Daily Readings - Thu Dec 12 2019

First Reading - Zechariah 2.10-13 or Revelation 11.19a; 12.1, 3-6a, 10ab

¹⁰"Shout and be glad, O Daughter of Zion. For I am coming, and I will live among you," declares the LORD.¹¹"Many nations will be joined with the LORD in that day and will become my people. I will live among you and you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.¹²The LORD will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land and will again choose Jerusalem.¹³Be still before the LORD, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."

Revelation

Chapter 11

¹⁹Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a great hailstorm.

Chapter 12

¹A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head.³Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on his heads.⁴His tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment it was born.⁵She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne.⁶The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.¹⁰Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ. For the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.

Luke

Chapter 1

³⁹At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea,⁴⁰where she entered Zechariah's home and greeted Elizabeth.⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.⁴²In a loud voice she exclaimed: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear!⁴³But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?⁴⁴As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.⁴⁵Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!"⁴⁶And Mary said: "My soul glorifies the Lord⁴⁷and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound moments of joy and recognition of God's presence. The first reading from Zechariah 2:10-13 speaks of a future hope where God will dwell among His people, and many nations will join in worship. This passage, written in a post-exilic context, offers restoration and hope to Israel, promising a time when God's presence will be evident and inclusive. The Gospel from Luke 1:39-47 shifts to the present reality of God's plan through the Visitation. Here, Mary, carrying Jesus, visits Elizabeth, who is filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth's joyful recognition of Mary as the mother of the Lord exemplifies faith and acknowledgment of God's work. This narrative is part of Luke's infancy story, highlighting the roles of these faithful women in God's plan. Both readings connect through themes of joy and recognition of God's presence. Zechariah looks forward to a future dwelling of God, while Luke presents the present reality of God dwelling in Mary. This connection invites us to recognize God's presence in our lives, just as Elizabeth did, and to respond with joy and faith. In our daily lives, we are called to trust in God's plan, even when unclear. Like Mary and Elizabeth, we should embrace God's will with joy, recognizing His presence in every moment. The moral lesson here is one of trust and rejoicing in God's plan, encouraging us to live with faith and joy, acknowledging God's presence in our midst.