THE BAPTISM OF CHRIST    11 January 2026

FIRST READING Isaiah 42.1–9

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Thus says the LORD:

1 Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

2 He will not cry or lift up his voice,

or make it heard in the street;

3 a bruised reed he will not break,

and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;

he will faithfully bring forth justice.

4 He will not grow faint or be crushed

until he has established justice in the earth;

and the coastlands wait for his teaching.

5 Thus says God, the LORD,

who created the heavens and stretched them out,

who spread out the earth and what comes from it,

who gives breath to the people upon it

and spirit to those who walk in it:

6 I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness,

I have taken you by the hand and kept you;

I have given you as a covenant to the people,

a light to the nations,

7 to open the eyes that are blind,

to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,

from the prison those who sit in darkness.

8 I am the LORD, that is my name;

my glory I give to no other,

nor my praise to idols.

9 See, the former things have come to pass,

and new things I now declare;

before they spring forth, I tell you of them.

PSALM Psalm 29

R The Lord shall give his people

the blessing of peace.

or

R The voice of the Lord is

upon the mighty waters.

1 Ascribe to the Lord, you gods,

ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due to his name;

worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. R

3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;

the God of glory thunders;

the Lord is upon the mighty waters.

4 The voice of the Lord is a powerful voice;

the voice of the Lord is a voice of splendour. R

5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;

the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;

6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,

and Mount Hermon like a young wild ox. R

7 The voice of the Lord splits the flames of fire;

the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;

the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

8 The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe

and strips the forests bare.

9 And in the temple of the Lord

all are crying, ‘Glory!’ R

10 The Lord sits enthroned above the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.

11 The Lord shall give strength to his people;

the Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace. R

SECOND READING Acts 10.34–43

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.

34 Peter began to speak to those assembled

in the house of Cornelius.

‘I truly understand that God shows no partiality,

but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right

is acceptable to him.

36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel,

preaching peace by Jesus Christ – he is Lord of all.

37 That message spread throughout Judea,

beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced:

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth

with the Holy Spirit and with power;

how he went about doing good

and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,

for God was with him.

39 We are witnesses to all that he did

both in Judea and in Jerusalem.

They put him to death by hanging him on a tree;

40 but God raised him on the third day

and allowed him to appear,

41 not to all the people

but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses,

and who ate and drank with him after

he rose from the dead.

42 He commanded us to preach to the people

and to testify that he is the one ordained by God

as judge of the living and the dead.

43 All the prophets testify about him

that everyone who believes in him

receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’

GOSPEL Matthew 3.13–17

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

13 Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan,

to be baptized by him.

14 John would have prevented him, saying,

‘I need to be baptized by you,

and do you come to me?’

15 But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now;

for it is proper for us in this way to fulfil all righteousness.’

Then he consented.

16 And when Jesus had been baptized,

just as he came up from the water,

suddenly the heavens were opened to him

and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove

and alighting on him.

17 And a voice from heaven said,

‘This is my Son, the Beloved,

with whom I am well pleased.’

EPIPHANY 2                               18 January 2026

FIRST READING Isaiah 49.1–7

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

1 Listen to me, O coastlands,

pay attention, you peoples from far away!

The LORD called me before I was born,

while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.

2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword,

in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me a polished arrow,

in his quiver he hid me away.

3 And he said to me, ‘You are my servant, Israel,

in whom I will be glorified.’

4 But I said, ‘I have laboured in vain,

I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;

yet surely my cause is with the LORD,

and my reward with my God.’

5 And now the LORD says,

who formed me in the womb to be his servant,

to bring Jacob back to him,

and that Israel might be gathered to him,

for I am honoured in the sight of the LORD,

and my God has become my strength.

6 The LORD says,

‘It is too light a thing that you should be my servant

to raise up the tribes of Jacob

and to restore the survivors of Israel;

I will give you as a light to the nations,

that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.’

7 Thus says the LORD,

the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,

to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations, the slave of rulers,

‘Kings shall see and stand up,

princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,

because of the LORD, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.’

PSALM Psalm 40.1–11

R I love to do your will, O God,

[your law is in my heart].

1 I waited patiently upon the Lord;

he stooped to me and heard my cry.

2 He lifted me out of the desolate pit,

out of the mire and clay;

he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure. R

3 He put a new song in my mouth,

a song of praise to our God;

many shall see and stand in awe

and put their trust in the Lord.

4 Happy are they who trust in the Lord!

they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods. R

5 Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God!

how great your wonders and your plans for us!

there is none who can be compared with you.

6 O that I could make them known and tell them!

but they are more than I can count. R

7 In sacrifice and offering you take no pleasure

you have given me ears to hear you;

8 Burnt-offering and sin-offering you have not required,

and so I said, ‘Behold, I come.

9 In the roll of the book it is written concerning me:

“I love to do your will, O my God;

your law is deep in my heart.”’ R

10 I proclaimed righteousness in the great congregation;

behold, I did not restrain my lips;

and that, O Lord, you know.

