Daily Readings - Thu Dec 19 2024
Judges
2Now there was a certain man from Zorah, and of the stock of Dan, whose name was Manoah, having a barren wife3And an Angel of the Lord appeared to her, and he said: "You are barren and without children. But you shall conceive and bear a son4Therefore, take care that you do not drink wine or strong drink. Neither shall you eat anything unclean5For you shall conceive and bear a son, whose head no razor shall touch. For he shall be a Nazirite of God, from his infancy and from his mother’s womb. And he shall begin to free Israel from the hand of the Philistines.6And when she had gone to her husband, she said to him: "A man of God came to me, having the countenance of an Angel, exceedingly terrible. And when I had inquired of him, who he was, and where he was from, and what name he was called, he was not willing to tell me7But he responded: ‘Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. Take care that you do not drink wine or strong drink. And you shall not consume anything unclean. For the boy shall be a Nazirite of God from his infancy, from his mother’s womb, even until the day of his death.’ 24And so she bore a son, and she called his name Samson. And the boy grew up, and the Lord blessed him25And the Spirit of the Lord began to be with him in the camp of Dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol
Luke
5There was, in the days of Herod, king of Judea, a certain priest named Zechariah, of the section of Abijah, and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth6Now they were both just before God, progressing in all of the commandments and the justifications of the Lord without blame7And they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both had become advanced in years8Then it happened that, when he was exercising the priesthood before God, in the order of his section9according to the custom of the priesthood, the lot fell so that he would offer incense, entering into the temple of the Lord10And the entire multitude of the people was praying outside, at the hour of incense11Then there appeared to him an Angel of the Lord, standing at the right of the altar of incense12And upon seeing him, Zechariah was disturbed, and fear fell over him13But the Angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth shall bear a son to you. And you shall call his name John14And there will be joy and exultation for you, and many will rejoice in his nativity15For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb16And he will convert many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God17And he will go before him with the spirit and power of Elijah, so that he may turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons, and the incredulous to the prudence of the just, so as to prepare for the Lord a completed people.18And Zechariah said to the Angel: "How may I know this? For I am elderly, and my wife is advanced in years.19And in response, the Angel said to him: "I am Gabriel, who stands before God, and I have been sent to speak to you, and to proclaim these things to you20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak, until the day on which these things shall be, because you have not believed my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.21And the people were waiting for Zechariah. And they wondered why he was being delayed in the temple22Then, when he came out, he was unable to speak to them. And they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he was making signs to them, but he remained mute23And it happened that, after the days of his office were completed, he went away to his house24Then, after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and she hid herself for five months, saying25"For the Lord did this for me, at the time when he decided to take away my reproach among men.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two remarkable stories of divine annunciation and miraculous birth, each highlighting God’s power to transcend human limitations and fulfill His promises in unexpected ways. In the first reading from Judges, an angel appears to the barren wife of Manoah, announcing the birth of Samson, who will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from the womb. Similarly, in the Gospel, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah, revealing that his elderly and barren wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son, John the Baptist, who will be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. Both stories share a common theme: God’s ability to bring life and purpose out of seeming impossibility, and the call to trust in His divine plan.
These stories are deeply rooted in the cultural and religious contexts of their time. In ancient Israel, barrenness was often seen as a sign of God’s disfavor, and childlessness carried a stigma. Yet, in both cases, God chooses these families to fulfill extraordinary purposes. Samson, though flawed, would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines, while John the Baptist would prepare the way for the Messiah. These narratives remind us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His timing is not our timing. He often works through the unexpected and the unlikely to achieve His will.
The connection between the two readings lies in their emphasis on faith and surrender. Both Manoah’s wife and Zechariah are called to trust in God’s word, even when it seems impossible. For Zechariah, this requires humility and acceptance of the angel’s message, while for Manoah’s wife, it demands obedience to the divine instructions about her son’s upbringing. These stories invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Do we trust Him when the path ahead seems unclear? Are we willing to surrender our plans and desires to His will?
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace the mystery of God’s providence. Like the families in today’s readings, we may face challenges or feel limited by our circumstances. Yet, God is always at work, even when we cannot see it. The moral lesson here is one of faith and perseverance. Just as these families trusted in God’s promises, we too can place our trust in Him, knowing that He will bring fruitfulness and purpose to our lives in His own time.
As we reflect on these stories, let us ask for the grace to surrender our doubts and fears to God. May we, like Manoah’s wife and Elizabeth, rejoice in the ways He surprises us with His love and mercy. And may we, like John the Baptist, be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we may live as witnesses to God’s transformative power in the world.