REFLECTION FOR TODAY
All men are called to belong to the new People of God. This People, therefore, while remaining one and only one, is to be spread throughout the whole world and to all ages in order that the design of God's will may be fulfilled: he made human nature one in the beginning and has decreed that all his children who were scattered should be finally gathered together as one... The character of universality which adorns the People of God is a gift from the Lord Himself whereby the Catholic Church ceaselessly and efficaciously seeks for the return of all humanity and all its goods, under Christ the Head in the unity of His Spirit.
-- Lumen Gentium 13
READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: 2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16
(Nathan's Message to David)
1 King David was settled in his palace, and the Lord kept him safe from all his enemies.
2 Then the king said to the prophet Nathan, “Here I am living in a house built of cedar, but God's Covenant Box is kept in a tent!”
3 Nathan answered, “Do whatever you have in mind, because the Lord is with you.”
4 But that night the Lord said to Nathan,
5 “Go and tell my servant David that I say to him, ‘You are not the one to build a temple for me to live in.
8 “So tell my servant David that I, the Lord Almighty, say to him, ‘I took you from looking after sheep in the fields and made you the ruler of my people Israel.
9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have defeated all your enemies as you advanced. I will make you as famous as the greatest leaders in the world.
10-11 I have chosen a place for my people Israel and have settled them there, where they will live without being oppressed any more. Ever since they entered this land, they have been attacked by violent people, but this will not happen again. I promise to keep you safe from all your enemies and to give you descendants.
12When you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will make one of your sons king and will keep his kingdom strong.
14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him as a father punishes his son.
16 You will always have descendants, and I will make your kingdom last forever. Your dynasty will never end.’”
Psalms: Psalm 89:2-5, 27, 29
2 I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with the man I chose; I have promised my servant David,
4 ‘A descendant of yours will always be king; I will preserve your dynasty forever.’”
5 The heavens sing of the wonderful things you do; the holy ones sing of your faithfulness, Lord.
27 I will make him my first-born son, the greatest of all kings.
29 His dynasty will be as permanent as the sky; a descendant of his will always be king.
Gospel: Luke 1:67-79
(Zechariah's Prophecy)
67 John's father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and he spoke God's message:
68 “Let us praise the Lord, the God of Israel! He has come to the help of his people and has set them free.
69 He has provided for us a mighty Savior, a descendant of his servant David.
70 He promised through his holy prophets long ago
71 that he would save us from our enemies, from the power of all those who hate us.
72 He said he would show mercy to our ancestors and remember his sacred covenant.
73-74 With a solemn oath to our ancestor Abraham he promised to rescue us from our enemies
and allow us to serve him without fear,
75 so that we might be holy and righteous before him all the days of our life.
76 “You, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High God. You will go ahead of the Lord
to prepare his road for him,
77 to tell his people that they will be saved by having their sins forgiven.
78 Our God is merciful and tender. He will cause the bright dawn of salvation to rise on us
79 and to shine from heaven on all those who live in the dark shadow of death,
to guide our steps into the path of peace.”
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