Daily Readings - Tue Dec 08 2020
Genesis
9And the Lord God called Adam and said to him: "Where are you?10And he said, "I heard your voice in Paradise, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and so I hid myself.11He said to him, "Then who told you that you were naked, if you have not eaten of the tree from which I instructed you that you should not eat?12And Adam said, "The woman, whom you gave to me as a companion, gave to me from the tree, and I ate.13And the Lord God said to the woman, "Why have you done this?" And she responded, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate.14And the Lord God said to the serpent: "Because you have done this, you are cursed among all living things, even the wild beasts of the earth. Upon your breast shall you travel, and the ground shall you eat, all the days of your life15I will put enmities between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring. She will crush your head, and you will lie in wait for her heel.20And Adam called the name of his wife, ‘Eve,’ because she was the mother of all the living
Ephesians
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, in Christ4just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, so that we would be holy and immaculate in his sight, in charity5He has predestined us to adoption as sons, through Jesus Christ, in himself, according to the purpose of his will6for the praise of the glory of his grace, with which he has gifted us in his beloved Son11In him, we too are called to our portion, having been predestined in accord with the plan of the One who accomplishes all things by the counsel of his will12So may we be, to the praise of his glory, we who have hoped beforehand in Christ
Luke
26Then, in the sixth month, the Angel Gabriel was sent by God, to a city of Galilee named Nazareth27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the name of the virgin was Mary28And upon entering, the Angel said to her: "Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.29And when she had heard this, she was disturbed by his words, and she considered what kind of greeting this might be30And the Angel said to her: "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found grace with God31Behold, you shall conceive in your womb, and you shall bear a son, and you shall call his name: JESUS32He will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High, and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. And he will reign in the house of Jacob for eternity33And his kingdom shall have no end.34Then Mary said to the Angel, "How shall this be done, since I do not know man?35And in response, the Angel said to her: "The Holy Spirit will pass over you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. And because of this also, the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God36And behold, your cousin Elizabeth has herself also conceived a son, in her old age. And this is the sixth month for her who is called barren37For no word will be impossible with God.38Then Mary said: "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word." And the Angel departed from her
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound moments of human encounter with the divine, each revealing the depth of God’s love and the complexity of human response. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Adam and Eve, the first parents, who, tempted by the serpent, choose to disobey God’s command. Their sin introduces suffering and division into the world, yet even in judgment, there is a glimmer of hope: the promise of redemption through the offspring of the woman, who will crush the serpent’s head. This passage sets the stage for understanding the human condition—our frailty, our tendency to blame, and our need for redemption.
The second reading from Ephesians shifts our gaze to the divine plan of salvation. Paul writes of the blessings God has lavished upon us in Christ, choosing us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. This reading emphasizes God’s eternal plan to adopt us as his children through Jesus Christ, a plan rooted in love and destined to unfold according to his will. It invites us to see ourselves as part of a larger story, one of grace and redemption, where every moment of our lives is caught up in God’s purpose.
The Gospel reading from Luke presents the Annunciation, where the Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of the Most High. Mary’s response—“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word”—stands in stark contrast to the disobedience of Adam and Eve. Her “yes” undoes the “no” of Eve, opening the way for redemption. Mary’s humility and trust in God’s plan serve as a model for us all, reminding us that our lives are not our own but are part of a greater divine plan.
These readings, when taken together, invite us to reflect on our relationship with God and our place in his plan. Like Adam and Eve, we are tempted to turn away from God, but like Mary, we are called to trust in his will. The readings remind us that sin and suffering are real, but they do not have the final word. God’s love and grace are always at work, even in the midst of human failure. As we go about our daily lives, let us strive to imitate Mary’s openness to God’s plan, trusting that even in uncertainty, his will is always for our good and the good of all. May we, like Mary, say “yes” to God, allowing his grace to transform us and bring light to a world still grappling with the effects of sin.