Daily Readings for December 22, 2017

1ST READING

Samuel is another child born after an intervention in the life of his mother — a barren woman desiring to have a child. God has a special plan for him. Samuel acts as a guide and advocate between God and His people. It is also interesting to see Hannah’s willingness to commend her son to the service of God through Eli. May all mothers be supportive of their children’s desire to become priests and nuns if they so choose to respond to the Lords’ calling.

1 Samuel 1:24-28

24 In those days, Hannah brought Samuel with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the Lord in Shiloh. 25 After the boy’s father had sacrificed the young bull, Hannah, his mother, approached Eli 26 and said: “Pardon, my lord! As you live my lord, I am the woman who stood near you here, praying to the Lord. 27 I prayed for this child, and the Lord granted my request. 28 Now I, in turn, give him to the Lord; as long as he lives, he shall be dedicated to the Lord.” She left Samuel there.

P S A L M

1 Samuel 2:1, 4-5, 6-7, 8

R: My heart exults in the Lord, my Savior.

1 “My heart exults in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God. I have swallowed up my enemies; I rejoice in my victory.” (R) 4 “The bows of the mighty are broken, while the tottering gird on strength. 5 The well-fed hire themselves out for bread, while the hungry batten on spoil. The barren wife bears seven sons, while the mother of many languishes.” (R) 6 “The Lord puts to death and gives life; he casts down to the nether world; he raises up again. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich, he humbles, he also exalts. (R) 8 “He raises the needy from the dust; from the dung heap he lifts up the poor, To seat them with nobles and make a glorious throne their heritage.” (R)

GOSPEL

The text of the Magnificat is not original to Mary. It is based on the prayer of Hannah when she discovers that God heard her call for a child and she becomes pregnant. This prayer rejoices in the blessings that God gives to the poor. It is almost as though God has favorites — the poor and suffering.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O King of all nations and keystone of the Church; come and save man, whom you formed from the dust!

Luke 1:46-56

46 Mary said: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; 47 my spirit rejoices in God my savior. 48 For he has looked upon his lowly servant. From this day, all generations will call me blessed: 49 the Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his Name. 50 He has mercy on those who fear him in every generation. 51 He has shown the strength of his arm, and has scattered the proud in their conceit. 52 He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has lifted up the lowly. 53 He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty. 54 He has come to the help of his servant Israel, for he remembered his promise of mercy, 55 the promise he made to our fathers, to Abraham and his children forever.” 56 Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

Daily Readings for December 21, 2017

1ST READING

The two readings for today speak of rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord to His people. They use different imagery and words to describe the joy we experience, but they tell us the same thing. How often do we stop and think about being joyful in the Lord? We have every reason to be joyful because of His love and mercy towards us. Let us always thank Him with joy for His goodness to us.

Song of Songs 2:8-14 (or Zephaniah 3:14-18)

8 Hark! my lover — here he comes springing across the mountains, leaping across the hills. 9 My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Here he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattices. 10 My lover speaks; he says to me, “Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one, and come! 11 “For see, the winter is past, the rains are over and gone. 12 The flowers appear on the earth, the time of pruning the vines has come, and the song of the dove is heard in our land. 13 The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance. Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one, and come! 14 “O my dove in the clefts of the rock, in the secret recesses of the cliff, let me see you, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and you are lovely.”

P S A L M

Psalm 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21

R: Exult, you just, in the Lord! Sing to him a new song.

2 Give thanks to the Lord on the harp; with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises. 3 Sing to him a new song; pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness. (R) 11 But the plan of the Lord stands forever; the design of his heart, through all generations. 12 Blessed the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he has chosen for his own inheritance. (R) 20 Our soul waits for the Lord, who is our help and our shield, 21 for in him our hearts rejoice; in his holy name we trust. (R)

GOSPEL

Mary visits Elizabeth because she knows her age can cause difficulties in her pregnancy. The Scriptures remind us through Mary of the need to be sensitive to the people around us and be aware of their situations. There may be times when we should stop focusing on ourselves and think of the needs of others instead. This readiness to serve is fundamental to any disciple of Jesus.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O Emmanuel, our King and Giver of Law: come to save us, Lord our God!

Luke 1:39-45

39 Mary set out in those days and traveled to the hill country in haste to a town of Judah, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 cried out in a loud voice and said, “Most blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And how does this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”

Daily Readings for December 20, 2017

1ST READING

Ahaz is given the promise that Jerusalem will be delivered from its siege within nine months. Matthew has applied this text to Mary, and the Fathers of the Church have interpreted it as a direct prophecy of the Messiah’s future birth.

Isaiah 7:10-14

10 The Lord spoke to Ahaz: 11 Ask for a sign from the Lord, your God; let it be deep as the nether world, or high as the sky!” 12 But Ahaz answered, “I will not ask! I will not tempt the Lord!” 13 Then Isaiah said: Listen, O house of David! Is it not enough for you to weary men, must you also weary my God? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you this sign: the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall name him Emmanuel.

P S A L M

Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6

R: Let the Lord enter; he is the king of glory.

1 The Lord’s are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who dwell in it. 2 For he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the rivers. (R) 3 Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? Or who may stand in his holy place? 4 He whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. (R) 5 He shall receive a blessing from the Lord, a reward from God his savior. 6 Such is the race that seeks for him, that seeks the face of the God of Jacob. (R)

GOSPEL

Mary’s yes to God’s call remains one of the greatest examples of obedience that inspire us to do greater works. It is almost impossible to comprehend the magnitude of Mary’s response, both in the faith it required and its consequences. We should never underestimate what the future fruit of our responses to God’s call could be. Mary gave birth to the Son of God — literally. We are called to continually give birth to His will in our lives.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O Key of David, opening the gates of God’s eternal Kingdom: come and free the prisoners of darkness!

