Daily Readings - Wed Jan 01 2020
Numbers
22And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,23Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them,24The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:25The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:26The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.27And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.
Galatians
4But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,5To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.6And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.7Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Luke
16And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.17And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.18And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.21And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound expressions of God’s love and our response to it. The first reading from Numbers presents the priestly blessing, a sacred ritual where God’s chosen priests impart divine favor upon the people. This blessing, still used today, underscores God’s enduring desire to bestow peace and grace upon His children. Rooted in the Old Testament, it highlights the tangible ways God’s presence is manifest in the lives of the faithful.
The second reading from Galatians shifts our focus to the New Testament, where Paul reveals the culmination of God’s plan in Jesus Christ. Through Jesus, we are adopted as God’s children, moving from bondage under the law to the freedom of being heirs of God. This passage emphasizes the transformative power of faith in Christ, which redefines our identity and purpose.
The Gospel from Luke illustrates the shepherds’ response to the divine announcement of Jesus’ birth. Their haste to worship and subsequent proclamation of the Good News exemplify authentic faith—trusting God’s Word and sharing it with others. Mary’s contemplation of these events models a reflective faith, nurturing a deep interior life.
These readings collectively reveal God’s initiative in blessing us and our responsive faith. The priestly blessing prefigures the ultimate blessing in Jesus, who makes us God’s children. Our response, like the shepherds, should be one of trust and proclamation. In daily life, this means living with the awareness of God’s presence, embracing our identity as His children, and sharing His love with others. May we, like Mary, ponder God’s Word in our hearts and, like the shepherds, glorify Him in all we do.