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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.
Duration: 1245 days
New Catholic Bible (NCB)
Version
Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost[a]

Chapter 2

Descent of the Spirit and Birth of the Church.[b] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all assembled together in one place. Suddenly, there came from heaven a sound similar to that of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were sitting. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages,[c] as the Spirit enabled them to do so.

Now staying in Jerusalem there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven. At this sound, a large crowd of them gathered, and they were bewildered because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

They were astounded and asked in amazement, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,[d] 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own languages about the mighty deeds of God.”

12 They were all astounded and perplexed, and they said to one another, “What does all this mean?” 13 However, others said mockingly, “They are filled with new wine.”

14 Peter Preaches in the Name of the Twelve.[e] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and proclaimed to them in a loud voice, “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only nine o’clock in the morning.[f] 16 Rather, this is what was revealed through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘It will come to pass in the last days, God declares,
    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;
    your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Indeed, even upon my servants and my handmaids
    I shall pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they shall prophesy.
19 I will show portents in the sky above
    and signs on the earth below:
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness
    and the moon to blood
before the day of the Lord comes,
    that great and glorious day.
21 Then it will come to pass
    that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Ezekiel 37:1-14

Chapter 37

Vision of the Dry Bones.[a] The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he carried me away by the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley that was full of bones. He made me walk among them in every direction so that I would be aware how great was the number of these bones on the floor of the valley, and they were exceedingly dry.

He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I replied, “Lord God, only you can know that.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones and say to them: Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I am going to cause breath to enter you, and you will come to life. I will put sinews on you and cause flesh to grow over you and cover you with skin. I will put breath within you, and you will live, and you will know that I am the Lord.”

Therefore, I prophesied as I had been commanded to do, and as I was prophesying, I heard a noise, a sound of rattling, as the bones came together, bone uniting with bone. As I watched, sinews and flesh grew upon the bones, and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.

Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the Spirit. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the Spirit: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O Spirit, and breathe into these slain so that they may live.” 10 I prophesied as he had commanded me, and the Spirit entered into them. They came to life and stood on their feet, an immense army.

11 Then he said to me, “Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They continue to say, ‘Our bones are dried up, our hope has vanished, and we are cut off completely.’ 12 Therefore, prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: My people, I am going to open your graves and raise you up from them and bring you back to the land of Israel. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and raise you up from them, O my people. 14 When I put my Spirit within you, you will live, and I will resettle you on your own soil. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and I have done this, says the Lord.’ ”

Psalm 104:24-34

24 [a]How countless are your works, O Lord;
    by your wisdom you have made them all;
    the earth abounds with your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and broad,
    filled with numberless species,
    living creatures both great and small.
26 There the ships sail forth,
    and the Leviathan[b] that you formed to play therein.
27 [c]All of them look to you
    to give them their food at the appropriate time.[d]
28 [e]When you provide it for them,
    they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
    they are filled with good things.
29 When you turn away your face,[f]
    they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit,[g]
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the earth.
31 [h]May the glory of the Lord abide forever,
    and may the Lord rejoice in his works.[i]
32 When he looks at the earth, it quakes;
    when he touches the mountains, they smoke.[j]
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;[k]
    I will sing praise to my God while I have life.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I find my joy in the Lord.

Psalm 104:35

35 May sinners be banished from the earth,
    and may the wicked no longer exist.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.[a]
Alleluia.

Romans 8:22-27

22 As we know, the entire creation has been groaning in labor pains until now— 23 and not only creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption as children, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now to see something does not involve hope. For why should we hope for what we have already seen? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, then we wait for it with patience.

26 In the same way, even the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs that cannot be put into words. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

Acts 2:1-21

Pentecost[a]

Chapter 2

Descent of the Spirit and Birth of the Church.[b] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all assembled together in one place. Suddenly, there came from heaven a sound similar to that of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were sitting. Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire, which separated and came to rest on each one of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages,[c] as the Spirit enabled them to do so.

Now staying in Jerusalem there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven. At this sound, a large crowd of them gathered, and they were bewildered because each one heard them speaking in his own language.

They were astounded and asked in amazement, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites, residents of Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,[d] 11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own languages about the mighty deeds of God.”

12 They were all astounded and perplexed, and they said to one another, “What does all this mean?” 13 However, others said mockingly, “They are filled with new wine.”

14 Peter Preaches in the Name of the Twelve.[e] Then Peter stood up with the Eleven and proclaimed to them in a loud voice, “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen carefully to my words. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It is only nine o’clock in the morning.[f] 16 Rather, this is what was revealed through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘It will come to pass in the last days, God declares,
    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy;
    your young men shall see visions,
    and your old men shall dream dreams.
18 Indeed, even upon my servants and my handmaids
    I shall pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they shall prophesy.
19 I will show portents in the sky above
    and signs on the earth below:
    blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned into darkness
    and the moon to blood
before the day of the Lord comes,
    that great and glorious day.
21 Then it will come to pass
    that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

John 15:26-27

26 “When the Advocate comes
whom I will send you from the Father,
the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father,
he will testify on my behalf.
27 And you also are my witnesses
because you have been with me from the beginning.

John 16:4-15

But I have told you this
so that when the hour arrives
you may remember that I forewarned you about them.

The Spirit of Truth, Our Guide to All Truth[a]

“I did not tell you all this previously
because I was with you.
But now I am going away
to the one who sent me.
Not one of you asks me,
‘Where are you going?’
However, because I have told you this,
you are overcome with grief.
“Nevertheless, I am telling you the truth:
it is better for you that I depart.
For if I do not go away,
the Advocate will not come to you,
whereas if I go,
I will send him to you.
“And when he comes,
he will prove the world wrong
about sin and righteousness and judgment:
about sin,
because they do not believe in me;
10 about righteousness,
because I am going to the Father
and you will see me no longer;
11 about judgment,
because the ruler of this world has been condemned.
12 “I have much more to tell you,
but you would not be able to bear it now.
13 But when the Spirit of truth comes,
he will guide you into all the truth.
He will not speak on his own authority,
but he will speak what he hears,
and he will declare to you
the things that are coming.
14 He will glorify me,
for he will take what is mine
and communicate it to you.
15 Everything that the Father has is mine.
That is why I said
that he will take what is mine
and communicate it to you.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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