Bible Readings - Aug. 15, 2024

Reading 1

Revelation 11:19; 12:1-11

Then God’s temple in heaven was opened,

and the ark of his covenant could be seen in the temple.

There were flashes of lightning, rumblings,

and peals of thunder, an earthquake, and a violent hailstorm.

A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun,

with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.

She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth.

Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, 

with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems.

Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky

and hurled them down to the earth.

Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth,

to devour her child when she gave birth.

She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations

with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne.

The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place

prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of

for twelve hundred and sixty days.

Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled

against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back,

but they did not prevail and there was no longer

any place for them in heaven.

The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil

and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth,

and its angels were thrown down with it.

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:

“Now have salvation and power come,

and the kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Anointed.

For the accuser of our brothers is cast out,

who accuses them before our God day and night.

They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony;

love for life did not deter them from death.

Psalm 45:10-12,16

Daughters of kings are your lovely wives;

a princess arrayed in Ophir’s gold

comes to stand at your right hand.

Listen, my daughter, and understand;

pay me careful heed.

Forget your people and your father’s house,

that the king might desire your beauty.

He is your lord;

They are led in with glad and joyous acclaim;

they enter the palace of the king.

Reading II

1 Corinthians 15:20-27

Brothers and sisters:

Christ has been raised from the dead,

the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.

For since death came through man,

the resurrection of the dead came also through man.

For just as in Adam all die,

so too in Christ shall all be brought to life,

but each one in proper order:

Christ the firstfruits;

then, at his coming, those who belong to Christ;

then comes the end,

when he hands over the Kingdom to his God and Father,

when he has destroyed every sovereignty

and every authority and power.

For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death,

for “he subjected everything under his feet.”

Luke 1:46b-47

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

Gospel

Luke 1:39-56

Mary set out

and traveled to the hill country in haste

to a town of Judah,

where she entered the house of Zechariah

and greeted Elizabeth.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,

the infant leaped in her womb,

and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,

cried out in a loud voice and said,

“Blessed are you among women,

and blessed is the fruit of your womb.

And how does this happen to me,

that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,

the infant in my womb leaped for joy.

Blessed are you who believed

that what was spoken to you by the Lord

would be fulfilled.”

And Mary said:

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my Savior

for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.

From this day all generations will call me blessed:

the Almighty has done great things for me

and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him

in every generation.

He has shown the strength of his arm,

and has scattered the proud in their conceit.

He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,

and has lifted up the lowly.

He has filled the hungry with good things,

and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has come to the help of his servant Israel

for he has remembered his promise of mercy,

the promise he made to our fathers,

to Abraham and his children forever.”

Mary remained with her about three months

and then returned to her home.

Luke 1:46b-47

“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;

my spirit rejoices in God my savior.