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Each day includes a passage from both the Old Testament and New Testament.

Duration: 365 days

Psalm 113-115

The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118^[a]

Psalm 113^[b]

Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly

¹Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the Lord,^[c]
    praise the name of the Lord.
²^[d]Blessed be the name of the Lord
    now and forevermore.
³From the rising of the sun to its setting
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.
⁴^[e]High is the Lord over all the nations,
    and supreme over the heavens is his glory.
⁵Who is like the Lord, our God,
    the one who is enthroned on high
and who stoops down to look
⁶    on the heavens and the earth?
⁷^[f]He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the rubbish heap,
⁸seating them with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
⁹He settles the barren woman^[g] in a home
    and makes her the joyful mother of children.
Alleluia.

Psalm 114^[h]

The Lord’s Wonders at the Exodus

¹^[i]When Israel came out of Egypt,
    the house of Jacob from a people of alien tongue,
²Judah became God’s sanctuary
    and Israel his domain.
³^[j]The sea fled at the sight;
    the Jordan turned back.
⁴The mountains skipped like rams,
    the hills like lambs of the flock.
⁵^[k]What causes you to flee, O sea?
    Why, O Jordan, do you turn back?
⁶Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,
    and like lambs of the flock, O hills?
⁷^[l]Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
⁸who turns the rock into a pool of water,
    and flint into a flowing spring.

Psalm 115^[m]

Hymn to the Lord, the One God

¹^[n]Not to us,^[o] O Lord, not to us,
    but to your name give glory
    because of your kindness and faithfulness.
²Why should the nations ask,
    “Where is their God?”^[p]
³Our God is in heaven;
    he does whatever he pleases.^[q]
⁴Their idols are merely silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.^[r]
⁵They have mouths but they cannot speak;
    they have eyes but they cannot see.
⁶They have ears but they cannot hear;
    they have noses but they cannot smell.
⁷They have hands but they cannot feel;
    they have feet but they cannot walk;
    their throats can emit no sound.
⁸Those who make them end up like them,
    as do all who place their trust in them.
⁹^[s]The house of Israel trusts in the Lord;
    he is their help and their shield.
¹⁰The house of Aaron trusts in the Lord;
    he is their help and their shield.
¹¹Those who fear the Lord trust in the Lord;
    he is their help and their shield.
¹²^[t]The Lord will be mindful of us and bless us;
    he will bless the house of Israel;
    he will bless the house of Aaron.
¹³He will bless those who fear the Lord,
    the small no less than the great.^[u]
¹⁴^[v]May the Lord cause you to increase,
    both you and your children.
¹⁵May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.
¹⁶^[w]The heavens belong to the Lord,
    but he has given the earth to humanity.
¹⁷It is not the dead who praise the Lord,
    those who sink into silence.^[x]
¹⁸It is we who bless the Lord
    from this time forward and forevermore.^[y]
Alleluia.

