◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Psalm 31:9-16 (I commend my spirit); 1 Samuel 16:11-13 (Samuel anoints David); Philippians 1:1-11 (Encouraged to follow Christ’s righteousness) (New American Bible (Revised Edition))

Prev Day

March 26, 2026

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

March 2026
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 31:9-16

⁹You will not abandon me into enemy hands,
but will set my feet in a free and open space.

II

¹⁰Be gracious to me, Lord, for I am in distress;
    affliction is wearing down my eyes,
    my throat and my insides.
¹¹My life is worn out by sorrow,
    and my years by sighing.
My strength fails in my affliction;
    my bones are wearing down.^(A)
¹²To all my foes I am a thing of scorn,
    and especially to my neighbors
    a horror to my friends.
When they see me in public,
    they quickly shy away.^(B)
¹³I am forgotten, out of mind like the dead;
    I am like a worn-out tool.^[a]
¹⁴I hear the whispers of the crowd;
    terrors are all around me.^[b]
They conspire together against me;
    they plot to take my life.
¹⁵But I trust in you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my God.”^(C)
¹⁶My destiny is in your hands;
    rescue me from my enemies,
    from the hands of my pursuers.

1 Samuel 16:11-13

¹¹Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Are these all the sons you have?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, but he is tending the sheep.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send for him; we will not sit down to eat until he arrives here.”^(A) ¹²Jesse had the young man brought to them. He was ruddy, a youth with beautiful eyes, and good looking. The Lord said: There—anoint him, for this is the one!^(B) ¹³Then Samuel, with the horn of oil in hand, anointed him in the midst of his brothers, and from that day on, the spirit of the Lord rushed upon David. Then Samuel set out for Ramah.^(C)

Philippians 1:1-11

I. Address

Chapter 1

Greeting.^[a] ¹Paul and Timothy, slaves^[b] of Christ Jesus, to all the holy ones in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the overseers and ministers:^(A) ²^(B)grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.^[c]

Thanksgiving.^[d] ³I give thanks to my God at every remembrance of you,^(C) ⁴praying always with joy in my every prayer for all of you, ⁵because of your partnership for the gospel from the first day until now. ⁶^(D)I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.^[e] ⁷It is right that I should think this way about all of you, because I hold you in my heart, you who are all partners with me in grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. ⁸For God is my witness, how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.^(E) ⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may increase ever more and more in knowledge and every kind of perception,^(F) ¹⁰to discern what is of value, so that you may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,^(G) ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.^(H)

Footnotes

1:1–2 See note on Rom 1:1–7, concerning the greeting.
1:1 Slaves: Paul usually refers to himself at the start of a letter as an apostle. Here he substitutes a term suggesting the unconditional obligation of himself and Timothy to the service of Christ, probably because, in view of the good relationship with the Philippians, he wishes to stress his status as a co-servant rather than emphasize his apostolic authority. Reference to Timothy is a courtesy: Paul alone writes the letter, as the singular verb throughout shows (Phil 1:3–26), and the reference (Phil 2:19–24) to Timothy in the third person. Overseers: the Greek term episkopos literally means “one who oversees” or “one who supervises,” but since the second century it has come to designate the “bishop,” the official who heads a local church. In New Testament times this office had not yet developed into the form that it later assumed, though it seems to be well on the way to such development in the Pastorals; see 1 Tm 3:2 and Ti 1:7, where it is translated bishop. At Philippi, however (and at Ephesus, according to Acts 20:28), there was more than one episkopos, and the precise function of these officials is uncertain. In order to distinguish this office from the later stages into which it developed, the term is here translated as overseers. Ministers: the Greek term diakonoi is used frequently in the New Testament to designate “servants,” “attendants,” or “ministers.” Paul refers to himself and to other apostles as “ministers of God” (2 Cor 6:4) or “ministers of Christ” (2 Cor 11:23). In the Pastorals (1 Tm 3:8, 12) the diakonos has become an established official in the local church; hence the term is there translated as deacon. The diakonoi at Philippi seem to represent an earlier stage of development of the office; we are uncertain about their precise functions. Hence the term is here translated as ministers. See Rom 16:1, where Phoebe is described as a diakonos (minister) of the church of Cenchreae.
1:2 The gifts come from Christ the Lord, not simply through him from the Father; compare the christology in Phil 2:6–11.
1:3–11 As in Rom 1:8–15 and all the Pauline letters except Galatians, a thanksgiving follows, including a direct prayer for the Philippians (Phil 1:9–11); see note on Rom 1:8. On their partnership for the gospel (Phil 1:5), cf. Phil 1:29–30; 4:10–20. Their devotion to the faith and to Paul made them his pride and joy (Phil 4:1). The characteristics thus manifested are evidence of the community’s continuing preparation for the Lord’s parousia (Phil 1:6, 10). Paul’s especially warm relationship with the Philippians is suggested here (Phil 1:7–8) as elsewhere in the letter. The eschatology serves to underscore a concern for ethical growth (Eph 1:9–11), which appears throughout the letter.
1:6 The day of Christ Jesus: the parousia or triumphant return of Christ, when those loyal to him will be with him and share in his eternal glory; cf. Phil 1:10; 2:16; 3:20–21; 1 Thes 4:17; 5:10; 2 Thes 1:10; 1 Cor 1:8.

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

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.

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

II

Footnotes

Cross references

Cross references

I. Address

Chapter 1

Footnotes

Cross references

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

II

Footnotes

Cross references

Cross references

I. Address

Chapter 1

Footnotes

Cross references