Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 27, 2020
First Reading: Genesis 15.1-6; 17.3b-5, 15-16; 21.1-7
1After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: "Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward. "2But Abram said, "O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damascus?"3And Abram said, "You have given me no children; so a servant in my household will be my heir."4Then the word of the LORD came to him: "This man will not be your heir, but a son coming from your own body will be your heir."5He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars-if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."6Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
3Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,4"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.5No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.15God also said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.16I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her."
1Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.2Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.3Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.4When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.5Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.6Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."7And she added, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age."
Psalm 105
1Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.2Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.3Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.4Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.5Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,6O descendants of Abraham his servant, O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.7He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.8He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,9the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac.10He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:11"To you I will give the land of Canaan as the portion you will inherit."12When they were but few in number, few indeed, and strangers in it,13they wandered from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another.14He allowed no one to oppress them; for their sake he rebuked kings:15"Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."16He called down famine on the land and destroyed all their supplies of food;17and he sent a man before them- Joseph, sold as a slave.18They bruised his feet with shackles, his neck was put in irons,19till what he foretold came to pass, till the word of the LORD proved him true.20The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples set him free.21He made him master of his household, ruler over all he possessed,22to instruct his princes as he pleased and teach his elders wisdom.23Then Israel entered Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.24The LORD made his people very fruitful; he made them too numerous for their foes,25whose hearts he turned to hate his people, to conspire against his servants.26He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.27They performed his miraculous signs among them, his wonders in the land of Ham.28He sent darkness and made the land dark- for had they not rebelled against his words?29He turned their waters into blood, causing their fish to die.30Their land teemed with frogs, which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.31He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.32He turned their rain into hail, with lightning throughout their land;33he struck down their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country.34He spoke, and the locusts came, grasshoppers without number;35they ate up every green thing in their land, ate up the produce of their soil.36Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the firstfruits of all their manhood.37He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, and from among their tribes no one faltered.38Egypt was glad when they left, because dread of Israel had fallen on them.39He spread out a cloud as a covering, and a fire to give light at night.40They asked, and he brought them quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.41He opened the rock, and water gushed out; like a river it flowed in the desert.42For he remembered his holy promise given to his servant Abraham.43He brought out his people with rejoicing, his chosen ones with shouts of joy;44he gave them the lands of the nations, and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-45that they might keep his precepts and observe his laws. Praise the LORD.
Second Reading: Hebrews 11.8, 11-12, 17-19
8By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.11By faith Abraham, even though he was past age--and Sarah herself was barren--was enabled to become a father because he considered him faithful who had made the promise.12And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.17By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son,18even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned."19Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death.
Gospel: Luke 2.22, 25-27, 34-35, 39-40
22When the time of their purification according to the Law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against,35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too."39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter powerful stories of faith, trust, and the fulfillment of God’s promises. The first reading from Genesis recounts the story of Abraham and Sarah, who, despite their advanced age and Sarah’s barrenness, trusted in God’s promise of a son. This narrative is a testament to the boundless nature of God’s power and the importance of unwavering faith. The second reading from Hebrews deepens this theme, highlighting how Abraham and Sarah’s faith led to the miraculous birth of Isaac, and how Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac demonstrates the depth of his trust in God’s plan. Finally, the Gospel from Luke presents Simeon, a man of deep faith, who recognizes the infant Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promise of salvation for all people.
These readings are deeply interconnected, as they all point to the transformative power of faith. Abraham and Sarah’s story shows us that God’s promises often unfold in ways we cannot anticipate, and that His timing is always perfect. The Letter to the Hebrews reminds us that faith is not merely intellectual assent but a radical surrender to God’s will, even when it demands great sacrifice. In the Gospel, Simeon’s encounter with Jesus reveals that faith is not just about waiting for God’s promises but also about recognizing and embracing them when they are fulfilled.
As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How do we respond to God’s promises in our own lives? Do we, like Abraham and Sarah, trust in His plan even when it seems impossible? Do we, like Simeon, rejoice in the fulfillment of His promises, even if they come in unexpected ways? Let us allow these stories to inspire us to deepen our faith and to trust more fully in God’s providence. May we, like Abraham, Sarah, and Simeon, be willing to surrender to God’s will, knowing that His plans for us are always greater than we can imagine.