The Great Christmas Lectionary Special

20+ C+M+B +25

A few years ago, I created a giant lectionary chart for Sundays and red-letter days that placed all the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) years and the Daily Office readings in one package. It’s been an invaluable resource for me because it lets me find and compare multiple years of the RCL or Office cycles without the hassle of page-flipping through the BCP, or the temptation to get distracted by the internet when I look up a website.

Since then, I’ve gained a curiosity for how it feels to take all the Bible passages assigned by the Lectionaries for a given occasion and rearrange them in canonical order and read them. If you stack multiple years in a lectionary cycle for a given occasion or occasions, some interesting sequences emerge. So, e.g., for Morning Prayer on December 24 (the last day of Advent), the Daily Office in both Years 1 and 2 would canonically arranged into Psalms 45-46; Isaiah ch 35; Baruch 4.36-5.9; Matt. 1.18-25; Luke 1.67-80; Gal. 3.23–4.7; and Rev. 22.12-17, 21.

At first, I didn’t know for sure what one would do with these lists. Maybe organizing them felt soothing, yet another way for me to procrastinate. I feel like I accidentally created indexes for specific lectionary days.

But the coolest thing about this practice is how it re-contextualizes the tradition of lectionaries using the Bible’s own canonical logic. Lectionaries are designed to be selective: the Scripture you experience with it is catered to a specific liturgical occasion. If you combine a bunch of these instances under a canonical framework, you now experience highlights of Scripture’s grand capital-S Story, but in a specially focused manner. Liturgical logic and canonical logic then overlap. For something as special as Christmas such an overlap would produce some marvelous sequences of Scripture strung together like beads.

I believe it would be a very rich devotional exercise to sit down and read them all at once in sequence, or to copy down a sequence all at once or over a period of time. The aim is to find an appropriate setting to internalize Scripture, to let it take root in your heart.

In honor of the Epiphany this week, below I’ve listed three different canonical lectionary rearrangements for the Christmas season that could be useful for devotions: 1) a maximal approach that covers the end of Advent and Christmastide, 2) Christmas Day alone, and 3) the three saints’ days that follow Christmas Day. In all these examples below I combined the Revised Common Lectionary and the Daily Office Lectionary.

Pieter Bruegel, “Census at Bethlehem” (1566)

---

(1) Everything & the Kitchen Sink

This combines the end of Advent, Christmas Day, the new year, and the Sundays of Christmastide; all sufficient high points.

• Advent IV. The last Sunday of Advent

• December 24. The last day of Advent

• Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

• The Holy Name of Jesus. January 1 (Episcopal/RCL)

• New Year’s Day (RCL)

• I Sunday After Christmas (Episcopal¹ & RCL)

• II Sunday After Christmas (Episcopal & RCL)

~KEY~

RCL = Revised Common Lectionary
HC = Holy Communion (Eucharist/Mass)²
MP = Morning Prayer
EP = Evening Prayer
Advent IV.A = 4th Sunday of Advent: Year A (Revised Common Lectionary)
Advent IV.1 = 4th Sunday of Advent: Year 1 (Episcopal Daily Office Lectionary)
I / II Xmas A or 1 = 1st/2nd Sunday After Christmas: Year A (RCL) or Year 1 (Office)
Xmas Day I, II, III = RCL options I, II, III for the principal service on Christmas Day
LFF = Episcopal Lesser Feasts & Fasts
(Episcopal) = Episcopal Sunday lectionary differing from the RCL (see footnote 1)
BCP79 = Book of Common Prayer (1979 Episcopal Church ed.)

