February 8, 2026 | The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Full-text of the Appointed Lessons (RSV and NRSV), with instructions for lectors
February 8 – The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A – RCL
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A, Feb. 8, 2026
Isaiah 58:1-9a, (9b-12)
The Lord reminds the people that righteousness is about justice more than correct religious observance. Fasting and worship that is accompanied by oppression are not righteous or pleasing to God.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah:
(Lead in with) RSV: Cry aloud, . . .; NRSV: Shout out, . . .
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
“Cry aloud, spare not, lift up your voice like a trumpet; declare to my people their transgression, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that did righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. ‘Why have we fasted, and thou seest it not? Why have we humbled ourselves, and thou takest no knowledge of it?’ Behold, in the day of your fast you seek your own pleasure, and oppress all your workers. Behold, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to hit with wicked fist. Fasting like yours this day will not make your voice to be heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day for a man to humble himself? Is it to bow down his head like a rush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Will you call this a fast, and a day acceptable to the LORD? “Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.
“If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.
New Revised Standard Version
Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet! Announce to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sins. Yet day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness and did not forsake the ordinance of their God; they ask of me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. “Why do we fast, but you do not see? Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice?” Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and oppress all your workers. Look, you fast only to quarrel and to fight and to strike with a wicked fist. Such fasting as you do today will not make your voice heard on high. Is such the fast that I choose, a day to humble oneself? Is it to bow down the head like a bulrush, and to lie in sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord? Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin? Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly; your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.
If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil, if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted, then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday. The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail. Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A, Feb. 8, 2026
1 Corinthians 2:1-12, (13-16)
Paul reminds the Corinthians that his proclamation was based upon the power of God rather than human wisdom and he encourages them to recognize the wisdom of God revealed through the Spirit.
A reading (lesson) from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: When I came to you . . .
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,” God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.
And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who possess the Spirit. The unspiritual man does not receive the gifts of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
New Revised Standard Version
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us by God.
And we speak of these things in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to those who are spiritual. Those who are unspiritual do not receive the gifts of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. Those who are spiritual discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else’s scrutiny. “For who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A, Feb. 8, 2026
Matthew 5:13-20
Jesus declares that the disciples are to be agents of transformation giving them a mission based on his fulfillment of the Law and the prophets.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: You are the salt of the earth . . .
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc. If read by an ordained person as the eucharistic gospel, conclude with The gospel of the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
New Revised Standard Version
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
February 8 – The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A – BCP
ILLUMINATION for the First Lesson
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A, Feb. 8, 2026
Habakkuk 3:1-6, 17-19
The prophet praises God, declaring his might and proclaiming trust in God’s promises to deliver the people from Babylon.
A reading (lesson) from the Book of the Prophet Habakkuk:
(Lead in with) RSV: A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet . . . ; NRSV: A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk . . .
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
A prayer of Habak’kuk the prophet, according to Shigion’oth. O LORD, I have heard the report of thee, and thy work, O LORD, do I fear. In the midst of the years renew it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. (Selah) His brightness was like the light, rays flashed from his hand; and there he veiled his power. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed close behind. He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook the nations; then the eternal mountains were scattered, the everlasting hills sank low. His ways were as of old. Though the fig tree do not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. GOD, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like hinds’ feet, he makes me tread upon my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.
New Revised Standard Version
A prayer of the prophet Habakkuk according to Shigionoth. O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. (Selah) His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. The brightness was like the sun; rays came forth from his hand, where his power lay hidden. Before him went pestilence, and plague followed close behind. He stopped and shook the earth; he looked and made the nations tremble. The eternal mountains were shattered; along his ancient pathways the everlasting hills sank low. Though the fig tree does not blossom, and no fruit is on the vines; though the produce of the olive fails, and the fields yield no food; though the flock is cut off from the fold, and there is no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will exult in the God of my salvation. God, the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, and makes me tread upon the heights. To the leader: with stringed instruments.
ILLUMINATION for the Second Lesson
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A, Feb. 8, 2026
1 Corinthians 2:1-11
Paul reminds the Corinthians that his proclamation was based upon the power of God rather than human wisdom and he encourages them to recognize the wisdom of God revealed through the Spirit.
A reading (lesson) from the First Letter of Paul to the Corinthians:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: When I came to you . . .
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc.
Revised Standard Version
When I came to you, brethren, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in much fear and trembling; and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God. Yet among the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him,” God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what person knows a man’s thoughts except the spirit of the man which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
New Revised Standard Version
When I came to you, brothers and sisters, I did not come proclaiming the mystery of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God. Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish. But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him”— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of God.
ILLUMINATION for the Gospel Lesson
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany, Year A, Feb. 8, 2026
Matthew 5:13-20
Jesus declares that the disciples are to be agents of transformation giving them a mission based on his fulfillment of the Law and the prophets.
A reading (lesson) from the Gospel according to Matthew:
(Lead in with) RSV and NRSV: You are the salt of the earth . . .
Conclude with The word of the Lord or Here endeth, etc. If read by an ordained person as the eucharistic gospel, conclude with The gospel of the Lord.
Revised Standard Version
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trodden under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. For truly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
New Revised Standard Version
“You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. “You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Scripture quotations labeled NRSV are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, and used by permission.
