Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
24 [a]How countless are your works, O Lord;
by your wisdom you have made them all;
the earth abounds with your creatures.
25 There is the sea, vast and broad,
filled with numberless species,
living creatures both great and small.
26 There the ships sail forth,
and the Leviathan[b] that you formed to play therein.
27 [c]All of them look to you
to give them their food at the appropriate time.[d]
28 [e]When you provide it for them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are filled with good things.
29 When you turn away your face,[f]
they are dismayed;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.
30 When you send forth your Spirit,[g]
they are created,
and you renew the face of the earth.
31 [h]May the glory of the Lord abide forever,
and may the Lord rejoice in his works.[i]
32 When he looks at the earth, it quakes;
when he touches the mountains, they smoke.[j]
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;[k]
I will sing praise to my God while I have life.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
for I find my joy in the Lord.
35 May sinners be banished from the earth,
and may the wicked no longer exist.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.[a]
Alleluia.
Stories of Elisha and Joram
Chapter 2
Elijah Is Taken to Heaven.[a] 1 Elijah and Elisha were traveling from Gilgal when the Lord was about to take Elijah into heaven in a whirlwind. 2 Elijah said to Elisha, “Wait here, for the Lord has sent me to Bethel.” But Elisha answered, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel.
3 The sons of the prophets came forth from Bethel to Elisha and they said to him, “Do you know that today is the day that the Lord is going to take away your master who is over you?” Elisha answered, “Yes, I know it. Be quiet!”
4 Elijah then said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he answered, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5 The sons of the prophets in Jericho came to Elisha and said, “Do you know that today is the day that the Lord is going to take away your master who is over you?” He answered, “Yes, I know. Be quiet!”
6 Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” He answered, “As the Lord lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on.
7 Now fifty of the sons of the prophets went out and watched from a distance as the two of them stood at the Jordan. 8 Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up. He struck the waters with it, and they split apart, so the two of them crossed over on dry ground.
Elisha Succeeds Elijah. 9 After they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask me for whatever you want before I am taken away.” Elisha said, “Let me please have a double portion[b] of your spirit.” 10 He answered, “You have asked for something that is difficult. If you see me taken away from you, then it will be yours. If not, then it will not be so.”
11 As they were walking along talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them, and Elijah went up into the heavens in a whirlwind. 12 Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariot and horsemen of Israel!” And then he could not see him anymore. He took hold of his clothes and tore them apart.[c]
13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen off of him, and he went back and stood by the banks of the Jordan. 14 He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen off of him, and he struck the waters and said, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When Elisha struck the waters, they split apart and he crossed over.
15 The sons of the prophets from Jericho who had been watching said, “The spirit of Elijah has come to rest upon Elisha.” They came out to meet him, and they bowed down to the ground before him.
The Infancy Narrative[a]
Announcement of the Birth of John.[b] At the time of the reign of King Herod of Judea,[c] there was a priest named Zechariah, a member of the priestly order of Abijah. His wife Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. 6 Both of them were righteous in the eyes of God, observing blamelessly all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years.8 On one occasion, when his division was on duty and he was exercising his priestly office before God, 9 he was designated by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and offer incense.[d] 10 At the hour of the offering of incense, all the people were outside, praying. 11 Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing to the right of the altar of incense.
12 When Zechariah beheld him, he was terrified and overcome with fear. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear for you a son, and you shall name him John. 14 He will be a source of joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
“He will never imbibe wine or any strong drink. Even when he is still in his mother’s womb, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, 16 and he will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 With the spirit and power of Elijah he will go before him, to reconcile fathers with their children and to convert the disobedient to the ways of the righteous, so that a prepared people might be made ready for the Lord.”
Copyright © 2019 by Catholic Book Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.