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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The following are the readings for Holy Name
(formerly The Circumcision), Jan. 1, according to the Revised Common (RCL),
Episcopal (ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian (Canadian BAS) and Church of England
(Common Worship) Lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised
Standard Version (NRSV) of the Bible. The ECUSA, Canadian and C of E
lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Note that this day is called the "Solemnity of the
Blessed Virgin Mary" in the Roman Catholic lectionary.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>OLD TESTAMENT: Numbers 6: 22-27 (RCL,
Roman Catholic)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>Numb 6:22 (NRSV) The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
23 Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the Israelites: You
shall say to them, <BR>24 The LORD bless you and keep you; <BR>25 the LORD make
his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; <BR>26 the LORD lift up his
countenance upon you, and give you peace. <BR>27 So they shall put my name on
the Israelites, and I will bless them. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><BR>PSALM 8 (RCL)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 8:1 (NRSV) O LORD, our Sovereign, <BR>how majestic is your name in all
the earth! <BR>You have set your glory above the heavens. <BR>2 Out of the
mouths of babes and infants <BR>you have founded a bulwark because of your foes,
<BR>to silence the enemy and the avenger. <BR>3 When I look at your heavens, the
work of your fingers, <BR>the moon and the stars that you have established;
<BR>4 what are human beings that you are mindful of them, <BR>mortals that you
care for them? <BR>5 Yet you have made them a little lower than God, <BR>and
crowned them with glory and honor. <BR>6 You have given them dominion over the
works of your hands; <BR>you have put all things under their feet, <BR>7 all
sheep and oxen, <BR>and also the beasts of the field, <BR>8 the birds of the
air, and the fish of the sea, <BR>whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
<BR>9 O LORD, our Sovereign, <BR>how majestic is your name in all the earth!
</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Psalm 67 (Can. BAS)<BR>Psalm 67: 1 - 2, 4 - 5, 7
(Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 67:1 (NRSV) {To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A
Song.} May God be gracious to us and bless us <BR>and make his face to shine
upon us, [Selah] <BR>2 that your way may be known upon earth, <BR>your saving
power among all nations. <BR>3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; <BR>let all
the peoples praise you. <BR>4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, <BR>for
you judge the peoples with equity <BR>and guide the nations upon earth. [Selah]
<BR>5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; <BR>let all the peoples praise you.
<BR>6 The earth has yielded its increase; <BR>God, our God, has blessed us.
<BR>7 May God continue to bless us; <BR>let all the ends of the earth revere
him. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Note: Verse numbering in Roman Catholic bibles is one higher than the
above.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>NEW TESTAMENT: Galatians 4: 4 - 7 (RCL, Roman
Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Gala 4:4 (NRSV) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son,
born of a woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under
the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are
children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba!
Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an
heir, through God. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>Philippians 2: 5 - 11 (alt. for RCL)<BR>Philippians 2: 9 -
13 (Can. BAS)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Phil 2:1 (NRSV) If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any
consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2
make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full
accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in
humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to
your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in
you that was in Christ Jesus, <BR>6 who, though he was in the form of God,
<BR>did not regard equality with God <BR>as something to be exploited, <BR>7 but
emptied himself, <BR>taking the form of a slave, <BR>being born in human
likeness. <BR>And being found in human form, <BR>8 he humbled himself <BR>and
became obedient to the point of death-- <BR>even death on a cross. <BR>9
Therefore God also highly exalted him <BR>and gave him the name <BR>that is
above every name, <BR>10 so that at the name of Jesus <BR>every knee should
bend, <BR>in heaven and on earth and under the earth, <BR>11 and every tongue
should confess <BR>that Jesus Christ is Lord, <BR>to the glory of God the
Father. <BR>12 Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed me, not
only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who is at work in you,
enabling you both to will and to work for his good pleasure. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Note: This is not an alternative for the C of E; the Canadian RCL
lectionary omits vs. 12 & 13.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>GOSPEL: Luke 2: 15 - 21
(RCL)<BR>
Luke 2: 16 - 21 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Luke 2:15 (NRSV) When 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." 16 So they went with
haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. 17 When they
saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; 18 and all
who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured
all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told
them. <BR>21 After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the child;
and he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in
the womb. <BR></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Chad Wohlers<BR>Woodbury, Vermont USA<BR><A
href="mailto:chadwohl@satucket.com">chadwohl@satucket.com</A><BR><A
href="mailto:cwohlers@bridgew.edu">cwohlers@bridgew.edu</A><BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>