Sunday, December 26, 2021
Liturgical Season: 
II The Season of Yaldo-Denho
Special Significance: 
I Sunday after Yaldo
Exaltation of Mary, the Mother of God
Bible Sunday

Mt 2:19-23

The Return from Egypt. 19When Herod had died, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20and said,f “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child’s life are dead.”* 21He rose, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod,* he was afraid to go back there. And because he had been warned in a dream, he departed for the region of Galilee. 23* g He went and dwelt in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, “He shall be called a Nazorean.”

Gen 21:8-14

The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great banquet on the day of the child’s weaning.

Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac; so she demanded of Abraham: “Drive out that slave and her son! No son of that slave is going to share the inheritance with my son Isaac!” Abraham was greatly distressed because it concerned a son of his. But God said to Abraham: Do not be distressed about the boy or about your slave woman. Obey Sarah, no matter what she asks of you; for it is through Isaac that descendants will bear your name. As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also, since he too is your offspring.

Early the next morning Abraham got some bread and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. Then, placing the child on her back, he sent her away. As she roamed aimlessly in the wilderness of Beer-sheba,

Judg 13:24-14:4

The woman bore a son and named him Samson, and when the boy grew up the LORD blessed him. The spirit of the LORD came upon him for the first timeh in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol. Samson went down to Timnah where he saw one of the Philistine women. On his return he told his father and mother, "I saw in Timnah a woman, a Philistine. Get her for me as a wife." His father and mother said to him, "Is there no woman among your kinsfolk or among all your people, that you must go and take a woman from the uncircumcised Philistines?" But Samson answered his father, "Get her for me, for she is the one I want." Now his father and mother did not know that this had been brought about by the LORD, who was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines; for at that time they ruled over Israel.

Ps 122:1-9

1A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the LORD.”a

2And now our feet are standing

within your gates, Jerusalem.

3Jerusalem, built as a city,

walled round about.*b

4There the tribes go up,

the tribes of the LORD,

As it was decreed for Israel,

to give thanks to the name of the LORD.c

5There are the thrones of justice,

the thrones of the house of David.

6For the peace of Jerusalem pray:

“May those who love you prosper!

7May peace be within your ramparts,

prosperity within your towers.”d

8For the sake of my brothers and friends I say,

“Peace be with you.”e

9For the sake of the house of the LORD, our God,

I pray for your good.

Zech 8:3-12

Thus says the LORD:

I have returned to Zion,

and I will dwell within Jerusalem;

Jerusalem will be called the faithful city,

and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

Old men and old women will again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of old age. The city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

Even if this should seem impossible in the eyes of the remnant of this people in those days, should it seem impossible in my eyes also?—oracle of the LORD of hosts.

Thus says the LORD of hosts:

I am going to rescue my people from the land of the rising sun, and from the land of the setting sun. I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem. They

Heb 3:1-6

Jesus, Superior to Moses.* 1Therefore, holy “brothers,” sharing in a heavenly calling, reflect on Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2who was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was “faithful in [all] his house.”a 3But he is worthy of more “glory” than Moses, as the founder of a house has more “honor” than the house itself.b 4Every house is founded by someone, but the founder of all is God. 5Moses was “faithful in all his house” as a “servant” to testify to what would be spoken, 6* c but Christ was faithful as a son placed over his house. We are his house, if [only] we hold fast to our confidence and pride in our hope.