---

~ Old Testament ~

Genesis 3.8–15. Advent IV.2
•17.1–12a, 15–16. Holy Name Yr. 1

Numbers 6.22–27. Holy Name: HC

I Samuel 1.1–2, 7b–28. I Xmas 2
• 2.18–20, 26. I Xmas C (RCL)

II Samuel 7.1–16. Advent IV.B [7.1–11, 16]; LFF, Dec 24 [7.1–16]

Psalm 2. Xmas Day MP
• 8. Holy Name HC; RCL New Year’s Day
• 45. Dec 24 MP
• 46. Dec 24 MP
• 80:1-7, 17-20. Advent IV.A [80.1–7, 17–20]; Advent IV.C [80.1–7]
• 84.1–9 [BCP79: 84.1–8]. II Xmas (Episcopal)
• 85. Xmas Day MP
• 89.1–29. Xmas Eve EP [89.1-29]; Advent IV.B [89.1-4, 19-26]; LFF, Dec 24 [89.1–4, 19–26]
• 90. Eve of Holy Name EP
• 96. Xmas Day I
• 97. Xmas Day II
• 98. Xmas Day III
• 110. Xmas Day EP
• 132. Xmas Day EP
• 147.12–20 [BCP79: 147.13–21]. I Xmas (Episcopal); II Xmas A, B, C (RCL)
• 148. I Xmas A, B, C (RCL)

Ecclesiastes 3.1-13. RCL New Year’s Day

Isaiah 7.10–16. Advent IV.A
• 9.2–7. Xmas Day I
• Ch 35 (35.1–10). Dec 24 Yr. 1
• 42.1–12. Advent IV.1
• 52.7–10. Xmas Day III
• 59.15b–21. Xmas Eve EP
• 61.10–62.12. I Xmas (Episcopal) [61.10–62.3]; I Xmas B (RCL) [61.10–62.3]; Holy Name 2 [62.1–5, 10–12]; I Xmas Yr. 1 [62.6–7, 10–12]; Xmas Day II [62.6–12]
• 63.7–9. I Xmas A (RCL)
• 65.15b–25. Eve of Holy Name EP

Jeremiah 31.7–14. II Xmas (Episcopal)

Micah 4.1–5. Xmas Day Yr. 2
• 5.2–5a. Advent IV.C [5.2-5a]; Xmas Day Yr. 2 [5.2–4]

Zechariah 2.10–13. Xmas Day Yr. 1

~ Apocrypha ~³

Wisdom 7.3–14. II Xmas Yr. 2
• 10.15–21. II Xmas (RCL)

Sirach/Ecclesiasticus 3.3–9, 14–17. II Xmas Yr. 1
• 24.1–12. II Xmas (RCL)

Baruch 4.36–5.9. Dec 24: Yr. 2

~ New Testament ~

Matthew 1.18–25. Advent IV.A; Dec 24 Yr. 2; Holy Name Yr. 2
• 2.1–23. I Xmas A (RCL) [2.13–23]; II Xmas (Episcopal) [2.1–12; 2.13–15, 19–23]
• 25.31-46. RCL New Year’s Day

Luke 1.26–56. Advent IV.B [1.26–38, 46-55]; IV.C [1.39–45(46–55)]
• 1.67–80. Dec 24 Yr 1
• Ch. 2 (2.1–52). Xmas Day I, II [2.1–20]; Holy Name HC [2.15–21]; I Xmas B (RCL) [2.22–40]; I Xmas C (RCL) [2.41–52]; I Xmas Yr. 2 [2.22–40]; II Xmas (Episcopal) [2.41–52]

John 1.1–18. Xmas Day III [1.1–14]; I Xmas (Episcopal) [1.1-18]; II Xmas RCL [1.(1-9)10-18]
• 3.16–21. Advent IV.1 & 2
• 3.31–36. Xmas Day Yrs. 1 & 2
• 6.41–47. II Xmas Yrs. 1 & 2
• 16.23b–30. Holy Name Yr. 1

Romans 1.1–7. Advent IV.A
• 16.25–27. Advent IV.B

Galatians 3.23–4.7. Dec 24 Yr. 2 [3.23–4.7]; I Xmas (Episcopal) [3.23–25, 4.4–7]; I Xmas B (RCL) [4.4-7]; Holy Name HC [4.4–7]

Ephesians 1.3–19a. II Xmas (Episcopal) [1.3–6, 15–19a]; II Xmas RCL [1.3–14]
• 6.10–20. Advent IV.1

