The Eighth Day of Christmas
Season
Christmastide
Observation – Anglican Communion, Lutheran, Methodist, Roman Catholic
Day
Feast of the Circumcision – Anglican Communion, Byzantine Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Lutheran
Mary, the Holy Mother of God – Roman Catholic
(Also celebrated by the Byzantine and Syriac Rites, and Coptic Church on other days.)
Daily Readings
Revised Common Lectionary – Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 , Psalm 8, Revelation 21:1-6a, Matthew 25:31-46
Roman Catholic Lectionary –Numbers 6:22-27; Psalm 67:2-3, 5, 6, 8; Galatians 4:4-7; Luke 2:16-21
Daily Office Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours – Hebrews 2:9-17; “The Word Took Our Nature from Mary“
Blessed Among Us – Dr. Stephen Linton, founder of the Eugene Bell Foundation
Dr. Linton honors his family history of missionary work on the Korean peninsula by promoting religious freedom in North Korea and with the foundation, which provides much needed medical care to North Koreans with drug resistant tuberculosis.
Art – Circumcision of Christ, Menologion of Basil II, 10c.
Liturgical Calendar – Since a new secular year begins today, it might be a good time to mention the liturgical calendar. Anglican priest Father Chris Findley explains it in this video. Catholics and Lutherans have different terminology for the seasons of epiphany and ordinary time.
