Daily Readings - Mon Jan 01 2024

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

Chapter 4

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

Chapter 2

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 journey through the revelation of God’s love and our response to it. The first reading from Numbers presents the Aaronic blessing, a priestly invocation of God’s protection, revelation, and peace upon the Israelites. This blessing, rooted in the Levitical priesthood, highlights God’s desire to be close to His people. The second reading from Galatians deepens this by explaining Jesus’ mission: born under the law to redeem us, making us sons and daughters of God through adoption. This intimate relationship is sealed by the Spirit, who calls out “Abba, Father” from our hearts. The Gospel from Luke illustrates this revelation in the visit of the shepherds to the newborn Jesus, with Mary pondering God’s word and the shepherds glorifying God. These readings weave together the tapestry of God’s revelation. The Aaronic blessing prefigures the ultimate blessing in Jesus, who brings us into God’s family. Through Him, we are no longer servants but sons and heirs. The shepherds’ response of faith and praise exemplifies how we should receive God’s revelation with gratitude and joy. In our daily lives, let us embrace our identity as beloved children of God. May we, like Mary, ponder God’s words in our hearts and, like the shepherds, glorify Him for the gifts we receive. Let us live with the peace and joy that come from knowing we are adopted into God’s family, reflecting His love in all we do.