Philippians 2.5–11. Xmas Eve EP; Holy Name: HC

Colossians 1.9–20. I Xmas Yr. 2
• 2.6–12. Holy Name Yr. 1
• 3.12–17. I Xmas C (RCL); II Xmas Yr. 2

Titus 2.11–14. Xmas Day I
• 3.4–7. Xmas Day II

Hebrews 1.1–4(5–12). Xmas Day III
• 2.10–18. I Xmas Yr. 1; I Xmas A (RCL)
• 10.5–10. Advent IV.C

I John 2.12–17. II Xmas Yr. 1
• 4.7–16. Xmas Day Yrs. 1 & 2

Revelation 12.1–10. Advent IV.2
• 19.11–16. Holy Name Yr. 2
• 21.1–6. Eve of Holy Name EP; RCL New Year’s Day [21.1-6a]
• 22.12–17, 21. Dec 24: Yr. 1

---

Frank Wesley (1923–2002), “Elegant Madonna”

(2) Just Christmas Day

Psalm 2. MP
• 85. MP
• 89.1–29. Eve EP
• 96. Service I
• 97. Service II
• 98. Service III
• 110. EP
• 132. EP

Isaiah 9.2–7. Service I
• 52.7–10. Service III
• 59.15b–21. Eve: EP
• 62.6–12. Service II

Micah 4.1–5. Office Yr 2
• 5.2–4. Office Yr. 2

Zechariah 2.10–13. Office Yr. 1

Luke 2.1–20. Services I [2.1-14(15-20)], II [2.(1-7)8-20]

John 1.1–14. Service III
• 3.31–36. Office Yrs. 1 & 2

Philippians 2.5–11. Eve: EP

Titus 2.11–14. Service I
• 3.4–7. Service II

Hebrews 1.1–4(5–12). Service III

I John 4.7–16. Office Yrs. 1 & 2

---

(3) The Red Letter Days following Christmas Day:
S. Stephen (12.26), S. John Evangelist (12.27), Holy Innocents (12.28)

Exodus 33.18-23. S. John HC

II Chronicles 24.17-22. S. Stephen MP

Psalm 2. H. Innocents MP
• 19. H. Innocents EP
• 26. H. Innocents MP
• 28. S. Stephen MP
• 30. S. Stephen MP
• 31.1-5. S. Stephen HC
• 92.1-4, 12-15. S. John HC
(BCP1979: 92.1-4, 11-14)
• 97. S. John MP
• 98. S. John MP
• 118. S. Stephen EP
• 124. H. Innocents HC
• 126. H. Innocents EP
• 145. S. John EP

Proverbs 8.22-30. S. John MP

Isaiah 44.1-8. S. John EP
• 49.13-23. H. Innocents MP
• 54.1-13. H. Innocents EP

Jeremiah 26.1-9, 12-15. S. Stephen HC
• 31.15-17. H. Innocents HC

Wisdom 4.7-15. S. Stephen EP

Matthew 2.13-18. H. Innocents HC
• 18.1-14. H. Innocents MP
• 23.34-39. S. Stephen HC

Mark 10.13-16. H. Innocents EP

John 13.20-35. S. John MP
• 21.19b-24. S. John HC

Acts 6.1–7.2a; 7.51c–8.8. S. Stephen MP [6.1-7]; HC [6.8–7.2a, 51c-60]; EP [7.59–8.8]

I John 1.1-9. S. John HC
• 5.1-12. S. John EP

Revelation 21.1-7. H. Innocents HC

---

1. This seems to be the case only for the Sundays After Christmas, where the Episcopal Church still uses its 1979 BCP Communion Lectionary while the RCL appoints a 3-year cycle for I Christmas and just one set of lessons for II Christmas.

2. These serve as the primary Bible readings for a given Holy Day, even if the service that is hosted is not Communion.

3. In order of how the books are listed in the 39 Articles. A more Catholic minded practitioner might place these texts in the order they appear in the Catholic Old Testament, but I prefer to sandwich them between both Testaments.