Daily Readings

Hannah rose after a meal at Shiloh,and presented herself before the LORD;at the time, Eli the priest was sitting on a chairnear the doorpost of the LORD’s temple.In her bitterness she prayed to the LORD, weeping copiously,and she made a vow, promising: “O LORD of hosts,if you look with pity on the misery of your handmaid,if you remember me and do not forget me,if you give your handmaid a male child,I will give him to the LORD for as long as he lives;neither wine nor liquor shall he drink,and no razor shall ever touch his head.”As she remained long at prayer before the LORD,Eli watched her mouth, for Hannah was praying silently;though her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard.Eli, thinking her drunk, said to her,“How long will you make a drunken show of yourself?Sober up from your wine!”“It isn’t that, my lord,” Hannah answered.“I am an unhappy woman.I have had neither wine nor liquor;I was only pouring out my troubles to the LORD.Do not think your handmaid a ne’er-do-well;my prayer has been prompted by my deep sorrow and misery.”Eli said, “Go in peace,and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.”She replied, “Think kindly of your maidservant,” and left.She went to her quarters, ate and drank with her husband,and no longer appeared downcast.Early the next morning they worshiped before the LORD,and then returned to their home in Ramah.When Elkanah had relations with his wife Hannah,the LORD remembered her. She conceived, and at the end of her term bore a sonwhom she called Samuel, since she had asked the LORD for him.

R.        (see 1) My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“My heart exults in the LORD,            my horn is exalted in my God.I have swallowed up my enemies;            I rejoice in my victory.”R.        My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“The bows of the mighty are broken,            while the tottering gird on strength.The well-fed hire themselves out for bread,            while the hungry batten on spoil.The barren wife bears seven sons,            while the mother of many languishes.”R.        My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“The LORD puts to death and gives life;            he casts down to the nether world;            he raises up again.The LORD makes poor and makes rich;            he humbles, he also exalts.”R.        My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.“He raises the needy from the dust;            from the dung heap he lifts up the poor,To seat them with nobles            and make a glorious throne their heritage.”R.        My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.Receive the word of God, not as the word of men,but as it truly is, the word of God.R. Alleluia, alleluia. 

Jesus came to Capernaum with his followers, and on the sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught.The people were astonished at his teaching,for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes.In their synagogue was a man with an unclean spirit;he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?Have you come to destroy us?I know who you are–the Holy One of God!” Jesus rebuked him and said, “Quiet!  Come out of him!”The unclean spirit convulsed him and with a loud cry came out of him.All were amazed and asked one another, “What is this?A new teaching with authority.He commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him.”His fame spread everywhere throughout the whole region of Galilee.

There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his cityto worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,were ministering as priests of the LORD.When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnahand to all her sons and daughters,but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,though the LORD had made her barren.Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to herthat the LORD had left her barren.This went on year after year;each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,Peninnah would approach her,and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.Her husband Elkanah used to ask her: “Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?Why do you grieve?Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

R.        (17a)  To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.or:R.        Alleluia.How shall I make a return to the LORD            for all the good he has done for me?The cup of salvation I will take up,            and I will call upon the name of the LORD. R.        To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.or:R.        Alleluia.My vows to the LORD I will pay            in the presence of all his people. Precious in the eyes of the LORD            is the death of his faithful ones.O LORD, I am your servant;            I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;            you have loosed my bonds.R.        To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.or:R.        Alleluia.My vows to the LORD I will pay            in the presence of all his people,In the courts of the house of the LORD,            in your midst, O Jerusalem.R.        To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.or:R.        Alleluia.

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The Kingdom of God is at hand;repent and believe in the Gospel.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

After John had been arrested,Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God:“This is the time of fulfillment.The Kingdom of God is at hand.Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;they were fishermen.Jesus said to them,“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”Then they left their nets and followed him.He walked along a little fartherand saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.They too were in a boat mending their nets.Then he called them.So they left their father Zebedee in the boatalong with the hired men and followed him. 

Thus says the LORD:Here is my servant whom I uphold,my chosen one with whom I am pleased,upon whom I have put my spirit;he shall bring forth justice to the nations,not crying out, not shouting,not making his voice heard in the street.a bruised reed he shall not break,and a smoldering wick he shall not quench,until he establishes justice on the earth;the coastlands will wait for his teaching.

I, the LORD, have called you for the victory of justice,I have grasped you by the hand;I formed you, and set youas a covenant of the people,a light for the nations,to open the eyes of the blind,to bring out prisoners from confinement,and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.

R. (11b)  The Lord will bless his people with peace.Give to the LORD, you sons of God,    give to the LORD glory and praise,Give to the LORD the glory due his name;    adore the LORD in holy attire.R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.The voice of the LORD is over the waters,    the LORD, over vast waters.The voice of the LORD is mighty;    the voice of the LORD is majestic. R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.The God of glory thunders,    and in his temple all say, “Glory!”The LORD is enthroned above the flood;    the LORD is enthroned as king forever.R. The Lord will bless his people with peace.

Peter proceeded to speak to those gatheredin the house of Cornelius, saying: “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality.Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightlyis acceptable to him.You know the word that he sent to the Israelites as he proclaimed peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all, what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptismthat John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazarethwith the Holy Spirit and power.He went about doing good and healing all those oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

R. Alleluia, alleluia.The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered:This is my beloved Son, listen to him.R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordanto be baptized by him.John tried to prevent him, saying,“I need to be baptized by you,and yet you are coming to me?”Jesus said to him in reply,“Allow it now, for thus it is fitting for usto fulfill all righteousness.”Then he allowed him.After Jesus was baptized,he came up from the water and behold,the heavens were opened for him,and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a doveand coming upon him.And a voice came from the heavens, saying,“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”