The Daily Lectionary for Wednesday, March 22, 2023

 

The Daily Lectionary
Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Psalm 146; Isaiah 60:17-22; Matthew 9:27-34
(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 60:17-22
God our light

17 Instead of bronze I will bring you gold,
      and silver in place of iron.
   Instead of wood I will bring you bronze,
      and iron in place of stones.
   I will make peace your governor
      and well-being your ruler.
18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,
      nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
   but you will call your walls Salvation
      and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
      nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
   for the Lord will be your everlasting light,
      and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again,
      and your moon will wane no more;
   the Lord will be your everlasting light,
      and your days of sorrow will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous
      and they will possess the land forever.
   They are the shoot I have planted,
      the work of my hands,
      for the display of my splendor.
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
      the smallest a mighty nation.
   I am the Lord;
      in its time I will do this swiftly.”

Matthew 9:27-34
Jesus heals the blind

9:27 As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!”

28 When he had gone indoors, the blind men came to him, and he asked them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord,” they replied.

29 Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith let it be done to you”; 30 and their sight was restored. Jesus warned them sternly, “See that no one knows about this.” 31 But they went out and spread the news about him all over that region.

32 While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. 33 And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, “Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.”

34 But the Pharisees said, “It is by the prince of demons that he drives out demons.”

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 Wednesday, March 22, 2023
Psalm 146; Isaiah 60:17-22; Matthew 9:27-34