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<DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>The following are the readings for the Feast of the
Epiphany, Jan. 6, 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.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV><FONT size=2 face=Arial>
<DIV><BR>OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 60: 1 - 6 (RCL, Roman
Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Isai 60:1 (NRSV) Arise, shine; for your light has come, <BR>and the glory
of the LORD has risen upon you. <BR>2 For darkness shall cover the earth,
<BR>and thick darkness the peoples; <BR>but the LORD will arise upon you,
<BR>and his glory will appear over you. <BR>3 Nations shall come to your light,
<BR>and kings to the brightness of your dawn. <BR>4 Lift up your eyes and look
around; <BR>they all gather together, they come to you; <BR>your sons shall come
from far away, <BR>and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses' arms.
<BR>5 Then you shall see and be radiant; <BR>your heart shall thrill and
rejoice, <BR>because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you, <BR>the
wealth of the nations shall come to you. <BR>6 A multitude of camels shall cover
you, <BR>the young camels of Mid'ian and E'phah; <BR>all those from She'ba shall
come. <BR>They shall bring gold and frankincense, <BR>and shall proclaim the
praise of the LORD. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>PSALM 72: 1 - 7, 10 - 14 (RCL)<BR>Psalm 72: 1 - 2, 7 - 8,
10 - 13 (Roman Catholic)<BR>Psalm 72: (1 - 9) 10 - 15 (C
of E)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Psal 72:1 (NRSV) Give the king your justice, O God, <BR>and your
righteousness to a king's son. <BR>2 May he judge your people with
righteousness, <BR>and your poor with justice. <BR>3 May the mountains yield
prosperity for the people, <BR>and the hills, in righteousness. <BR>4 May he
defend the cause of the poor of the people, <BR>give deliverance to the needy,
<BR>and crush the oppressor. <BR>5 May he live while the sun endures, <BR>and as
long as the moon, throughout all generations. <BR>6 May he be like rain that
falls on the mown grass, <BR>like showers that water the earth. <BR>7 In his
days may righteousness flourish <BR>and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
<BR>8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, <BR>and from the River to the ends
of the earth. <BR>9 May his foes bow down before him, <BR>and his enemies lick
the dust. <BR>10 May the kings of Tar'shish and of the isles <BR>render him
tribute, <BR>may the kings of She'ba and Se'ba <BR>bring gifts. <BR>11 May all
kings fall down before him, <BR>all nations give him service. <BR>12 For he
delivers the needy when they call, <BR>the poor and those who have no helper.
<BR>13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, <BR>and saves the lives of the
needy. <BR>14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; <BR>and
precious is their blood in his sight. <BR>15 Long may he live! <BR>May gold of
She'ba be given to him. <BR>May prayer be made for him continually, <BR>and
blessings invoked for him all day long. <BR>16 May there be abundance of grain
in the land; <BR>may it wave on the tops of the mountains; <BR>may its fruit be
like Lebanon; <BR>and may people blossom in the cities <BR>like the grass of the
field. <BR>17 May his name endure forever, <BR>his fame continue as long as the
sun. <BR>May all nations be blessed in him; <BR>may they pronounce him happy.
<BR>18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, <BR>who alone does wondrous
things. <BR>19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; <BR>may his glory fill the
whole earth. <BR>Amen and Amen. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>72 Deus, judicium (ECUSA
BCP)<BR> <BR>1 Give the King your justice, O God,
*<BR> and your righteousness to the King's son;<BR> <BR>2
That he may rule your people righteously *<BR> and the poor with
justice.<BR> <BR>3 That the mountains may bring prosperity to
the people, *<BR> and the little hills bring
righteousness.<BR> <BR>4 He shall defend the needy among the
people; *<BR> he shall rescue the poor and crush the
oppressor.<BR> <BR>5 He shall live as long as the sun and moon
endure, *<BR> from one generation to another.<BR> <BR>6 He
shall come down like rain upon the mown field, *<BR> like showers that
water the earth.<BR> <BR>7 In his time shall the righteous
flourish; *<BR> there shall be abundance of peace till the moon
shall<BR> be no more.<BR> <BR>10 The kings of Tarshish and of
the isles shall pay tribute, *<BR> and the kings of Arabia and Saba offer
gifts.<BR> <BR>11 All kings shall bow down before him, *<BR> and
all the nations do him service.<BR> <BR>12 For he shall deliver the
poor who cries out in distress, *<BR> and the oppressed who has no
helper.<BR> <BR>13 He shall have pity on the lowly and poor;
*<BR> he shall preserve the lives of the needy.<BR> <BR>14 He
shall redeem their lives from oppression and violence, *<BR> and dear shall
their blood be in his sight.<BR> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>NEW TESTAMENT: Ephesians 3: 1 - 12
(RCL)<BR>
Ephesians 3: 2 - 3a, 5 - 6 (Roman Catholic)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Ephe 3:1 (NRSV) This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ
Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- 2 for surely you have already heard of the
commission of God's grace that was given me for you, 3 and how the mystery was
made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, 4 a reading of
which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. 5
In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has
now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: 6 that is,
the Gentiles have become fellow heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in
the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. <BR>7 Of this gospel I have
become a servant according to the gift of God's grace that was given me by the
working of his power. 8 Although I am the very least of all the saints, this
grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches
of Christ, 9 and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for
ages in God who created all things; 10 so that through the church the wisdom of
God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in
the heavenly places. 11 This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he
has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have access to God in
boldness and confidence through faith in him. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><BR>GOSPEL: Matthew 2: 1 - 12 (all)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Matt 2:1 (NRSV) In the time of King Her'od, after Jesus was born in
Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2 asking, "Where
is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its
rising, and have come to pay him homage." 3 When King Her'od heard this, he was
frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 4 and calling together all the chief
priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to
be born. 5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by
the prophet: <BR>6 "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, <BR>are by no
means least among the rulers of Judah; <BR>for from you shall come a ruler
<BR>who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" <BR>7 Then Her'od secretly called for
the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 8
Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child;
and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him
homage." 9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them,
went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place
where the child was. 10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were
overwhelmed with joy. 11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his
mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure
chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 And having
been warned in a dream not to return to Her'od, they left for their own country
by another road.<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>