Daily Readings - Thu Dec 19 2024
Judges
2There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children.3And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman and said to her, "Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son.4Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean,5for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines."6Then the woman came and told her husband, "A man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. I did not ask him where he was from, and he did not tell me his name,7but he said to me, 'Behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. So then drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"24And the woman bore a son and called his name Samson. And the young man grew, and the LORD blessed him.25And the Spirit of the LORD began to stir him in Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol.
Luke
5In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.6And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord.7But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.8Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty,9according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense.10And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.11And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense.12And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him.13But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.14And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,15for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God,17and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared."18And Zechariah said to the angel, "How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."19And the angel answered him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.20And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time."21And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple.22And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute.23And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.24After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying,25"Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two remarkable stories of divine annunciation and miraculous birth, each highlighting God’s power to transcend human limitations and fulfill His promises in unexpected ways. In the first reading from Judges, an angel appears to the barren wife of Manoah, announcing the birth of Samson, who will be a Nazirite dedicated to God from the womb. Similarly, in the Gospel, the angel Gabriel appears to Zechariah, revealing that his elderly and barren wife, Elizabeth, will bear a son, John the Baptist, who will be filled with the Holy Spirit from birth. Both stories share a common theme: God’s ability to bring life and purpose out of seeming impossibility, and the call to trust in His divine plan.
These stories are deeply rooted in the cultural and religious contexts of their time. In ancient Israel, barrenness was often seen as a sign of God’s disfavor, and childlessness carried a stigma. Yet, in both cases, God chooses these families to fulfill extraordinary purposes. Samson, though flawed, would begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines, while John the Baptist would prepare the way for the Messiah. These narratives remind us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His timing is not our timing. He often works through the unexpected and the unlikely to achieve His will.
The connection between the two readings lies in their emphasis on faith and surrender. Both Manoah’s wife and Zechariah are called to trust in God’s word, even when it seems impossible. For Zechariah, this requires humility and acceptance of the angel’s message, while for Manoah’s wife, it demands obedience to the divine instructions about her son’s upbringing. These stories invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God. Do we trust Him when the path ahead seems unclear? Are we willing to surrender our plans and desires to His will?
In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace the mystery of God’s providence. Like the families in today’s readings, we may face challenges or feel limited by our circumstances. Yet, God is always at work, even when we cannot see it. The moral lesson here is one of faith and perseverance. Just as these families trusted in God’s promises, we too can place our trust in Him, knowing that He will bring fruitfulness and purpose to our lives in His own time.
As we reflect on these stories, let us ask for the grace to surrender our doubts and fears to God. May we, like Manoah’s wife and Elizabeth, rejoice in the ways He surprises us with His love and mercy. And may we, like John the Baptist, be filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we may live as witnesses to God’s transformative power in the world.