Dec 22 2024

First reading Micah 5:1-4

He will stand and feed his flock with the power of the Lord

The Lord says this:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

the least of the clans of Judah,

out of you will be born for me

the one who is to rule over Israel;

his origin goes back to the distant past,

to the days of old.

The Lord is therefore going to abandon them

till the time when she who is to give birth gives birth.

Then the remnant of his brothers will come back

to the sons of Israel.

He will stand and feed his flock

with the power of the Lord,

with the majesty of the name of his God.

They will live secure, for from then on he will extend his power

to the ends of the land.

He himself will be peace.

Responsorial Psalm 79(80):2-3,15-16,18-19

Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken,
from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power,
and come to save us.
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O Lord of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand,
with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.

Second reading Hebrews 10:5-10

God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will

This is what Christ said, on coming into the world:

You who wanted no sacrifice or oblation,

prepared a body for me.

You took no pleasure in holocausts or sacrifices for sin;

then I said,

just as I was commanded in the scroll of the book,

‘God, here I am! I am coming to obey your will.’

Notice that he says first: You did not want what the Law lays down as the things to be offered, that is: the sacrifices, the oblations, the holocausts and the sacrifices for sin, and you took no pleasure in them; and then he says: Here I am! I am coming to obey your will. He is abolishing the first sort to replace it with the second. And this will was for us to be made holy by the offering of his body made once and for all by Jesus Christ.

Gospel Luke 1:39-45

Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord?

Mary set out and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leapt in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, ‘Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honoured with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leapt for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.’

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Smallness

“You, Bethlehem Ephrathah, the least of the clans of Judah, out of you will be born for me the one who is to rule over Israel…” (1st reading). As we stand at the threshold of Christmas, we pause amidst the hustle and bustle of the world around us and make time and space for prayer, allowing God to speak to us about humility. In the 1st reading, God chose a small town called Bethlehem, not a big city, to be the place where Christ would be born. The society we live in places a strong emphasis on grandiosity, while God values simplicity and humility. Let us learn to embrace littleness in our ordinary lives: a smile to someone in the elevator, a message to a friend, etc. In the simple acts and words of love, God comes.

In the gospel, we witness the encounter between Mary and Elizabeth—one younger and one older. In the male-dominated Jewish society of that time, women were often deemed insignificant. However, God chose these two simple women to play important roles in His plan of salvation. Today, we, as ordinary as we are, are chosen by God to be instruments to bring His presence to the world. Let us allow God to act in us and through us, allowing Him to do the unexpected.

Reflective question:
What is God’s message for me today?

Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD.