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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 146-147

The Concluding Hallel—Pss 146–150^[a]

Psalm 146^[b]

Trust in God, Creator and Redeemer

¹^[c]Alleluia.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.^[d]
²    I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God throughout my life.^[e]
³Do not place your trust in princes,
    in mortal men who have no power to save.
⁴When the spirit departs, they return to the earth;
    on that very day all their plans come to naught.^[f]
⁵^[g]Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,^[h]
    whose hope is in the Lord, his God,
⁶the Maker of heaven and earth,^[i]
    the sea, and everything in them—
    the one who keeps faith forever.
⁷He grants justice to the oppressed^[j]
    and gives bread to the hungry.
The Lord releases prisoners
⁸    and opens the eyes of those who cannot see.^[k]
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹The Lord watches over the stranger
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,^[l]
    but he blocks the way of the wicked.
¹⁰The Lord will reign forever,^[m]
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Alleluia.

Psalm 147^[n]

Hymn to the City of God

¹^[o]Alleluia.

How good it is to sing praises to our God;
    how pleasant it is to give him fitting praise.^[p]
²The Lord restores Jerusalem
    and gathers together the dispersed people of Israel.^[q]
³He heals the brokenhearted
    and bandages their wounds.^[r]
⁴He fixes the number of the stars
    and assigns a name to each.^[s]
⁵Great is our Lord and awesome in power;
    his wisdom is without limit.^[t]
⁶The Lord sustains the poor
    but humbles the wicked in the dust.^[u]
⁷^[v]Offer songs of thanksgiving to the Lord;
    play the lyre in honor of our God.
⁸He veils the heavens with clouds,
    supplies the earth with rain,
    and makes the hills sprout with grass.^[w]
⁹He provides food for the animals
    and for the young ravens when they call.^[x]
¹⁰^[y]He takes no pleasure in the strength of the horse,
    or delight in the fleetness of a runner.
¹¹The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    those who place their hope in his kindness.
¹²^[z]Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Glorify your God, O Zion!
¹³For he strengthens the bars of your gates
    and blesses your children within you.^[aa]
¹⁴He brings peace to your borders
    and fills you with the finest of wheat.^[ab]
¹⁵He sends a command to the earth;
    his word runs with utmost speed.
¹⁶He gives the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.^[ac]
¹⁷He hurls down his hail like crumbs;
    who can withstand his cold?^[ad]
¹⁸He sends his word, and the ice melts;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
¹⁹^[ae]He has revealed his word to Jacob,
    his decrees and his judgments to Israel.
²⁰He has not done this for the other nations;
    they are not aware of his judgments.
Alleluia.

Footnotes

Psalm 146:1 The Concluding Hallel (see notes on Pss 113–118). After all the prayers and praises of the Psalter, we are now at the end; all the instruments of creation and all the voices of human beings enter into a great chorus, a symphony destined never to end. The Psalms are a foretaste of and prelude to the acclamations of eternity.
Psalm 146:1 The long procession of the unhappy and the persecuted has wound its way through the Psalter, endlessly repeating their supplications. This time, their prayer takes the form of a hymn of happiness and security. How uncertain is the help of the mighty! God alone truly frees us of every anxiety.
Inaugurating the third Hallel and composed of reminiscences, this hymn sings of what the Prophets promised (see Isa 29:18f; 49:9; 61:1), promises whose fulfillment Jesus proclaims (see Lk 4:16-21). “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them” (Mt 11:5)—such is the kingdom that comes; it inaugurates a new time, that of peace. Accordingly, like the next four psalms, it is framed with “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” (“Praise [or bless] the Lord”).
We can pray this psalm in honor of the heavenly Father but also in honor of Christ “[whom] God exalted . . . at his right hand as leader and Savior so that he might grant repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel” (Acts 5:31).
Psalm 146:1 The psalmist calls upon his people to praise and trust the Lord, for human beings are unable to provide salvation owing to their mortality.
Psalm 146:1 The Septuagint and Vulgate attribute this psalm to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. Soul: see note on Ps 6:4.
Psalm 146:2 Life is for the purpose of praising the Lord (see Pss 103:1; 104:33).
Psalm 146:4 See Pss 90:3; 104:29; Eccl 9:5; 12:7; Isa 2:22.
Psalm 146:5 The psalmist identifies this Lord as the God of Jacob, the Covenant God who is Creator and Lord over all, Sustainer and Provider, the Righteous One who dispenses justice to both the godly and the wicked, and the Great King who reigns forever.
Psalm 146:5 See Ps 2:12; Deut 33:29; Jer 17:7. God of Jacob: the God of Zion (see note on v. 10 below), whose kingship is established (see Pss 47:8; 48:2), and who blesses those who trust in him (see Ps 84:13).
Psalm 146:6 The Lord is faithful, using his power to control creation, including the unruly sea, and to bless his creatures (see Ps 107:8f) with his kindness (see note on Ps 6:5). Maker of heaven and earth: see Pss 121:2 and note; 124:8; Ex 20:11; Jer 32:17; Acts 14:15.
Psalm 146:7 He grants justice to the oppressed: see Ps 103:6; Deut 7:9. The Lord releases prisoners: see Ps 68:7; Isa 49:9; 61:1.
Psalm 146:8 Opens the eyes of those who cannot see: see Isa 35:5; Bar 6:36; Mt 9:30; Jn 9:1ff; Acts 26:18. Lifts up those . . . bowed down: see Ps 145:14; Lk 13:12.
Psalm 146:9 Watches over the stranger . . . the fatherless and the widow: see Ps 68:6; Ex 22:21. Blocks the way of the wicked: see Pss 11:6; 147:6; Job 5:12.
Psalm 146:10 The Lord is the Great King who has promised to dwell with his people and to deliver them (see Pss 29:10; 132:13-15; Ex 15:17). The Lord will reign forever: see Ps 145:13; Ex 15:18.
Psalm 147:1 Three times the psalmist sounds the invitation to praise, and three times he acclaims the almighty God. Immense is his power deployed throughout the universe, and without measure is his benevolence for his people. He rebuilds Jerusalem, leads captives back to freedom, and reveals his law. Yet the author of wonders in nature and the liberator of his people is a God who takes pleasure in the lowly. “He will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Rev 21:4)—such will be the grace of the Almighty in the new Jerusalem (see Isa 60; 62).
In the Septuagint and Vulgate, this psalm is divided into two (147:1-11 = Ps 146; 147:12-20 = Ps 147) and attributed to the prophets Haggai and Zechariah. It contains many reminiscences of Isaiah, Job, and Psalms.
We can pray this psalm while keeping in mind that the restoration of Jerusalem and Israel after the disaster of 587 B.C. and the Babylonian Captivity constitutes a wonderful work of God. However, it is only a pale image of a more beautiful work of restoration that the heavenly Father accomplishes through Christ in building his Church.
Psalm 147:1 The psalmist enumerates the reasons why it is good to praise the Lord: the restoration that he has worked for his people in accord with his word by rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing back the exiles; his concern for all creation; and his redemption, i.e., the vindication of his people.
Psalm 147:1 See Ps 92:2 and note on Ps 135:3.
Psalm 147:2 See Deut 30:3f; Isa 11:12; 56:8; Jer 31:10; Dan 9:25.
Psalm 147:3 See Job 5:18; Isa 30:26; 61:1; Jer 33:6; Ezek 34:16. Brokenhearted: e.g., those in exile (see Ps 137) and those who returned from exile and attempted to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (see Neh 2:17-20; 4:1-17).
Psalm 147:4 See Gen 15:5; Isa 40:26; Bar 3:34f. In this connection, scholars cite the Wisdom of Ahiqar (VIII, 116): “Numerous are the stars of heaven, and no one knows their names.”
Psalm 147:5 See Ps 48:2; Job 36:22, 26; Isa 40:28; Jer 51:15.
Psalm 147:6 See Pss 37:9-10; 145:20; 146:9; 1 Sam 2:7f; Job 5:11; Lk 1:52.
Psalm 147:7 God is owed praise because he is the Great King over his creation, sustaining all that he has made, both the creatures in the heavens and the creatures on earth. He wants people to trust in him rather than in themselves.
Psalm 147:8 See Pss 104:10-14, 27f; Job 5:9f; Jer 14:22; Joel 2:23.
Psalm 147:9 See Job 38:41; Mt 6:26. When they call: the Lord feeds the birds, especially the ravens, whose cawing resembles a call for food (see Mt 6:26-30).
Psalm 147:10 Arrogant reliance on one’s own natural ability is both futile (see Am 2:14f) and displeasing to God, who comes to the aid of those who trust only in him (see Pss 20:8f; 33:16-18; Eccl 9:11; Mal 3:16f). Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
Psalm 147:12 The psalmist stresses that God is to be praised because he has brought about restoration, security, peace, and prosperity, for he alone commands the forces of nature.
Psalm 147:13 See Pss 48:14; 128:5; Isa 65:18f; Jer 33:10f.
Psalm 147:14 See Ps 81:17 and note; Lev 26:6.
Psalm 147:16 See Job 37:6, 10.
Psalm 147:17 See Job 6:16; 37:10; 38:22.
Psalm 147:19 Finally, God is to be praised because he has given his people his word of revelation, making known his saving plan (see Ps 50:16f; Deut 33:3f; Neh 8; Eph 3:10f), which he has done for no other people (see Deut 4:7f; Acts 14:16).

Psalm 111-113

Psalm 111^[a]

Praise of God for His Wondrous Works

¹Alleluia.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart^[b]
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
²Great are the works of the Lord;^[c]
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
³His deeds^[d] show forth majesty and splendor,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴He has won renown for his wonders;^[e]
    gracious and compassionate is the Lord.
⁵He provides food for those who fear him,^[f]
    and is forever mindful of his covenant.
⁶He has manifested the power of his works to his people
    by giving them the lands^[g] of the nations.
⁷The works of his hands^[h] are faithful and right,
    and all his commandments are trustworthy.
⁸They are established forever and ever
    to be observed in fidelity and truthfulness.
⁹He has granted deliverance to his people
    and established his covenant forever;
    holy and awe-inspiring is his name.^[i]
¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;^[j]
    those who are guided by it will grow in understanding.
    His praise will last forever.

Psalm 112^[k]

The Blessings of the Righteous

¹Alleluia.

Blessed^[l] is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his precepts.
²His descendants will be powerful upon the earth;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.^[m]
³His house will be filled with wealth and riches,^[n]
    and his righteousness will endure forever.
⁴He shines as a light for the upright in the darkness;
    kindness, mercy, and justice are his hallmarks.^[o]
⁵The future bodes well^[p] for him
    who is generous in helping those in need
    and who conducts his affairs with justice.
⁶^[q]He will never be swayed;
    the righteous man will be remembered forever.
⁷He has no fear of bad news,
    for his heart remains steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
⁸Since his heart is tranquil, he will not be afraid,
    and he will witness the downfall of his enemies.
⁹He bestows gifts lavishly on the poor;
    his righteousness will endure forever,
    and his horn^[r] will be exalted in glory.
¹⁰The wicked will be furious when he sees this,
    gnashing his teeth and pining away;
    the desires of the wicked will be fruitless.^[s]

The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118^[t]

Psalm 113^[u]

Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly

¹Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the Lord,^[v]
    praise the name of the Lord.
²^[w]Blessed be the name of the Lord
    now and forevermore.
³From the rising of the sun to its setting
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.
⁴^[x]High is the Lord over all the nations,
    and supreme over the heavens is his glory.
⁵Who is like the Lord, our God,
    the one who is enthroned on high
and who stoops down to look
⁶    on the heavens and the earth?
⁷^[y]He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the rubbish heap,
⁸seating them with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹He settles the barren woman^[z] in a home
    and makes her the joyful mother of children.
Alleluia.