11 Your righteousness have I not hidden in my heart;

I have spoken of your faithfulness and your deliverance;

I have not concealed your love and faithfulness

from the great congregation. R

SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 1.1–9

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.

1 From Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus

by the will of God,

and our brother Sosthenes,

2 To the church of God that is in Corinth,

to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus,

called to be saints,

together with all those who in every place

call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

both their Lord and ours:

3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

4 I give thanks to my God always for you

because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus,

5 for in every way you have been enriched in him,

in speech and knowledge of every kind –

6 just as the testimony of Christ has been strengthened among you –

7 so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift

as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

8 He will also strengthen you to the end,

so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.

9 God is faithful;

by him you were called

into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

GOSPEL John 1.29–42

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.

29 John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him

and declared,

‘Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

30 This is he of whom I said,

“After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me

because he was before me.”

31 I myself did not know him;

but I came baptizing with water for this reason,

that he might be revealed to Israel.’

32 And John testified,

‘I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove,

and it remained on him.

33 I myself did not know him,

but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me,

“He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain

is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”

34 And I myself have seen and have testified

that this is the Son of God.’

35 The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples,

36 and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed,

‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’

37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus.

38 When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them,

‘What are you looking for?’

They said to him, ‘Rabbi’

(which translated means Teacher),

‘where are you staying?’

39 He said to them, ‘Come and see.’

They came and saw where he was staying,

and they remained with him that day.

It was about four o’clock in the afternoon.

40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed him was Andrew,

Simon Peter’s brother.

41 He first found his brother Simon and said to him,

‘We have found the Messiah’

(which is translated Anointed).

42 He brought Simon to Jesus, who looked at him and said,

‘You are Simon son of John.

You are to be called Cephas’

(which is translated Peter).

EPIPHANY 3    Sunday 25 January 2026

FIRST READING Isaiah 9.1–4

A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

1 There will be no gloom for those who were in anguish.

In the former time he brought into contempt

the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

but in the latter time he will make glorious

the way of the sea,

the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.

2 The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness –

on them light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation,

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as people exult when dividing plunder.

4 For the yoke of their burden,

and the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

PSALM Psalm 27.1, 5–13

R The Lord is my light and my salvation;

[whom then shall I fear?]

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation;

whom then shall I fear?

the Lord is the strength of my life;

of whom then shall I be afraid? R

5 One thing have I asked of the Lord;

one thing I seek;

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life;

6 To behold the fair beauty of the Lord

and to seek him in his temple. R

7 For in the day of trouble

he shall keep me safe in his shelter;

he shall hide me in the secrecy of his dwelling

and set me high upon a rock. R

8 Even now he lifts up my head

above my enemies round about me;

9 Therefore I will offer in his dwelling an oblation

with sounds of great gladness;

I will sing and make music to the Lord. R

10 Hearken to my voice, O Lord, when I call;

have mercy on me and answer me.

11 You speak in my heart and say, ‘Seek my face.’

Your face, Lord, will I seek. R

12 Hide not your face from me,

nor turn away your servant in displeasure.

13 You have been my helper;

cast me not away;

do not forsake me, O God of my salvation. R

SECOND READING 1 Corinthians 1.10–18

A reading from the first letter of Paul to the Corinthians.

10 I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,

by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that all of you be in agreement

and that there be no divisions among you,

but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.

11 For it has been reported to me by Chloe’s people

that there are quarrels among you, my brothers and sisters.

12 What I mean is that each of you says,

‘I belong to Paul,’

or ‘I belong to Apollos,’

or ‘I belong to Cephas,’

or ‘I belong to Christ.’

13 Has Christ been divided?

Was Paul crucified for you?

Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius,

15 so that no one can say that you were baptized in my name.

16 I did baptize also the household of Stephanas;

beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized anyone else.

17 For Christ did not send me to baptize

but to proclaim the gospel, and not with eloquent wisdom,

so that the cross of Christ might not be emptied of its power.

18 For the message about the cross is foolishness

to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved

it is the power of God.

GOSPEL Matthew 4.12–23

Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.

12 When Jesus heard that John had been arrested,

he withdrew to Galilee.

13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,

14 so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled:

15 ‘Land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali,

on the road by the sea, across the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles –

16 the people who sat in darkness

have seen a great light,

and for those who sat in the region and shadow of death

light has dawned.’

17 From that time Jesus began to proclaim,

‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’

18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw two brothers,

Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother,

casting a net into the lake – for they were fishermen.

19 And he said to them,

‘Follow me, and I will make you fish for people.’

20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him.

21 As he went from there, he saw two other brothers,

James son of Zebedee and his brother John,

in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets,

and he called them.

22 Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him.

23 Jesus went throughout Galilee,

teaching in their synagogues

and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom

and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.