The following are the readings for the First Sunday after Christmas, Dec. 26, 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 Canadian and C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day. Note that the ECUSA RCL lectionary does not use the RCL readings for this day, but retains the traditional ECUSA readings.

The readings are posted on our web site: http://satucket.com/lectionary, in RTF format, which can be read by all word processors.

OLD TESTAMENT: 1 Samuel 2: 18 - 20, 26 (RCL)

1Sam 2:18 (NRSV) Samuel was ministering before the LORD, a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19 His mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 Then E'li would bless Elka'nah and his wife, and say, "May the LORD repay you with children by this woman for the gift that she made to the LORD"; and then they would return to their home.

26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and with the people.

Isaiah 61: 10 - 62: 3 (ECUSA)

Isai 61:10 (NRSV) I will greatly rejoice in the LORD,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the earth brings forth its shoots,
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.
62:1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 

Sirach (Ecclesiasticus) 3: 3 - 7, 14 - 17a (Roman Catholic) 

3:3 (NRSV) Those who honor their father atone for sins,
4 and those who respect their mother are like those who lay up treasure.
5 Those who honor their father will have joy in their own children,
and when they pray they will be heard.
6 Those who respect their father will have long life,
and those who honor their mother obey the Lord;
7 they will serve their parents as their masters. 

14 For kindness to a father will not be forgotten,
and will be credited to you against your sins;
15 in the day of your distress it will be remembered in your favor;
like frost in fair weather, your sins will melt away.
16 Whoever forsakes a father is like a blasphemer,
and whoever angers a mother is cursed by the Lord. 
Humility 
17 My child, perform your tasks with humility; 
then you will be loved by those whom God accepts. 

PSALM 148 (RCL) 

Psal 148:1 (NRSV) Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 
7 Praise the LORD from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the LORD!

147   Laudate Dominum   (ECUSA BCP)
 
1  	Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God! *
 how pleasant it is to honor him with praise!
 
2  	The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; *
 he gathers the exiles of Israel.
 
3  	He heals the brokenhearted *
 and binds up their wounds.
 
4  	He counts the number of the stars *
 and calls them all by their names.
 
5  	Great is our Lord and mighty in power; *
 there is no limit to his wisdom.
 
6  	The Lord lifts up the lowly, *
 but casts the wicked to the ground.
 
7  	Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; *
 make music to our God upon the harp.
 
8  	He covers the heavens with clouds *
 and prepares rain for the earth;
 
9  	He makes grass to grow upon the mountains *
 and green plants to serve mankind.
 
10  He provides food for flocks and herds *
 and for the young ravens when they cry.
 
11  He is not impressed by the might of a horse; *
 he has no pleasure in the strength of a man;
 
12  But the Lord has pleasure in those who fear him, *
 in those who await his gracious favor.

13  Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem; *
 praise your God, O Zion;
 
14  For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; *
 he has blessed your children within you.
 
15  He has established peace on your borders; *
 he satisfies you with the finest wheat.
 
16  He sends out his command to the earth, *
 and his word runs very swiftly.
 
17  He gives snow like wool; *
 he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
 
18  He scatters his hail like bread crumbs; *
 who can stand against his cold?
 
19  He sends forth his word and melts them; *
 he blows with his wind, and the waters flow.
 
20  He declares his word to Jacob, *
 his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
 
21  He has not done so to any other nation; *
 to them he has not revealed his judgments.
 Hallelujah!
 
Note: vs. 1-12 are optional 

Psalm 128: 1 - 5   (Roman Catholic) 

Psal 128:1 (NRSV) Happy is everyone who fears the LORD,
who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed
who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion.
May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
all the days of your life.

NEW TESTAMENT: Colossians 3: 12 - 17 (RCL) 
                                    Colossians 3: 12 - 17 (18 - 21)   (Roman Catholic) 

Colo 3:12 (NRSV) As God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 
18 Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. 19 Husbands, love your wives and never treat them harshly. 
20 Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is your acceptable duty in the Lord. 21 Fathers, do not provoke your children, or they may lose heart. 

Galatians 3: 23 - 25, 4: 4 - 7 (ECUSA) 

Gala 3:23 (NRSV) Now before faith came, we were imprisoned and guarded under the law until faith would be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our disciplinarian until Christ came, so that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer subject to a disciplinarian, 

4:4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children. 6 And because you are children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" 7 So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God. 

GOSPEL: Luke 2: 41 - 52 (RCL) 

Luke 2:41 (NRSV) Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 
52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. 

John 1: 1 - 18   (ECUSA) 

John 1:1 (NRSV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 
6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 
10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 
14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, "He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' ") 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known. 

Matthew 2: 13 - 15, 19 - 23   (Roman Catholic)

Matt 2:13 (NRSV) Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." 14 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, 15 and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son." 

19 When Herod died, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, 20 "Get up, take the child and his mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were seeking the child's life are dead." 21 Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was ruling over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And after being warned in a dream, he went away to the district of Galilee. 23 There he made his home in a town called Nazareth, so that what had been spoken through the prophets might be fulfilled, "He will be called a Nazorean."