◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary) / Isaiah 61:1-4 8-11 (Righteousness and praise flourish like a garden); Psalm 126 (God does great things for us); or Luke 1:46b-55 (The Mighty One raises the lowly); 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 (Kept in faith until the coming of Christ); John 1:6-8 19-28 (A witness to the light) (New Catholic Bible)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

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

Duration: 1245 days

Isaiah 61:1-4

Chapter 61

A Message of Consolation

¹    ^[a]The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me
    because the Lord has anointed me.
He has sent me to announce good news to the oppressed,
    to strengthen the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom to those held in captivity
    and release to those who have been imprisoned,
²to proclaim a year of the Lord’s favor
    and a day of vengeance for our God,
    to comfort all who mourn,
³to give to all those who mourn in Zion
    a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    a glorious mantle instead of a spirit of despair.
And they will be called oaks of righteousness
    planted by the Lord to show forth his glory.

Israel’s Reward

⁴They will rebuild the ancient ruins
and raise up sites that have long been desolate.
They will restore the ruined cities
that for generations have been merely ravaged wastes.

Isaiah 61:8-11

⁸For I, the Lord, love justice,
    and I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
I will be faithful in rewarding such victims,
    and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.
⁹Their descendants will be renowned among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who behold them will acknowledge
    that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed.
¹⁰I rejoice in the Lord with all my heart;
    my soul exults in my God.
For he has clothed me in garments of salvation
    and wrapped me in a robe of saving justice,
like a bridegroom adorned with a garland
    or a bride bedecked with her jewels.
¹¹As the earth puts forth its shoots
    and a garden causes its seeds to sprout,
so the Lord God will cause his justice and praise
    to spring up in the sight of all the nations.

Psalm 126

Psalm 126^[a]

God, Our Joy and Our Hope

¹^[b]A song of ascents.

When the Lord brought home the captives to Zion,
    we seemed to be dreaming.^[c]
²Our mouths were filled with laughter
    and our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”^[d]
³The Lord has indeed done great deeds for us,
    and we are overflowing with joy.^[e]
⁴^[f]Once again restore our fortunes,^[g] O Lord,
    as you did for the streams in the Negeb.
⁵Those who sow in tears^[h]
    will reap with songs of joy.
⁶Those who go forth weeping,
    carrying the seeds to be sown,^[i]
will return with shouts of joy,
    carrying their sheaves.

Footnotes

Psalm 126:1 The Jewish community takes pains to be reestablished. But joy fills the people’s hearts. They still resound with the gladness and hope of the caravans returning from the Exile, and every pilgrimage unfolds like a new Exodus (vv. 1-3; see Isa 48:21), a return from the Exile. It is also faith in an even more wondrous future, the gathering together of all by the side of the Messiah. Such happiness is prepared for in the suffering of the present just as the harvest grows out of the grain sown into the earth where it dies (see Jn 12:24; Rom 8:8-25; 1 Cor 15:35-49).
In praying this psalm, we can also be mindful of the wondrous spiritual salvation of sinners worked by Christ in accord with the will of the Father. This salvation constitutes a spiritual Exodus from the sinful world to the divine dwelling of the earthly Church and then of the heavenly Church, a transferral from satanic tyranny to the gentle yoke of Christ and then of the heavenly Father, a conversion from infidelity to fidelity toward Christ and his Father. Such are the wonders that God has worked radically for all in causing Christ to pass from the grave to heaven, from death to glorious life (see Eph 4:8), and that he works effectively for every believer who shares in this mystery through faith (see Jn 5:24).
Psalm 126:1 The edict of the Persian King Cyrus the Great in 538 B.C. that permitted the exiles to return home was totally unexpected despite the oracles issued by Isaiah and Jeremiah. The long period of the captivity had caused many to give up hope. Hence, the joy of their deliverance was indescribable. The Gentiles, too, were impressed by this event; for many nations in the ancient Near East had vanished owing to conquest and exile, and the conventional wisdom was that little Israel would suffer the same fate. When this proved not to be the case, the People of God acknowledged that it was the Lord who had done great things for them.
Psalm 126:1 The restoration of the captives to Zion took place in 538 B.C., in fulfillment of the prophetic word (see Isa 14:1f; 44:24—45:25; 48:20f; Jer 29:14; 30:3; 33:7, 10f; Am 9:14). However, when the actual moment came, it felt like a mirage. When the Lord . . . dreaming: another translation is: “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, / we were like men restored to health.”
Psalm 126:2 So great was the act of restoration and the joy of the people that the nations heard about it too (see Ps 98:2; Isa 52:10; Ezek 36:36) and praised the Lord (see note on Ps 46:10).
Psalm 126:3 The psalmist affirms that the Lord has done great things for the people, and they are filled with joy. We Christians can use this verse in our own right to declare the manifold blessings bestowed on us in Christ, especially his Resurrection, which turned the disciples’ sorrow into joy and brought salvation to the world that had previously been in bondage to the devil.
Psalm 126:4 The reality of life in Canaan soon tempered the joy of the repatriates, for they had to eke out an existence in the land that had remained untended for years. So the people cry out to God for a continuation of the restoration: restoration of their well-being in the land (fortunes; see Ps 14:7). And they are assured of God’s continued fidelity to his promise.
Psalm 126:4 The repatriates, disappointed by the limited fulfillment of the prophetic word, turn to the Lord. They beg him to grant them a complete restoration and give them a brighter future even if to do so he has to perform a miracle like creating streams in the Negeb. Restore our fortunes: another possible translation is: “Bring back our people from captivity.” No matter what the text, the prayer is one for a better future. Streams in the Negeb: the wadis of southern Palestine, almost always dry, are suddenly filled by the winter rains and fertilize the earth (see 2 Ki 3:20; Isa 41:18), representing proverbially the sudden coming of God’s blessing.
Psalm 126:5 God will be true to his promise, but the people must also do their part—they must sow the seed in order to have a harvest. God will turn the people’s tears into songs of joy by blessing them in their various endeavors and rewarding their laborious toil.
Psalm 126:6 The psalm concludes on the expectation of another miracle to take place; the people will return with shouts of joy because of the plentiful harvest. The time of exile was like a sowing of tears; it was a time of penance. The time of the harvest has not yet come. But as certainly as in nature the harvest follows upon seeding, so certain is it that a time of joy will follow for God’s people. Thus, the psalm attests to the certainty of the Lord’s promise. Seeds to be sown: “Previously the seed had not sprouted, and the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree, had borne no fruit. From this day forward I intend to bless you” (Hag 2:19).

