and expresses his longing for the closeness in the temple that he experienced in the past.
This pilgrim song, overflowing with the desire for and joy of God, becomes the song of hope and confidence for all Christians en route to the house of the Father where they will sing an Alleluia (or Hallelujah) without end. It also translates the sentiments of all who love Christ’s Eucharistic Presence in the tabernacle.
Psalm 84:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. “Upon the gittith”: see note on Ps 8:1. Sons of Korah: see note on Ps 42:1.
Psalm 84:2 Lord of hosts: see note on Ps 24:10. Soul: see note on Ps 6:4. Heart . . . flesh: i.e., entire being (see Ps 73:26).
Psalm 84:4 God sees to it that even the “birds of the air have nests” (Mt 8:20); hence, he will welcome his faithful to the shelter of his altars.
Psalm 84:5 Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1.
Psalm 84:6 Who set their hearts upon your ways: literally, “in whose hearts are the open roads.”
Psalm 84:7 Through God’s care, even the most fearsome path becomes a path of blessings and praise (see 2 Chr 20:26). Valley of Baca: valley of “weeping” or “balsam trees”; in the Vulgate, it is called “the Valley of Tears,” which gave rise, in the ascetical and preaching tradition, to the familiar expression, “vale of tears,” for our earthly pilgrimage. Pools: or “blessings.”
Psalm 84:8 Zion: see note on Ps 9:12. Lord of hosts: see note on Ps 24:10. Jacob: i.e., Israel (see Gen 32:28-29).
Psalm 84:10 Our shield: the king (see Ps 89:19). Anointed one: either the king (who was God’s earthly regent over his people) or the high priest (who led the community of Israel after the disappearance of the royalty).
Psalm 84:11 Doorkeeper: some of the sons of Korah (see v. 1) were doorkeepers or gatekeepers in the temple (see 1 Chr 26:1).
Psalm 84:12 There is no joy that can outweigh and replace supernatural joys that have their source in God alone, for he denies no grace to his faithful ones. Sun: see note on Ps 27:1 on God as “light.”

2 Samuel 1:17-27

¹⁷Elegy for Saul and Jonathan. David chanted the following lament over Saul and his son Jonathan, ¹⁸and he ordered that this dirge over them be taught to the people of Judah. It is recorded in the Book of Jashar.

¹⁹^[a]“Your glory, O Israel, lies slain upon your heights.
    How the mighty have fallen!
²⁰“Do not mention it in Gath
    or proclaim it in the streets of Ashkelon.
Let not the daughters of the Philistines rejoice
    and the daughters of the uncircumcised exult.
²¹“You mountains of Gilboa,
    may no dew or rain fall upon you,
    and may your fields not bring forth grain.
For there the shields of the warriors were tarnished,
    and the shield of Saul is no longer anointed with oil.
²²“From the blood of the slain,
    from the flesh of the valiant,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
    nor did the sword of Saul return unbloodied.
²³“Saul and Jonathan:
    in life they were beloved and kind;
    in death they were not separated.
They were swifter than eagles
    and stronger than lions.
²⁴“O daughters of Israel, weep for Saul
    who clothed you in scarlet and fine embroidery,
    and who beautified your apparel with ornaments of gold.
²⁵“How the mighty have fallen in battle!
    Jonathan lies slain upon your heights.
²⁶“I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother.
    To me you were greatly beloved.
Your love for me was more wonderful
    than the love of a woman.
²⁷“The warriors have fallen,
    and their weapons have been abandoned!”

Romans 12:9-21

A Truly Sincere Love. ⁹Let your love be sincere. Loathe what is evil and hold fast to what is good. ¹⁰Love one another with genuine affection. Esteem others more highly than yourself. ¹¹Do not be lacking in zeal, but serve the Lord with spiritual fervor. ¹²Be joyful in your hope. Be patient in times of affliction. Persevere in prayer.

¹³Contribute to the needs of the saints, and practice hospitality. ¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless them and do not curse them. ¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶Live in harmony with one another. Do not consider yourself to be better than others, but associate with the lowly, and never be conceited.

¹⁷Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Rather, be concerned about doing what is good in the eyes of all. ¹⁸As much as possible, and to the extent of your ability, live in peace with everyone.

¹⁹Dearly beloved, never seek revenge. Leave that to the time of retribution. For it is written, “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord. I will repay.” ²⁰On the contrary,

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
By doing this,
you will heap burning coals^[a] on his head.”

²¹Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹The Solemn Judgment at the End of Time.^[a]“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you welcomed me; ³⁶I was naked and you clothed me; I was ill and you took care of me; I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

³⁷“Then the righteous will say to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you ill or in prison and come to visit you?’ ⁴⁰And the King will answer, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brethren of mine, you did for me.’

⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink; ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me; I was naked and you did not give me any clothing; I was ill and in prison and you did not visit me.’

⁴⁴“Then they will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison and not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you failed to do for one of the least of these brethren of mine, you failed to do for me.’ ⁴⁶And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life.”

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 24[a]

The Lord’s Solemn Entry into Jerusalem

Footnotes

Psalm 29[a]

God’s Majesty in the Storm

Footnotes

Psalm 8[a]

The Majesty of God and the Dignity of Human Beings

Footnotes

Psalm 84[a]

Longing for God’s Dwelling

Footnotes

Footnotes

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 24^[a]

Psalm 29^[a]

Psalm 8^[a]

Psalm 84^[a]