Reading 1 2 Sm 7:1-5, 8b-12, 14a, 16
When King David was settled in his palace,
and the LORD had given him rest from his enemies on every side,
he said to Nathan the prophet,
"Here I am living in a house of cedar,
while the ark of God dwells in a tent!"
Nathan answered the king,
"Go, do whatever you have in mind,
for the LORD is with you."
But that night the LORD spoke to Nathan and said:
"Go, tell my servant David, 'Thus says the LORD:
Should you build me a house to dwell in?'
"'It was I who took you from the pasture
and from the care of the flock
to be commander of my people Israel.
I have been with you wherever you went,
and I have destroyed all your enemies before you.
And I will make you famous like the great ones of the earth.
I will fix a place for my people Israel;
I will plant them so that they may dwell in their place
without further disturbance.
Neither shall the wicked continue to afflict them as they did of old,
since the time I first appointed judges over my people Israel.
I will give you rest from all your enemies.
The LORD also reveals to you
that he will establish a house for you.
And when your time comes and you rest with your ancestors,
I will raise up your heir after you, sprung from your loins,
and I will make his kingdom firm.
I will be a father to him,
and he shall be a son to me.
Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;
your throne shall stand firm forever."
Responsorial Psalm Ps 89:2-3, 4-5, 27, 29
R. (2a) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The promises of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, "My kindness is established forever";
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
I have sworn to David my servant:
Forever will I confirm your posterity
and establish your throne for all generations."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
"He shall say of me, 'You are my father,
my God, the Rock, my savior.'
Forever I will maintain my kindness toward him,
and my covenant with him stands firm."
R. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
Reading 2 Rom 16:25-27
Brothers and sisters:
To him who can strengthen you,
according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery kept secret for long ages
but now manifested through the prophetic writings and,
according to the command of the eternal God,
made known to all nations to bring about the obedience of faith,
to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ
be glory forever and ever. Amen
Gospel Lk 1:26-38
The angel Gabriel was sent from God
to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,
to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,
of the house of David,
and the virgin's name was Mary.
And coming to her, he said,
"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."
But she was greatly troubled at what was said
and pondered what sort of greeting this might be.
Then the angel said to her,
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God.
"Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,
and you shall name him Jesus.
He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,
and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,
and of his kingdom there will be no end."
But Mary said to the angel,
"How can this be,
since I have no relations with a man?"
And the angel said to her in reply,
"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore the child to be born
will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,
has also conceived a son in her old age,
and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;
for nothing will be impossible for God."
Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word."
Then the angel departed from her.
Meditation: Luke 1:26-38
Hail, favored one!” (Luke 1:28)
Face-to-face with the mighty angel Gabriel, Mary was “greatly troubled” (Luke 1:29). Gabriel announced God’s plan for her to conceive through the Holy Spirit and bear a son who would inherit the throne of David and rule forever. And Mary, despite not having all the answers, was able to say: “May it be done to me according to your word” (1:38).
The words are so simple, so faith-filled, that we might miss out on what was behind them. By saying “yes” to the angel, Mary also said “no” to many things. She closed the door on an alternative life that had its own attractions: a life of quiet contemplation, out of the limelight, surrounded only by friends and family; a life of simple joys and everyday challenges. And yet with just a few words, she put aside all her dreams to embrace God’s dreams instead.
We can read this passage and marvel at Mary’s faith—and lament our lack of faith in comparison. But it’s important to see that when he greeted her, Gabriel called Mary full of grace, not full of faith. Mary’s “yes” to God was the result of the grace God had given her, not the result of her own willpower and forceful personality.
This is a key point for all of us. For in the final analysis, faith is not something we drum up on our own. It’s a gift given to us by a gracious, generous God. It’s a grace that he pours into us, a potent seed that is waiting to be plunged into the soil of our hearts. We may think we have weak faith, but the truth is God has given us all the faith we will ever need. We just have to learn how to yield to this great gift.
So what do you think? Can you say “yes” to God today? Yes, you can. God’s gift of grace guarantees it!
“Father, thank you for the gift of faith. Knowing you is the greatest joy of my life.”
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Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion
(2 Samuel 7:1-5, 8-12,14,16; Psalm 89:2-5,27,29; Romans 16:25-27; Luke 1:26-38)
1. In the first reading, God gives David an extraordinary promise through the prophet Nathan: he will establish his house and his family forever! Who of us wouldn’t want that promise for ourselves? And yet each of us has an opportunity to affect our families for eternity. What might you do this Advent and Christmas season to bring members of your family to a deeper faith in Christ?
2. In what ways were the prophetic words by Nathan to David partially fulfilled in Solomon and completely fulfilled in Jesus?
3. The responsorial psalm contains prophetic words as well. How do these words, and Nathan’s prophetic words in the first reading, fulfill the words of the angel Gabriel to Mary in the Gospel reading?
4. The responsorial psalm also speaks of the Lord’s goodness, promises, faithfulness, and kindness. What steps can you take in your times of prayer to focus more on praising God for these attributes, rather than just asking for things?
5. The entire second reading is just one long sentence. It is simply a prayer of praise to God. It acknowledges God for strengthening us according to the “gospel,” the good news. What are some; concrete examples of how you have been strengthened by the Gospel message?
6. The Gospel reading is so familiar to us we may be inclined to pass over it too quickly. But when we look closely we see that the angel actually did not give Mary very many details about what her life would be like. And yet she accepted without insisting on knowing its impact on her. When God asks something of you, do you focus on how it will impact you or on God’s will and call for your life? Can you give an example?
7. In the meditation, we hear these words, “For in the final analysis, faith is not something we drum up on our own. It’s a gift given to us by a gracious, generous God. It’s a grace that he pours into us, a potent seed that is waiting to be plunged into the soil of our hearts. We may think we have weak faith, but the truth is God has given us all the faith we will ever need. We just have to learn how to yield to this great gift.” As you approach Christmas, what are some steps you can take to “yield to this great gift”? What steps can you take to share your faith with others?
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