Daily Readings - Thu Aug 15 2019

Revelation

19Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail.
1And a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.2She was pregnant and was crying out in birth pains and the agony of giving birth.3And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven diadems.4His tail swept down a third 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 bore her child he might devour it.5She gave birth to a male child, one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, but her child was caught up to God and to his throne,6and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, in which she is to be nourished for 1,260 days.10And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.

1 Corinthians

20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.26The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Luke

39In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah,40and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.41And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord."46And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,48for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;49for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.50And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.51He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;52he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate;53he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent empty away.54He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy,55as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever."56And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful imagery and profound theological truths that invite us to reflect on God’s plan of salvation and our place within it. The First Reading from Revelation presents a dramatic vision of a woman, symbolizing the Church, giving birth to a male child destined to rule the nations. This child is caught up to God, while the woman flees to a place prepared for her. The passage is rich in apocalyptic symbolism, depicting the cosmic struggle between good and evil, with God’s ultimate triumph over the forces of darkness. The Second Reading from 1 Corinthians shifts our focus to the resurrection of Christ, the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Paul emphasizes that just as death came through Adam, so too has the resurrection come through Christ. This reading reminds us that our faith is rooted in the hope of eternal life, and that Christ’s victory over death is the foundation of our Christian identity. The Gospel from Luke, often referred to as the Visitation, shows us Mary, filled with joy and faith, visiting her cousin Elizabeth. Elizabeth, too, is filled with the Holy Spirit, and both women celebrate the miraculous pregnancies that will bring John the Baptist and Jesus into the world. Mary’s Magnificat, a hymn of praise, underscores the themes of humility, mercy, and God’s fidelity to his people. These readings are deeply interconnected. The apocalyptic vision in Revelation, the theological reflection in Corinthians, and the joyful encounter in Luke all point to the same reality: God’s plan of salvation is unfolding in history, and we are called to participate in it with faith and hope. In our daily lives, we are invited to trust in God’s providence, even in the face of challenges and uncertainties. Like Mary, we can respond to God’s call with humility and joy, recognizing that he is always at work in our lives. Let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill us, as he filled Elizabeth, and let us magnify the Lord, as Mary did, with hearts full of gratitude and praise. In doing so, we become part of the great story of salvation, living as children of God in a world that so desperately needs his love and light.