Footnotes

Psalm 111:1 A sage sets forth the essence of the religion of Israel: the Lord has delivered his people in order to conclude a covenant with them and to reveal his will to them. The author contemplates the divine “righteousness” (v. 3), i.e., everything the Lord has done in favor of his chosen ones, the wonders that in some way are renewed when they are recalled in the liturgy (v. 4): the miracle of the manna and the quail (v. 5), the gift of the Promised Land (v. 6), and the stability of the laws of the world and the moral order (v. 7). The sages who pursue this meditation and observe the law will be enabled to understand who God is: holy and redoubtable, compassionate and tender, so that they may render thanks to him.
In praying this psalm, we should keep in mind that the wonders to which it alludes are only a pale figure of the wonders that the Father has accomplished through, and in, his Incarnate Son on behalf of his new people, the Church (see Jn 5:20). After various physical cures and raisings from the dead, God works the glorious Resurrection of his Son and our own spiritual resurrection in him (see Eph 2:5f).
Psalm 111:1 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Council of the upright: probably a circle of friends and advisors, as in Ps 107:32. In the assembly: in the temple (see Ps 149:1).
Psalm 111:2 Works of the Lord: sometimes his deeds, as in verse 6, but more often the things he has made (the heavens, Pss 8:4; 19:2; 102:26; and the earth, Ps 104:24). Made “by . . . wisdom” (Ps 104:24), these lend themselves to meditation and lead to delight.
Psalm 111:3 Deeds: probably his providential acts as in Deut 32:4. We should keep in mind that, as Isa 45:9-13 indicates, God’s creation and providence are of one piece. Righteousness: as embodied in his deeds.
Psalm 111:4 Won renown for his wonders: by the celebration of annual feasts (see Ex 23:14), notably the Passover (for Christians, see 1 Cor 11:23-26). See also note on Ps 9:2. Gracious and compassionate: classic description of the meaning of God’s name (see Ps 103:8; Ex 34:6f).
Psalm 111:5 Food for those who fear him: probably a reference to the manna in the desert (see Ex 16:1ff), which in the New Testament is seen as a type of the Eucharist (see Jn 6:31-33, 49-51). The entire verse may also refer to God’s giving of our daily bread (see Mt 6:11) and his daily forbearance. His covenant: see Ps 105:8-11.
Psalm 111:6 Lands: literally, “inheritance, heritage.”
Psalm 111:7 There is complete harmony between what God does and what he says, between the works of his hands and his commandments.
Psalm 111:9 This verse recalls the miracles of the Exodus and the theophany at Sinai. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: the motto of the Wisdom writings (see Job 28:28; Prov 1:7; 9:10; Eccl 12:13; Sir 1:18, 24; 19:17). Here it refers to God especially as Creator, Redeemer, and Provider.
Psalm 112:1 This psalm provides the same literary characteristics as the preceding one and most likely stems from the same unknown author. By their theme the two chants complete one another. The first celebrates the divine perfections and works, while the second sings of the virtues and deeds of the true righteous person and the happiness he attains.
The ancients believed that the man who faithfully observed the law and was solicitous of his neighbor was assured prosperity, posterity, and renown. In this psalm a sage once again praises the righteous in these terms, but he adds another more mystical religious sentiment. In effect, applying to the righteous the qualities that the preceding psalm attributed to the Lord, he wishes to show that by dint of placing his delight in the will of the Lord, the righteous man ends up resembling him. Hence, the law is not a burden imposed from without, but a power that transforms the heart. To obey is to let oneself be invaded by the sentiments of God: mercy, tenderness, and righteousness. Is there any other source of happiness?
This psalm is also very suitable for describing the Christian ideal, the perfection we must achieve in the steps of the Master and the happiness we will find therein.
Psalm 112:1 Blessed is the man who follows unswervingly God’s will and call. Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1. Fears the Lord: see note on Ps 15:2-5.
Psalm 112:2 The upright man is blessed in his children and brings blessings on them (see Pss 37:26; 127:3-5; 128:3).
Psalm 112:3 Wealth and riches: see Pss 1:3; 128:2. His righteousness: i.e., his happiness, his successes, and his well-being. There is a tacit comparison of the upright person’s righteousness to God’s (they both endure forever: see Ps 111:3b). Some scholars translate the word “righteousness” as “generosity,” claiming that the original meaning of the Hebrew word in a later period of the language also acquired the meaning of “liberality, almsgiving” (see Sir 3:30; 7:10; Mt 6:1f).
Psalm 112:4 The goodness of the righteous man overflows to others. He acts in the same way as God does (see Ps 111:4b). This is brought out more clearly by the older Catholic rendition: “He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright; / he is gracious and compassionate and righteous.”
