◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Ezekiel 2:1-5 (The call of Ezekiel); Psalm 123 (Our eyes look to you O God); 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 (God’s power made perfect in weakness); Mark 6:1-13 (The Twelve sent to preach and heal) (New Catholic Bible)

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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

Ezekiel 2:1-5

Chapter 2

The Vison of the Scroll. ¹He said to me: Stand up, son of man.^[a] I wish to speak with you. ²As he spoke to me, a Spirit entered into me and stood me on my feet, and I listened to him speaking.

³He said to me: Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me. They and their ancestors have been in revolt against me to this very day. ⁴Because they are obstinate and stubborn, I am sending you to them. You shall say to them, “Thus says the Lord God.” ⁵Whether they listen to you or whether in their rebelliousness they refuse to listen, they will know that there is a prophet among them.

Psalm 123

Psalm 123^[a]

Prayer in Time of Spiritual Need

¹A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who are enthroned in heaven.^[b]
²Behold, as the eyes of servants^[c]
    are on the hand of their master,
or as the eyes of a maid
    focus on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord, our God,
    as we wait for him to show us his mercy.
³Show us your mercy, O Lord, show us your mercy,
    for we have suffered more than our share of contempt.^[d]
⁴We have had to suffer far too long
    the insults of the haughty^[e]
    and the contempt of the arrogant.

Footnotes

Psalm 123:1 Upon returning from the Exile, Israel experienced prolonged and harsh humiliations: vexations from nearby nations and from the Persian administration and persecution later on. The pilgrims do not feel the need to recite at length the list of their misfortunes, for these are too well known. The prayer is expressed in a simple attitude: eyes humbly and perseveringly fixed toward the Lord await a sign of hope. Can people be more true before God?
This psalm can serve to show the right attitude we should have toward Christ. John (Jn 10:28f) amply indicates that the inner and outer life of the Church and Christians is sovereignly regulated by the risen Christ together with his Father. Our faith assures us that the almighty hand of Christ will save us when we call for help against our inner and outer enemies. We should keep our eyes fixed continuously on him in the never-ending battle we must wage in this world (see Heb 12:2).
Psalm 123:1 The psalmist indicates the awesome power of God, the Ruler of the universe enthroned in heaven, who “does whatever he pleases” (Ps 115:3), and whose love and wisdom are beyond our calculation (see Ps 36:5; Isa 55:9).
Psalm 123:2 The fate of male or female slaves was entirely in the hands of their masters or mistresses. Their welfare or their woe depended completely on the will of their overseers, whose hands could bestow benefits or punishments. Hence, the psalmist pictures the slaves as keeping their eyes fixed on their masters and mistresses. In like manner, God’s people fix their eyes on their Lord with utter dependence; like servants and a maid, they look to their Master—for acts of kindness and mercy.
For the Lord rules sovereignly. He is on the throne (see Pss 2:4; 11:4; 102:13; 115:3) even when the arrogant assail his people. No matter how exalted this God of Israel may be, he is still the Lord (“Yahweh”), the God who is faithful to the covenant he has made with his people and is ever ready to help them in any adversity.
Psalm 123:3 The psalmist prays for God’s favor (see Pss 6:3; 57:2; 86:3) to right the injustice done to God’s children, who have unjustly endured great contempt (see Ps 119:22) and ridicule (see Ps 44:13; Neh 2:19; 4:1). It is interesting to recall that in the Sermon on the Mount, contempt (“You fool”) ranks as more grievous than anger (see Mt 5:22). Yet, from the Christian point of view, to endure suffering (including contempt) for Christ is a necessity (see Lk 9:23; Col 1:24), as well as an honor (see Acts 5:41), for all his followers as they make their way to glory (see 1 Pet 4:13f).
Psalm 123:4 As is the case in our day, the People of God are mocked by the haughty and the arrogant (see Pss 52:3; 73:2ff), who rely on and seek only themselves, giving little thought to God. Although it is entirely permissible to pray to be delivered from this ridicule, another approach is to accept it in union with the suffering Christ. Even the Old Testament has passages recommending the acceptance of such suffering: “Let him offer his cheek to those who strike him and endure their insults. For the rejection by the Lord will not last forever. Even though he punishes, he will be compassionate in the abundance of his unfailing love. For he does not willingly afflict or cause grief to the children of men” (Lam 3:30-33).

2 Corinthians 12:2-10

²I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows) was caught up to the third heaven. ³And I know that this man (whether in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows) ⁴was caught up into paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no man may repeat.

⁵About this man I am willing to boast, but about myself I will not boast, except as it concerns my weaknesses. ⁶Actually, if I were to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be telling the truth. However, I refrain from doing so in order that no one may regard me more highly than would be evident from what he has seen in me and heard from me.

A Boast of One’s Weakness.^[a] ⁷Therefore, to keep me from becoming unduly elated by the wondrous nature of these revelations, I was given a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to beat me and prevent me from becoming unduly elated. ⁸Three times I begged the Lord to have it leave me, ⁹but he answered me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.”

Hence, I will boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell within me. ¹⁰For this reason, I rejoice when I endure weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and distress for the sake of Christ. For it is when I am weak that I am strong.

Mark 6:1-13

Chapter 6

Jesus Is Rejected at Nazareth.^[a] ¹Departing from that district, Jesus went to his hometown accompanied by his disciples. ²On the Sabbath, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many of those who heard him asked in amazement, “Where did this man get all this? What is this wisdom that he has been granted? What mighty deeds he performs! ³Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother^[b] of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?” And so they took offense at him.

⁴Then Jesus said to them, “A prophet is always treated with honor except in his hometown, and among relatives, and in his own house.” ⁵And he was unable to perform any mighty works there, aside from curing a few sick people by laying his hands on them. ⁶He was amazed at their lack of faith.

Who Is Jesus?^[c]

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve on Mission.^[d] Jesus traveled through the villages teaching. ⁷Calling the Twelve together, he began to send them out two by two, with authority over unclean spirits. ⁸He instructed them to take nothing for their journey except a walking staff—no bread, no sack, no money in their purses. ⁹They were to wear sandals but not to take along a second tunic.

¹⁰He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, you are to stay there until you leave the area. ¹¹And if any will not welcome you and refuse to listen to you, leave them immediately and shake off the dust that is on your feet in testimony against them.” ¹²Then they set off and preached the need for repentance. ¹³They cast out many demons, and they anointed with oil many people who were sick and cured them.^[e]

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Chapter 2

Footnotes

Psalm 123[a]

Prayer in Time of Spiritual Need

Footnotes

Footnotes

Chapter 6

Who Is Jesus?[c]

Footnotes

Psalm 123^[a]

Who Is Jesus?^[c]