Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Let All the Earth Praise the Lord
148 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from heaven;
praise him in the highest places.
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his armies!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.[a]
4 Praise him, you heaven of heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he himself gave the command that they be created.
6 He set them in place to last forever and ever;
he gave the command and will not rescind it.
7 Praise the Lord, you from the earth,
you creatures of the sea
and all you depths,
8 fire, hail, snow, fog, and wind storm
that carry out his command,[b]
9 mountains and every hill,
fruit trees and cedars,
10 living creatures and livestock,
insects and flying birds,
11 earthly kings and all peoples,
nobles and all court officials of the earth,
12 young men and young women alike,
along with older people and children.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is lifted up;
his majesty transcends earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a source of strength[c] for his people,
an object of praise for all of his holy ones,
that is, for the people of Israel who are near him.
Hallelujah!
5 “And now, says the Lord,
who formed you[a] from the womb as his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
so that Israel might be gathered[b] to him—
and I am honored in the Lord’s sight
and my God has been my help[c]—
6 he says: “It is too small a thing for you to be my servant,
to raise up the tribes of Israel[d]
and bring back those of Jacob[e] I have preserved.
I’ll also make you as a light to the nations,
to be my salvation to the ends[f] of the earth.
7 “This is what my Lord[g] says—
the Lord your Redeemer, O Israel,[h]
and his Holy One—
to one despised by people,[i]
to those abhorred[j] as a nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings see[k] and arise,
and princes[l] will bow down,
because of the Lord who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel,
the one who has[m] chosen you.”
The Restoration of Israel
8 “This what the Lord says:
“I’ll answer[n] you in a time of favor,
and on a day of salvation I’ll help[o] you.
I have watched over you,
and given you as a covenant for the people,
to restore the land,
to reassign the inheritances that have been devastated;
9 saying to captives, ‘Come out!’
and[p] to those who are in darkness, ‘Be free!’[q]
“They will feed on all the mountains,[r]
and their pasture will be on all the barren hills.
10 They won’t hunger or thirst,
nor will the desert heat or sun beat upon them;
for the one who has compassion on them will drive them
and guide them alongside springs of water.
11 I’ll turn all my mountains into a road,
and my highways will be raised up.
12 “Watch! They’ll come from far away—
some from the north and from the west,
and others from the region of China.”[s]
13 Shout with joy, you heavens,
and rock with glee, you earth!
Break out in song, you mountains![t]
The Lord is comforting[u] his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Zion Not Forgotten
14 “But Zion said, ‘The Lord has abandoned me,
and my God[v] has forgotten me.’
15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
or have no compassion for the child of her womb?
Even these mothers may forget;
But as for me, I’ll never forget you!
The True Family of Jesus(A)
46 While Jesus[a] was still speaking to the crowds, his mother and brothers stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Look! Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, asking to speak to you.”[b]
48 He asked the man who told him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Then pointing with his hand at his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers, 50 because whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
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