Scripture Readings

The Holy Name
1 January, the Eighth Day of Christmas
(In Roman Catholic Churches, “Mary, Mother of God” )

Male Jewish babies are circumcised and named on the eighth day, so today is the day on which the infant Jesus receives His Name. If your church celebrates the secular New Year instead, you may wish to use the alternate readings for New Year’s Day.

Scripture readings are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION® NIV® ©1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society, used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. All rights reserved.

Old Testament
Psalm
Epistle Reading
Gospel Reading

Old Testament

The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:

     “The LORD bless you
          and keep you;
     the LORD make his face shine upon you
          and be gracious to you;
     the LORD turn his face toward you
          and give you peace.”

“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
—Numbers 6:22-27, NIV

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Psalm

O LORD , our Lord,
     how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
     above the heavens.
From the lips of children and infants
     you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
     to silence the foe and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,
     the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
     which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
     the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
     and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
     you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
     and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air,
     and the fish of the sea,
     all that swim the paths of the seas.
O LORD, our Lord,
     how majestic is your name in all the earth!
—Psalm 8, NIV

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Epistle

     But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
—Galatians 4:4-7, NIV

Or

     Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
     did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
     taking the very nature of a servant,
     being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
     he humbled himself
     and became obedient to death—
     even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
     and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
     in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
     to the glory of God the Father.
—Philippians 2:5-11, NIV

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Gospel

     When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
     So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
     On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
—Luke 2:15-21, NIV

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