Psalm 112:5 Future bodes well: i.e., well-being and prosperity await him (see Ps 34:9-15). Good is also the quality of the righteous man. He is good in that he is generous (see Pss 34:9-11; 37:21). Just as all the Lord’s works are “faithful and right” (see Ps 111:7), so the upright man conducts his affairs with justice.
Psalm 112:6 The righteous man observes the commandments of God that are “established forever and ever” (Ps 111:8); hence “he will never be swayed” (Ps 112:6) and has no fear (v. 7), for his heart is tranquil (v. 8). His trust is in the Lord in spite of bad news, reasons to be afraid, or problems with others (vv. 7-8).
Psalm 112:9 As God’s name is held in holy awe (see Ps 111:9), so the righteous will be held in honor. Paul uses this verse to support the principle that “if you sow generously, you will reap generously as well” (2 Cor 9:6, 9). Horn: here symbolizes dignity.
Psalm 112:10 The only alternative way of life to that of the righteous is bitter, transient, and futile.
Psalm 113:1 The Hallel (“praise”) psalms are found in three separate collections: the “Egyptian Hallel,” also known as the “Little Hallel” (Pss 113–118), the “Great Hallel” (Pss 120–136), and the “Concluding Hallel” (Pss 146–150). The Egyptian Hallel and the Great Hallel (most of which are pilgrimage psalms: Pss 120–134) were sung during the annual feasts (see Lev 23; Num 10:10). The Egyptian Hallel received a special place in the Passover liturgy; by custom Pss 113–114 were recited or sung before the festive meal and Pss 115–118 after it (see Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26). These were probably the last psalms Jesus sang before his Passion. Only the second (Ps 114) speaks directly of the Exodus, but the themes of the others make it an appropriate series to mark the salvation that began in Egypt and would spread to the nations. The concluding Hallel psalms (Pss 146–150) were incorporated into the daily prayers in the synagogue after the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.
Psalm 113:1 This psalm presents a surprising contrast in the praises of Israel: the acclamation of the glory of the Almighty One attains its summit, and certitude becomes even stronger that God is near to the lowly. His tenderness reaches those whom the powerful of the earth regard as nothing. The God of justice reverses established situations, as both the canticle of Hannah (see 1 Sam 2:4-8) and the Magnificat of Mary (see Lk 1:46-55) attest with equal intensity. In celebrating the salvation of the humiliated poor man and the abandoned woman, Israel keeps alive the hope of a wondrous renewal in the Messianic age (see Pss 76; 87; Isa 49:21; 54:1-8).
In praying this psalm, we are aware that the New Testament provides us with new motives for praising God the Father for the great condescension he manifests toward Zechariah, Mary, and those known as the poor of Yahweh. We can also chant this psalm in honor of the glorified Christ. Exalted by his Father above every earthly power and introduced by him into divine glory (Phil 2:9-11; Heb 2:7-9), Christ shows himself to be incomparable by uniting to his supreme transcendence an astonishing condescension. It was toward the poor and lowly that he stooped during his public ministry, eating and drinking with them (see Mk 2:16), offering them the kingdom of God (see Mt 5:3-12) with its mysteries (see Mk 4:11), and making them the princes of his new people (see Mk 3:13-19). It is on the poor and the weak in the eyes of the world that he continues to confer his spiritual riches and powers (see 1 Cor 1:26-28).
Psalm 113:1 Servants of the Lord: the Lord’s loyal people, together with the priests and the Levites, come together to worship the Lord. These are all those who know “the name of the Lord” (v. 3; see Ps 50:1; Zep 2:11; Mal 1:11). Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 113:2 The name of the Lord is to be proclaimed so that every generation may remember what he has done and how he has revealed himself (see Ex 3:16). This praise is to extend in time (forevermore) and in space (from the rising of the sun to its setting, i.e., from the east to the west; see Mal 1:11).
Psalm 113:4 The psalmist calls attention to the contrast: the exalted rule of the Lord and his accommodation to the needs of his people. Over all the nations: and by implication over all their gods (see Pss 95:3; 96:4f; 97:9). Over the heavens: i.e., above all creation.
Psalm 113:7 The Lord does not ally himself with the high and mighty but takes care of the poor and needy by transforming them from outcasts of society (the dust, see Isa 47:1, or rubbish heap, see Lam 4:5) into those who have a position of prominence (with the princes of his people, v. 8; see 1 Sam 2:8; Job 36:7). The afflicted man will be accorded recognition, and the oppressed woman will be given honor.
Psalm 113:9 Barren woman: a barren wife was considered cursed by God and a social outcast, a disappointment to her husband, to other women, and especially to herself (see Gen 16:2; 20:18; 1 Sam 1:6; 2:5; Lk 1:25). The Lord blesses her with children (see Ps 115:14; Isa 48:19; 54:1-3). Alleluia: i.e., “Hallelujah” or “Bless [or praise] the Lord”; it probably was once the first line of Ps 114.

