This week’s Gospel message for Sunday, December 19th is from Luke 1:39-45.
“Mary set out 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, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed in 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.’”
“As we draw close to the end of this season of expectation, this season of preparation, this season of waiting, let us break from all the hustle and bustle that threaten to overwhelm the true meaning of this holy event and share in the pure joy of Mary and Elizabeth who exult in each other’s blessedness.” SOURCE: Pastoral Patterns, Winter 2021-2022
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
MondayIsaiah 7:10-14; Luke 1:26-38
Tuesday Song of Songs 2:8-14; Luke 1:39-45
Wednesday 1 Samuel 1:24-28; Luke 1:46-56
Thursday Malachi 3:1-4, 23-24; Luke 1:57-66
Friday 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16; Luke 1:67-79
Vigil—Isaiah 62:1-5; Acts 13:16-17, 22-25;
Matthew 1:1-25
Midnight—Isaiah 9:1-6; Titus 2:11-14;
Luke 2:1-14
Saturday Isaiah 52:7-10; Hebrews 1:1-6; John 1:1-18
“Behold, I come to do your will.” Hebrews 10:9