◀ All Reading Plans / Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous) / Psalm 112:1-9 [10] (Light shines in the darkness); Isaiah 29:13-16 (Hearts far from God); Mark 7:1-8 (The hypocrisy of lip service) (New Catholic Bible)

Prev Day

February 4, 2023

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

February 2023
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

Return to today's reading

Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

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

Duration: 1245 days

Psalm 112:1-9

Psalm 112^[a]

The Blessings of the Righteous

¹Alleluia.

Blessed^[b] is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his precepts.
²His descendants will be powerful upon the earth;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.^[c]
³His house will be filled with wealth and riches,^[d]
    and his righteousness will endure forever.
⁴He shines as a light for the upright in the darkness;
    kindness, mercy, and justice are his hallmarks.^[e]
⁵The future bodes well^[f] for him
    who is generous in helping those in need
    and who conducts his affairs with justice.
⁶^[g]He will never be swayed;
    the righteous man will be remembered forever.
⁷He has no fear of bad news,
    for his heart remains steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
⁸Since his heart is tranquil, he will not be afraid,
    and he will witness the downfall of his enemies.
⁹He bestows gifts lavishly on the poor;
    his righteousness will endure forever,
    and his horn^[h] will be exalted in glory.

Footnotes

Psalm 112:1 This psalm provides the same literary characteristics as the preceding one and most likely stems from the same unknown author. By their theme the two chants complete one another. The first celebrates the divine perfections and works, while the second sings of the virtues and deeds of the true righteous person and the happiness he attains.
The ancients believed that the man who faithfully observed the law and was solicitous of his neighbor was assured prosperity, posterity, and renown. In this psalm a sage once again praises the righteous in these terms, but he adds another more mystical religious sentiment. In effect, applying to the righteous the qualities that the preceding psalm attributed to the Lord, he wishes to show that by dint of placing his delight in the will of the Lord, the righteous man ends up resembling him. Hence, the law is not a burden imposed from without, but a power that transforms the heart. To obey is to let oneself be invaded by the sentiments of God: mercy, tenderness, and righteousness. Is there any other source of happiness?
This psalm is also very suitable for describing the Christian ideal, the perfection we must achieve in the steps of the Master and the happiness we will find therein.
Psalm 112:1 Blessed is the man who follows unswervingly God’s will and call. Blessed: see note on Ps 1:1. Fears the Lord: see note on Ps 15:2-5.
Psalm 112:2 The upright man is blessed in his children and brings blessings on them (see Pss 37:26; 127:3-5; 128:3).
Psalm 112:3 Wealth and riches: see Pss 1:3; 128:2. His righteousness: i.e., his happiness, his successes, and his well-being. There is a tacit comparison of the upright person’s righteousness to God’s (they both endure forever: see Ps 111:3b). Some scholars translate the word “righteousness” as “generosity,” claiming that the original meaning of the Hebrew word in a later period of the language also acquired the meaning of “liberality, almsgiving” (see Sir 3:30; 7:10; Mt 6:1f).
Psalm 112:4 The goodness of the righteous man overflows to others. He acts in the same way as God does (see Ps 111:4b). This is brought out more clearly by the older Catholic rendition: “He dawns through the darkness, a light for the upright; / he is gracious and compassionate and righteous.”
Psalm 112:5 Future bodes well: i.e., well-being and prosperity await him (see Ps 34:9-15). Good is also the quality of the righteous man. He is good in that he is generous (see Pss 34:9-11; 37:21). Just as all the Lord’s works are “faithful and right” (see Ps 111:7), so the upright man conducts his affairs with justice.
Psalm 112:6 The righteous man observes the commandments of God that are “established forever and ever” (Ps 111:8); hence “he will never be swayed” (Ps 112:6) and has no fear (v. 7), for his heart is tranquil (v. 8). His trust is in the Lord in spite of bad news, reasons to be afraid, or problems with others (vv. 7-8).
Psalm 112:9 As God’s name is held in holy awe (see Ps 111:9), so the righteous will be held in honor. Paul uses this verse to support the principle that “if you sow generously, you will reap generously as well” (2 Cor 9:6, 9). Horn: here symbolizes dignity.

Psalm 112:10

¹⁰The wicked will be furious when he sees this,
gnashing his teeth and pining away;
the desires of the wicked will be fruitless.^[a]

Isaiah 29:13-16

¹³^[a]Then the Lord said:
    Because this people draws near to me
    only with their words
and honors me only with their lips
    while their hearts are far from me,
and their reverence for me has become
    nothing but a human commandment
    that has been memorized,
¹⁴therefore, I will continue to deal with this people
    in shocking and amazing ways.
The wisdom of their wise men will perish,
    and the understanding of their discerning men will cease.
¹⁵Woe to those who go to extreme measures
    to conceal their plans from the Lord,
who perpetrate their evil deeds in the dark,
    saying, “Who sees us? Who knows where we are?”
¹⁶Such people are truly perverse.
    Is the potter no better than the clay?
Can what is made say of its maker,
    “He did not make me”?
Can a pot say of the potter,
    “He really has no particular skill”?

Mark 7:1-8

Chapter 7

Traditions That Falsify the Law of God.^[a] ¹When the Pharisees, along with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around Jesus, ²they noted that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. ³For the Pharisees, and in fact all Jews, do not eat without thoroughly washing their hands, thereby observing the tradition of the elders. ⁴And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without first washing. In addition, there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and jugs and bronze kettles and tables.^[b]

⁵Therefore, the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but eat with unclean hands?” ⁶He answered, “How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
⁷in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸You thrust aside the commandment of God in order to preserve the traditions of men.”^[c]

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

Prev Day

Top

Next Day

Use the calendar to view readings from this devotional.

Log in to read this devotional and:

Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 112[a]

The Blessings of the Righteous

Footnotes

Footnotes

Footnotes

Chapter 7

Footnotes

Psalm 112^[a]