Daily Catholic Mass Readings for December 21, 2022
First Reading: Zephaniah 3.14-18a or Song of Solomon 2.8-14
14Sing, O Daughter of Zion; shout aloud, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O Daughter of Jerusalem!15The LORD has taken away your punishment, he has turned back your enemy. The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you; never again will you fear any harm.16On that day they will say to Jerusalem, "Do not fear, O Zion; do not let your hands hang limp.17The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing."18"The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you.
8Listen! My lover! Look! Here he comes, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills.9My lover is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look! There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice.10My lover spoke and said to me, "Arise, my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me.11See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone.12Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land.13The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me."14My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely.
Psalm 33
1Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.2Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.3Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.4For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.5The LORD loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love.6By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.7He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.8Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the people of the world revere him.9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.10The LORD foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.11But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.12Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance.13From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind;14from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth-15he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.16No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.17A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.18But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,19to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.20We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.21In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.22May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.
Gospel: Luke 1.39-45
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!"
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful expressions of joy and trust in God’s presence. The first reading from Zephaniah invites us to rejoice because the Lord is in our midst, bringing strength and salvation. This prophet, writing to a people in distress, reminds us that even in darkness, God’s presence is our light. The second reading, from Luke’s Gospel, captures the joyful encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, where the unborn John the Baptist leaps for joy at the presence of the Messiah carried by Mary. Elizabeth’s exclamation, “Blessed are you who believed,” highlights the fruit of faith and trust in God’s promises.
These readings are connected by the theme of joy as a response to God’s presence and action in our lives. In Zephaniah, the people are called to rejoice because God has removed their judgment and fear. In Luke, Mary and Elizabeth’s joy flows from their faith in the miraculous work of God unfolding before them. Both passages remind us that God’s presence transforms fear into trust and despair into hope.
In our daily lives, we are called to embody this same spirit of joy and trust. Like Mary, we are invited to carry Christ into the world, even in the ordinary and unexpected moments. Like Elizabeth, we are called to recognize the movements of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in others. Let us ask ourselves: Where is God present in my life today? How can I respond with joy and faith, even when the road ahead seems uncertain? May we, like the people of Zephaniah and the women in Luke’s Gospel, find strength in God’s presence and trust in His plan, allowing His joy to overflow in our hearts and actions.