Luke 1:46-55

⁴⁶The Canticle of Mary.^[a] And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
⁴⁷    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
⁴⁸For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant;
    henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
⁴⁹The Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
⁵⁰His mercy is shown from age to age
    to those who fear him.
⁵¹He has shown the strength of his arm,
    he has routed those who are arrogant in the desires of their hearts.
⁵²He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and lifted up the lowly.
⁵³He has filled the hungry with good things
    and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has come to the aid of Israel his servant,
    ever mindful of his merciful love,
⁵⁵according to the promises he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24

¹⁶^[a]Rejoice always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

¹⁹Do Not Extinguish the Spirit.^[b] Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise prophecies.^[c] ²¹Test everything, and hold fast to what is good. ²²Avoid every form of evil.

Conclusion^[d]

²³Final Prayer. May the God of peace himself grant you the gift of perfect sanctity, and may you—spirit and soul and body^[e]—be preserved blameless for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will accomplish this.

Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 5:16 In order to carry out the regulations given in vv. 12-15, Christians need personal communion with God. They are to be joyful always (see Mt 5:11-12; Acts 5:41; 16:25; Phil 1:18; 4:4). Indeed, they are to be “sorrowful, and yet . . . always rejoicing” (2 Cor 6:10). However, this Christian joy does not depend on earthly circumstances or feelings. It stems from what Jesus has done for us supernaturally, which never goes away.
At the same time, Christians are to be constant in prayer. It is vital for them to lift the heart to God while being occupied with their duties. Concerning prayer, see 1 Thes 1:3; 2:13; Rom 1:9-10; Eph 6:18; Col 1:3; 2 Tim 1:3.
Finally, Christians are to give thanks in all circumstances. Regardless of their human situation, they know that God has called them to eternal salvation and gives them the grace to attain it. Therefore, no matter what the circumstances may be, they can remain in a state of thankfulness (see Eph 5:20).
1 Thessalonians 5:19 Paul now speaks about the responsibilities in communal worship. Christians must never extinguish the Spirit (v. 19). He is probably referring to curbing the charisms in any way. Guiding the charisms is necessary, but overcontrol is detrimental. In particular, the gift of prophecy must be esteemed properly and all charismatic manifestations must be duly tested. Any evil that tries to mask itself as a genuine representation of the Spirit must be discarded. Only then can worship be true.
1 Thessalonians 5:20 Prophecies: the reference is not to the Old Testament Prophets but to those who exhorted the Christian communities (see 1 Cor 12:10-29; 13:2; 14:3).
1 Thessalonians 5:23 This Letter concludes like a liturgy: blessing, kiss of peace, request to have the apostolic Letter read publicly, and final wish.
1 Thessalonians 5:23 Spirit and soul and body: i.e., the whole Christian person. The spirit is that which is open to the influence of grace; it is also the source of divine life with the Christian (see Rom 5:5). This is the only place in Paul that refers to this tripartite division.

John 1:6-8

Faith Means Welcoming the Word of God Made Man.^[a] ⁶A man appeared, sent by God, whose name was John.^[b] ⁷He came as a witness to give testimony to the light, so that through him all might come to believe. ⁸He himself was not the light; his role was to bear witness to the light.

John 1:19-28

Jesus Is the Expected Messiah^[a]

¹⁹John the Baptist Is Not the Messiah.^[b] This is the testimony offered by John when the Jews^[c] sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” ²⁰He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.”^[d] ²¹Then they asked him, “Who then are you? Are you Elijah?”^[e] He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered, “No.” ²²Therefore, they said to him, “Who are you, so we may have an answer to give to those who sent us? What do you have to say about yourself?” ²³He replied, in the words of the prophet Isaiah,

“I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness,
‘Make straight the way of the Lord.’ ”

²⁴Some Pharisees were present in this group, ²⁵and they asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” ²⁶John answered them, “I baptize with water; but among you there is one whom you do not know, ²⁷the one who is coming after me. I am not worthy to loosen the strap of his sandal.” ²⁸This took place in Bethany, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Chapter 61

A Message of Consolation

Israel’s Reward

Footnotes

Psalm 126[a]

God, Our Joy and Our Hope

Footnotes

Footnotes

Conclusion[d]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Jesus Is the Expected Messiah[a]

Footnotes

Psalm 126^[a]

Conclusion^[d]

Jesus Is the Expected Messiah^[a]