Tuesday, December 20, 2011 (Advent Weekday)

REFLECTION FOR TODAY
Let me become the food of the beasts, through whom it will be given me to reach God.
-- St. Ignatius of Antioch, Ad Romanos 4:1


READINGS FOR TODAY
First Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14
(The Sign of Immanuel)
10 The Lord sent another message to Ahaz:
11 “Ask the Lord your God to give you a sign. It can be from deep in the world of the dead or from high up in heaven.”
12 Ahaz answered, “I will not ask for a sign. I refuse to put the Lord to the test.”

13 To that Isaiah replied, “Listen, now, descendants of King David. It's bad enough for you to wear out the patience of people—do you have to wear out God's patience too?
14 Well then, the Lord himself will give you a sign: a young woman who is pregnant will have a son and will name him ‘Immanuel.’
Psalms: Psalm 24:1-6
(The Great King)
1 The world and all that is in it belong to the Lord; the earth and all who live on it are his.
2 He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths.
3 Who has the right to go up the Lord's hill? Who may enter his holy Temple?
4 Those who are pure in act and in thought, who do not worship idols or make false promises.
5 The Lord will bless them and save them; God will declare them innocent.
6 Such are the people who come to God, who come into the presence of the God of Jacob.
Gospel: Luke 1:26-38
(The Birth of Jesus Is Announced)
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. 27 He had a message for a young woman
promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary.
28 The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”
29 Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant.
30 The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you.
31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High
God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was,
33 and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”
34 Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”
35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God.
36 Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old.
37 For there is nothing that God cannot do.”
38 “I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.