Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 24, 2017
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7.1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
1Now when the king lived in his house and the LORD had given him rest from all his surrounding enemies,2the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent."3And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart, for the LORD is with you."4But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,5"Go and tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD: Would you build me a house to dwell in?8Now, therefore, thus you shall say to my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, that you should be prince over my people Israel.9And I have been with you wherever you went and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a great name, like the name of the great ones of the earth.10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, so that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,11from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD declares to you that the LORD will make you a house.12When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.14I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,16And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'"
Psalm 89
1I will sing of the steadfast love of the LORD, forever; with my mouth I will make known your faithfulness to all generations.2For I said, "Steadfast love will be built up forever; in the heavens you will establish your faithfulness."3You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:4'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones!6For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD? Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,7a God greatly to be feared in the council of the holy ones, and awesome above all who are around him?8O LORD God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O LORD, with your faithfulness all around you?9You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.10You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.11The heavens are yours; the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it, you have founded them.12The north and the south, you have created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.13You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand.14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.15Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O LORD, in the light of your face,16who exult in your name all the day and in your righteousness are exalted.17For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted.18For our shield belongs to the LORD, our king to the Holy One of Israel.19Of old you spoke in a vision to your godly one, and said: "I have granted help to one who is mighty; I have exalted one chosen from the people.20I have found David, my servant; with my holy oil I have anointed him,21so that my hand shall be established with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.22The enemy shall not outwit him; the wicked shall not humble him.23I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.24My faithfulness and my steadfast love shall be with him, and in my name shall his horn be exalted.25I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.26He shall cry to me, 'You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation.'27And I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.28My steadfast love I will keep for him forever, and my covenant will stand firm for him.29I will establish his offspring forever and his throne as the days of the heavens.30If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my rules,31if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,32then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes,33but I will not remove from him my steadfast love or be false to my faithfulness.34I will not violate my covenant or alter the word that went forth from my lips.35Once for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.36His offspring shall endure forever, his throne as long as the sun before me.37Like the moon it shall be established forever, a faithful witness in the skies." Selah38But now you have cast off and rejected; you are full of wrath against your anointed.39You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust.40You have breached all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins.41All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbors.42You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice.43You have also turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not made him stand in battle.44You have made his splendor to cease and cast his throne to the ground.45You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. Selah46How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire?47Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man!48What man can live and never see death? Who can deliver his soul from the power of Sheol? Selah49Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David?50Remember, O Lord, how your servants are mocked, and how I bear in my heart the insults of all the many nations,51with which your enemies mock, O LORD, with which they mock the footsteps of your anointed.52Blessed be the LORD forever! Amen and Amen.
Second Reading: Romans 16.25-27
25Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages26but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith--27to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.
Gospel: Luke 1.26-38
26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,27to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.28And he came to her and said, "Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!"29But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.30And the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.31And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end."34And Mary said to the angel, "How will this be, since I am a virgin?"35And the angel answered her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy--the Son of God.36And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.37For nothing will be impossible with God."38And Mary said, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her.
Sermon
In today's readings, we journey through a narrative of promise, fulfillment, and universal revelation. The first reading from 2 Samuel 7 recounts God's covenant with David, where God promises to establish his dynasty, a house that will endure forever. This promise, however, is not about David building a physical structure for God, but about God building a spiritual legacy through David's descendants. The second reading from Romans 16:25-27 illuminates the universal scope of God's plan, revealing a mystery hidden for ages but now made known through the Gospel, emphasizing God's wisdom and the obedience of faith. The Gospel from Luke 1:26-38 presents the Annunciation, where Mary, with faith and obedience, accepts God's plan to bear Jesus, the Son of God, fulfilling the promise made to David.
These readings are deeply interconnected, illustrating the progression of God's plan from a specific covenant with David to the universal revelation of Jesus Christ. The promise to David finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who as a descendant of David, establishes a kingdom that will have no end. Mary's response exemplifies the faith and trust required to participate in God's plan, mirroring the obedience of faith spoken of in Romans.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to reflect on our trust in God's plan. Like Mary, we are called to embrace God's will with faith, even when it seems uncertain. The readings remind us that our lives are part of a larger narrative, a universal plan of salvation that transcends time and space. As we navigate our own challenges, let us draw strength from Mary's example, trusting in God's providence and remaining open to His will. In doing so, we participate in the ongoing story of God's kingdom, a story that continues to unfold in our lives today.