Footnotes

Psalm 113:1 The Hallel (“praise”) psalms are found in three separate collections: the “Egyptian Hallel,” also known as the “Little Hallel” (Pss 113–118), the “Great Hallel” (Pss 120–136), and the “Concluding Hallel” (Pss 146–150). The Egyptian Hallel and the Great Hallel (most of which are pilgrimage psalms: Pss 120–134) were sung during the annual feasts (see Lev 23; Num 10:10). The Egyptian Hallel received a special place in the Passover liturgy; by custom Pss 113–114 were recited or sung before the festive meal and Pss 115–118 after it (see Mt 26:30; Mk 14:26). These were probably the last psalms Jesus sang before his Passion. Only the second (Ps 114) speaks directly of the Exodus, but the themes of the others make it an appropriate series to mark the salvation that began in Egypt and would spread to the nations. The concluding Hallel psalms (Pss 146–150) were incorporated into the daily prayers in the synagogue after the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.
Psalm 113:1 This psalm presents a surprising contrast in the praises of Israel: the acclamation of the glory of the Almighty One attains its summit, and certitude becomes even stronger that God is near to the lowly. His tenderness reaches those whom the powerful of the earth regard as nothing. The God of justice reverses established situations, as both the canticle of Hannah (see 1 Sam 2:4-8) and the Magnificat of Mary (see Lk 1:46-55) attest with equal intensity. In celebrating the salvation of the humiliated poor man and the abandoned woman, Israel keeps alive the hope of a wondrous renewal in the Messianic age (see Pss 76; 87; Isa 49:21; 54:1-8).
In praying this psalm, we are aware that the New Testament provides us with new motives for praising God the Father for the great condescension he manifests toward Zechariah, Mary, and those known as the poor of Yahweh. We can also chant this psalm in honor of the glorified Christ. Exalted by his Father above every earthly power and introduced by him into divine glory (Phil 2:9-11; Heb 2:7-9), Christ shows himself to be incomparable by uniting to his supreme transcendence an astonishing condescension. It was toward the poor and lowly that he stooped during his public ministry, eating and drinking with them (see Mk 2:16), offering them the kingdom of God (see Mt 5:3-12) with its mysteries (see Mk 4:11), and making them the princes of his new people (see Mk 3:13-19). It is on the poor and the weak in the eyes of the world that he continues to confer his spiritual riches and powers (see 1 Cor 1:26-28).
Psalm 113:1 Servants of the Lord: the Lord’s loyal people, together with the priests and the Levites, come together to worship the Lord. These are all those who know “the name of the Lord” (v. 3; see Ps 50:1; Zep 2:11; Mal 1:11). Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 113:2 The name of the Lord is to be proclaimed so that every generation may remember what he has done and how he has revealed himself (see Ex 3:16). This praise is to extend in time (forevermore) and in space (from the rising of the sun to its setting, i.e., from the east to the west; see Mal 1:11).
Psalm 113:4 The psalmist calls attention to the contrast: the exalted rule of the Lord and his accommodation to the needs of his people. Over all the nations: and by implication over all their gods (see Pss 95:3; 96:4f; 97:9). Over the heavens: i.e., above all creation.
Psalm 113:7 The Lord does not ally himself with the high and mighty but takes care of the poor and needy by transforming them from outcasts of society (the dust, see Isa 47:1, or rubbish heap, see Lam 4:5) into those who have a position of prominence (with the princes of his people, v. 8; see 1 Sam 2:8; Job 36:7). The afflicted man will be accorded recognition, and the oppressed woman will be given honor.
Psalm 113:9 Barren woman: a barren wife was considered cursed by God and a social outcast, a disappointment to her husband, to other women, and especially to herself (see Gen 16:2; 20:18; 1 Sam 1:6; 2:5; Lk 1:25). The Lord blesses her with children (see Ps 115:14; Isa 48:19; 54:1-3). Alleluia: i.e., “Hallelujah” or “Bless [or praise] the Lord”; it probably was once the first line of Ps 114.
Psalm 114:1 By reason of its literary composition and poetic inspiration, this poem constitutes a little masterpiece. Felicitously, the poet personifies, herein, the elements of nature led in a dance by God during the Exodus, to make them keen-eyed witnesses of the Lord’s triumphal march at the head of his people. Israel belongs so strongly to God that it is like his sanctuary and his domain (v. 2). On an epic and triumphal tone, the people underline the time beyond compare when God established this destiny for them: it is the great adventure of their deliverance.
When the Lord passes by with his people, the sea and waters flee (see Ex 14:15-31; Jos 3:7-17), Sinai thunders and smokes (see Ex 19:16-18), the source springs forth in the desert rocks (see Ex 17:1-7; Num 20:1-13). These remembrances of the Exodus are like the prelude to the upheaval of the universe announcing the coming of God at the end of the earthly ages.
We can pray this psalm in union with the Church ceaselessly meditating on and celebrating the privileged hour of her beginnings: the Passover of Christ that opens up for humankind a destiny of salvation in a new Exodus. Nature bows down before the divine Pioneer of this Exodus. The waters become calm and peaceful in the Sea of Galilee at a word from him: “Be still!” (Mk 4:39), while the mountains tremble at the moment of his Death and Resurrection (Mt 27:51; 28:2), as well as at the moment of his great interventions in history (see Rev 11:19; 16:18).