Exodus 14:5-22

⁵When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his ministers was turned against the people. They said, “What have we done in letting Israel leave so that they will no longer serve us?” ⁶He prepared his chariot and took his soldiers with him.

⁷Pharaoh took six hundred choice chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with warriors on each of them. ⁸The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who then pursued the children of Israel while they were marching away in triumph. ⁹The Egyptians followed and caught up with them while they were camped near the sea. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army were near Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.

¹⁰When Pharaoh approached, the children of Israel looked up and saw that the Egyptians were marching after them. The children of Israel were terrified and called upon the Lord. ¹¹They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out to the desert to die? Was it because there were not enough graves in Egypt? What have you done bringing us out of Egypt? ¹²Did we not tell you in Egypt, ‘Let us stay here and serve the Egyptians?’ It is better for us to serve than for us to die in the desert?”

¹³Moses answered, “Do not be afraid. Be strong, and you will see the salvation that the Lord will work for you today, for you will never again see the Egyptians that you see today. ¹⁴The Lord will battle for you. Be calm!”

¹⁵The Children of Israel Cross the Red Sea.^[a] The Lord said to Moses, “Why do they cry out to me? Order the children of Israel to set out again. ¹⁶You are to lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the children of Israel may pass through the midst of the sea on dry land. ¹⁷I will harden the heart of the Egyptians so that they will enter after them. I will display my glory against Pharaoh and all his army, against his chariots and his horsemen. ¹⁸The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I display my glory against Pharaoh, against his chariots and his horsemen.”

¹⁹The angel of God, who had gone in front of Israel’s camp, now moved and went in back of them. The pillar of cloud also moved from their front to their back. ²⁰They were, therefore, between the camps of the Egyptians and the children of Israel. The cloud was dark for the former group, while it lit up the night for the other. Thus, one group could not approach the other throughout the night.

²¹Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. During the night the Lord caused the sea to move back with a strong east wind, producing dry ground. The waters split in two. ²²The children of Israel entered the sea on dry land, while the waters formed a wall on their right and their left.

1 John 1:1-7

Chapter 1

Prologue^[a]

An Authentic Communion of Life

¹This is what we proclaim to you:
what existed from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our own eyes,
what we have looked at
and touched with our hands—
we are speaking of the Word of life.^[b]
²That life was made visible;
we have seen it and bear witness,
proclaiming to you the eternal life^[c]
that was with the Father
and was revealed to us.
³What we have seen and heard
we declare to you
so that you may have fellowship^[d] with us.
For our fellowship is with the Father
and with his Son Jesus Christ.
⁴We are writing this
so that our joy may be complete.

