◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Psalm 111 (I give thanks with my whole heart); Numbers 4:34—5:4 (A census and the exclusion of lepers); 2 Timothy 2:1-7 (Share in suffering) (New Catholic Bible)

Prev Day

October 11, 1968

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

October 1968
Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Return to today's reading

Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with thematically matched Old and New Testament readings.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 111

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.

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.

Numbers 4:34-5:4

³⁴Counting the Adult Levites. Moses and Aaron and the leaders of the assembly counted the Kohathites by family and by clan, ³⁵those who were from thirty to fifty years old and who went in to minister in the service of the tent of meeting. ³⁶By families there were two thousand, seven hundred and fifty. ³⁷This was the number of those in the families of the Kohathites who ministered in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted, fulfilling the commandment of the Lord given to Moses.

³⁸The sons of Gershon were counted by families and clan ³⁹counting those who were from thirty years old to fifty years old and who went in to minister in the service of the tent of meeting. ⁴⁰Counted by family and clan, there were two thousand, six hundred and thirty of them. ⁴¹This was the number of the families of the sons of Gershon, all of whom served in the tent of meeting, whom Moses and Aaron counted, fulfilling the commandment of the Lord.

⁴²The Merarites were counted by families and clan, ⁴³those who were from thirty years old to fifty years old and who went in to minister in the service of the tent of meeting. ⁴⁴Counted by families, there were three thousand, two hundred of them. ⁴⁵This was the number of the families of the Merarites whom Moses and Aaron counted, fulfilling the commandment of the Lord given to Moses.

⁴⁶Moses and Aaron and the leaders of Israel counted all of the Levites according to families and clans ⁴⁷who were from thirty years old to fifty years old, everyone who could enter to do the work of ministry and who served carrying the tent of meeting. ⁴⁸There were eight thousand, five hundred and eighty of them. ⁴⁹They were counted as the Lord had commanded Moses, counting all of those dedicated for service and carrying, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.

Chapter 5

Purifying the Camp. ¹The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²“Command the people of Israel to expel from the camp every leper and everyone who has a discharge and everyone who is unclean because they touched the dead. ³You will expel both men and women from the camp. You will put them out so that they do not make the camp unclean, for I dwell in their midst.” ⁴The people of Israel did this, putting them outside of the camp. The Israelites did what the Lord had instructed Moses.

2 Timothy 2:1-7

The Exemplars of a Man of God^[a]

Chapter 2

Accept Your Share of Sufferings.^[b] ¹As for you, my child, take strength from the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ²And the things you learned from me in the presence of many witnesses you must pass on to trustworthy people who will be capable of teaching others.

³Together with me, bear your share of sufferings like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. ⁴A soldier does not become involved in everyday affairs, for his task is to obey his commanding officer. ⁵In a similar vein, no athlete can receive the winner’s crown unless he has competed according to the rules. ⁶Again, the farmer who does the hard work should have the first claim on the crops. ⁷Think about what I am saying, for the Lord will help you to understand it perfectly.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 111[a]

Praise of God for His Wondrous Works

Footnotes

Chapter 5

The Exemplars of a Man of God[a]

Chapter 2

Footnotes

Psalm 111^[a]

The Exemplars of a Man of God^[a]