Psalm 114:1 The deliverance from a foreign country was only a preamble to the greater deeds: the election of the chosen people and the making of the covenant on Sinai. Judah, the province of the tribe of that name, became the sanctuary of God and all Israel his kingdom; it was a theocracy, a priestly kingdom (see Ex 19:3-6; Jer 2:3). This was a grand event prefiguring the redemption to come and the birth of the Church.
Psalm 114:3 The wonder of Israel’s election as the People of God has its effect on the world of nature. The Red Sea and the Jordan River scurry around to make way for their Creator, and the mountains and hills are all animated and agog at his majestic coming (see Pss 18:8-16; 68:8ff; 77:17-20; Jdg 5:4f; Hab 3:3-10).
Psalm 114:5 The psalmist calls upon the Red Sea, the Jordan, and the mountains to bear witness to the great event when God established his kingdom on earth.
Psalm 114:7 The God of Israel (Jacob) is none other than the Lord of the universe (see Ps 97:4-6; Rev 20:11). He is still providing streams of blessings for his people as he did at Kadesh, at the waters of Meribah (see Ps 107:35; Ex 17:6; Num 20:8; Deut 8:15; 1 Cor 10:4) and also at the return from the Exile, prefigured by the Exodus and Conquest (see Isa 41:15ff; 42:15; 43:20). On the symbolism of the waters, see Pss 46:2-7; 110:7.
Psalm 115:1 This psalm was probably used in the course of a celebration of the covenant, with choir and soloists in turn voicing their confidence in the Lord. Ridiculing the jerry-built gods venerated by the pagans, the community professes its attachment to the one true God, from whom it hopes to receive prosperity. The formulas are brief and striking, with a captivating rhythm; the satire against idols has the flavor of a popular caricature. This simple prayer is at the service of a deep and demanding religious thought and turns into praise. After the Exile, such a clear credo was needed for the community of Jerusalem and for the communities of the dispersion who all coexisted with pagan civilizations that welcomed countless gods. Today, it is still necessary for us to depart from idols fashioned according to our tastes and desires and to turn to the one true God.
We can pray this psalm for the Church, the new Israel, who often experiences profound misfortunes and oppressions that seem to proclaim her inferiority and impotence before earthly powers and their satanic idol. We can beg Christ the Lord to intervene to restore the renown of the Church and especially his own in the world.
Psalm 115:1 A song in praise of the living God who is faithful to his people and in derision of the pagan idols who are lifeless.
Psalm 115:1 Not to us: God alone is responsible for Israel’s covenant blessings. Name: see note on Ps 5:12. Kindness: see note on Ps 6:5.
Psalm 115:2 Where is their God?: implying that God does not help his people (see Pss 42:4, 11; 79:10; Joel 2:17; Mic 7:10).
Psalm 115:3 The community expresses the belief that God is supreme and present; everything that happens to Israel, good or bad, is his doing.
Psalm 115:4 The theme of this verse is one that is often found in the Old Testament: idols, unlike the God of Israel, do not speak, reveal, promise, or utter any spoken word; ultimately, divine revelation is the difference between the religions made by humans and the true religion of the Lord (see Ps 135:15-18; Deut 4:16; Isa 44:9ff; Jer 10:1ff; Bar 6:7ff).
Psalm 115:9 In a litany, the various classes of people express their confidence in the Lord. The threefold division (house of Israel, house of Aaron, those who fear the Lord) occurs elsewhere (see Pss 118:2-4; 135:19f, refers to Aaron and Levi). It is unclear whether the phrase “those who fear the Lord” is a synonym for “house of Israel” (see Pss 34:8, 10; 85:10) or all of Israel (laity as well as priests) or whether it identifies a separate class from the house of Israel, namely the “God-fearers” known as the proselytes in the Old Testament (see 1 Ki 8:41; Isa 56:6) and in the New (see Acts 13:16, 26; 16:14).
Psalm 115:12 Utilizing the same group of worshipers as in verses 9-11, the thought moves forward from God’s power to save to his power to enrich. The Lord does not discriminate among his people—all will be the recipients of his blessing. Although they may be put to the test by afflictions of various kinds, the Lord remembers those with whom he has made a covenant (see Pss 98:3; 136:23; Isa 49:14f) and delivers them, bringing to fulfillment the promises he has made.
Psalm 115:13 The small no less than the great: the outcasts and the powerful. All will be treated alike by the Lord (see Jer 6:13; 16:6; 31:34; Rev 19:5).
Psalm 115:14 Through these words of blessing, the Lord renews his promise that Abraham’s descendants will increase without end (see Ps 127:3-5; Deut 1:11; Isa 54:1-3; Zec 10:8-10).
Psalm 115:16 The psalmist concludes with a short hymn of praise. In so doing, he reminds his people that they have been given the earth to enjoy and care for, while praising the Lord.
Psalm 115:17 The psalmist stresses that the dead cannot praise the Lord; for, according to the idea of the ancients, in the netherworld the souls of the dead had a kind of shadowy existence with no activity or lofty emotion and could not offer praise to God. Silence: a euphemism for the grave (see Ps 94:17; see also notes on Pss 6:6 and 30:2).
Psalm 115:18 Forevermore: some view this as saying that those who serve the living God will themselves live on, unlike the worshipers of lifeless idols (v. 8). This would then add its witness to an afterlife to such passages as Pss 11:7; 16:8-11; 17:15; 23:6; 49:16; 73:23ff; 139:18. Alleluia: i.e., “Hallelujah” or “Bless [or praise] the Lord”; the Septuagint and Vulgate add this line as the opening of Ps 116.

