Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Land and Its People Are Transformed
35 Let the wilderness and desert be happy;[a]
let the arid rift valley[b] rejoice and bloom like a lily!
2 Let it richly bloom;[c]
let it rejoice and shout with delight![d]
It is given the grandeur[e] of Lebanon,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.
They will see the grandeur of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
3 Strengthen the hands that have gone limp,
steady the knees that shake.[f]
4 Tell those who panic,[g]
“Be strong! Do not fear!
Look, your God comes to avenge;
with divine retribution he comes to deliver you.”[h]
5 Then blind eyes will open,
deaf ears will hear.
6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,
the mute tongue will shout for joy;
for water will burst forth in the wilderness,
streams in the arid rift valley.[i]
7 The dry soil will become a pool of water,
the parched ground springs of water.
Where jackals once lived and sprawled out,
grass, reeds, and papyrus will grow.
8 A thoroughfare will be there—
it will be called the Way of Holiness.[j]
The unclean will not travel on it;
it is reserved for those authorized to use it[k]—
fools[l] will not stray into it.
9 No lions will be there,
no ferocious wild animals will be on it[m]—
they will not be found there.
Those delivered from bondage will travel on it,
10 those whom the Lord has ransomed will return that way.[n]
They will enter Zion with a happy shout.
Unending joy will crown them,[o]
happiness and joy will overwhelm[p] them;
grief and suffering will disappear.[q]
5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
6 the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful,[a]
7 vindicates the oppressed,[b]
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over.[c]
The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the resident foreigner.
He lifts up the fatherless and the widow,[d]
but he opposes the wicked.[e]
10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come.[f]
Praise the Lord!
Mary’s Hymn of Praise
“My soul exalts[c] the Lord,[d]
47 and my spirit has begun to rejoice[e] in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his servant.[f]
For[g] from now on[h] all generations will call me blessed,[i]
49 because he who is mighty[j] has done great things for me, and holy is his name;
50 from[k] generation to generation he is merciful[l] to those who fear[m] him.
51 He has demonstrated power[n] with his arm; he has scattered those whose pride wells up from the sheer arrogance[o] of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the mighty[p] from their thrones, and has lifted up those of lowly position;[q]
53 he has filled the hungry with good things,[r] and has sent the rich away empty.[s]
54 He has helped his servant Israel, remembering[t] his mercy,[u]
55 as he promised[v] to our ancestors,[w] to Abraham and to his descendants[x] forever.”
Patience in Suffering
7 So be patient, brothers and sisters,[a] until the Lord’s return.[b] Think of how the farmer waits[c] for the precious fruit of the ground and is patient[d] for it until it receives the early and late rains. 8 You also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers and sisters,[e] so that you may not be judged. See, the judge stands before the gates![f] 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters,[g] take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name.
Jesus and John the Baptist
2 Now when John[a] heard in prison about the deeds Christ[b] had done, he sent his disciples to ask a question:[c] 3 “Are you the one who is to come,[d] or should we look for another?” 4 Jesus answered them,[e] “Go tell John what you hear and see:[f] 5 The blind see, the[g] lame walk, lepers[h] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them[i] 6 —and blessed is anyone[j] who takes no offense at me!”
7 While they were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness[k] to see? A reed shaken by the wind?[l] 8 What[m] did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing?[n] Look, those who wear soft clothing are in the palaces of kings![o] 9 What did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more[p] than a prophet! 10 This is the one about whom it is written:
11 “I tell you the truth,[s] among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least[t] in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is!
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