Daily Readings - Wed Dec 21 2022
First Reading - Zephaniah 3.14-18a or Song of Solomon 2.8-14
Zephaniah
14Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!15The LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall never again fear evil.16On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Fear not, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.17The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.18I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival, so that you will no longer suffer reproach.
Song of Solomon
8The voice of my beloved! Behold, he comes, leaping over the mountains, bounding over the hills.9My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Behold, there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, looking through the lattice.10My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away,11for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone.12The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.13The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away.14O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the crannies of the cliff, let me see your face, let me hear your voice, for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
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."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful expressions of joy and trust in God’s presence. The first reading from Zephaniah invites us to rejoice because the Lord is in our midst, bringing strength and salvation. This prophet, writing to a people in distress, reminds us that even in darkness, God’s presence is our light. The second reading, from Luke’s Gospel, captures the joyful encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, where the unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy at the presence of the Messiah carried by Mary. Elizabeth’s exclamation, “Blessed are you who believed,” highlights the fruit of faith and trust in God’s promises.
These readings are connected by the theme of joy as a response to God’s presence and action in our lives. In Zephaniah, the people are called to rejoice because God has removed their judgment and fear. In Luke, Mary and Elizabeth’s joy flows from their faith in the miraculous work of God unfolding before them. Both passages remind us that God’s presence transforms fear into trust and despair into hope.
In our daily lives, we are called to embody this same spirit of joy and trust. Like Mary, we are invited to carry Christ into the world, even in the ordinary and unexpected moments. Like Elizabeth, we are called to recognize the movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in others. Let us ask ourselves: Where is God present in my life today? How can I respond with joy and faith, even when the road ahead seems uncertain? May we, like the people of Zephaniah and the women in Luke’s Gospel, find strength in God’s presence and trust in His plan, allowing His joy to overflow in our hearts and actions.