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Psalm 103

1  Bless the Lord, O my soul, ♦︎
   and all that is within me bless his holy name.
2  Bless the Lord, O my soul, ♦︎
   and forget not all his benefits;
3  Who forgives all your sins ♦︎
   and heals all your infirmities;
4  Who redeems your life from the Pit ♦︎
   and crowns you with faithful love and compassion;
5  Who satisfies you with good things, ♦︎
   so that your youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
6  The Lord executes righteousness ♦︎
   and judgement for all who are oppressed.
7  He made his ways known to Moses ♦︎
   and his works to the children of Israel.
8  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy, ♦︎
   slow to anger and of great kindness.
9  He will not always accuse us, ♦︎
   neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10  He has not dealt with us according to our sins, ♦︎
   nor rewarded us according to our wickedness.
11  For as the heavens are high above the earth, ♦︎
   so great is his mercy upon those who fear him.
12  As far as the east is from the west, ♦︎
   so far has he set our sins from us.
13  As a father has compassion on his children, ♦︎
   so is the Lord merciful towards those who fear him.
14  For he knows of what we are made; ♦︎
   he remembers that we are but dust.
15  Our days are but as grass; ♦︎
   we flourish as a flower of the field;
16  For as soon as the wind goes over it, it is gone, ♦︎
   and its place shall know it no more.
17  But the merciful goodness of the Lord is from of old
      and endures for ever on those who fear him, ♦︎
   and his righteousness on children’s children;
18  On those who keep his covenant ♦︎
   and remember his commandments to do them.
19  The Lord has established his throne in heaven, ♦︎
   and his kingdom has dominion over all.
20  Bless the Lord, you angels of his, ♦︎
   you mighty ones who do his bidding
      and hearken to the voice of his word.
21  Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, ♦︎
   you ministers of his who do his will.
22  Bless the Lord, all you works of his,
      in all places of his dominion; ♦︎
   bless the Lord, O my soul.

Luke 1: 26-38

The Birth of Jesus Foretold

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸And he came to her and said, ‘Greetings, favoured one! The Lord is with you.’^* ²⁹But she was much perplexed by his words and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. ³⁰The angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favour with God. ³¹And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³²He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give to him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³He will reign over the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’ ³⁴Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’^* ³⁵The angel said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born^* will be holy; he will be called Son of God. ³⁶And now, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son; and this is the sixth month for her who was said to be barren. ³⁷For nothing will be impossible with God.’ ³⁸Then Mary said, ‘Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.’ Then the angel departed from her.