Daily Readings - Sat Dec 12 2020
First Reading - Zechariah 2.10-13 or Revelation 11.19a; 12.1, 3-6a, 10ab
Zechariah
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
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.
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
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 revelation. The first reading from Zechariah speaks of a time when God will dwell in the midst of His people, and many nations will join Israel in worshiping the Lord. This prophecy points to a future where God’s presence is universally acknowledged, and His people are united in His sanctified land. The passage invites us to silence and awe before the majesty of God, who arises from His holy dwelling place to fulfill His promises. The Gospel, on the other hand, brings us to the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, where the unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy at the presence of Jesus in Mary’s womb. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, praises Mary for her faith and recognizes the blessedness of the fruit of her womb. Mary responds with the Magnificat, a hymn of praise that glorifies God for His mercy and faithfulness.
These readings are deeply connected. Zechariah’s prophecy of God’s dwelling among His people finds its fulfillment in the Gospel, where Mary carries the incarnate God within her. Just as Zechariah speaks of God’s presence bringing joy and unity to all nations, the Visitation reveals the joy of encountering God’s presence in the flesh. Elizabeth and Mary’s meeting is not just a personal encounter but a moment of divine revelation, where the Holy Spirit inspires recognition of God’s work. The leap of John the Baptist in Elizabeth’s womb symbolizes the universal rejoicing that Zechariah prophesied, as even the unborn child recognizes the presence of the Messiah.
In our daily lives, these readings invite us to cultivate a deep awareness of God’s presence among us. Like Elizabeth, we are called to recognize the Lord’s visitation and to rejoice in His nearness. Mary’s faith and trust in God’s promises serve as a model for us, reminding us that our lives are not our own but are part of a larger plan to bring God’s love to the world. Let us, like Mary, magnify the Lord and allow our spirits to leap for joy in God our Savior. May we, too, be bearers of God’s presence, sharing the Good News with others and living as children of a merciful and faithful God.