Daily Readings - Fri Dec 08 2023
Genesis
9But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"10He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."11And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"12The man said, "The woman you put here with me-she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."13Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."14So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."20Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
Ephesians
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.4For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love5he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--6to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.11In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,12in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.
Luke
26In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,27to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary.28The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."29Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.30But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God.31You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus.32He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,33and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."34"How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?"35The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.36Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month.37For nothing is impossible with God."38"I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the mystery of God’s plan and our response to His call. In the first reading from Genesis, we hear the story of Adam and Eve, who, after disobeying God’s command, hide in shame. Their actions reveal the human condition—prone to sin and separation from God. Yet, even in the midst of sin, God does not abandon them. He speaks to them with mercy and announces the promise of redemption through the offspring of the woman, who will crush the serpent’s head. This passage sets the stage for understanding the larger narrative of salvation history.
In the second reading from Ephesians, St. Paul unfolds the richness of God’s plan. He reminds us that we have been chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, destined for holiness and adoption as God’s children. This reading emphasizes that our lives are not random but are part of a divine plan, rooted in God’s eternal love and grace. It calls us to live with hope and confidence, knowing that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves.
The Gospel reading from Luke brings us to a pivotal moment in salvation history—the Annunciation. Mary, a young virgin, is greeted by the Angel Gabriel and told that she will bear a son, Jesus, who will be the Son of the Most High. Mary’s response, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me according to your word,” is a model of faith and surrender. Her “yes” undoes the “no” of Eve, opening the way for God to enter the world in a new and profound way. Mary’s humility and trust in God’s plan teach us the importance of surrendering our will to His.
These readings remind us that our lives are part of a larger story. Like Adam and Eve, we are tempted to turn away from God, but like Mary, we are called to trust in His plan. In our daily lives, we can apply this by recognizing the ways God speaks to us, even in unexpected moments. Let us ask for the grace to respond with humility and faith, like Mary, allowing God’s will to shape our lives. May we, too, be instruments of His plan, bringing hope and redemption to a world in need.