Liturgical Readings for : Wednesday, 20th December, 2023
12-20 Octave Days before Christmas
We are all called to follow Mary’s example in welcoming the Lord.
Today we remember the Memorial of St Fachanan, bishop.
FIRST READING
A reading from the Prophet Isaiah 7:10-14
The maiden is with child.
The Lord spoke to Ahaz again and said:
Ask the Lord your God for a sign, either in the depths of Sheol or in the heights above
But Ahaz said, ‘No’, I will not put the Lord to the test.
Then Isaiah said:
Listen now, House of David:
are you not satisfied with trying human patience
without trying the patience of God’ too?
The Lord himself give you a sign in any case:
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Emmanuel,
a name which means “God with us”.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-6. Rv 7. 10.
Response Let the Lord enter! He is the king of glory
1.The Lord’s is the earth and its fulness, the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas: on the waters he made it firm Response
2. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart who desires not worthless things. Response
3. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him seek the face of the God of Jacob Response
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Emmanuel, our king and lawgiver,
come and save us, Lord our God.
Alleluia!
or
Alleluia, alleluia!
Key of David, who open the gates of the eternal kingdom,
Come to liberate from prison the captive who lives in darkness.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 1: 26-38 Glory to you, O Lord.
Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son.
The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.
He went in and said to her,
‘Rejoice, so highly favoured! The Lord is with you.’
She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, ‘Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God’s favour. Listen! You are to conceive and bear a son, and you must name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David; he will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and his reign will have no end.’
Mary said to the angel, ‘But how can this come about, since I am a virgin?’
‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you’ the angel answered, ‘and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God.
Know this too: your kinswoman Elizabeth has, in her old age, herself conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God
‘I am the handmaid of the Lord,’ said Mary ‘let what you have said be done to me.’
And the angel left her.
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
************************
Gospel Reflection 20 Dec Advent Octave Luke 1:26-38
As we approach the celebration of the birth of Jesus, today’s gospel reading reminds us that prior to the moment of birth there was a moment of consent. Mary consented to God’s request through Gabriel that she would become the mother of God’s Son, ‘I am the handmaid of the Lord, let what you have said be done to me’. Because of her consent, God could send his Son into the world for all humanity, for all of us gathered here today. Mary’s consent had the most significant consequences for us all. Our own ‘yes’ to God’s purpose for our lives, God’s call to us, will always have consequences for the lives of others. Our consent to God’s call creates a space for God to touch the lives of others. Mary was unique in being the mother of Jesus, God’s Son. However, the pattern of her consent creating an opening for the Lord to come to others is one that can apply to us all.
We all will have our own annunciation moments, when the Lord calls us to take a certain path, perhaps through the mediation of some messenger, a Gabriel figure. Like Mary, we can hesitate before the call initially, wondering what it could mean for us, asking questions that trouble us. If, like her, we can eventually give ourselves over to God’s call to us, God’s desire for our lives, then the lives of others will be blessed and graced because of us. Our faithful response to the Lord will help others to come to faith or, if they are already people of faith, help them to remain faithful. Mary brought the Lord to us and made it possible for us to meet the Lord. We all have a role to play in bringing the Lord to others and in making it possible for others to meet the Lord
______________
The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd.