Walk in the Light

God Is Light^[e]

⁵This is the message
that we have heard from him
and that we declare to you:
God is light,
and there is no darkness^[f] at all in him.
⁶If we claim that we have fellowship with him
while we continue to live in darkness,
we are lying and do not live in the truth.
⁷However, if we live in the light
as he himself is in the light,
then we have fellowship with one another,
and the blood of Jesus his Son
purifies us from all sin.

Footnotes

1 John 1:1 An identical movement of life is transmitted from the Father to the Son, from the Son to his witnesses, and from his witnesses to believers. And the authenticity of this sharing is guaranteed by the real contact of the witnesses with the Son of God, the Word of Life (see Jn 1:1), the Messiah who is truly man. The Christian faith starts from a fact, an event, an experience. Thus, everything appears as a movement from God and a striving toward him, a fellowship of life. Without such an insertion in the bonds of the Church and this link with a real testimony, it would be vain speculation.
This Prologue deals with the same themes and makes use of the same words as the Prologue to John’s Gospel (beginning, Word, life).
1 John 1:1 The Word of God was the source of life (see Deut 4:1; 32:47; Mt 4:4; Phil 2:16). John gives the title “Word” to the Son of God become man with whom the Apostles lived. Thus, they became eyewitnesses of his glory. They touched him and knew he was real. They heard him with their ears as he spoke the words of life. Everything they preached and wrote about him was based on fact.
1 John 1:2 That life . . . the eternal life: i.e., Christ. He is called “life” because he is the living one who has life in himself (see Jn 11:25; 14:6). He is also the source of life and sovereign over life (1 Jn 5:11). This Letter begins and concludes (1 Jn 5:11) with the theme of eternal life.
1 John 1:3 Fellowship (or communion): the word expresses one of the most important themes in Johannine mysticism: the unity of the Christian community, based on the oneness of each believer with God in Christ. This unity is described in the figures of the vine and the branches (see Jn 15:1-5) and the body and the head (see 1 Cor 12:12; Col 1:18). It also finds expression in various formulations: Christians “abide in God and God in them”; “they are born of God”; “they belong to God”; “they know God.” Such a union with God is manifested in faith and fraternal love.
1 John 1:5 There is no fellowship with God in the absence of faith or love. Christians do not achieve fellowship with God the Light (see Jn 8:12) by giving themselves over to Illuminism or by some magical rite; they do so by believing in the Redemption brought about by Christ’s Passion and by living in the truth (see Jn 3:31), i.e., by entering into a life experience that keeps the commandments of the Gospel in a concrete manner.
1 John 1:5 Light . . . darkness: light represents all that is good, true, and holy, whereas darkness stands for all that is evil and false (see Jn 3:19-21).

John 14:1-7

The Way, the Truth, and the Life^[a]

Chapter 14

Jesus, the Way, Leads to the Father^[b]

¹“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You place your trust in God.^[c]
Trust also in me.
²In my Father’s house
there are many dwelling places.
If there were not,
would I have told you
that I am going to prepare a place for you?
³And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come again
and will take you to myself,
so that where I am,
you may also be.
⁴You know the way
to the place I am going.”

⁵Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?”

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

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.”

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Book of Common Prayer

The Concluding Hallel—Pss 146–150[a]

Psalm 146[b]

Trust in God, Creator and Redeemer

Psalm 147[n]

Hymn to the City of God

Footnotes

Psalm 111[a]

Praise of God for His Wondrous Works

Psalm 112[k]

The Blessings of the Righteous

The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118[t]

Psalm 113[u]

Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly

Footnotes

Footnotes

Chapter 1

Prologue[a]

An Authentic Communion of Life

Walk in the Light

God Is Light[e]

Footnotes

The Way, the Truth, and the Life[a]

Chapter 14

Jesus, the Way, Leads to the Father[b]

Jesus, the Truth, Reveals the Father[d]

Footnotes

The Concluding Hallel—Pss 146–150^[a]

Psalm 146^[b]

Psalm 147^[n]

Psalm 111^[a]

Psalm 112^[k]

The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118^[t]

Psalm 113^[u]

Prologue^[a]

God Is Light^[e]

The Way, the Truth, and the Life^[a]

Jesus, the Way, Leads to the Father^[b]

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