Daily Readings - Sat Aug 15 2020
Revelation
19And the temple of God was opened in heaven. And the Ark of his Testament was seen in his temple. And there were lightnings and voices and thunders, and an earthquake, and great hail
1And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet, and on her head was a crown of twelve stars2And being with child, she cried out while giving birth, and she was suffering in order to give birth3And another sign was seen in heaven. And behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads were seven diadems4And his tail drew down a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman, who was about to give birth, so that, when she had brought forth, he might devour her son5And she brought forth a male child, who was soon to rule all the nations with an iron rod. And her son was taken up to God and to his throne6And the woman fled into solitude, where a place was being held ready by God, so that they might pasture her in that place for one thousand two hundred and sixty days10And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying: "Now have arrived salvation and virtue and the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, he who accused them before our God day and night
1 Corinthians
20But now Christ has risen again from the dead, as the first-fruits of those who sleep21For certainly, death came through a man. And so, the resurrection of the dead came through a ma22And just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be brought to life23but each one in his proper order: Christ, as the first-fruits, and next, those who are of Christ, who have believed in his advent24Afterwards is the end, when he will have handed over the kingdom to God the Father, when he will have emptied all principality, and authority, and power25For it is necessary for him to reign, until he has set all his enemies under his feet26Lastly, the enemy called death shall be destroyed. For he has subjected all things under his feet. And although he says
Luke
39And in those days, Mary, rising up, traveled quickly into the hill country, to a city of Judah40And she entered into the house of Zechariah, and she greeted Elizabeth41And it happened that, as Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the infant leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit42And she cried out with a loud voice and said: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb43And how does this concern me, so that the mother of my Lord would come to me44For behold, as the voice of your greeting came to my ears, the infant in my womb leaped for joy45And blessed are you who believed, for the things that were spoken to you by the Lord shall be accomplished.46And Mary said: "My soul magnifies the Lord47And my spirit leaps for joy in God my Saviour48For he has looked with favor on the humility of his handmaid. For behold, from this time, all generations shall call me blessed49For he who is great has done great things for me, and holy is his name50And his mercy is from generation to generations for those who fear him51He has accomplished powerful deeds with his arm. He has scattered the arrogant in the intentions of their heart52He has deposed the powerful from their seat, and he has exalted the humble53He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty54He has taken up his servant Israel, mindful of his mercy55just as he spoke to our fathers: to Abraham and to his offspring forever.56Then Mary stayed with her for about three months. And she returned to her own house
Sermon
In today’s readings, we are invited to reflect on the triumph of God’s plan and the call to faith and hope in the face of adversity. The first reading from Revelation presents a dramatic vision of a woman clothed with the sun and a great red dragon, symbols of the cosmic struggle between good and evil. The woman represents the Church, and the dragon signifies Satan, who seeks to destroy God’s plan. Yet, the reading ends with a declaration of victory: the accuser has been cast down, and the kingdom of God is at hand. This vision reminds us that, despite the trials we face, God’s ultimate triumph is assured.
The second reading from 1 Corinthians ties this cosmic victory to the resurrection of Christ. Paul explains that just as death came through Adam, so too has the resurrection of the dead come through Christ. He emphasizes that Christ must reign until all enemies, including death, are subjected to him. This passage underscores the centrality of Christ’s resurrection in our faith and the hope it gives us. Death is not the final word; eternal life in Christ is our ultimate destiny.
In the Gospel, Luke’s account of the Visitation brings us back to the humanity of God’s plan. Mary, carrying Jesus in her womb, visits Elizabeth, who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth’s joyful recognition of Mary as the mother of the Lord, and Mary’s Magnificat, a hymn of praise and trust in God, reveal the profound faith of these two women. Mary’s words, “My soul magnifies the Lord,” express her complete surrender to God’s will and her recognition of the greatness of what he has done. This passage invites us to reflect on our own faith and trust in God’s plan, even when the road ahead seems uncertain.
Today’s readings call us to live with hope and trust in God’s plan, just as Mary and Elizabeth did. In the face of challenges, we are reminded that Christ’s resurrection has already secured our victory, and we are called to magnify the Lord in our own lives. Let us, like Mary, allow God to work through us, trusting that his mercy and power will bring about a world where the humble are exalted and the hungry are filled.