1 Corinthians 6

Chapter 6

Avoid Lawsuits against Each Other.^[a] ¹If any of you has a dispute with another, how can you seek judgment before those who are unrighteous^[b] instead of before the saints? ²Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, how can you consider yourselves as incompetent to deal with smaller cases? ³Do you not realize that we are to judge angels?^[c] Why then should we not deal with matters of this life?

⁴Therefore, if you have such matters to resolve, how can you seek judgment from those who have no standing in the Church? ⁵I write this to make you ashamed. Is it really possible that there is no one among you who is wise enough to mediate a dispute between brethren? ⁶Why should a brother go to court against another brother, seeking a decision from unbelievers?

⁷In truth, the very fact that you engage in lawsuits with one another is a misfortune for you. Why not prefer to be wronged? Why not prefer to be defrauded? ⁸Instead, you yourself are guilty of wronging and defrauding your own brethren.

⁹Are you not aware that wrongdoers will never inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived! Fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, sodomites,^[d] ¹⁰thieves, extortioners, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers—none of these will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹Some of you were once such as these. However, now you have been washed clean, you have been sanctified, you have been justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

¹²All Things Are Lawful for Me!^[e]“All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are beneficial. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not allow myself to be dominated by anything. ¹³“Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach is meant for food,” but God will destroy them both. However, the body is not meant for immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. ¹⁴God raised up the Lord, and he will raise us up also by his power.

¹⁵Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I then take Christ’s members and make them members of a prostitute? Never! ¹⁶Do you not know that anyone who joins himself to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For it is said, “The two shall become one flesh.” ¹⁷But anyone who joins himself to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.^[f]

¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality! Every other sin that a person commits is outside the body, but the fornicator sins against his own body. ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have received from God, and that you are not your own? ²⁰You have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Old/New Testament

The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118[a]

Psalm 113[b]

Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly

Psalm 114[h]

The Lord’s Wonders at the Exodus

Psalm 115[m]

Hymn to the Lord, the One God

Footnotes

Chapter 6

Footnotes

The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118^[a]

Psalm 113^[b]

Psalm 114^[h]

Psalm 115^[m]