Sunday, December 31, 2023
Liturgical Season: 
Special Significance: 
I Sunday after Yaldo

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.”

Gn 21:8-14

8The child grew and was weaned, and Abraham held a great banquet on the day of the child’s weaning.

9Sarah noticed the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham playing with her son Isaac; 10so 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!”f 11Abraham was greatly distressed because it concerned a son of his.* 12But 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.g 13As for the son of the slave woman, I will make a nation of him also,* since he too is your offspring.

14Early 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,

Jgs 13:24-14:4

24The woman bore a son and named him Samson, and when the boy grew up the LORD blessed him.
25The spirit of the LORD came upon him for the first timeh in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Marriage of Samson.
1Samson went down to Timnah where he saw one of the Philistine women.
2On his return he told his father and mother, “I saw in Timnah a woman, a Philistine. Get her for me as a wife.”
3 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.”
4 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.

Zec 8:3-12

3Thus says the LORD:

I have returned to Zion,

and I will dwell within Jerusalem;

Jerusalem will be called the faithful city,* b

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

4Thus 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.c 5The city will be filled with boys and girls playing in its streets.

6Thus 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?d—oracle of the LORD of hosts.

7Thus 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. 8I will bring them back to dwell within Jerusalem. They will be my people, and I will be their God,e in faithfulness and justice.

9Thus says the LORD of hosts:

Let your hands be strong, you who now hear these words which were spoken by the prophets when the foundation of the house of the LORD of hosts was laid* for the building of the temple.f 10For before those days, there were no wages for people, nor hire for animals. Those who came and went were not safe from the enemy, for I set neighbor against neighbor. 11But now I will not deal with the remnant of this people as in former days—oracle of the LORD of hosts.

12For there will be a sowing of peace:

the vine will yield its fruit,

the land will yield its crops,

and the heavens* will yield their dew.

I will give all these things to the remnant of this people to possess.

1 Pt 5:5-11

Advice to the Community.* 5Likewise, you younger members,* be subject to the presbyters. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for:

“God opposes the proud

but bestows favor on the humble.”c

6So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.d 7Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.e

8Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour.f 9Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings. 10The God of all grace who called you to his eternal glory through Christ [Jesus] will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you after you have suffered a little.g 11To him be dominion forever. Amen.

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.

Lk 2:41-52

The Boy Jesus in the Temple.* 41Each year his parents went to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover,p 42and when he was twelve years old, they went up according to festival custom. 43After they had completed its days, as they were returning, the boy Jesus remained behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 44Thinking that he was in the caravan, they journeyed for a day and looked for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45but not finding him, they returned to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions, 47and all who heard him were astounded at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished, and his mother said to him, “Son, why have you done this to us? Your father and I have been looking for you with great anxiety.” 49And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”* 50But they did not understand what he said to them. 51He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them; and his mother kept all these things in her heart.q 52And Jesus advanced [in] wisdom and age and favor before God and man.r