Daily Readings - Mon Dec 09 2024
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
In today’s readings, we journey through the narrative of humanity’s fall and redemption, culminating in the pivotal moment of the Annunciation. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Adam and Eve, where their disobedience introduces sin into the world. This act of rebellion against God’s command leads to separation and the introduction of enmity between humanity and the serpent. Yet, amidst this narrative of sin, there is a glimmer of hope: Eve is named the mother of all the living, hinting at the eventual redemption that will come through her offspring.
The second reading from Ephesians shifts our focus to the divine plan of redemption. Paul writes that before the foundation of the world, God chose us to be holy and blameless, predestining us for adoption as His children through Jesus Christ. This reading emphasizes God’s eternal plan of salvation, highlighting that we are part of a larger narrative of grace and redemption. It reminds us that our lives are not random or without purpose but are part of God’s grand design to bring all things under the rule of Christ.
The Gospel reading from Luke brings us to the moment when this divine plan is set in motion. The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary that she will bear a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of the Most High and reign forever. Mary’s response, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word,” stands in stark contrast to Eve’s disobedience. While Eve’s “no” to God’s will led to separation, Mary’s “yes” opens the way to union with God. Her obedience undoes the disobedience of Eve, and through her, God’s plan of redemption is fulfilled.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own response to God’s will. Like Mary, we are called to surrender to God’s plan, even when it seems impossible or unclear. The serpent’s deception in Genesis and the spiritual blessings in Ephesians remind us that we are part of a spiritual battle, but we are not alone. God’s grace is always at work, and His plan is always unfolding. Let us, like Mary, embrace our role in this divine plan with faith and obedience, trusting that no word of God is impossible.