Daily Readings - Tue Jan 01 2019
Numbers
22The LORD said to Moses,23"Tell Aaron and his sons, 'This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:24"'"The LORD bless you and keep you;25the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;26the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace."'27"So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them."
Galatians
4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."7So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.
Luke
16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child,18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter profound expressions of God’s blessings and the fulfillment of His promises. The first reading from Numbers presents the priestly blessing, a sacred invocation of God’s favor upon His people, emphasizing protection, mercy, and peace. This blessing, passed down through generations, serves as a reminder of God’s enduring presence and care. The second reading from Galatians reveals the culmination of God’s plan in the person of Jesus Christ, who was born under the law to redeem humanity. Through Jesus, we are adopted as sons and daughters of God, receiving the Spirit that cries out to our heavenly Father. The Gospel from Luke vividly portrays the shepherds’ encounter with the newborn Jesus, highlighting their faith and the wonder of Mary, who treasured the divine events in her heart.
These readings are intricately connected, each shedding light on the mystery of God’s love. The priestly blessing in Numbers finds its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, who is the source of all blessings. Galatians explains the theological depth of this fulfillment, showing how Jesus’ arrival transforms our status from servants to sons, granting us inheritance in God’s kingdom. Luke’s narrative illustrates the human response to this divine grace—the shepherds’ haste to worship and Mary’s contemplative heart. Together, these texts reveal the unity of God’s plan, where ancient blessings and promises converge in the birth of Jesus.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to recognize and embrace the blessings of God, just as the shepherds recognized the significance of Jesus’ birth. Like Mary, we are called to ponder the wonders of God’s work in our lives and in the world. The moral lesson here is one of gratitude and trust. Just as the priestly blessing was a reminder of God’s faithfulness, and just as the shepherds responded with joy and praise, we too should acknowledge God’s presence and provision. Let us, like Mary, treasure the Word of God in our hearts, allowing it to shape our thoughts, actions, and relationships. In doing so, we become living expressions of the blessings we have received, reflecting God’s love to a world in need.