[Propertalk] READINGS for CHRISTMAS DAY III

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for Christmas Day, Proper III, according to 
the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, 
and the Church of England (Common Worship) lectionaries. All readings are 
taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless 
noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical 
to the RCL for this day. The Canadian BAS allows any of the three propers to 
be used at any time on Christmas Day.

The Christmas Day readings for the Roman Catholic lectionary correspond to 
the Proper III readings, except as noted.


OLD TESTAMENT:  Isaiah 52: 7 - 10   (all)

Isai 52:7 (NRSV) 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   (RCL)
Psalm 98: 1 - 6   (Roman Catholic)

Psal 98:1 (NRSV) O sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm
have gotten 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.


NEW TESTAMENT:  Hebrews 1: 1 - 4 (5 - 12)   (RCL)
                                     Hebrews 1: 1 - 12   (Canadian BAS)
                                     Hebrews 1: 1 - 6   (Roman Catholic)

Hebr 1:1 (NRSV) Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways 
by the prophets, 2 but 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. 3 
He 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, 
4 having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is 
more excellent than theirs.
5 For 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"?
6 And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says,
"Let all God's angels worship him."
7 Of the angels he says,
"He makes his angels winds,
and his servants flames of fire."
8 But 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."
10 And,
"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 (RCL)
                    John 1: 1 - 5 (6 - 8) 9 - 14 (15 - 18)   (Roman 
Catholic)

John 1:1 (NRSV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 
and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came 
into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What 
has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all 
people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not 
overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness 
to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself 
was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, 
which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the 
world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know 
him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 
12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to 
become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the 
flesh or of the will of man, but of God.
14 And 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. 15 (John 
testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, "He who comes 
after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") 16 From his fullness 
we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through 
Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen 
God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has 
made him known.