Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Canticle of Mary. 46 (A)And Mary said:[a]
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;(B)
47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior.(C)
48 For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.(D)
49 The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.(E)
50 His mercy is from age to age
to those who fear him.(F)
51 He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.(G)
52 He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.(H)
53 The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.(I)
54 He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,(J)
55 according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”(K)
I. The Last Judges, Eli and Samuel
Chapter 1
Elkanah and His Family at Shiloh. 1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim. His name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.(A) 2 He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah; Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 Each year this man went up from his city to worship and offer sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were ministering as priests of the Lord.(B) 4 When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice, he used to give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, 5 but he would give a double portion to Hannah because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.(C) 6 Her rival,[a] to upset her, would torment her constantly, since the Lord had closed her womb.(D) 7 Year after year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah would provoke her, and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.[b] 8 Elkanah, her husband, would say to her: “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why are you not eating? Why are you so miserable? Am I not better for you than ten sons?”(E)
Hannah’s Prayer. 9 Hannah rose after one such meal at Shiloh, and presented herself before the Lord; at the time Eli the priest was sitting on a chair near the doorpost of the Lord’s temple. 10 In her bitterness she prayed to the Lord, weeping freely, 11 and made this vow: “O Lord of hosts, if you look with pity on the hardship of your servant, if you remember me and do not forget me, if you give your handmaid a male child, I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life. No razor shall ever touch his head.”[c](F) 12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli watched her mouth, 13 for Hannah was praying silently; though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli, thinking she was drunk, 14 said to her, “How long will you make a drunken spectacle of yourself? Sober up from your wine!” 15 “No, my lord!” Hannah answered. “I am an unhappy woman. I have had neither wine nor liquor; I was only pouring out my heart to the Lord. 16 Do not think your servant a worthless woman; my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.” 17 Eli said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have requested.” 18 She replied, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes,” and left. She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband, and no longer appeared downhearted.
Chapter 9
The Worship of the First Covenant.[a] 1 Now [even] the first covenant had regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. 2 For a tabernacle was constructed, the outer one,[b] in which were the lampstand, the table, and the bread of offering; this is called the Holy Place.(A) 3 [c]Behind the second veil was the tabernacle called the Holy of Holies,(B) 4 in which were the gold altar of incense[d] and the ark of the covenant entirely covered with gold. In it were the gold jar containing the manna, the staff of Aaron that had sprouted, and the tablets of the covenant.(C) 5 [e]Above it were the cherubim of glory overshadowing the place of expiation. Now is not the time to speak of these in detail.(D)
6 With these arrangements for worship, the priests, in performing their service,[f] go into the outer tabernacle repeatedly,(E) 7 but the high priest alone goes into the inner one once a year, not without blood[g] that he offers for himself and for the sins of the people.(F) 8 In this way the holy Spirit shows that the way into the sanctuary had not yet been revealed while the outer tabernacle still had its place. 9 This is a symbol of the present time,[h] in which gifts and sacrifices are offered that cannot perfect the worshiper in conscience 10 but only in matters of food and drink and various ritual washings: regulations concerning the flesh, imposed until the time of the new order.(G)
Sacrifice of Jesus. 11 [i]But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that have come to be,[j] passing through the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made by hands, that is, not belonging to this creation,(H) 12 he entered once for all into the sanctuary, not with the blood of goats and calves but with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.(I) 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the sprinkling of a heifer’s ashes[k] can sanctify those who are defiled so that their flesh is cleansed,(J) 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit[l] offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.(K)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.