The daily Word of God
Saturday, December 21st, 2024
Advent Weekday (December 21). Saint Peter Canisius, priest and doctor of the Church
Lk 1:39-45 "Blessed are you who believed that what was spoken to you by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
First Reading: Song 2:8-14
Hark! my lover – here he comes
springing across the mountains,
leaping across the hills.
My lover is like a gazelle
or a young stag.
Here he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
peering through the lattices.
My lover speaks; he says to me,
"Arise, my beloved, my dove, my beautiful one,
and come!
"For see, the winter is past,
the rains are over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth,
the time of pruning the vines has come,
and the song of the dove is heard in our land.
The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines, in bloom, give forth fragrance.
Arise, my beloved, my beautiful one,
and come!
"O my dove in the clefts of the rock,
in the secret recesses of the cliff,
Let me see you,
let me hear your voice,
For your voice is sweet,
and you are lovely."
or
Zep 3:14-18a
Shout for joy, O daughter Zion!
Sing joyfully, O Israel!
Be glad and exult with all your heart,
O daughter Jerusalem!
The LORD has removed the judgment against you,
he has turned away your enemies;
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst,
you have no further misfortune to fear.
On that day, it shall be said to Jerusalem:
Fear not, O Zion, be not discouraged!
The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
a mighty savior;
He will rejoice over you with gladness,
and renew you in his love,
He will sing joyfully because of you,
as one sings at festivals.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 33:2-3, 11-12, 20-21
R./ Exult, you just, in the Lord!
Sing to him a new song.
Give thanks to the LORD on the harp;
with the ten-stringed lyre chant his praises.
Sing to him a new song;
pluck the strings skillfully, with shouts of gladness.
R./ Exult, you just, in the Lord!
Sing to him a new song.
But the plan of the LORD stands forever;
the design of his heart, through all generations.
Blessed the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he has chosen for his own inheritance.
R./ Exult, you just, in the Lord!
Sing to him a new song.
Our soul waits for the LORD,
who is our help and our shield,
For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
R./ Exult, you just, in the Lord!
Sing to him a new song.
Gospel Reading: Luke 1:39-45
Mary set out in those days
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
“Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled.”
with God, all things are possible
The Gospel account of Mary’s visit to Elizabeth is far more than a simple narrative about two women meeting. As Pope Francis reminds us, Scripture is a living catechesis meant to illuminate our faith and deepen our relationship with God. This passage, filled with biblical symbolism, points to the transformative joy and faith that come with encountering Christ.
Mary’s greeting to Elizabeth resonates with the ancient Jewish blessing, Shalom—peace. Yet, on her lips, it carries a new depth. Mary announces the arrival of the long-awaited Messiah, the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:5). This greeting sparks joy, not only in Elizabeth but in her unborn child, John the Baptist, who leaps in recognition of the Savior. Like Mary and Elizabeth, Pope Francis urges us to be bearers of peace and joy, even amidst the trials of our modern world.
Luke carefully weaves Old Testament imagery into this encounter, portraying Mary as the new Ark of the Covenant. Like the ark that brought blessings to Israel, Mary carries the presence of God within her. Elizabeth’s exclamation—“Blessed are you among women!”—echoes the praises of Jael and Judith, women through whom God delivered His people. Though young and humble, Mary is chosen to bear the Savior, reminding us that God accomplishes great things through the lowly and the willing.
The joy of this meeting extends beyond the personal. Mary’s Magnificat response declares the radical reversal of God’s kingdom, where the lowly are lifted, and the proud are brought low. This passage invites us to emulate Mary’s faith, trusting in God’s promises even when they seem impossible. Blessed are we when we believe, for with God, all things are possible.
Introduction
Few things, if any, are more beautiful on the human – and the divine – level than the encounter between persons. An encounter is a great joy and a grace. The first reading (from the Song of Songs) speaks of the encounter between a suitor and the young woman he loves; this is probably an image of the love between God and Israel. The second option (from Zeph) describes the joy of Jerusalem because God stays with his people.
In the gospel, Elizabeth encounters Mary; even the unborn John the Baptist encounters the Savior and his mother. Deeper than meetings between people in business, science, politics, or their jobs, are the understanding, love and sharing of real human encounters. This is the kind of encounter that awaits us with the Lord on Christmas and in this eucharist. Encounters are even deeper when God is a partner of them.
Opening Prayer
God, we tend to lose ourselves
in the bustle and stir of the day,
in our work and our petty worries.
Give us the freshness of heart
to look for the things that matter,
those that make our lives deeply human
and at the same time open us
to your world and to your values.
Make us long to encounter you with joy,
that we may discover again the quality
of gratuitous giving, of respect,
and of carefree, self-forgetting love,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
General Intercessions
– That the deeper coming of Christ to us on Christmas fill us all with gratitude and joy, we pray:
– That God may give us the gift of having many friends, we pray:
– That we may learn to appreciate people and rejoice in their gifts and talents, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord God, loving Father,
in this eucharist you encounter us again
through your Son Jesus Christ.
In these signs of bread and wine
may we really meet him
from person to person.
Let him set our hearts afire with his Spirit,
that we give up our self-made securities
and dare with him to become
your people and your world
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
God, our Father,
we have encountered your Son
in his word and his body.
Let him go with us now
to speak through us your word
of courage and lasting hope
and to make us his body to the world,
that every encounter among people
may from now on become
a blessing and a grace and a joy,
and a commitment to one another and to you,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Blessing
The coming of Christ has brought joy to the world. With him, there is hope. No more room for sadness and fear! Even the cross can lead to joy! May almighty God make you people of joy and bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
