Daily Readings - Sat Dec 12 2020
First Reading - Zechariah 2.10-13 or Revelation 11.19a; 12.1, 3-6a, 10ab
Zechariah
10Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold, I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the LORD.11And many nations shall join themselves to the LORD in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the LORD of hosts has sent me to you.12And the LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem."13Be silent, all flesh, before the LORD, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.
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.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.
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,
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two profound moments of joy and revelation. The first reading from Zechariah speaks of a time when God will dwell in the midst of His people, and many nations will join Israel in worshiping the Lord. This prophecy points to a future where God’s presence is universally acknowledged, and His people are united in His sanctified land. The passage invites us to silence and awe before the majesty of God, who arises from His holy dwelling place to fulfill His promises. The Gospel, on the other hand, brings us to the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, where the unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy at the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, praises Mary for her faith and recognizes the blessedness of the fruit of her womb. Mary responds with the Magnificat, a hymn of praise that glorifies God for His mercy and faithfulness.
These readings are deeply connected. Zechariah’s prophecy of God’s dwelling among His people finds its fulfillment in the Gospel, where Mary carries the incarnate God within her. Just as Zechariah speaks of God’s presence bringing joy and unity to all nations, the Visitation reveals the joy of encountering God’s presence in the flesh. Elizabeth and Mary’s meeting is not just a personal encounter but a moment of divine revelation, where the Holy Spirit inspires recognition of God’s work. The leap of John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb symbolizes the universal rejoicing that Zechariah prophesied, as even the unborn child recognizes the presence of the Messiah.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to cultivate a deep awareness of God’s presence among us. Like Elizabeth, we are called to recognize the Lord’s visitation and to rejoice in His nearness. Mary’s faith and trust in God’s promises serve as a model for us, reminding us that our lives are not our own but are part of a larger plan to bring God’s love to the world. Let us, like Mary, magnify the Lord and allow our spirits to leap for joy in God our Savior. May we, too, be bearers of God’s presence, sharing the Good News with others and living as children of a merciful and faithful God.