Daily Readings - Wed Jan 01 2020
Numbers
22And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying23"Say to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them24‘May the Lord bless you and keep you25May the Lord reveal his face to you and take pity on you26May the Lord turn his countenance toward you and grant peace to you.27And they shall invoke my name over the sons of Israel, and I will bless them.
Galatians
4But when the fullness of time arrived, God sent his Son, formed from a woman, formed under the law5so that he might redeem those who were under the law, in order that we might receive the adoption of sons6Therefore, because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying out: "Abba, Father.7And so now he is not a servant, but a son. But if he is a son, then he is also an heir, through God
Luke
16And they went quickly. And they found Mary and Joseph; and the infant was lying in a manger17Then, upon seeing this, they understood the word that had been spoken to them about this boy18And all who heard it were amazed by this, and by those things which were told to them by the shepherds19But Mary kept all these words, pondering them in her heart20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told to them21And after eight days were ended, so that the boy would be circumcised, his name was called JESUS, just as he was called by the Angel before he was conceived in the womb
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound expressions of God’s love and our response to it. The first reading from Numbers presents the priestly blessing, a sacred ritual where God’s chosen priests impart divine favor upon the people. This blessing, still used today, underscores God’s enduring desire to bestow peace and grace upon His children. Rooted in the Old Testament, it highlights the tangible ways God’s presence is manifest in the lives of the faithful.
The second reading from Galatians shifts our focus to the New Testament, where Paul reveals the culmination of God’s plan in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we are adopted as God’s children, moving from bondage under the law to the freedom of being heirs of God. This passage emphasizes the transformative power of faith in Christ, which redefines our identity and purpose.
The Gospel from Luke illustrates the shepherds’ response to the divine announcement of Jesus’ birth. Their haste to worship and subsequent proclamation of the Good News exemplify authentic faith—trusting God’s Word and sharing it with others. Mary’s contemplation of these events models a reflective faith, nurturing a deep interior life.
These readings collectively reveal God’s initiative in blessing us and our responsive faith. The priestly blessing prefigures the ultimate blessing in Jesus, who makes us God’s children. Our response, like the shepherds, should be one of trust and proclamation. In daily life, this means living with the awareness of God’s presence, embracing our identity as His children, and sharing His love with others. May we, like Mary, ponder God’s Word in our hearts and, like the shepherds, glorify Him in all we do.