Daily Readings - Mon Dec 09 2024
Genesis
9And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?10And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.11And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?12And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.13And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.14And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:15And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.20And Adam 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 hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
Luke
26And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,27To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.28And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.29And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.30And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God.31And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.32He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:33And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.34Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?35And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.36And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.37For with God nothing shall be impossible.38And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy 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.