Daily Readings - Sun Dec 24 2023

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.'"

Romans

Chapter 16

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.

Luke

Chapter 1

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 explore the theme of God's promises and the call to faith, weaving together narratives from the Old Testament, the Epistles, and the Gospels. The first reading from 2 Samuel recounts Nathan's prophecy to David, where God promises to establish David's dynasty, highlighting His faithfulness and eternal plans. The Gospel of Luke presents the Annunciation, where Mary, with unwavering faith, accepts God's will, exemplifying obedience and trust. The epistle from Romans connects these narratives, revealing God's wisdom and glory through the mystery of Christ, now made known to all. These readings intertwine to illustrate God's overarching plan. The promise to David finds its fulfillment in Jesus, the Messiah, while Romans underscores the revelation of this plan through Christ. Mary's response embodies the faith required to embrace God's promises, even when they seem improbable. In our daily lives, these readings invite us to trust in God's plan, even amidst uncertainty. Like Mary, we are called to surrender to God's will with faith and obedience. As we navigate life's challenges, let us reflect on the surrender that comes from deep faith, allowing God's plan to unfold in our lives, just as it did for David and Mary.