Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Remembrance of Grace
7 I will make known the Lord’s faithful love
and the Lord’s praiseworthy acts,
because of all the Lord has done for us—
even the many good things
He has done for the house of Israel
and has done for them based on His compassion
and the abundance of His faithful love.
8 He said, “They are indeed My people,
children who will not be disloyal,”
and He became their Savior.
9 In all their suffering, He suffered,[a](A)
and the Angel of His Presence saved them.
He redeemed them
because of His love and compassion;(B)
He lifted them up and carried them
all the days of the past.(C)
Psalm 148
Creation’s Praise of the Lord
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise Him in the heights.(A)
2 Praise Him, all His angels;
praise Him, all His hosts.(B)
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
praise Him, all you shining stars.(C)
4 Praise Him, highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.(D)
5 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,
for He commanded, and they were created.(E)
6 He set them in position forever and ever;
He gave an order that will never pass away.(F)
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,(G)
8 lightning[a] and hail, snow and cloud,
powerful wind that executes His command,(H)
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,(I)
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,(J)
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,(K)
12 young men as well as young women,
old and young together.(L)
13 Let them praise the name of Yahweh,
for His name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.(M)
14 He has raised up a horn for His people,
resulting in praise to all His godly ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to Him.(N)
Hallelujah!
10 For in bringing many sons to glory, it was entirely appropriate that God—all things exist for Him and through Him—should make the source[a] of their salvation perfect through sufferings.(A) 11 For the One who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father.[b] That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers,(B) 12 saying:
13 Again, I will trust in Him.[d] And again, Here I am with the children God gave Me.(D)[e]
14 Now since the children have flesh and blood in common, Jesus also shared in these, so that through His death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil(E)— 15 and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death.(F) 16 For it is clear that He does not reach out to help angels, but to help Abraham’s offspring. 17 Therefore, He had to be like His brothers in every way, so that He could become a merciful and faithful high priest in service[f] to God, to make propitiation(G) for the sins of the people.(H) 18 For since He Himself was tested and has suffered, He is able to help those who are tested.
The Flight into Egypt
13 After they were gone, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I tell you. For Herod is about to search for the child to destroy Him.”(A) 14 So he got up, took the child and His mother during the night, and escaped to Egypt. 15 He stayed there until Herod’s death, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet might be fulfilled: Out of Egypt I called My Son.(B)[a]
The Massacre of the Innocents
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been outwitted by the wise men, flew into a rage. He gave orders to massacre all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were two years[b] old and under, in keeping with the time he had learned from the wise men.(C) 17 Then what was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet was fulfilled:
18 A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping,[c] and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children;
and she refused to be consoled,
because they were no more.(D)[d]
The Holy Family in Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,(E) 20 saying, “Get up! Take the child and His mother and go to the land of Israel, because those who sought the child’s life are dead.” 21 So he got up, took the child and His mother, and entered the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus[e] was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned in a dream, he withdrew to the region of Galilee.(F) 23 Then he went and settled in a town called Nazareth to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets, that He will be called a Nazarene.(G)
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