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Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Daily Bible readings that follow the church liturgical year, with sequential stories told across multiple weeks.

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 111

Psalm 111^[a]

Praise of God for His Wondrous Works

¹Alleluia.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart^[b]
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
²Great are the works of the Lord;^[c]
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
³His deeds^[d] show forth majesty and splendor,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
⁴He has won renown for his wonders;^[e]
    gracious and compassionate is the Lord.
⁵He provides food for those who fear him,^[f]
    and is forever mindful of his covenant.
⁶He has manifested the power of his works to his people
    by giving them the lands^[g] of the nations.
⁷The works of his hands^[h] are faithful and right,
    and all his commandments are trustworthy.
⁸They are established forever and ever
    to be observed in fidelity and truthfulness.
⁹He has granted deliverance to his people
    and established his covenant forever;
    holy and awe-inspiring is his name.^[i]
¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;^[j]
    those who are guided by it will grow in understanding.
    His praise will last forever.

Footnotes

Psalm 111:1 A sage sets forth the essence of the religion of Israel: the Lord has delivered his people in order to conclude a covenant with them and to reveal his will to them. The author contemplates the divine “righteousness” (v. 3), i.e., everything the Lord has done in favor of his chosen ones, the wonders that in some way are renewed when they are recalled in the liturgy (v. 4): the miracle of the manna and the quail (v. 5), the gift of the Promised Land (v. 6), and the stability of the laws of the world and the moral order (v. 7). The sages who pursue this meditation and observe the law will be enabled to understand who God is: holy and redoubtable, compassionate and tender, so that they may render thanks to him.
In praying this psalm, we should keep in mind that the wonders to which it alludes are only a pale figure of the wonders that the Father has accomplished through, and in, his Incarnate Son on behalf of his new people, the Church (see Jn 5:20). After various physical cures and raisings from the dead, God works the glorious Resurrection of his Son and our own spiritual resurrection in him (see Eph 2:5f).
Psalm 111:1 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Council of the upright: probably a circle of friends and advisors, as in Ps 107:32. In the assembly: in the temple (see Ps 149:1).
Psalm 111:2 Works of the Lord: sometimes his deeds, as in verse 6, but more often the things he has made (the heavens, Pss 8:4; 19:2; 102:26; and the earth, Ps 104:24). Made “by . . . wisdom” (Ps 104:24), these lend themselves to meditation and lead to delight.
Psalm 111:3 Deeds: probably his providential acts as in Deut 32:4. We should keep in mind that, as Isa 45:9-13 indicates, God’s creation and providence are of one piece. Righteousness: as embodied in his deeds.
Psalm 111:4 Won renown for his wonders: by the celebration of annual feasts (see Ex 23:14), notably the Passover (for Christians, see 1 Cor 11:23-26). See also note on Ps 9:2. Gracious and compassionate: classic description of the meaning of God’s name (see Ps 103:8; Ex 34:6f).
Psalm 111:5 Food for those who fear him: probably a reference to the manna in the desert (see Ex 16:1ff), which in the New Testament is seen as a type of the Eucharist (see Jn 6:31-33, 49-51). The entire verse may also refer to God’s giving of our daily bread (see Mt 6:11) and his daily forbearance. His covenant: see Ps 105:8-11.
Psalm 111:6 Lands: literally, “inheritance, heritage.”
Psalm 111:7 There is complete harmony between what God does and what he says, between the works of his hands and his commandments.
Psalm 111:9 This verse recalls the miracles of the Exodus and the theophany at Sinai. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 111:10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: the motto of the Wisdom writings (see Job 28:28; Prov 1:7; 9:10; Eccl 12:13; Sir 1:18, 24; 19:17). Here it refers to God especially as Creator, Redeemer, and Provider.

1 Kings 1:28-48

²⁸Then King David said, “Summon Bathsheba.” She came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. ²⁹The king then swore an oath, saying, “As the Lord lives who has delivered me from all of my adversities, ³⁰and as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel saying, ‘Solomon, your son, will reign after me, and he will sit upon my throne in my place,’ I will fulfill it today.” ³¹Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground and did obeisance saying, “May my lord, King David, live forever.”

³²King David said, “Summon Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, to me.” They came before the king. ³³The king said to them, “Take your lord’s servants and put Solomon, my son, on my own donkey and bring him to Gihon. ³⁴There, have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him as king over Israel. Sound your trumpet and proclaim, ‘Long live, King Solomon.’ ³⁵Then follow him back up so that he might come and sit upon my throne, for he will take my place as king. I have chosen him to be the king over Israel and Judah.”

³⁶Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, answered the king saying, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord, the king, confirm it. ³⁷May the Lord be with Solomon just as he has been with my lord, the king. May he make his throne greater than the throne of my lord, king David.”

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down. They had Solomon ride upon King David’s donkey, and they brought him to Gihon. ³⁹Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out from the tabernacle and he anointed Solomon. They sounded the trumpet and all of the people proclaimed, “Long live, King Solomon.” ⁴⁰All of the people went up and joined his following, and they played upon flutes and so greatly rejoiced that the ground shook from the noise.

⁴¹Adonijah Acknowledges Solomon. Adonijah and all of those whom he had invited to be with him finished eating and heard it. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he asked, “What is this uproar coming from the city?” ⁴²While he was still speaking, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for a brave man like you must bring good news.” ⁴³Jonathan answered Adonijah saying, “It is not so! Our Lord, king David, has made Solomon king. ⁴⁴The king sent him with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, ⁴⁵and Zadok, the priest, and Nathan the prophet anointed him in Gihon. They are coming up from there rejoicing so that the city resounds with it. This is the noise that you heard. ⁴⁶Moreover, Solomon is sitting upon the royal throne.

⁴⁷“The king’s servants have come to bless our lord, King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon greater than your name, and his throne than your throne.’ The king then worshiped in his bed ⁴⁸and the king said, ‘Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed me to see with my own eyes the one who will sit upon my throne.’ ”

Romans 16:17-20

¹⁷Beware of Dissenters. I urge you, brethren, to watch out for those who incite dissensions and obstacles in opposition to the teaching that you have learned. Take care to avoid them. ¹⁸For such people are not servants of our Lord Jesus Christ but of their own appetites, and by smooth words and flattery they deceive the minds of the simple. ¹⁹Your obedience has become known to all and has caused me to rejoice greatly over you. However, I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil; ²⁰then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)