The Daily Lectionary for Monday, March 20, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Monday, March 20, 2023
Psalm 146; Isaiah 59:9-19; Acts 9:1-20
(Revised Common Lectionary Year A)

A Psalm and A Prayer
Responsive Readings from the Psalms and Prayers
for Public Worship and Private Devotions
Psalm 146
God opens the eyes of the blind
Lauda, anima mea

1 Hallelujah!
    Praise the LORD, O my soul! *
I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

2 Put not your trust in rulers, nor in any child of earth, *
  for there is no help in them.

3 When they breathe their last, they return to earth, *
  and in that day their thoughts perish.

4 Happy are they who have the God of Jacob for their help! *
  whose hope is in the LORD their God;

5 Who made heaven and earth, the seas, and all that is in them;*
  who keeps his promise for ever;

6 Who gives justice to those who are oppressed, *
  and food to those who hunger.

7 The LORD sets the prisoners free;
    the LORD opens the eyes of the blind; *
  the LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;

8 The LORD loves the righteous;
    the LORD cares for the stranger; *
  he sustains the orphan and widow,
    but frustrates the way of the wicked.

9 The LORD shall reign for ever, *
  your God, O Zion, throughout all generations.

  Hallelujah!

Heavenly Father, today we gather to praise Your name together, as Your people. With one heart and mind in undivided loyalty to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, we seek to serve You. O Lord, we trust in You and rejoice that You hold our lives in Your hands. Help us to be faithful and righteous in all of our dealings with You and others as we trust and pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,

“Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen.”

Isaiah 59:9-19
The blindness of injustice

9 So justice is far from us,
     and righteousness does not reach us.
  We look for light, but all is darkness;
     for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.
10 Like the blind we grope along the wall,
      feeling our way like people without eyes.
   At midday we stumble as if it were twilight;
      among the strong, we are like the dead.
11 We all growl like bears;
      we moan mournfully like doves.
   We look for justice, but find none;
      for deliverance, but it is far away.

12 For our offenses are many in your sight,
      and our sins testify against us.
   Our offenses are ever with us,
      and we acknowledge our iniquities:
13 rebellion and treachery against the Lord,
      turning our backs on our God,
   inciting revolt and oppression,
      uttering lies our hearts have conceived.
14 So justice is driven back,
      and righteousness stands at a distance;
   truth has stumbled in the streets,
      honesty cannot enter.
15 Truth is nowhere to be found,
      and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.

   The Lord looked and was displeased
      that there was no justice.
16 He saw that there was no one,
      he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;
   so his own arm achieved salvation for him,
      and his own righteousness sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,
      and the helmet of salvation on his head;
   he put on the garments of vengeance
      and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
      so will he repay
   wrath to his enemies
      and retribution to his foes;
      he will repay the islands their due.
19 From the west, people will fear the name of the Lord,
      and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.
   For he will come like a pent-up flood
      that the breath of the Lord drives along.

Acts 9:1-20
Saul is baptized his sight restored

9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

“Yes, Lord,” he answered.

11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.

Optional parts of the readings are set off in [square brackets.]

The Bible texts of the Old Testament, Epistle, and Gospel lessons are from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Responsive Readings from the Common Book of Prayer (1789).

The Daily Lectionary is a three year cyclical lectionary. We are currently in Year A. Beginning with the first Sunday of Advent in 2023, we will be in Year B. The year which ended at Advent 2022 was Year A. These readings complement the Sunday and festival readings: Thursday through Saturday readings help prepare the reader for the Sunday ahead; Monday through Wednesday readings help the reader reflect and digest on what they heard in worship. Revised Common Lectionary Daily Readings, copyright © 2005 Consultation on Common Texts. www.commontexts.org
The Daily Lectionary for Monday, March 20, 2023
Psalm 146; Isaiah 59:9-19; Acts 9:1-20