Luke 1:26-38

26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man named  Joseph, of the house of David, and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming to her, he said, “Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was greatly troubled at what was said and pondered what sort of greeting this might be. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, 33 and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever, and of his Kingdom there will be no end.” 34 But Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I have no relations with a man?” 35 And the angel said to her in reply, “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 called holy, the Son of God. 36 And behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren; 37 for nothing will be impossible for God.” 38 Mary said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.

Daily Readings for December 19, 2017

1ST READING

When God works a miracle to give a child to a barren couple, we can be sure that there is something special in store for that child — in this case, Samson. God asks his parents to refrain from cutting his hair to remind them that Samson is a special gift to them. It is amazing how God chooses to use weak individuals like you and me to bring blessings to His people. Ultimately, He will send His Son, but for the time being, He is content to use people like us.

Judges 13:2-7, 24-25

2 There was a certain man from Zorah, of the clan of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren and had borne no children. 3 An angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Though you are barren and have had no children, yet you will conceive and bear a son. 4 Now, then, be careful to take no wine or strong drink and to eat nothing unclean. 5 As for the son you will conceive and bear, no razor shall touch his head, for this boy is to be consecrated to God from the womb. It is he who will begin the deliverance of Israel from the power of the Philistines.” 6 The woman went and told her husband, “A man of God came to me; he had the appearance of an angel of God, terrible indeed. I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name. 7 But he said to me, ‘You will be with child and will bear a son. So take neither wine nor strong drink, and eat nothing unclean. For the boy shall be consecrated to God from the womb, until the day of his death.’ ” 24 The woman bore a son and named him Samson. The boy grew up and the Lord blessed him; 25 the Spirit of the Lord stirred him.

P S A L M

Psalm 71:3-4, 5-6, 16-17

R: My mouth shall be filled with your praise, and I will sing your glory.

3 Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. (R) 5 For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. 6 On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. (R) 16 I will treat of the mighty works of the Lord; O God, I will tell of your singular justice. 17 O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds. (R)

GOSPEL

Today we have another miracle birth of a son who was raised up to prepare the way for the ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist will preach a message of repentance and conversion to prepare us to receive the Gospel of Jesus — His offer of salvation and eternal life. God also chooses you and me. Maybe we do not have a significant role as John had, but we are still called to live and proclaim the Gospel daily.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O Root of Jesse’s stem, sign of God’s love for all his people: come to save us without delay!

Luke 1:5-25

5 In the days of Herod, King of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah of the priestly division of Abijah; his wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both were righteous in the eyes of God, observing all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blamelessly. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren and both were advanced in years. 8 Once when he was serving as priest in his division’s turn before God, 9 according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. 10 Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, 11 the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall name him John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He will drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother’s womb, 16 and he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. 17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah to turn the hearts of fathers toward children and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to prepare a people fit for the Lord.” 18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel said to him in reply, “I am Gabriel, who stand before God. I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news. 20 But now you will be  speechless and unable to talk until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.” 21 Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary. He was gesturing to them but remained mute. 23 Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home. 24 After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she went into seclusion for five months, 1saying, 25 “So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fit to take away my disgrace before others.”

Daily Readings for December 18, 2017

1ST READING

The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy — that the people of God will again live in their own land — is when we receive the gift of eternal life in heaven. God wants us to have an enjoyable life here, amidst sin and suffering. When we get to heaven, that will all end and we will live the fullness of life that God has prepared for us. This is the true Promised Land.

Jeremiah 23:5-8

5 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up a righteous shoot to David; as king he shall reign and govern wisely, he shall do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah shall be saved, Israel shall dwell in security. This is the name they give him “The Lord our justice.” 7 Therefore, the days will come, says the Lord, when they shall no longer say, “As the Lord lives, who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt”; 8 but rather, “As the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of the house of Israel up from the land of the north” — and from all the lands to which I banished them; they shall again live on their own land.

P S A L M

Psalm 72:1-2, 12-13, 18-19

R: Justice shall flourish in his time, and fullness of peace forever.

1 O God, with your judgment endow the king, and with your justice, the king’s son; 2 He shall govern your people with justice and your afflicted ones with judgment. (R) 12 For he shall rescue the poor when he cries out, and the afflicted when he has no one to help him. 13 He shall have pity for the lowly and the poor; the lives of the poor he shall save. (R) 18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous deeds. 19 And blessed forever be his glorious name; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. (R)

GOSPEL

It must have been pretty tough for Joseph to take as his wife a woman who was already pregnant with a child that was not his own. With some encouragement from a dream, he persevered in this plan. Can you imagine being the only sinner in your immediate family? Mary was sinless and Jesus is the Son of God. Tough life, but he did not shirk from his responsibilities. Let his determination inspire us to do our best in following God’s plan for our lives.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

O Leader of the House of Israel, giver of the Law to Moses on Sinai: come to rescue us with your mighty power!

Matthew 1:18-25

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly. 20 Such was his intention when, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your  home. For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her. 21 She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means “God is with us.” 24 When Joseph awoke, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home. 25 He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.