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Revised Common Lectionary

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

Revised Common Lectionary Readings for Wednesday, December 25, 2024, the Nativity of Jesus Christ (Year C)


Christmas: At Dawn

First Reading Isaiah 62:6-12

6   Upon your walls, O Jerusalem,
          I have posted sentinels;
     all day and all night
          they shall never be silent.
     You who remind the Lord,
          take no rest,
7   and give him no rest
          until he establishes Jerusalem
          and makes it renowned throughout the earth.
8   The Lord has sworn by his right hand
          and by his mighty arm:
     I will not again give your grain
          to be food for your enemies,
     and foreigners shall not drink the wine
          for which you have labored;
9   but those who garner it shall eat it
          and praise the Lord,
     and those who gather it shall drink it
          in my holy courts.

10  Go through, go through the gates,
          prepare the way for the people;
     build up, build up the highway,
          clear it of stones,
          lift up an ensign over the peoples.
11  The Lord has proclaimed
          to the end of the earth:
     Say to daughter Zion,
          “See, your salvation comes;
     his reward is with him,
          and his recompense before him.”
12  They shall be called, “The Holy People,
          The Redeemed of the Lord”;
     and you shall be called, “Sought Out,
          A City Not Forsaken.”

Psalm 97:1-12

1   The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
          let the many coastlands be glad!
2   Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
          righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3   Fire goes before him,
          and consumes his adversaries on every side.
4   His lightnings light up the world;
          the earth sees and trembles.
5   The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
          before the Lord of all the earth.

6   The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
          and all the peoples behold his glory.
7   All worshipers of images are put to shame,
          those who make their boast in worthless idols;
          all gods bow down before him.
8   Zion hears and is glad,
          and the towns of Judah rejoice,
          because of your judgements, O God.
9   For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth;
          you are exalted far above all gods.

10  The Lord loves those who hate evil;
          he guards the lives of his faithful;
          he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11  Light dawns for the righteous,
          and joy for the upright in heart.
12  Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous,
          and give thanks to his holy name!

Second Reading Titus 3:4-7

4But when the goodness and loving-kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. 6This Spirit he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Gospel Luke 2:(1-7) 8-20

1In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3All went to their own towns to be registered. 4Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. 5He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. 7And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see — I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying,
14  “Glory to God in the highest heaven,
          and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Christmas: Christmas Day

First Reading Isaiah 52:7-10

7   How beautiful upon the mountains
          are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
     who brings good news,
          who announces salvation,
          who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
8   Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices,
          together they sing for joy;
     for in plain sight they see
          the return of the LORD to Zion.
9   Break forth together into singing,
          you ruins of Jerusalem;
     for the LORD has comforted his people,
          he has redeemed Jerusalem.
10  The LORD has bared his holy arm
          before the eyes of all the nations;
     and all the ends of the earth shall see
          the salvation of our God.

Psalm 98:1-9

1   O sing to the LORD a new song,
          for he has done marvelous things.
     His right hand and his holy arm
          have gained him victory.
2   The LORD has made known his victory;
          he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3   He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
          to the house of Israel.
     All the ends of the earth have seen
          the victory of our God.

4   Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
          break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5   Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
          with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6   With trumpets and the sound of the horn
          make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.

7   Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
          the world and those who live in it.
8   Let the floods clap their hands;
          let the hills sing together for joy
9   at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming
          to judge the earth.
     He will judge the world with righteousness,
          and the peoples with equity.

Second Reading Hebrews 1:1-4 (5-12)

1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. 3He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

5For to which of the angels did God ever say,
     “You are my Son;
          today I have begotten you”?
Or again,
     “I will be his Father,
          and he will be my Son”?
6And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
     “Let all God’s angels worship him.”
7Of the angels he says,
     “He makes his angels winds,
          and his servants flames of fire.”
8But of the Son he says,
     “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
          and the righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.
9   You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
     therefore God, your God, has anointed you
          with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”
10And,
     “In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth,
          and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11  they will perish, but you remain;
          they will all wear out like clothing;
12  like a cloak you will roll them up,
          and like clothing they will be changed.
     But you are the same,
          and your years will never end.”

Gospel John 1:1-14

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.