Daily Readings - Fri Dec 08 2023
Genesis
9But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?"10And he said, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself."11He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?"12The man said, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate."13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."14The LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life.15I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel."20The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
Ephesians
3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places,4even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love5he predestined us for adoption through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,6to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.11In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.
Luke
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
The readings today invite us to reflect on the mystery of God’s plan and our response to His call. In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the story of Adam and Eve, who, after disobeying God’s command, hide in shame. Their actions reveal the human condition—prone to sin and separation from God. Yet, even in the midst of sin, God does not abandon them. He speaks to them with mercy and announces the promise of redemption through the offspring of the woman, who will crush the serpent’s head. This passage sets the stage for understanding the larger narrative of salvation history.
In the second reading from Ephesians, St. Paul unfolds the richness of God’s plan. He reminds us that we have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, destined for holiness and adoption as God’s children. This reading emphasizes that our lives are not random but are part of a divine plan, rooted in God’s eternal love and grace. It calls us to live with hope and confidence, knowing that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.
The Gospel reading from Luke brings us to a pivotal moment in salvation history—the Annunciation. Mary, a young virgin, is greeted by the Angel Gabriel and told that she will bear a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of the Most High. Mary’s response, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word,” is a model of faith and surrender. Her “yes” undoes the “no” of Eve, opening the way for God to enter the world in a new and profound way. Mary’s humility and trust in God’s plan teach us the importance of surrendering our will to His.
These readings remind us that our lives are part of a larger story. Like Adam and Eve, we are tempted to turn away from God, but like Mary, we are called to trust in His plan. In our daily lives, we can apply this by recognizing the ways God speaks to us, even in unexpected moments. Let us ask for the grace to respond with humility and faith, like Mary, allowing God’s will to shape our lives. May we, too, be instruments of His plan, bringing hope and redemption to a world in need.