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 and 29
R. (2) For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
The favors 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.
Gospel Lk 1:67-79
Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:
"Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;
for he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his prophets he promised of old
that he would save us from our enemies,
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
to set us free from the hand of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear,
holy and righteous in his sight
all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace."
Meditation: Luke 1:67-79
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel.” (Luke 1:68)
Today the church invites us to pray with Zechariah. Remember, this man spent nine months in silence because he didn’t believe the angel’s message to him. Now the promise is fulfilled in the birth of Zechariah’s son, John. When Zechariah, in writing, insisted on the name the angel provided, his tongue is loosened, and he immediately launches into this beautiful canticle of praise. Out of his silence comes profound worship.
It may be hard to wrest a moment of silence out of this busy day, but you will be richly rewarded for the effort. Linger quietly with this canticle, and let the Holy Spirit bring to light just one phrase in it. Make a quiet space, and let worship well up within you.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, for he has visited and brought redemption to his people. (Luke 1:68) Perhaps you will reflect on what God has done for his people over the course of history, starting with Abraham and running through the stories of David and Solomon, Jeremiah and Ezekiel, the Maccabees and John the Baptist.
Even as he promised through the mouth of his holy prophets from of old. (Luke 1:70) Perhaps you can focus on the promises God has made and then kept in your life. He may have promised never to leave you or forsake you. He may have promised strength for a particularly difficult journey.
Salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us. (Luke 1:71) Maybe you will recall the way he has delivered you from enemies like fear, loneliness, jealousy, or the guilt of unforgiven sin. Perhaps it is his “tender mercy” that speaks to you today, or his “daybreak” as it lights up an area of darkness in your life (1:78).
Whatever reverberates with your spirit, treasure it and carry it with you today. This is a day of confident waiting, of quiet anticipation. Do whatever you can to welcome the Savior. Carve out the time you need. Make sure you rest and reflect. In your heart, get ready to greet the One who was born into our world on this holy night.
“Blessed are you, Lord God of Israel, for you have come to set us free!”
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