Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 30, 2018
First Reading: 1 Samuel 1.20-22, 24-28
20So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."21When the man Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual sacrifice to the LORD and to fulfill his vow,22Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, "After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present him before the LORD, and he will live there always."24After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh.25When they had slaughtered the bull, they brought the boy to Eli,26and she said to him, "As surely as you live, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD.27I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him.28So now I give him to the LORD. For his whole life he will be given over to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.
Psalm 84
1How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!2My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.3Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young- a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.4Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you. Selah5Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.6As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.7They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.8Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah9Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.10Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.11For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.12O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.
Second Reading: 1 John 3.1-2, 21-24
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.
Gospel: Luke 2.41-52
41Every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the Feast, according to the custom.43After the Feast was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."49"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful stories of faith, dedication, and the profound relationship between God and His people. The first reading from 1 Samuel tells us of Hannah, a woman who, after years of barrenness, prays fervently for a child and promises to dedicate him to the Lord. When her prayer is answered, she keeps her vow, bringing her young son Samuel to the temple to serve God. This story highlights the depth of Hannah’s faith and her willingness to surrender her greatest gift back to the One who gave it to her.
The second reading from 1 John reminds us of our identity as children of God and the immense love the Father has for us. John emphasizes that we are called to live in accordance with God’s commandments, particularly the commandment to love one another. This love is not abstract but is demonstrated through our actions and our relationship with God. John also assures us that when we keep God’s commandments, we can have confidence in His presence and provision in our lives.
The Gospel from Luke presents the story of the young Jesus in the temple. At just twelve years old, Jesus is already demonstrating a deep understanding of His mission and identity. When Mary and Joseph find Him engaged in discussion with the teachers of the law, Jesus responds by saying, “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?” This moment reveals the beginning of Jesus’ public life and His unwavering focus on His Father’s will. Mary, in her wisdom, “kept all these things in her heart,” reflecting on the mystery of her Son’s divine mission.
These readings invite us to reflect on our own relationship with God and our commitment to living out our faith. Like Hannah, we are called to trust in God’s plan and to surrender our lives and gifts to Him. Like the Beloved Disciple, we are reminded that our identity as children of God is rooted in love and obedience. And like Mary, we are invited to ponder the mystery of God’s work in our lives and to support one another in fulfilling our unique callings. May we, like Jesus, remain focused on our Father’s will, and may we, with Mary, treasure these truths in our hearts.