◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 24 29; Ps. 8 84; Isa. 42:1–12; Eph. 6:10–20; John 3:16–21 (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.”

Isaiah 42:1-12

Chapter 42

The Mission of the Servant^[a]

¹Here is my servant whom I uphold,
    my chosen one in whom my soul delights.
I have put my Spirit upon him;
    he will establish justice among the nations.
²He will not cry out or shout
    or make his voice heard in the street.
³He will not break a bruised reed,
    nor will he snuff out a smoldering wick;
    faithfully he will establish justice.
⁴He will not falter or become discouraged
    until he has established justice upon the earth;
    and the coastlands wait for his teaching.
⁵Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who fashioned the earth and all that grows in it,
who gives breath to the people who dwell on it
    and spirit to those who walk upon it:
⁶I, the Lord, have called you for a righteous purpose;
    I have taken you by the hand.
I have formed you and established you
    to be a covenant to the people
    and a light to the nations,
⁷to open the eyes of the blind,
    and to lead captives out of prison,
and to release from the dungeon
    those who live in darkness.
⁸I am the Lord; that is my name.
    My glory I do not grant to another,
    nor my praise to idols.
⁹Behold, the earlier prophecies have come to pass,
    and now I will reveal new things.
Before they actually occur,
    I will announce them to you.

Israel Saved despite Its Sins

¹⁰Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise from the ends of the earth.
Let the sea resound and all that fills it,
    the coastlands and all its inhabitants.
¹¹Let the desert and its towns rejoice,
    the villages where Kedar^[b] dwells.
Let the inhabitants of Sela sing for joy;
    let them shout from the top of the mountains.
¹²Let them all give glory to God
    and sing his praise in the coastlands.

Ephesians 6:10-20

The Christian Warfare^[a]

¹⁰Put On the Armor of God. Finally, find your strength in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹Put on the armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the deceit of the devil. ¹²For we are not struggling against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, the powers, and the cosmic rulers of this present darkness, and against the spirits of evil in the heavens.

¹³Therefore, put on the armor of God, so that you will be able to hold fast on the evil day and to hold your ground with all your strength. ¹⁴Stand firm, then, with the belt of truth fastened around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness clothing you, ¹⁵and with your feet shod in zeal to proclaim the gospel of peace.

¹⁶In all circumstances, hold in your hand the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷And take the helmet of salvation as well as the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸Be Vigilant in Prayer. In all of your prayers and entreaties, pray always in the Spirit. To that end, keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. ¹⁹Pray also for me, so that whenever I open my mouth, I may be given the proper words to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it fearlessly, as is my duty.

John 3:16-21

¹⁶“For God so loved the world
that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him
may not perish
but may attain eternal life.
¹⁷“For God did not send his Son into the world
to condemn the world
but in order that the world might be saved through him.
¹⁸Whoever believes in him is not condemned,
but whoever does not believe in him
already stands condemned,
because he has not believed in the name
of the only-begotten Son of God.
¹⁹“And the judgment is this:
the light has come into the world,
but people preferred darkness to light
because their deeds were evil.
²⁰Everyone who does evil hates the light
and avoids coming near the light
so that his misdeeds may not be exposed.
²¹However, whoever lives by the truth
comes to the light
so that it may be clearly seen
that his deeds have been done
in God.”

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

Chapter 42

The Mission of the Servant[a]

Israel Saved despite Its Sins

Footnotes

The Christian Warfare[a]

Footnotes

Psalm 24^[a]

Psalm 29^[a]

Psalm 8^[a]

Psalm 84^[a]

The Mission of the Servant^[a]

The Christian Warfare^[a]