The Living Word | Lectionary Preaching Aids
Exploring the Texts
“Why do we hide from our own humanity? Why do we cut ourselves off from others? Why do we seek plausible words of wisdom that do nothing more than argue on behalf of our superiority? Part of the problem may be that we do not want to see weakness and fear and trembling, so evident in human lives, as the truth about our own lives.”
“Works matter. They are the direct and natural expression of one’s vocation as salt and light to the world. Again, a disciple is called to ‘incarnate’ the presence of Christ in flesh, action, and the whole sphere of one’s influence. This is not, however, an impetuous call simply to do something, anything … a disciple should bear fruit that ‘fits’ repentance, is suited to new life in Christ.”
“Life becomes more abundant when we surrender to Christ in all our weakness. Indeed, we preach the weakness of Christ, his cross and his pain. We are weak with him and we tremble with him. And yet this weakness gives way to ‘a demonstration of the Spirit and of power’ (1 Cor. 2:4).”
Preaching Today
Wes Hill: The Innocent One
“We are not only permitted — we are commanded — to pray the psalms of innocence. Not because of our track record or spiritual prowess, but because Jesus Christ has made us one with himself. We are innocent because God says so. God’s Word has come to us in Jesus Christ, and it is a word of promise.”
Chris Wright: Revealed by the Spirit
“When Jesus prayed to his Father to forgive the Roman soldiers nailing him to the cross because, as he said, ‘They don’t know what they are doing,’ he was right at a very deep level. They had no idea that they were accomplishing the plan of God, to enable them to be forgiven.”
Dan Edwards: Set Free from Fear
“The answer we learn in Epiphany, the season of light, is to take our fears out of the closet. They get their power from hiding in our unconscious or semiconscious minds. We can shine the light of Christ on them just by looking at them, naming them out loud, and telling someone else about them.”
Classic Texts
John Henry Newman: Something More
“As at the fall we did not become other beings than we had been, but rather forfeited gifts which had been added to us on our creation, so under the Gospel we do not lose any part of the nature in which we are born, but regain what we have lost. We are what we were, and something more.”
Caesarius of Arles: Sweet Is the Name of Mercy
“Sweet is the name of mercy, dear friends; and if the name is sweet, how much more so, the reality! Yet though everyone wants to receive it, sadly not everyone lives in such a way as to merit it.”
John Chrysostom: So Resplendent a Lamp
“To claim that the sun cannot shine or that a Christian cannot do good is insulting to God and reveals you as a liar .… It is impossible for the light of a Christian to be hidden; it is impossible for so resplendent a lamp to be concealed.”
Articles on Fasting
Boone Porter: Nature and Culture
“The rarer and less frequent human response is the very opposite: the disregard of physical comfort and convenience, subsistence on the most meager diet, shelter ‘in dens and caves of the earth’ (Heb. 11:38), the most minimal and least fashionable clothing, and the foregoing of sexual relationships. This is the heroic lifestyle of the prophet, the visionary, the saint.”
Zachary Guiliano: Flesh, Resurrection, and Patience
“As Christians, we do not despise embodiment, but we seek a glorified body, one glimpsed in the resurrection appearances, one described by Paul, one that is quite different from the one we have now. To be precise, we hope that Christ ‘will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject all things to himself’ (Phil. 3:21).”
Jeffrey MacDonald: Forget Fish on Fridays
“‘It draws us into solidarity with people who don’t have food readily available,’ Bishop said. ‘It broadens our perspective of what our prayers are and what the purpose of our faith is: to understand ourselves as people of God, united as brothers and sisters.’ Health concerns might start people on the road to fasting, but pastoral leaders hope they will discover more by making it into a spiritual discipline.”
Articles on Money and Feeding the Hungry
Caleb Congrove: Microcredit and the Great Fast
“Prudence requires that I put aside something for my old age and something for my own children too. I am doing that. But can there be any doubt at all that (in accord with the teaching of Scripture) widows and orphans represent a better investment?”
Cole Hartin: Feeding God Together
“I cannot share the Eucharist with my Roman Catholic brothers and sisters. … However, side-by-side we can nourish Christ, in ‘the least of these.’ We cannot together touch the blood of our Lord to our lips, but we can place a warm cup of tea into the hands of those to whom Christ is especially close, the poor.”
Kristine Blaess: A Tiny Pantry Becomes a Blessing Box
“We were dismayed when shots were fired at another tiny pantry in town. A dispute had arisen between a business owner and one of our homeless neighbors. … I realized at that moment the pantry was no longer ‘ours’ but belonged to the community, for better or worse. We were blessed as the community began to take care of the pantry.”
Articles on the Mind of Christ
Neal Michell: A Lenten Meditation on the Jesus Prayer
“The aim of the Jesus Prayer is union with God. So, to begin, please read the prayer to yourself slowly — as slowly as you would imagine Mr. Rogers would say it. Read it three times in adoring silence.”
Katie Silcox: Confession, Repentance, and Reception
“One of the things I have been astonished by in my six years of parish ministry are the varied ways that self-hatred imprisons us and perpetuates our propensity to sin. The work of ‘self-examination’ called for in Lent becomes a sort of obsessive rumination about one’s very own being, rather than about the work of seeking God.”
Rob Price: The Neurobiology of Old and New Creation
“What if the primary thing to be made new in the New Creation is our neurobiology? Damasio’s book has convinced me that the life of the Resurrection starts with transformation at the cellular level, in terms of the basic economy of pleasure and pain with which we have evolved under God’s providence.”
