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Daily Readings For May 24

Please note that two distinct lectionaries are provided on this page: the two-year Daily Lectionary from the Book of Common Worship and the three-year Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for Sundays and festivals; be sure you select the appropriate one.

Daily Readings Sunday/Festival Readings

Daily Readings for Friday, May 24, 2024


Morning Psalm 51

1   Have mercy on me, O God,
          according to your steadfast love;
     according to your abundant mercy
          blot out my transgressions.
2   Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
          and cleanse me from my sin.


3   For I know my transgressions,
          and my sin is ever before me.
4   Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
          and done what is evil in your sight,
     so that you are justified in your sentence
          and blameless when you pass judgment.

5   Indeed, I was born guilty,
          a sinner when my mother conceived me.


6   You desire truth in the inward being;
          therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
7   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
          wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8   Let me hear joy and gladness;
          let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
9   Hide your face from my sins,
          and blot out all my iniquities.


10  Create in me a clean heart, O God,
          and put a new and right spirit within me.
11  Do not cast me away from your presence,
          and do not take your holy spirit from me.
12  Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
          and sustain in me a willing spirit.


13  Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
          and sinners will return to you.
14  Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
          O God of my salvation,
          and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.


15  O Lord, open my lips,
          and my mouth will declare your praise.
16  For you have no delight in sacrifice;
          if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
17  The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
          a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.


18  Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
          rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
19  then you will delight in right sacrifices,
          in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
          then bulls will be offered on your altar.

Morning Psalm 148

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise the Lord from the heavens;
          praise him in the heights!
2   Praise him, all his angels;
          praise him, all his host!


3   Praise him, sun and moon;
          praise him, all you shining stars!
4   Praise him, you highest heavens,
          and you waters above the heavens!


5   Let them praise the name of the Lord,
          for he commanded and they were created.
6   He established them forever and ever;
          he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.


7   Praise the Lord from the earth,
          you sea monsters and all deeps,
8   fire and hail, snow and frost,
          stormy wind fulfilling his command!


9   Mountains and all hills,
          fruit trees and all cedars!
10  Wild animals and all cattle,
          creeping things and flying birds!


11  Kings of the earth and all peoples,
          princes and all rulers of the earth!
12  Young men and women alike,
          old and young together!


13  Let them praise the name of the Lord,
          for his name alone is exalted;
          his glory is above earth and heaven.
14  He has raised up a horn for his people,
          praise for all his faithful,
          for the people of Israel who are close to him.
     Praise the Lord!

First Reading Proverbs 8:1-21

1Does not wisdom call,

and does not understanding raise her voice?

2On the heights, beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand;

3beside the gates in front of the town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries out:

4"To you, O people, I call,

and my cry is to all that live.

5Osimple ones, learn prudence;

acquire intelligence, you who lack it.

6Hear, for I will speak noble things,

and from my lips will come what is right;

7for my mouth will utter truth;

wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

8All the words of my mouth are righteous;

there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.

9They are all straight to one who understands

and right to those who find knowledge.

10Take my instruction instead of silver,

and knowledge rather than choice gold;

11for wisdom is better than jewels,

and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.

12I, wisdom, live with prudence,

and I attain knowledge and discretion.

13The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.

Pride and arrogance and the way of evil

and perverted speech I hate.

14I have good advice and sound wisdom;

I have insight, I have strength.

15By me kings reign,

and rulers decree what is just;

16by me rulers rule,

and nobles, all who govern rightly.

17I love those who love me,

and those who seek me diligently find me.

18Riches and honor are with me,

enduring wealth and prosperity.

19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,

and my yield than choice silver.

20I walk in the way of righteousness,

along the paths of justice,

21endowing with wealth those who love me,

and filling their treasuries."

Second Reading 2 John 1-13

1The elder to the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth, and not only I but also all who know the truth, 2because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us for ever:

3Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, in truth and love.

4I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we have been commanded by the Father. 5But now, dear lady, I ask you, not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but one we have had from the beginning, let us love one another. 6And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning — you must walk in it.

7Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh; any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist! 8Be on your guard, so that you do not lose what we have worked for, but may receive a full reward. 9Everyone who does not abide in the teaching of Christ, but goes beyond it, does not have God; whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10Do not receive into the house or welcome anyone who comes to you and does not bring this teaching; 11for to welcome is to participate in the evil deeds of such a person.

12Although I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink; instead I hope to come to you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete.

13The children of your elect sister send you their greetings.

Gospel Reading Matthew 12:1-14

1At that time Jesus went through the cornfields on the sabbath; his disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. 2When the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, "Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the sabbath." 3He said to them, "Have you not read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 4He entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him or his companions to eat, but only for the priests. 5Or have you not read in the law that on the sabbath the priests in the temple break the sabbath and yet are guiltless? 6I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. 7But if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. 8For the Son of Man is lord of the sabbath."

9He left that place and entered their synagogue; 10a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him. 11He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out? 12How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath." 13Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other. 14But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

Evening Psalm 142

1   With my voice I cry to the LORD;
          with my voice I make supplication to the LORD.
2   I pour out my complaint before him;
          I tell my trouble before him.
3   When my spirit is faint,
          you know my way.


     In the path where I walk
          they have hidden a trap for me.
4   Look on my right hand and see —
          there is no one who takes notice of me;
     no refuge remains to me;
          no one cares for me.


5   I cry to you, O LORD;
          I say, “You are my refuge,
          my portion in the land of the living.”
6   Give heed to my cry,
          for I am brought very low.


     Save me from my persecutors,
          for they are too strong for me.
7   Bring me out of prison,
          so that I may give thanks to your name.
     The righteous will surround me,
          for you will deal bountifully with me.

Evening Psalm 65

1   Praise is due to you,
          O God, in Zion;
     and to you shall vows be performed,
2        O you who answer prayer!
     To you all flesh shall come.
3   When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
          you forgive our transgressions.
4   Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
          to live in your courts.
     We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
          your holy temple.


5   By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
          O God of our salvation;
     you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
          and of the farthest seas.
6   By your strength you established the mountains;
          you are girded with might.
7   You silence the roaring of the seas,
          the roaring of their waves,
          the tumult of the peoples.
8   Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
          you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.


9   You visit the earth and water it,
          you greatly enrich it;
     the river of God is full of water;
          you provide the people with grain,
          for so you have prepared it.
10  You water its furrows abundantly,
          settling its ridges,
     softening it with showers,
          and blessing its growth.
11  You crown the year with your bounty;
          your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12  The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
          the hills gird themselves with joy,
13  the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
          the valleys deck themselves with grain,
          they shout and sing together for joy.